“ON THE ROAD” WITH KEITH MOTT
CH. ‘CILLA’
Mike & Theresa Horner of Alton
Next we are going to feature one of my favourite Show Racers and that is reflected in how many times I have personally carded her in Classic and National shows. I first became aware of the wonderful red hen, ‘Cilla’, when she won Best in Show RPRA Southern Region Show for her owners, Mike and Theresa Horner, in 2007. The day after the Southern Region Show, Mike showed at the Southern Counties SR Society show held at Gravesend and ‘Cilla’ won Best Opposite Sex, being beaten by her half-brother, who won Best in Show. Mike and Theresa won Best Opposite Sex at the 2008 RPRA Southern Region Show with their champion red hen, ‘Cilla’. Mike tells me she has won 69 cards in premier shows, including 33 firsts and both her parents were very successful breeding reds, with her sire being obtained from Colin Carter in 2003, and her dam from Tony Williams. Champion ‘Cilla’ won: BIS RPRA Southern Region, BOS RPRA Southern Region Show, BIS Southern Counties SRS Open Show, BOS Southern Counties SRS Open Show, BIS CHASE Charity Show, BOS CHASE Charity Show, BIS Thame & Oxford Open Show, BIS South Coast Championship Show, BIS Reading ‘Gold Cup’ Show and was five times best red at the Southern Counties SRS Shows. She was bred in 2004 and no longer lay eggs, but has bred many winners, including card winners at the BHW Blackpool Show. What a fantastic hen!
I first met Mike Horner back in November 2006, when he first won Best in Show at the R.P.R.A. Southern Region Show and I was there at the High Wycombe event judging. To say he was over joyed at his performance would be an understatement. This was his best performance ever with his Show Racers and he was over the moon! His team for the Southern Region Show were exceptionally good that year and in the light of that he fancied his chances. Mike and Theresa won Best in Show (645 birds) with their four year old Mosaic show racer cock, ‘Barny’, and he has plenty of previous good form, having won in the show pen twelve times. He won Class 7. (Coloured Cock or Hen) at High Wycombe and also lifted two trophies, ‘Best Show Racer’ and ‘Best in Show’. Mike has been in pigeons, in one form or the other, all his life and is from a racing pigeon family, with his father and grandfathers being pigeon racers. He had racing pigeons up to the late 1970’s and flew in the Godalming & Dist. F.C. (Surrey Federation) with all the old greats of that time including, Stan Edgington, Paul Bridgewater, Alec Martin, Ron & Chris Cox and Eric Cannon. In those days he got lot of help from Pat McFadden, the secretary of the Godalming club at that time and raced the Channing of Wales family of pigeons. Years ago Mikes also kept a few Show Racers obtained from Bill Meader of London. The Horner racing loft had some good success, mostly from the longer channel races, as he flew on the natural system. He started up with the Show Racer properly on marring Theresa in 1980, with birds from Tony Williams, which were reds and mealies, and later some stock from Colin and Jean Carter of Churchdown. Mike’s first champion, ‘Barny’, was bred from these original bloodlines.
CH. ‘THE COTSWOLD COCK’ Les Carter & son of Birmingham.
When I asked Les Carter how he got in to the Show Racer side of the sport he told me, ‘Well I remember in 2000 reading the British Homing World and looking at some Cornish show reports written by Sandra Williams and these featured some stunning photographs of Show Racers, and thought that was for me. This was my new pigeon venture and needed to obtain some Show Racer breeding stock. I remember at that time the Show Racer side of the sport was not that well reported, but whilst looking at the BHW, I noticed that Kevin Hicks of Cornwall was doing very well, so I decided to contact him to obtain some Mosaics which seem to be doing all the winning at that time. Kevin supplied me with a lovely Mosaic cock bird, which carried terrific colour and a suitable Mosaic hen that could be mated to him’. In 2004 the Carter partners entered a fair quantity of birds in to different shows, including the Midland SR Society events. Included in their team was the good Mosaic cock, ‘Hicksy’ and he was bred from Kevin Hick’s original stock pair. He was going in to the big Midlands Open Show as a two year old and with some good form, having already won at the Midland’s club show and to Les’ surprise ‘Hicksy’ won his class and Best in Show from 523 birds. This champion Mosaic Show Racer won many premier prizes including six first at major shows.
When I asked Les about one or two of his best Show Racers he told me, that two very good performances of the 2008 season was at the National Young Bird Show held at Nottingham, with their good Mealy hen, ‘The Cotswold Hen’ and she won her class, 1st Section and Best in Show with over 400 birds competing. A handsome Red cock, bred by Colin & Jean Carter of Churchdown won his class and 1st section at the same show in 2008. Then in December 2008 they entered the Midland SR Society Open Show and that same red cock, being shown against some of the best show men in the UK today, won his class and Best in Show (573 birds), and qualified to compete for Supreme Champion of Great Britain at the BHW Blackpool Show. This wonderful young cock is now named after Colin Carter’s loft, ‘The Cotswold Cock’, and finished the 2008 season with four firsts and three times Best in Show. To date he is the best young bird the Carter partners have had the privilege of owning. Les said, ‘in my view my good friend, Colin Carter, had an exceptional 2008 / 09 show season by breeding three big winners for other fanciers, in the form of ‘The Cotswold Hen’: Best in Show at the National Young Bird Show, ‘The Cotswold Cock’: Best in Show at the Midland SR Society open show and Champion ‘Colin’s Cracker’: Best in Show at the BHW Blackpool Show 2009 for the ‘master’ show man, Ron McCarthy of Wales’.
CH. ‘TAMMY’ Roland & Julie Thresher of Minehead.
I have known Roland and Julie Thresher for many years and I often see them at most of the major winter shows, when I’m judging and they are competing. Roland is the third part of four generations of pigeon fanciers in the Thresher family, with his father and grandfather both being outstanding racers, and now his son, David, is taking up racing pigeons, and recorded 1st section D in the 2014 NFC Carentan race. The January of 2015 saw Roland and Julie Thresher have some brilliant success showing their birds, with them winning ‘Supreme Champion’ at the BHW Blackpool Show with their champion blue cock, ‘Wilson’. What a wonderful weekend that was!
Roland has judged at every National pigeon show in the UK through the years and judged a National show in Australia in 2013. The loft has won at all the premier shows in the UK and have been Best in Show many times. The partners 2015 ‘Supreme Champion’ at the BHW Blackpool ‘Show of the Year’ was their three year old blue cock, Champion ‘Wilson’ and he was bred by Allister Tankard. He was named after Allister’s late father, Wilson Tankard, and was bred from a Roland Thresher cock, with the Threshers getting the first cock youngster back off the pair, which was ‘Wilson’. He has won first at major shows every season, with the highlight being: 2014: Best in Show South West SRS: 2015: ‘Supreme Champion’ of Great Britain at the BHW Blackpool Show. Other top pigeons at the Minehead loft are: “Julie’ winner of eight major shows and twice ‘Reserve Champion’. 2011: British Show Racer Federation Champion at the BHW Blackpool Show. She was an outstanding breeding hen. “Sargent Major’ winner of: 2014: 1st British Show Racer Federation class at the BHW Blackpool Show. Also the winner at sixteen open shows. Roland tells me his best Show Racer ever was his 1997 bred Mosaic WF hen, ‘Tammy’ and to say she was a champion would be an understatement. The wonderful pigeon was very tame and won forty firsts at major shows, plus five times Best in Show. ‘Tammy’ was Champion Young Bird and Champion Old Bird at the Devon & Cornwall SRS Shows, and won firsts at the BHW Blackpool Show as a young bird and as a ten year old. Absolutely fantastic! She was a champion breeder, producing many top winners for the Thresher loft. ‘Tammy’ was bred from Ted and David Bramley of Derby bloodlines and dam, a beautiful mosaic white flight hen was purchased by Roland at Pontypool Open Show selling class for £10. He says it was the best £10 he ever spent, with her breeding winner after winner!
This week’s article is the second part of a four part Show Racer special, featuring some of the best UK champions of recent years. I can be contacted with any pigeon ‘banter’ on telephone number: 01372 463480 or email:
TEXT & PHOTOS BY KEITH MOTT
(www.keithmott.com)
