STORIES OF THE CHAMPIONS
Part 6
by Keith Mott
I've had the great pleasure of writing in the pigeon fancy press for almost 45 years and in that time I have visited most of the premier lofts in the United Kingdom. I think it's fair to say that I have handled and inspected more National, Classic and Combine winners than most fanciers. Cameron Stansfield of the Elimar website recently asked me for my top ten pigeons that I have come across in my 45 years visiting premier lofts in the UK and on the Continent. A very hard request to fulfil! I went through thousands of pigeon photographs in my archive files and came up with nearly 80 ‘once in a life time’ champion pigeons. There is probably more in there, but as always, Keith has done his best! This request inspired me to write about some of these great pigeon, so in the coming weeks we are going to feature my ‘Stories of the Champions’, which will feature pictures and the short stories of the history behind the best of the champion pigeons that I have come in contact with in my time in the sport. Over the coming weeks we are featuring the very best of long distance and sprint and one article on world class breeders. I have lined them up in no particular order or preference, as I do not want to offend anybody and I hope my readers enjoy my choices! Here's Part 6.
CH. ‘LUCKY LAD’ Joe Bradford of Sutton
First up this week I’m going to feature a very special long distance fancier, who I first met in 1977 when he won 1st open British Barcelona Club Palamos, Joe Bradford of Sutton. Joe has been around pigeons for many years, serving his apprenticeship under his father, Joe senior, who was a great fancier in his own right. His father was an ‘ace’ at the long distance although he also won inland, so young Joe had a burning love for the 500 mile plus pigeons, which he found were few and far between.
Joe’s main family was Joe Shore of Northwich with crosses from birds obtained from the late Frank Cheetham of Pontefract. He purchased eight birds direct from Joe Shore and two of these originals were in the Bradford stock loft for many years, one was considered to be the sire of the loft. It was a handsome blue with a wonderful violet eye, which handled medium with a long cast. His sire and dam flew Pau for Joe Shore; the violet eyed cock bred most of Joe Bradford’s best birds and was the sire of ‘Lucky Lad’ and grandsire of Champion ‘Jubilee Lady’, the 1977 BBC Palamos winner. This great stock cock was paired to a Shore dark chequer when he bred ‘Lucky Lad’ and his brother, which was the sire of Champion ‘Jubilee Lady’. ‘Lucky Lad’ spent 1977 in the stock loft and did not go to Palamos. Joe told me that the cock had flown Palamos four times, recording: 1973: 169th open (arrived home with his back ripped open), 1974: 41st open, 1975: 33rd open, 1976: 3rd open and after that he didn’t have to prove anything to Joe. In fact, he rated his champion blue chequer cock the best bird he has ever owned, with ‘Jubilee Lady’ a close second. Unlike his sire and dam, ‘Lucky Lad’ was a very nice handling pigeon, being medium in size. Joe said his pigeons were not a nice type, but what they lacked in looks they make up for in courage.
CH. ‘BUSTER’S PRIDE’ Norman Middleton of Iver
The last weekend of May 2001 saw the London & South East Classic Club hold its Sennen Cove race, incorporated the annual Yearling Derby, and members entered 1,530 birds for this 250 miles event. The weekend after the race I made the 30 miles drive to Iver in Buckinghamshire to visit the winning loft of Norman Middleton Brothers and I must say how impressed I was with the quality of the pigeons in the loft, which were mainly Starview Busschaerts. Norman clocked his winning pigeon, a two year old Busschaert blue chequer hen, to record 1668 ypm and she was raced on Norman’s own roundabout system. He named his champion hen, ‘Miss Camin’, and she was bred from the very best Massarella Starview Busschaert lines, with her sire being Norman’s champion blue chequer cock, ‘Buster’s Pride’. This wonderful champion was now at stock, breeding many winners, after a brilliant racing career, winning 1st section E, 2nd open N.F.C. Saintes (beaten by 2ypm) and 1st open U.B.I. Combine Nantes. Another daughter of ‘Buster’s Pride’, a blue pied sister of ‘Miss Camin’, won 4th open U.B.I. Combine Liskeard. ‘Buster’s Pride’ a brilliant racer and breeding pigeon! Norman Brothers are no longer with us, but they had a fantastic loft of pigeons.
CH. ‘DARK DANCER’ Brian & Thelma Denney of Strensall.
After my visit to the home of Brian & Thelma Denney in the April, ‘Mr. Long Distance’ enjoyed a brilliant 2009 season racing in the National Flying Club. Their first success was from the Fougeres National in May when the convoyer released 9,686 birds at 06.30hrs into a light East wind. Brian, flying 394 miles, clocked two pigeons in under a minute and recorded 1st, 2nd section K (968 birds), 48th, 51st open. The first pigeon on the clock was the champion dark pied widowhood cock, ‘Dark Dancer’, and he set a bit of a record that day from Fougeres, as he is nest brother to Champion ‘Dark Charm’, winner of 1st section K, 5th open NFC Tarbes (748 miles) in 2007, making them two NFC section K winners bred in the same nest. Absolutely brilliant!
The month of June saw Brian’s favourite race take place, the NFC Tarbes Grand National, and the Denneys enjoyed a brilliant race of a lifetime! The 3,800 birds were liberated at 13.45hrs on the Friday in no wind situation and with adverse weather in northern France that evening, the convoy experienced a very difficult race, with many members not clocking in on the Saturday. Brian and Thelma sent a team of twenty birds and flying 748 miles in to Yorkshire, clocked seven of their entry on the Saturday, to record a fantastic 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 6th, 8th, 11th section K, 3rd, 4th, 12th, 19th, 30th, 56th,153rd open NFC and 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 6th, 7th, 9th open North East 700 Mile Club. The Denney’s first two birds were on the clock within three minutes, with the 1st section K, 3rd open winner being the five year old widowhood blue chequer hen, ‘Northern Lady’, and she has previously won 6th section K, 217th NFC Tarbes. She is a daughter of the sire of the Brian’s loft, Champion ‘Tuff Nut’, winner of 1st section K, 5th open NFC Pau, when mated to ‘Brian’s Prize’ winner of 4th open Northern Classic Saintes, being clocked at 573 miles on the day of liberation, and is a full sister to the champion breeding hen, ‘Dark Jan’. Those who were present on our visit to the Strensall loft in April will recall that I picked out ‘Northern Lady’ as my fancy and I’m happy to say she hit the jackpot in the very hard Tarbes Grand National! A wonderful hen!
The star of the Brian Denney loft in 2009 must be the champion dark pied cock, ‘Dark Dancer’, being clocked three minutes after ‘Northern Lady’ in the NFC Tarbes race to win 2nd section K, 4th open. A fantastic 750 mile racing widowhood cock and his full performance is: 2009: 1st section K, 4th open NFC Fougeres, 2nd section K, 4th open NFC Tarbes, and previously won 6th section K, 27th open NFC Tarbes, 4th section K, 208th open NFC Tarbes, 4th section K NFC Fougeres. An absolutely fantastic performance! ‘Dark Dancer’ bred his like in the stock loft, producing several premier 750 mile racers and was a son of the champion stock pair, ‘Maxi, and ‘Dark Jan’.
CH. ‘JAY BEE’ Tom Gilbertson of Carlisle
The 2004 season saw Tommy Gilbertson win the Federation from the long distance again, following a life time of successful pigeon racing at 500 and 600 miles. That very successful season saw Tom recorded 1st club, 1st Federation, 1st open Combine Sartilly (431 miles) with his good blue chequer pied hen, ‘California Belle’, and 1st club, 1st Federation, 10th open Combine Nantes (534 miles) with ‘California Cher’. For me, what put the icing on the cake with Tom’s latest success was that ‘California Cher’ is another bred down from the brilliant, Champion ‘Jay Bee’. During my 45 odd years in pigeon journalism, I have visited most of the premier long distance racing lofts in the U.K. and I must say that Tom’s loft in Cumbria must rate as one of the best, with Champions breeding Champions. A loft with quality in great depth!
Although I had the pleasure of meeting Tommy previously, I first had a chance to view his loft of wonderful long distance racers, while filming the ‘Many Miles with Mott’ videos, in the mid 1990’s. Tom had had several outstanding seasons at that time, with his previous Cumbria Combine win being from Sartilly (431 miles) and won the Federation Averages. Tom told me, the pleasure aspect of that Combine win was that the winning pigeon, a blue pied hen, called ‘Emergency Whinona’, was an inbred pigeon from a half brother and sister mating. The dominant bird was the champion racing hen, ‘Jay Bee’, a winner of 1st club, 1st Federation, 1st open Cumbria Combine Niort (604 miles), on the day of liberation for the Gilbertson loft. This gave Tom enormous pleasure because he is really interested in the breeding side of the sport and says he has been fortunate that his family has done well for other fanciers, all over the U.K. The Gilbertson loft has won countless major prizes in long distance racing through the years, including four times 1st open Combine, five times 2nd open Combine, four times 3rd. open Combine and twice 1st open Channel races. A fantastic family of pigeons!
In recent years, Tommy has concentrated on the breeding side and many U.K. National winners and premier long distance lofts have his bloodlines running through them. One of the star pigeons in the loft today is the champion blue hen, “Jay Bee”, who won many major prizes racing including 1st open Cumbria Combine Niort (604 miles), clocked on the day of liberation. She is dam and grand dam of countless winners including “Hollie”, winner of 2nd open Cumbria Combine Nantes in 1995, and the blue cock, “Jackie”, winner of 2nd open Cumbria Combine Nantes in 1996. “Jackie” was 15 hours 21 minutes on the wing and with only five birds recorded, was the longest flying competitor timed in. As I stated previously, the 1998 Sartilly Combine winner, “Emergency Whinona”, is inbred to the champion breeder and racer, “Jay Bee”. A fantastic hen!
CH. ‘ROBBIE’S DELIGHT’ Rob Winton of Aldershot
The Three Borders Federation held its last and longest old bird race of the 2014 season from Bergerac (450 miles) in mid-July and in the words of the Federation secretary, Bryan Poulton, ‘it was probably the most disastrous race in the sixty he has been in pigeon racing’. With only four birds clocked in race time in the Federation and only eleven in the SMT Combine, everyone was pretty unhappy with the outcome of the event. There has been a lot conjecture since the race, to what coursed this disaster and many say it might have been rain and cloud cover in France. Robert Winton of Aldershot won the Federation and 2nd open SMT Combine with his wonderful mealy black splash cock ‘Robbie’s Delight’ and he has flown Bergerac (445 miles) six times, scoring in the club five times. His fantastic racing record reads: 2009: 6th club Fougeres: 2010: 6th club Bergerac: 2011: 3rd club Bergerac: 2012: 1st club, 7th Federation, 20th SMT Combine Bergerac: 2013: 2nd club, 19th Federation, 27th SMT Combine Bergerac: 2014: 1st club, 1st Federation, 2nd SMT Combine Bergerac. A champion performance! Robbie tells me he bred him in 2006 from one of his old Bricoux cocks and a mealy hen, he purchased from Bryan Siggers when he packed up pigeon racing a few years ago. ‘Robbie’s Delight’ was raced on the widowhood system all the season, being paired up just before the Bergerac race and was sent in his favourite condition, sitting ten day old eggs. The 2014 season saw him fly the English Channel six times leading up to his Bergerac success!
Next time we are going to feature some exceptional champions from Scotland! I can be contacted with any pigeon ‘banter’ on telephone number: 01372 463480 or email:
TEXT & PHOTOS BY KEITH MOTT (www.keithmott.com)
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