AN INTERVEIW WITH THE AMAZING CHRIS VASEY OF THE MIGHTY UP NORTH COMBINE
by Jim Emerton
IS THERE ANYONE TO HELP YOU IN YOUR GREAT SUCCESS?
I RACE MY PIGEONS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH MY SON JORDAN, WHO IS 11 YEARS OLD. HE HELPS OUT OCCASIONALLY. WE RUN THE LOFT BY OURSELVES MOST OF THE TIME BUT HAVE A VERY GOOD FRIEND FROM YORK WHO HELPS OUT WHEN HE CAN.
WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVOURITE BIRDS & PERFORMANCES?
TWO OF MY MOST FAVOURITE BIRDS WERE MY BEST RACE HENS: EMILY, A CHEQUER PIED FLOR VAN LOOKE BOUGHT FROM GEORGE INGLE AT SCARBOROUGH WHICH I BOUGHT AS A YOUNGBIRD IN 2004, WON 3 X 1STS RACING INCLUDING 3RD COMBINE FROM PERTH, AND “SHE’S LIKE THE WIND”, A BLUE HEREMANS – C EUSTERS HEN I BOUGHT FROM A GOOD FRIEND IN BELGIUM IN 2009. SHE ALSO HAS RACED VERY WELL TOPPING THE EAST CLEVELAND-NORTH YORKSHIRE FEDERATION SECTION FROM HUNTINGDON IN 2010 RACING AGAINST 5981 BIRDS, WINNING BY A CLEAR MARGIN. SHE ALSO WON 1ST CLUB FOLKSTONE 2.
PLEASE DETAIL THE PREPERATION FOR YOUR RACE BIRDS
WE PREPARE OUR BIRDS FOR THE RACIING SEASON ALL YEAR ROUND REALLY, BUT TO GET THEM IN RACING CONDITION WE WILL LET ALL BIRDS REAR YOUNSGTERS. THEY MUST REAR 2 AS WE FEEL THAT IS NATURE'S WAY. ONCE THE REARING PERIOD IS OVER, AROUND THE FIRST WEEK OF MARCH, WE WILL HAVE THE BIRDS' DROPPINGS TESTED BY KEVIN WINTER AT SUNDERLAND. I MUST ADD KEVIN HAS NEVER FOUND ANYTHING IN THE BIRDS' DROPPINGS SO WE MUST BE DOING SOMETHING RIGHT. ABOUT 3 WEEKS BEFORE THE FIRST RACE THE BIRDS ARE LET OUT FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE BREEDING BEGAN AND THEY ARE ALLOWED OUT TO EXERCISE FOR 30 MINUTES ONCE A DAY. THE FIRST WEEK THEY ARE NOT FORCED TO FLY, THEY DO AS THEY WISH, BUT THEY MUST COME IN WHEN CALLED. WE DO NOT TOLERATE PIGEONS THAT DO NOT LISTEN. THE SECOND WEEK OF EXERCISE THEY MUST FLY NOW FOR 20-40 MINUTES. I PUT A FLAG UP ON THE LOFTS, AND ONCE THE FLAGS ARE DOWN THEY MUST TRAP IMMEDIATELY. ANY THAT DO NOT LISTEN MISS THEIR FEED TILL THE NEXT MORNING. ONE WEEK BEFORE THE FIRST RACE I WILL TRAIN THE BIRDS EVERY DAY, PICKING THE NICE DAYS, AND TRAIN THEM FROM 12 MILES IN AN ARC AND THEY WILL GO TWICE A DAY, HENS IN THE MORNING COCKS IN THE AFTERNOON, DEPENDING ON MY WORKING PATTERN. THE BIRDS MUST LET THEMSELVES IN AS WE DO NOT HAVE ANYONE TO HELP. ONCE RACING IS UNDERWAY TRAINING IS MAYBE TWICE A WEEK, COCKS AND HENS BUT I WILL TRAIN EVERY DAY WITH COCKS ONE DAY THE HENS THE NEXT FROM 8 – 12 MILES ON THE LINE OF FLIGHT I WANT OUR BIRDS TO COME FROM.
WHAT DO YOU USE TO ACHIEVE GREAT FLYING CONDITION?
I BELIEVE GOOD HEALTHY PIGEONS STAY IN GOOD CONDITION ALL THE TIME BUT TO ACHIEVE FLYING CONDITION WE MUST FEED THE BIRDS CORRECTLY, WE LIKE TO FEED VERSELAGA MIXES ALL YEAR ROUND WITH A FARMED SUPPLY OF PEAS THAT MY GOOD FRIEND PETER FANNAN BRINGS ME. DURING THE WINTER MONTHS WE FEED THEM MIXED WITH OUR RACING CORN AND ADD OR TAKE OUT THE PROTEINS ACCORDING TO THE DISTANCE OF THE RACE.
HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT DRUG TESTING?
I AM ALL FOR DRUG TESTING AND I HAVE OFFERED OUR BIRDS UP FOR TEST ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. I DO FEEL THAT TESTING SHOULD TAKE PLACE MORE OFTEN THAN IT DOES, NOT JUST AT COMBINE LEVEL BUT AT CLUB AND FED LEVEL AS WELL. TOP FANCIERS DON’T HAVE TO USE PERFORMANCE ENHANCING DRUGS TO WIN RACES. THEY ARE JUST PUTTING MORE WORK INTO THEIR BIRDS AND KEEPING THEM HEALTHIER THAN THE FANCEIRS THAT DON'T WIN.
WILL YOU CREATE YOUR OWN FAMILY OR STRAIN OF BIRDS?
I HAVE HAD THE FAMILY OF BIRDS THAT WE OWN TODAY SINCE 1999 AND WE HAVE INTRODUCED GOOD PERFORMANCE PIGEONS IN EACH YEAR TO BLEND INTO THEM. I DON’T THINK THERE IS SUCH A THING AS A STRAIN IN OUR LOFTS, MAYBE A FAMILY, BUT I DO THINK WE DO NEED TO OUT CROSS TO BRING OUR BIRDS TO RACE BETTER.
HOW DID YOU LEARN THE ART AND SCIENCE OF RACING PIGEONS?
I HAVE KEPT PIGEONS SINCE THE AGE OF 8, BUT I WAS ONLY A KEEPER OF THEM THEN. I DIDN’T GET SERIOUS TILL 1999. I HAD JUST MOVED LOFT LOCATION AND WAS RIGHT NEXT DOOR TO TOP FLYER IN THE CLUB. HE USED TO GIVE ME BITS OF ADVICE BUT I WAS STILL A FEW MINUTES OFF THE PACE EACH WEEK. I HAD WON PLENTY OF RACES AND AVERAGES BEFORE THIS DATE, BUT I WOULDN’T SAY I WAS DEDICTAED; I WAS YOUNG AND ENJOYED OTHER BIRDS. I THEN MET A GREAT FANCIER CALLED ERIC WILSON FROM HARTLEPOOL. HE GIFTED ME 12 LATE BREDS IN 99 AND WITH HIS GOOD ADVICE I WAS TO BECOME TOP FLYER IN THE CLUB WITHIN 3 YEARS. ALL THE TIPS I WAS GIVER PRIOR TO MEETING ERIC WERE TO KEEP ME AT THE WRONG END OF THE PRIZELIST. I THEN MADE UP MY MIND TO DEDICATE ALL MY SPARE TIME TO BECOMING SUCCESSFUL. I HAVE READ MANY BOOKS AND WATCHED MANY DVD’S AND EACH ONE HAS LEARNT ME SOMETHING I CAN ADD TO MY SYSTEM WITH THE KNOWLEDGE PASSED ONTO ME BY MY GOOD FRIEND ERIC - WITHOUT THAT I WOULD STILL BE PLODDING ON TODAY.
TALK ABOUT THE QUALITIES NEEDED FOR LIFE AT THE TOP
I DO BELIEVE THE MAIN QUALTIY WE ALL MUST HAVE IS GOOD HONEST PIGEONS. SECONDLY WE MUST LOOK TO OURSELVES TO BE IN THE RIGHT FRAME OF MIND AND BE PREPARED TO WORK EXTREMELY HARD WITH THE BIRDS WE HAVE CHOSEN, AND NOT GIVE UP TO EASILY WHEN THINGS ARE NOT GOING TO PLAN. SOMETIMES PIGEONS DO NOT RACE. IT DOESN’T MEAN THEY ARE RUBBISH, THEY MAY JUST NOT LIKE OUR WAY OF WORKING THEM. WE MUST TRY AND LEARN HOW THE PIGEONS WORK AND THEN WORK ON THAT. I HAVE BEEN TO A FEW LOFTS IN MY TIME AND PICKED OUT PIGEONS I LIKED THAT HAVE DONE NOTHING OR BRED NOTHING FOR THEIR OWNERS AND THESE BIRDS HAVE TURNED OUT TO BE VERY BENEFICIAL TO ME, EITHER IT BE AT BREEDING OR RACING THEIR OFFSPRING. I DO BELIEVE YOU NEED TO BE A GOOD STOCK PERSON AND A HARD WORKING FANCIER.
WILL YOU EVER RACE WITH THE NATIONAL FLYING CLUB?
I WAS HOPING YOU WOULD ASK THIS QUESTION. I WAS JUST HAVING A DISCUSSION WITH MY MATE PETER ABOUT IT A WHILE AGO. I WOULD LOVE TO FLY IN THIS GREAT CLUB, BUT THE MARKING STATIONS ARE TOO FAR AWAY FOR ME TO TRAVEL AND HAVE THE TIME OFF WORK. IF THERE WAS A MARKING STATION AROUND YORK OR TEESSIDE OR ANYWHERE A BIT NEARER TO ME I WOULD JUMP AT THE CHANCE. THE NEAREST MARKING STATION TO ME IS IN SHEFFIELD AND THAT’S OVER A 100 MILES AWAY. I WOULD NEED TO HAVE MY BIRDS PREPARED A DAY EARLIER AND THEN TO HAVE THAT EXTRA DAY IN THE BASKET WOULD GIVE ME A DISADVANTAGE AGAINST THE FANCIERS AT THE SOUTH END OF THE CLUB. WE THINK THAT IF THERE WAS A NEARER STATION THERE WOULD BE MANY MORE GRAT LONG DISTANCE LFYERS FROM THE UP NORTH COMBINE AREA WILLING TO HAVE A CRACK AT THIS GREAT CLUB.
WHERE DO YOU LOOK FOR NEW PIGEON INTRODUCTIONS?
ALL YEAR ROUND I WATCH THE RESULTS ON PIGEON FORUMS AND OVER THE BELGIAN WEBSITES AND KEEP AN EYE ON THE SMALLER CONSISTENT LOFTS. I HAVE DONE THIS FOR MANY YEARS AND ONCE I WAS SATISFIED I WOULD TRY AND VISIT THEM AND BUY SOME YBS FROM THEM, USUALLY WITH GREAT SUCCESS, AND THERE ARE A FEW FANCIERS WHO HAVE LATCHED ONTO MY LUCK AND OBTAINED THE SAME PIGEONS BEHIND MY BACK IN ORDER TO TRY AND BEAT US. I BELIEVE YOU NEED TO BE ONE STEP AHEAD AND ALWAYS LOOK TO IMPROVE YOUR BIRDS TO STAY AT THE TOP.
HOW CAN WE IMPROVE OUR RACING FOR ALL?
THERE ARE MANY WAYS TO IMPROVE THE RACING FOR ALL, BUT SO MANY FANCIERS DO NOT WANT CHANGE FOR THE BETTER. THERE IS TO MUCH JEALOUSY IN THE PIGEON SPORT. I HAVE HAD DISCUSSIONS WITH FANCIERS TO SEE HOW THEY WOULD IMPROVE THEIR HOBBY, BUT THE ONES I HAVE CONVERSED WITH SEEM TO BE STUCK IN THE MUD. I FOR ONE WOULD LIKE TO SEE LEAGUE TABLES IN CLUBS, ALSO RACES FOR HENS WITHIN THE CLUBS AS SO MANY FANCIERS FLY WIDOW COCKS AND SOME OF THE NATURAL FLYERS SENDING THEIR TEAMS CANNOT COMPETE. IF THERE WAS HEN RACING THEY WOULD HAVE MORE OF A CHANCE WITH THEIR BIRDS.
DO YOU LIKE THE SOCIAL SIDE OF RACING?
I LOVE THE SOCIAL SIDE OF RACING, ESPECIALLY THE SHOWS WHERE WE GET TO MEET UP WITH FRIENDS WE HAVE MADE OVER THE INTERNET AND ALSO THE CLUB & FED PRESENTATIONS WHICH NOWADAYS SEEM TO BE POORLY SUPPORTED, MAINLY BECAUSE OF THE JEALOUSY WITHIN THE SPORT. I HAVE BEEN TO MANY PRESENTATIONS WITH FRIENDS OVER THE YEARS AND ALWAYS HAVE A GREAT TIME AND MEET NEW PEOPLE.
HOW DO YOU WISH TO BE REGARDED WITHIN THE SPORT?
I WOULD LIKE TO THINK I HAVE BEEN AN HONEST HARDWORKING FANCIER AND REGARDED AS A GOOD SPORTSMAN WITHIN OUR HOBBY.
DO YOU HAVE ANY THOUGHTS ON THE POLITICS AND MANAGEMENT OF THE SPORT?
WHEN I FLEW IN THE RPRA BOUNDRIES I WOULD HAVE CHANGED ONE RULE AND THAT IS TO STOP FANCIERS FROM FORMING NEW CLUBS WHERE THERE WAS A CLUB PRESENT IN ORDER TO KEEP GOOD FANCIERS FROM COMPETING WITH THEIR BIRDS. I NOW FLY WITH THE UP NORTH COMBINE AND I AM VERY HAPPY WITH THEIR SYSTEM. I AM EASY GOING AND WOULD GO WITH THE FLOW. YOU CAN PLEASE SOME PEOPLE SOME OF THE TIME AND THERE WILL ALWAYS BE SOME FANCIERS WHO ARE JUST NOT HAPPY WITH WHAT EVER HAPPENS WITHING THE SPORT. I WOULD RATHER SPEND THE TIME ON MY PIGEONS.
WHO DO YOU ADMIRE IN THE WORLD OF PIGEON RACING?
I ADMIRE AND RESPECT ALL THE FANCIERS WHO PUT THE HARD WORK IN EACH WEEK YEAR IN YEAR OUT TO BE AT THE TOP. THIS IS TRUE DEDICATION AMONGST US, AND ALL THE FANCIERS WHO TURN UP WEEK IN WEEK OUT TO SEND THEIR BIRDS, ALL THE CLUB AND FED SECRETARIES WHO PUT UP WITH THE THANKLESS TASK OF RUNNUNG A CLUB AND FEDERATION COMBINE ETC. BUT THE PERSON I ADMIRE THE MOST IS THE GENTLEMAN WHO SET ME ON THE RIGHT PATH WITH PIGEONS IN 1999, ERIC WILSON. HE HAS ALWAYS BEEN THERE FOR ME AND WHENEVER I HAD A PROBLEM IN THE PAST HIS ADVICE ALWAYS CAME GOOD.
DOES YOUR WIFE ASSIST YOU TO THE TOP?
OF COURSE SHE DOES. WHO IN THEIR RIGHT MIND WOULD PUT UP WITH A FANATICAL PIGEON FANCIER? WITHOUT HER I WOULD NOT BE AS GOOD A FANCIER. SHE ALSWAYS SUPPORTS ME WITH THE PIGEONS, ALTHOUGH SHE DOESN’T ALWAYS AGREE WITH ME OVER THEM. SHE HAS HELPED OUT WITH THE FIRST FEW YOUNG BIRD TRAINING TOSSES IN THE PAST BEFORE OUR LAST TWO CHILDREN WERE BORN.
WHAT ARE YOUR FAVOURITE PIGEON SUPPLEMENTS?
WE DON’T USE TOO MANY PIGEON SUPPLEMENTS AS THEY ARE TO EXPENSIVE BUT THE SUPPLEMENTS WE DO USE ARE FROM OUR LOCAL CHEMIST AND THEY ARE CYTACON AND MINADEX, BOTH VITAMIN COMPOUNDS. I THINK THEY ARE A MUST TO GET THE PIGEONS' BLOOD RIGHT DURING THE RACING SEASON.
DO YOU THINK THAT THE UP NORTH COMBINE WOULD BENEFIT BY AN EXTREME DISTANCE RACE LIKE BERGERAC OR BORDEAUX?
IF THERE WERE TO BE A TRUE NATIONAL RACE FROM ONE OF THESE POINTS I DO BELIEVE THE UP NORTH COMBINE HAS WITHIN ITS RANKS SOME OF THE BEST LONG DISTANCE FANCIERS IN THE COUNTRY, SO IT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL FOR THE UNC FANCIERS TO SHOW THEIR TRUE WORTH AT THIS DISTANCE.
WHAT ARE YOUR PERSPECTIVES ON THE FUTURE OF PIGEON RACING?
I HOPE I AM WRONG IN STATING THIS, BUT I BELIEVE WITHIN 10 -15 YEARS THERE WILL BE VERY FEW FANCIERS LEFT. IN MOST CLUBS THE AVERAGE AGE IS 60 PLUS WITH VERY FEW YOUNG FANCIERS GETTING INVOLVED NOWADAYS, DUE TO THE GROWING DEMAND FOR VIDEO GAMES ETC. IT'S FRIGHTENING THAT THE SPORT WE LOVE SEEMS TO BE DYING SLOWLY.
ANYTHING ELSE TO ADD?
JIM, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME OUT TO ASK ME THESE QUESTIONS. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO THANK MY WONDERFUL WIFE FOR ALL THE SUPPORT SHE HAS GIVEN ME THROUGHOUT THE GOOD AND BAD TIMES WE HAVE HAD IN THE PIGEON SPORT, AND ALSO TO THANK ERIC WILSON AND MY GOOD FRIEND PETER FANNAN, NOT FORGETTING MY SON JORDAN WHO IN YEARS TO COME HOPEFULLY WILL BE THE BACKBONE OF OUR LOFT. GOOD LUCK TO ALL FANCIERS IN 2011 AND WE WISH YOU A VERY SUCCESSFUL SEASON TO COME.
