THE EVOLUTION OF THE EMERTON STRAIN
by Jim Emerton
In 1976, a decision was made to obtain Descamps Van Hasten Stichelbaut based birds from Louella. I matched a hen and a cock on balance, feather and overall sense impression out of the available birds in the pens. I struck gold as these bred the Iron Hen and Iron Man which, as brother and sister, bred my No. 1 stock cock Dark Destiny and his brother the No. 2 stock cock - note the dynasty bred from these birds on the pedigrees.
One snowy day in 76, mum, dad and I went to Louella, where John and Michael Massarella and I sorted through a direct draft of Vanhee and Emiel Denys birds. When narrowed down to 3 birds, I chose the dark chequer cock which I named Darkness - ironically he was the most expensive at 55 pounds and classically bred.
With extreme distance aspirations already, I subsequently sent for some Louella extreme distance pigeons, from which the granddaughter of Woodsider, which I called Generic, when paired to the Darkness, Denys cock bred my No. 1 stock hen Dt of Darkness. My No. 1 pair are responsible for my success from 71 to 879 miles, which is well documented.
Realising the wisdom of my original DVH Stichelbaut purchases at £17.50 abd £21.50, John Massarella supplied me with the DVH relatives Dreadnought and Delilah which, as the pedigrees reveal, were key producers in my loft e.g. Dorothy's Courage line and Deborah.
Looking for further success, I contacted Ponderosa UK and asked for an outstanding specimen grandson of Kleine Donkere and he was a stormer.
These then are the original building blocks of a man's life in racing pigeons. The pedigrees will show many close breeding developments in the strain, with a few subsequent intros later on from Brian Denney, Jim Donaldson and Trevor Robinson.
My origin birds, today, when paired will all have the early, key birds in their breeding. It is still a life's work, where modern fanciers such as Nicholas Harvey are enjoying the fruits from the sweat of my brow. Below are examples of how these key birds knitted together.
The birds continue to race well for many e.g Chris Gordon, Trevor Robinson, Jim Donaldson and Booth & Shipley when pure and crossed and I have established a lovely strain network of people from Bude to Ireland to Holy Island and beyond. As a PURIST I do enjoy the personality side of my efforts as the cultivation of long distance and marathon pigeons is a life obsession.
Dorothy inside the racing loft doing what she enjoyed. She ‘sang’ to the pigeons’.
Dark Velvet – 8th section K Saintes 569 miles and flew Pau 735 miles. From a brother x sister mating – Dark Enchantment. Sire of Velvet Destiny when paired to Mystical Queen.
2 x Pau 735 miles. Dtr of Sister Damien. G.dtr of Diabolos.
Inside the loft
Barcelona Dream. You can just make out the spider webs.
Sister Damien. Dtr of Dutchman. 5th section K 80th open NFC Saintes 569 miles on the day and flew Pau. Dam of Mystical Queen.
Son of Diabolos and Dorothy’s Courage, down to Delta Lady, Oddball and Musgrove Delight.
Dedication – 3rd section K 61st open NFC Saintes 569 miles on the day and flew Pau. Another key racer/producer. Down to Delta Lady, Oddball and Musgrove Delight.
The late Eric Gibson, NFC clock man, by my loft. Eric was a gifted man in wood.
February 2013
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