JOHN DAVID'S
RAMBLINGS
“Welsh Wizard” shines in Sun City
Johnny Cooper, sons and G/sons put Llantrisant once again on the world map
For the very first time in the series of races out in Sun City South Africa this season a pigeon representing the UK Johnny Cooper, Sons & G/Sons (Common View Lofts) has finished 1st Open in the series of twenty races held so far building up to the grand final race when 2,600 pigeons will be competing for prize money in excess of 600,000 US dollars. Of the races held so far this year in this the 15th year of races in Sun City, Germany with by far the biggest entry team have won 5 races, followed by Australia the Netherlands and host country South Africa winning 3 each and six other countries USA, Belgium, Denmark, Canada, Iraq and the UK winning 1 each. When one considers this is less than a third of the countries competing, then it is clear that any pigeon that wins a race in what can only be described as the best competition in the world must be worthy of our highest praise possible.
This year in Sun City a record of around 6,000 young pigeons were entered from thirty six countries and it seems that a higher than usual number of entries were lost in the settling and early training part of the season. Could this be put down to too many pigeons being entered this year or whether it is down to the extreme drought conditions followed by days of continuous rain with a record amount of 100mm falling in Sun City in one night it is very difficult to say? It is pleasing to note however that losses have now been stabilised and the longer Hot Spot races have proved a great success with lesser losses than in previous years. No matter how many birds we breed only a very small proportion turn out to be champions but we need to salute those courageous pigeons that remain in Sun City who have acclimatised to the prevailing weather conditions that exist in this part of the world and are clever enough to have avoided the many obstacles and predators they have no doubt encountered during the 6,000 plus miles of flight time they have surely covered since their strict training regime began back in October.
John David`s Loft in the snow - a far cry from the Sunshine of South Africa
Of the countries mentioned above Netherlands have 50%of their entries left, Australia 39%, Germany 54%, South Africa 47%, Denmark 57%, UK 48%, USA 34%, Belgium 51%, and Canada 51%. So Iraq with two out of three entries (66%) left winning a Training flight is not doing badly at all! This just goes to show that you don’t need a big team to do well in Sun City. Although one must admit with a big entry this is bound to increase your chances of doing well over there. This is the first year that Mark Kitchenbrand from Johannesburg has entered a big team in Sun City and many of these have been bred from the crème of the successful pigeons in recent years as Mark has bought many of the top performing pigeons at Sun City in recent years. Certainly his success rate has improved on previous years when he only sent a small team and he is winner of one of the most recent races held at Sun City. I remember only too well a few years ago in 2008 when he kindly gave me a lift back to Johannesburg Airport when he advised me he had Champion “Birdy” in the boot of his car that he had just purchased for £50,000. Birdy was indeed a great champion who kept his form until the very last race when he finished in 10th place.
Then we have Gerard Koopman of The Netherlands who again enters a big team but always seems to pull out a top performance in the final race over the last three years. He was 2nd in 2008, 3rd in 2009 and 5th in 2010, and of course this year won one of the cars on offer. I have had the pleasure to meet Gerard on one or two occasions and he is a very modest and unassuming man who really does his country proud on a world stage.
Filip Norman and son Nicolas of Belgium has entered a big team since he won the race three years ago with his great champion Abraham(WITH ONLY AN ENTRY OF THREE THE YEAR HE WON THE RACE) but has failed so far in his attempt to win this race for a second time. I have been to Filip’s loft in Belgium and since his win he has really taken Sun City to his heart and appreciates that this race tests his pigeons out to the full and is really up for the challenge of winning it for a second time. In 2010 of course it was Karel Klemens with “Ali” of the Czec Republic who again sent a fairly large entry and again he seems to have been smitten by the Sun City bug as he is back in force again this year.
Then of course our own Brian Clayburn with his pigeon “East of Eden” from the UK who proved in 2009 that a good bird from only a small team can win against the odds if the bird and breeding is right for the job in hand.
Getting back to Johnny Cooper and his family from Beddau whose racing pigeons are kept on the upper edge of Llantrisant Common (hence the name Common View Lofts). The winning pigeon “WELSH WIZARD” is bred from a direct son bred by Page Bros of Spitfire (orig Dirk Sepers from Amsterdam) who was a super racer and producer winning 1st 15,075, 1st 14,041, 1st 11,212, 2nd 14,283, 2nd 12,845, 2nd 10,929, 2nd 8,392, 5th 13,489 etc when paired to a daughter of Buccaneer (orig Sepers) winner of 1st 14,283, 1st 13,643, 2nd 15,075, 2nd 14,042, 3rd 10,929. The dam of Welsh Wizard is a daughter bred by Page Bros of Gladiator (Delbar x Tournier) 1st NPO AFD Etampes 7,256 birds from 396 miles, also 2nd NPO AFD 10 Orleans 8,300 birds from 432 miles when paired to NL04-878 from a full brother of the Crack Den 557 and closely related to many ace pigeons up to 454 miles.
Overlooking Steve Bright and Johnny Cooper`s loft with Llantrisant Common in background. See the road beyond leading to "The Royal Mint"
The photos were taken at Johnnie’s home in Beddau where his wonderful team of stock birds are kept which cost tens of thousands of pounds to assemble. Along with my wife Liz we had a wonderful welcome from Johnnie and his lovely wife Annette. They have 2 sons Jonathan aged 34 and David 31 who has his own computer business. The partnership also includes the G/sons Kenan 13, Chris 10, Oliver 5 and Colby 3.
Johnny with his son David and three G/sons Chris 10, Oliver and Colby. David is holding the father of Welsh Wizard a son of Spitfire.
Johnny started in pigeons in 1968 with a partner Bryn Jones (now deceased) from Pontypridd and won the second race he ever competed in from Ludlow pooled to 5 shillings. Perhaps his best ever hen was a Busschaert bought from Paul Smith (the same one!) in 1984 that won 13x1sts a 3x1st Federations. His best ever breeder is “De 92” which was featured on the front cover of The British Homing World some years ago. In the photo Johnny is actually holding a son of “De 92” who won 7 x 1st for Mr Leek of Norfolk as a YB including 6x in first ten in the Fed. Other big wins from these lines have been put up by Mr Sheldon of Aberdare 26x1sts inc 7x1st Feds; Steve Bright 7x1st and 2x1st Fed. In fact a hen Johnnie gave to Steve bred 2nd in the Irish Open one loft race 2010 winning £4,000 and losing £10,000 by one second. Mark Prohibin from Cardiff has also had winners via this loft including 3x 1st and a 1st & 3rd Fed. Johnny was also 22nd Europa Classic this year.
Welsh Wizard has had other notable performances in Sun City including 332nd in TF2, 89th in TF 4, and 199th in TF 8 and was 394th and 52nd Open in the very last two races held in Sun City. In the Hot Spot races he has been improving gradually and the longest race he has been on the wing was 6 hrs 14 minutes from HS 5.
Johnny Cooper holding a 7x winner from De92 with Colby 3 and Oliver 5 enjoying the moment
In total “25” Welsh pigeons were competing this year in Sun City and other notable performances have been put up by Ken Darlington of Barry (winner of Europa Classic 2010) whose pigeon “Supreme Ace” is currently 88th in the Grand Averages, Alan Jones pigeon Red Star Lofts 1 who was 7th Overall in the Car Averages and Helicopter of Syndicate Lofts who has finished 3 times in the first “81” Open Positions. Pride of place however must go out to the UK entry of Tony’s Choice of Guys Loft winner of 20,000USD and who has been 11 times in the first 100 Open positions, 9 times in the first 50, 4 times in the first 10 incredible flying by any standard of competition. Spare a thought for Western Reba from Kuwait who would have been over 1 hour ahead in the Hot Spot Averages but was not activated until it was too late. His Hot Spot results were HS 1 122nd HS2 53rd HS 3 13th HS4 3rd HS5 3rd. What a pigeon!
A special mention must also be made of Mark Gilbert of Winkfield who only entered 6 pigeons this year but who had the 1st British pigeon in three consecutive races namely TF`s 11 and 13 with Southfield Phil and in Car Race 4 with Southfield John. Mark must be very pleased with the form of his birds leading up to the final race in the series.
The Common View where Johnny Cooper`s racing loft is situated has a very famous heritage. It is situated in Llantrisant( In English Church of the 3 Saintes) and is the home of the Llantrisant Freemen (of whom I am one) who can if they so desire graze their animals on the Common free of charge. For more than six and a half centuries the freemen have played a vital role in the every day life of this ancient Welsh town. They proudly uphold the traditions passed down from their forefathers while fiercely protecting the common lands under their jurisdiction. Every seven years (last held 11th June 2010) Beating of the Bounds is held which consists of a seven mile walk around the boundaries of the ancient Borough which marks out the area covered by the 1346 Royal Charter.
Their ancestors the Black Army commanded by Edward the Black Prince of Wales (serving under his father Edward 111) who was only 16 years of age at that time and fought at “The Battle of Crecy” a small town in Picardy, France about mid way between Paris and Calais on 26th August 1346. The Black Army consisted of a band of Archers who made use of the longbow which proved lethal at 200 yards making use of a yard long goose feather which was lethal to an un-armoured man or horse. However at 100 yards a bodkin tipped arrow could pierce not only chain mail, but plate armour struck perpendicularly.
Edward was pursued in France by PhillipV1 with an army of 10,000 cavalry (still fresh as they had only travelled from Paris) more that twice the size of the army under Edwards command who were clearly tired as they had marched 350 miles over a six week period. It was clear that Edward had to make a stand and offer battle and did so at Cresy-en-Ponthieu. He displayed his centre on a low hill. a line of dismounted men- at- arms. On either side, so that the position resembled a V with a flattened bottom; He placed the Black Prince commanding the right and the Earls of Arundel and Northampton the left. Edward placed companies of Archers on both wings and they immediately began to protect their positions with ditches and caltrops (medieval weapons). Thick forest protected one flank and marsh the other.
Hugh Le Despenser, Lord of Glamorgan had recruited the “Black Army” from Llantrisant and the nearby valleys before training, organising and equipping a force of special troops to deliver the whole package of weapon, ammunition, re-supply, marksmanship and discipline. Like Gurkhas today –they were there for pay (six pence per day) and booty. At about 4pm King Philip advanced companies of 6,000 Genoese crossbowmen to soften up the English. Outranged by the longbow men and lightly armoured they suffered severe casualties. Unable to be effective they withdrew forced by arrow shot into the centre of the battlefield, right into the path of the first charge of the French Cavalry, who rode over them. The long bowmen loosed volleys of grey goose feathered arrows to extreme range, ten or more every minute. It was said “arrows fell like snow” Men and horses fell. Those reaching the bottom of the Vee were engaged at shorter range where the longbow pierced armour.
To prevent the break out of the French mostly unhorsed English Knights fought on foot, shoulder to shoulder with men at arms. Urged to reinforce the Prince of Wales, the King refused “My son must earn his spurs”. Fighting on foot, in the black armour that gave him his nickname, the Prince rallied his men, held his position and the French. After the battle he was made a knight!
The French sent in wave after wave of cavalry hoping to overwhelm the English line. It held. Each time the longbow men made terrible slaughter from the protection of their ditches and caltrops. As supplies of arrows ran short, they sallied out in groups to drag arrows out of dead and living, horses and men, and took prisoners for later ransom.
By midnight Philip’s brother, Charles 11 of Alencon and his allies, King John of Bohemia and the Count of Flanders Louis 11 of Nevers as well as 1500 other knights and esquires were dead. The men at- arms and Genovese archers were not counted but estimates of the total slaughter varied between five and fifteen thousand. King Philip himself escaped with a wound. Edward resumed his March, now with prisoners for ransom, towards Calais which he besieged without interruption and eventually took.
After the battle, the blind king of Bohemia was found as he had ridden into battle, chained between his knights in case they lost him. All were present; all were dead, clustered around their King. The Prince of Wales took his arms and wore his crest, three ostrich feathers girdled in a crown, he and all Welsh Regiments have done so ever since.
The Black Army returned to Glamorgan. Their little town at Llantrisant became a Borough. Their sons are Freemen still. This report would not be complete without a mention of the infamous Dr William Price whose statue is on the Bullring at Llantrisant (See photo). Born in 1800 he was apprentice to a local surgeon at the age of 13 and later studied at St Bartholomew`s Hospital, London and grew up as a rather remarkable scholar becoming a surgeon by the age of 21. At Nantgarw where he moved in 1827 he became surgeon for Ironmaster Francis Crawshay , practising medicine at “The Brown Lennox Chainworks where he allegedly performed one of the first skin-graft operations on an injured worker.
Dr William Price Statue on Bullring at Llantrisant
Also a Chartist, heretic and arch druid he was undoubtedly one of the most flamboyant and indeed eccentric characters in Welsh history. His actions on a hilltop above Llantrisant caused a revolutionary result in a new method of disposal of the dead in the UK. His burning of the body of his infant son with full druidic rights caused him to go to jail but the subsequent trial and the judgement of Justice Stephens established the legality of cremation throughout Great Britain in the Act of 1902. The criminal trial that followed aroused interest not only in England, but throughout the world itself. He conducted his own defence brilliantly at the Cardiff Crown Court trial over his own son’s cremation, a typical showman who played to the public gallery, claiming, it is not right that a carcass should be allowed to rot and decompose in this way. It results in wastage of good land, pollution of the earth, water and air, and is a constant danger to all living creatures. He was subsequently acquitted. Without any question of doubt Dr Price was bold enough to challenge existing beliefs and defy convention, questions the justice system, poured scorn on orthodox religion, despised the law and belittled medical theories.
Traditional toys - previously a Butcher's Shop on the Bullring where my father was born and raised. My G/father was a champion bare knuckle prize fighter on the bullring where fairs were held in the olden days
Dr Price made one of the first attempts at creating an embryonic national health service, believing patients should pay him when they were well and he would treat them if they became ill. He was a leader in the failed Chartist rising of 1839 condemning any brute force used by fellow leaders and dressed as a woman he was obliged to flee to France which is where he claimed to have had an enlightening druidic experience. He believed that in becoming the first person in 2,000 years to interpret the hieroglyphics on an ancient Greek stone at the Louvre gallery, he had foreseen the future of the rise of the Druid people. In naming himself son of the Primitive Bard, a high order of druid, the prophesy claimed his son would be the next ruler of the earth. When declared bankrupt following his building of two irregular shaped buildings in Pontypridd, he escaped the besieging police again, having himself nailed into a wooden box which was carried out of the house.
Advocating free love he was personally successful in this philosophy, having fathered illegitimate children throughout the district, and standing on a Rocking Stone in Pontypridd he would chant pagan addresses to the moon much to the amusement of local non-believers. His great talent as a physician earned him extra fame, but he vehemently attacked the medical superstitions of Victoria’s reign. Stately in appearance he never ate meat, his favourite drink was champagne and he was strong and handsome.
Extent of Bull Ring with Model House in background
Dr Price went on to build the famous round houses at Glyntaff, Pontypridd as an entrance to a planned stately home which failed and when rejected from the land by owner Lady Lanover, the time was right to leave the market town altogether. In 1873 he was acquitted of the manslaughter of a patient and settled in Ty`r Clettwr, Llantrisant, joined by his 16-year old housekeeper Gwenllian Llewellyn who gave birth to their first child Iesu Grist(Jesus Christ)(Later renamed Nicholas) in August 1883, when the good doctor was 83 years old.
Ater a fall he took to his settee and died at 9pm on Monday, January 23rd 1893 uttering his last words “Give me Champaign”.
His own cremation, for which he left full instructions, took place on the same hilltop, with 20,000 people assembling to watch the iron coffin set alight. A carnival atmosphere prevailed and the twenty or more pubs in Llantrisant ran dry during the height of the day-long festivities.
Finally it is very exciting to look forward to the 2011 Sun City million dollar race to be held on Saturday 22nd January. I have been present every year for the last five years after my pigeon “Welsh Dancer” won the training race one week prior the final race held that year and who had finished 3 x in the first 30 Open positions that year. So I know quite well how the Cooper family are feeling at this moment in time. This year I cannot attend because my daughter has a very busy year at school with her GCSE Exams. However I will be glued to my Internet on Saturday afternoon and am fascinated to see what bird from what country can win this greatest pigeon race in the world in 2011. My very good friends Fred and Christo Scholtz, who have looked after me so well on my previous visits to South Africa, will be travelling down to Sun City for the race and will be ringing me with all the news as it happens.
My old loft partner with Fred at Sun City, Bendt Nielsen of Denmark has been very ill during the last year and I would like to wish him a full recovery. He has a good record in the final race and he is confident his good pigeon Helle N will do well this year as he is in good form in six of his last seven races flown.
Keep up the good work Sandy Meyer as this race still holds the imagination! Well done to UK representatives Paul Smith and Pieter Oberholster as they have worked hard to build up the UK entry to 609 which is truly remarkable when one considers the size of the UK in comparison with other countries.
John David Havachat Bungalow, Mwyndy, Pontyclun RCT CF728PN Phone 01443-226809 Email
