“ON THE ROAD” WITH KEITH MOTT”
Epsom Downs Liberation Site
I had a phone call from the RPRA Southern Region secretary, Hazel Marsh, recently asking me if I would go to Epsom Downs and do a report on the liberation site there. I’m always happy to help out in these matter, but especially happy to help our hard working Region secretary, as Hazel really is one of our great sport’s worker! I visited the liberation site at Grandstand Road, Epsom Downs and it wasn’t the best weather for a visit, but I think the eight photos that I rattled off were ok, and told the full story. The site is car park near to the Grandstand on Epsom Downs and the site has no gate, so vehicles can turn up at any time, day or night. There is no parking charge, so hold overs would be no problem and the approach is very good, with good roads from Epsom Town and M25 Motorway going up to Epsom Downs. There is good wide entrance to this site, with plenty of litter bins, but no water or toilets. The Grandstand is only a couple of hundred yards up the road and may be water and toilets are available there. Maybe the Epsom Downs office could arrange these very important amenities for the convoyers. Being on high ground there is fantastic view of Epsom and London on one side of the site and a busy road only a few feet away on the other side of the car park. In my opinion this road is a major problem for liberating pigeons safely on this site. Early morning might be ok, but for later liberations other convoyers on site would have to stop the traffic, too allow a safe liberation for both the pigeons and the general public driving past the site. It has a good hard standing surface, with a few deep pot holes and with this being a very good sized site and there would be room for eight or ten vehicles. If the traffic on the road were stopped all could liberate simultaneously. It is easy to find, with Epsom Downs being well sign posted in Epsom town centre and on the roads from the M25 Motorway. As I’ve already stated in my opinion it would be very dangerous to liberate pigeons at this site with the busy road being only a few feet away. If the traffic could be stopped when the birds are being released it is a great site.
Three Border Federation (Champions of the 2015 season)
The competition in the Three Borders Federation has been strong and hard in the 2015 season, and once again the mighty Mitch & Merton FC have come out on top, winning the ‘Federation Points’ Trophy’, with 190 points. The club has won the championship several times in recent years and this time the runners up were Esher &Dist RPC, on 188 point. It is common knowledge that the Mitch & Morden is a very strong club and won ‘Points Trophy’ in spite of the club not sending to the first young bird race! It was a very close run competition right up to the last race, with the clincher for the Mitcham & Morden being Bobby and June Harper’s wonderful performance in the last race from Yelverton, when they recorded 1st club, 1st Federation, 9th SMT Combine (1,617 birds). Bobby Harper’s first bird on the ETS was his outstanding Gaby Vandenabeele blue hen, ‘Hat Trick Queen’ and this game little pigeon has won three races in the Mitcham club as a young bird in 2015. Needless to say the Mitcham & Morden member’s presence was very strong in the Federation results and they had five 1st Federation winners in the 2014 season. A fantastic club performance and congratulations to the Mitcham & Morden lads!
The Three Borders Federation winners in the 2015 season were: 1) Jim Rookledge & Ray Mearns (Esher) 1st Federation Blandford (1,314 birds): 2) Malik & Khan (Esher) 1st Federation Yeovil (1,444 birds): 3) Frank & Sue Carson (Mitcham) 1ST Federation Yeovil (1,628 birds): 4) Ken Wise (Isleworth) 1st Federation Honiton (1,143 birds): 5) Bob & June Harper (Mitcham) 1st Federation Falaise (831 birds), 3rd SMT Combine (1,534 birds): 6) Vic & Lou Emberson (Esher) 1st Federation Exeter (1,217 birds): 7) M/M David May (Guildford) 1st Federation Vire (781 birds), 1st SMT Combine (1355 birds): 8) Colin Crook & Andy Iddenden (Esher) 1st Federation Honiton (1,189 birds): 9) Dave Watson (Spelthorne) 1st Federation Fougeres (752 birds), 1st SMT Combine (1294 birds): 10) Honey & Grandson (Mitcham) 1st Federation Yelverton (887 birds): 11) Bill Looker (Mitcham) 1st Federation Messac (580 birds), 3rd SMT Combine (1,164 birds): 12) Bob & Danny Carter (Esher) 1st Federation Yeovil (923 birds): 13) Derek Reid (Spelthorne) 1st Federation Taunton (874 birds): 14) Colin Crook & Andy Iddenden (Esher) 1st Federation Truro (826 birds), 2nd SMT Combine (1,512 birds): 15) Malik & Khan (Esher) 1st Federation Blandford (1,116 birds): 16) Malik & Khan (Esher) 1st Federation Blandford (1,802 birds): 17) M/M David May (Guildford) 1st Federation Yeovil (1,606 birds): 18) Malik & Khan (Esher) 1st Federation Blandford (1,615 birds): 19) Malik & Khan (Esher) 1st Federation Kingsdown (1,469 birds):20) Paul Johnson & Partners (Spelthorne) 1st Federation Exeter (1,078 birds): 21) Bob & June Harper (Mitcham) 1st Federation Yelverton (875 birds), 9th SMT Combine (1,617 birds).
The Federation ‘Individual Points Trophy’ was won by a country mile by Malik & Khan of the Esher club, on 94 points and they won 27 positions, and topped the Federation five times in the 2015 season. Well done to the Imran and the lads, a fantastic performance! Bobby and Danny Carter also of the Esher club was runner up with 43 points and they won 13 positions, including 1st Federation Yeovil. The Federation’s 2015 young bird racing was pretty much dominated by the Esher & District RPC partnership of Malik & Khan. I keep writing that these young lads are up and coming stars in our sport, but after their recent performances it is safe to say there are now at the very top of the ratings. What can I say about the Malik & Khan partnership, their brilliant 2015 performances would fill most of this article, but the highlights are; many premier position won in old bird racing including: 1st, 2nd, 6th, 10th, 15th, 16th Federation Yeovil (1,444 birds) with their first four birds on the ETS being four game yearlings, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 9th Federation, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 11th SMT Combine Vire (1,355 birds). In the first five Federation young bird race Malik & Khan won four firsts including: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th 13th, 25th Federation Blandford (1) (1,116 birds), 1st, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th Federation Blandford (2) (1,802 birds), 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th, 15th, 19th Federation Blandford (3) (1,615 birds), 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 15th Federation Kingsdown (1,469 birds), plus top positions in the National Flying Club and British International Championship Club. Well done to the lads, that is fantastic pigeon racing by any ones standards!
Malik & Khan only joined the Esher club in the 2012 season and these young lads have been outstanding in the Federation for several years, including winning the SMT Combine for the first time with a youngster several years ago. Imran Malik started racing pigeons in the 2004 season with a team of young birds purchased from Louella Pigeon World and in the 2005 season Janssens were introduced from Imran’s uncles, Khan Brothers of Kingston. The 2005 young bird season saw him smash his novice status and recorded 1st, 2nd, 9th, 10th Federation in that season. Malik & Khan finished the 2014 racing season in great style by winning 1st, 2nd Federation from Taunton and then two weeks later they won 1st Federation from the last and longest young bird race from Yelverton. These lads are really outstanding young bird specialists, winning the Federation every season with their babies. The Federation sent 1,471 birds to Taunton and Malik & Khan won the Federation by 9ypm clear. Two weeks later the membership entered 867 birds in to the last race from Yelverton and with the wind being a brisk east / north east, the birds had a hard push over the 180 miles home, with the winners taking over 4 hours 30 minutes to finish. The Tolworth lofts of Malik & Khan were well on the pace again, recorded 1st Federation for the second time in two weeks and this time winning 1st SMT Combine (1,516 birds). A really great performance, with the lads winning a fast short race and then the longest young bird race, which was hard and slow!
Three Borders Federation 2015 trophy winners were: ‘Pigeon Fancier Trophy 1’ R. Harper & Son: ‘Harry Fielding Memorial Trophy’ M/M D. May: ‘Harley Challenge Trophy’ D. Watson: ‘Blackwell Rose Bowl’ Crook & Iddenden: ‘Cooper Challenge OB Trophy’ B. Looker: ‘Longest Old Bird Race Trophy’ B. Looker: ‘Gazette Perpetual Trophy’ R. Harper & Son: ‘Cooper Challenge YB Trophy’ R. Harper & Son: ‘Heritage Trophy’ T. Goodsell: ‘Fred Mott Memorial Cup’ R. Harper & Son: ‘Ken Besant Memorial Trophy’ (Best Pigeon of the Year) D. Taylor & Son: ‘A. Knight Trophy’ R. Harper & Son: ‘Pigeon Fancier Trophy 2’ D. Reid: ‘Sandhurst Trophy’ R. Harper & Son: ‘Falkland Trophy’ P. Johnson & Partners: ‘F. J. Elliott Trophy’ D. Reid: ‘Federation Rose Bowl 1’ D. Milewski: ‘Federation Rose Bowl 2’ (Individual Points) Malik & Khan: ‘Federation Points Shield’ (Club Points) Mitcham & Morden FC.
The Three Borders Federation 2016 race programme is: (OB) 9th April Blandford: 16th April Yeovil: 23rd April Honiton: 30th April Exeter: 7th May Falaise (SMT Combine): 14th May Exeter: 21st May Alencon (SMT Combine): 28th May Kingsdown: 4th June Fougeres (SMT Combine): 11th June Yelverton: 18th June Messac (SMT Combine): 25th June Yeovil: 2nd July Taunton: 9th July Cholet (SMT Combine): (YB) 30th July Blandford: 6th August Yeovil: 15th August Yeovil: 20th August Exeter: 27th August Blandford: 3rd September Yeovil: 10th September Exeter: 17th September Wadebridge (SMT Combine).
That’s my lot for this week! Well done to the Mitcham & Morden club members and to Malik & Khan of Esher on their wonderful success in the 2015 season! My new mobile phone number is: 07535 484584. I can be contacted with ant pigeon ‘banter’ on telephone number: 01372 463480 or email:
TEXT & PHOTOS BY KEITH MOTT
(www.keithmott.com)
