“ON THE ROAD” WITH KEITH MOTT.
Three Borders Federation (Blandford Race).
After a two week break the Three Borders Federation were at Blandford for their first young bird bird race of the season, which turned out to be a wet and hot day in mid-July. Thanks to a lot of patience and good planning by the convoyer, Dom McCoy and his helpers, the Federation members enjoyed an excellent race with good returns. After a very wet start to race day, Dom liberated the babies with sun shine on the basket at 13.00 hrs into an East / South East wind situation. It was great news to hear that Nick Dudley of the Mitcham & Merton club had won the Federation from Blandford, as he has enjoyed a great old bird season and only broke his ‘novice status’, by winning his first pigeon race ever at the beginning of this season. Nick is still building up an old bird team and only raced a few races, but recorded: 6th, 23rd Federation Wincanton, 3rd Federation Bodmin, 15th Federation Wincanton and now 1st, 12th Federation from Blandford with his young birds. Nick’s third 2025 race winner in the Mitch and Merton club was his young grizzle hen, ‘Arctic’ and she was bred by George Gucci of Bexley Heath from his ‘Pit Bull’ bloodlines. I spoke to Nick after the race and he told me, ‘having got the young birds flying around the loft well and I decided to start training. Training started slow with just a few miles at a time and I got them up to the 39 miles mark, with only dropping one bird throughout. I feed on a standard racing mixture and treat the young birds to keep them healthy. I was waiting for the birds on the Blandford race day and saw a quick flash come over the house rooftop, and started to call. The ‘flur’ bird was released and ‘Arctic’ dropped perfectly right behind it on to the ETS. I couldn’t ask for anything more perfect! I had a good steady race, with four birds coming together at one point. I hope to continue to be competitive for the rest of the season’. Well done Nick and the other Mitcham & Merton club members who were at the top of the Federation result, brilliant pigeon racing!
The first ten in the Blandford Federation result were: 1) Nick Dudley1457: 2) Stuart Emans 1442: 3) Stuart Emans 1431: 4) Stuart Emans 1431: 5) Stuart Emans 1431: 6) Stuart Emans 1431: 7) Eric Fry 1431: 8) Stuart Emans 1431: 9) Stuart Emans 1430: 10) Stuart Emans 1430. This was race number thirteen of the season and at this point the Mitcham & Merton club are leading for the ‘Federation Points Trophy’ with 52 points, with the Ashridge club being R/U on 49 points. Thanks to ‘Hire and Higher Bouncy Castles Sweets and Treats’ who are now sponsoring the Three Borders Federation.
It was a very special congratulation that went out back in April to Nick Dudley of Carshalton who recorded 1st club, 6th Federation from Wincanton and for breaking his ‘novice status’. It was well done Nick from me and all his club mates at the Mitcham & Merton club! Nick’s first race winner ever was a blue cock, now nicknamed 'Erol’s Lad' and was bred for him by a the Mitcham club partnership of Mr & Mrs Skeet & Keen. The dam of this cock is from double grandchildren of ‘Best Kittel’ and the sire is direct son of 2nd open MNFC Vire national from Frank and George Bristow.
When I asked Nick when he first became interested in pigeons he said, ‘I suppose my interest for pigeons started when I was around 10 years old when I used to visit my uncle's lofts and help him out with the day to day running. I often used to go to his local club on the Friday for basketing and then watch them home on the Saturday. I lost touch with pigeons for a number of years to pursue Fishing, travelling to the River Wye on an annual basis in search of the hard fighting Barbel, as well as hunting down some river carp to over 30lb. Then in 2023 decided to give pigeon racing a go for myself’. Nick’s first loft was nothing special being 5 foot long by 4 foot wide with a set of slope back perches on the back wall. It was late in the season for getting his first set of youngsters in but the fanciers at his local club, Mitcham & Merton flying club, obliged and set him up with a healthy team of babies. With no experience of training pigeons on his own it was a bit nerve racking letting the babies out and making sure he was doing everything right for them. There was some reassurance that just a phone call away advice was always available. Sadly, the first years babies didn't make it into a race in time, but he knew he still had to give them the knowledge they needed to find their way home. He ended up training them all through the winter, weather permitting, to give them the best chance as yearlings. Before the 2024 race season started, he had managed to train the birds out to 60 miles. Obviously there were some losses on the way. He raced from Wincanton on the 4th May and placed three birds in the race that week and to his surprise he managed a third place doing a velocity of 1517ypm, with the winner doing1520ypm. Of course, he was very pleased with this result as it showed that things were going in the right direction. This was his best effort for old birds and after a couple of races had to hold on to the birds he had left. The 2024 youngsters was the next thing to concentrate on, as that season he had purchased eleven babies from a fellow fancier and once again some of the club members kindly gave him some youngsters. Nick was determined to get the 2024 batch of babies trained and raced in their first year and that he done. Still learning about the different systems people use such as darkness for young birds and only having my 5ft x 4ft loft he was unable to do any damage to the leader board on race day. Experience was all he was interested in for them and that they got.
Up until this point all his birds had been on the natural system. Nick knew he had to upgrade, so, down came the old loft and up went the new. The new loft is 16ft x 4ft split into sections with 15 widowhood boxes for the cock's section, 15 slope back perches in the hen's section and then space for my young birds in the last section. Taking in all the advice he could, the 2025season was going to be the year to try the Widowhood system. Nick started around the loft flying the birds once the breeding season was finished to start getting them fit again for the race season. Nick started training 10 days before the first race taking the birds away from the loft a maximum of 27miles. After a few days they started to respond well and he had them on a straight widowhood mix corn feeding 28grams a day per bird. As he basketed the birds daily for training he could feel that they were getting to the condition they needed to be at. It got to the day of basketing for the first race and Nick felt he had done everything he could to get my birds ready, so now it was over to them. Nick had a little boost of confidence from last year’s top flyer Stuart Emans who basketed some of his birds for the race marking and commented how well they handled. Race day was finally upon him, the first race of the year from Wincanton (100 miles). Nick’s dad came round to spectate, so they both posted up in the garden waiting anxiously for the first bird to arrive. The birds were released at 10 o'clock in an south east wind and he this was not in his favour and would definitely slow them down a tad. 12 o'clock arrived and he was starting to doubt if he had done everything right. The anxious wait continued for another four minutes when suddenly a pigeon flew round and hit the shed. A blue cock! It hesitated for a few seconds and then came down and went straight into the shed. Sigh of relief, Nick had done my part right. Later that evening he returned to the club with the thought in my head that his bird was a strong contender to be near the top of the club result. It never crossed his mind that his first race of the 2025 season and he would top the club. Nick was so pleased! The following day the Three Borders Federation result was in and he managed to sneak 6th Federation (584 birds). Nick told me, ‘I couldn't off ask for a better start to the season. Hopefully it continues’. Congratulation again Nick, for his wonderful success in the 2025 racing season!
Eric Fry of Mitcham.
A man who deserves a special mention is the Mitcham & Merton club president, Eric Fry, who has enjoyed a great 2025 old bird racing season in the Three Borders Federation winning: 22nd Federation Wincanton, 4th, 15th Federation Wincanton, 8th Federation Blandford, 10th Federation Wincanton, 7th, 22nd Federation Honiton, 8th, 10th Federation Blandford, 3rd Federation Honiton, 2nd, 8th, 22nd Federation Penzance. Great pigeon racing!
Eric stared racing pigeons with young birds in 1964, in partnership with his late brother, Reg. They raced in the old Clapham Junction club and in their first season, they won four of the seven young bird races in the club. Eric’s father was the late ‘Jock’ Fry who raced pigeons in the 1950’s and Reg previously raced in partnership with his father at that time. The lads first loft was home made out of old second hand doors and they enjoyed great success racing to it! Eric and Reg had a blue chequer cock which won five firsts in the club, plus 1st Federation (twice) and that great pigeon bred a cock that won ten firsts, plus 1st Federation. Brilliant pigeon racing! Eric started racing in the Mitcham & Merton club in 1989 and says he has enjoyed some wonderful weekly racing, against some great pigeon racers in those 36 years!
Eric Fry has won the Federation many times over the years and has enjoyed a wonderful old bird season racing in the Three Borders Federation in 2025. He doesn’t keep stock birds and races several families of birds, the main ones being, Stuart Davenport and Kirk Bullen bloodlines. Eric’s best pigeon is a blue chequer cock named, ‘Speedy’ and he has won four times 1st club, plus 1st Federation and his best two racing hens in the 2025 season were from the Stuart Davenport bloodlines. The Fry loft is 20ft long and is open fronted with ‘sputnik’ trapping. The old and young birds are fed the same, on Eric’s own mixture, which he makes up himself with premier corn brands. Eric races old bird hens and cocks on the celibate system and tells me two of his best racers in 2025 have been hens. The cocks are shown their hens on marking night and then the racers are left together until the morning after the race, when they are separated again. His 15 pairs of birds are paired up in January and after rearing a round of youngsters they separated ready to start racing. They get very little training, but are exercised around the loft for an hour every day. His 24 young birds race the full Federation programme on the natural system and are trained as much as possible up to 35 miles. Eric races his birds every week and enjoys competing from all distances, through to 450 miles! Congratulations to Eric Fry on his great Federation success, it was a great pigeon racing!
That’s it for this week! Congratulations to Nick Dudley on his first Federation win, it was a great performance! If you win and want an article in this space, please contact me on telephone number: 07535 484584 or email me on:
TEXT & PHOTOS BY KEITH MOTT (www.keithmott.com)
