MY ALL-TIME TOP 12
by Keith Mott
PART 2
Cameron at Elimar has asked me for my top ten pigeons that I have come across in my 45 years writing in the fancy press. 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 lifetime’ champion pigeons. There are probably more in there, but as always, Keith has done his best! The result after a month of hard thought has come down to twelve champions of the champions and to be honest I would not like to pull two of them out of the line up, so it will be my best dozen. In these very special articles I’ve included pictures of the pigeons and short stories about their lives and successes. 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 2.
CH. ‘GEORGE’ Geoff & Catherine Cooper of Peasedown St. John
To start this our second article we are featuring a premier West Country partnership who must rate as one of the biggest names in the sport of pigeon racing, Geoff and Catherine Cooper of Peasedown St. John. Several years ago, Peter Taylor and I made the 120 mile drive down to the Cooper’s Somerset home to get a first-hand look at the latest champions and their wonderful new 85ft loft. Most fanciers are reluctant to change their loft, or indeed anything in it when the birds are racing well, but Geoff and Catherine built their magnificent new loft at the end of 2007 and then came out in 2008 and won two National races, including 1st open in the most prestigious race in the U.K., the NFC Tarbes Grand National. The 2008 season was one of their best ever, winning a massive list of premier prizes, including 1st, 6th, 12th, 18th, 22nd, 33rd section, 1st, 8th, 15th, 27th, 36th, 63rd open BICC Falaise, 4th, 60th, 61st open CSCFC Messac, 27th, 28th open CSCFC Bergerac, 21st, 24th open CSCFC Lessay, 1st, 8th, 36th, 37th section, 1st, 20th open NFC Tarbes Grand National, 27th, 68th open NFC Saintes, 13th, 19th open BBC Poitiers, plus many other wins in club, Federation and Combine. Over the years Geoff and Catherine have developed their own family of world class long distance pigeon and have won: 1st open Bordeaux International (by 45 minutes clear), 1st open Pau International (by 32 minutes clear), 1st Pau International Hens, six times 1st open National, plus over sixty times 1st Sections.
Although the Coopers have a big new loft, they only keep a very moderate size team of pigeons and when we handled them we could tell they were a true family being mostly blue and dark chequers, and all being the same stamp in the hand. I must say that although they were still in the moult they were in brilliant condition and a real credit to Geoff and Catherine. The highlight of the loft visit for me was handling Champion ‘George’, the 2008 Tarbes Grand National winner and he was above medium in the hand with wonderful silky feather. I think the wonderful feather quality was one of the major factors with the Cooper’s pigeons, which was really exceptional! Champion ‘George’ is bred from the very best Cooper / Deweerdt bloodlines and has won a list of prizes including: 1st open NFC Tarbes (4035 birds), 42nd National Saran, 30th BBC National Carlisle, 1st HLFC, 2nd section, 102nd National Bordeaux, 17th section, 150th Classic Cholet, 18th section, 207th National Tarbes, plus two RPRA Awards. A fantastic champion! His sire is a brother to Champion ‘JW’, winner of 1st open BICC National Falaise, both being out of Geoff’s great old premier racer and breeder, ‘Titch’. On his dam’s side, Champion ‘George’ is bred down from the Emiel Deweerdt champion ‘Emiel’, winner of 1st open International Bordeaux / Dax (9493 birds). Champion ‘George’ is now in the stock loft and is a very prolific breeder, being the sire, grandsire and great grandsire of many world class long distance racers. He is grandsire of Champion ‘Farmer George’, winner of: 2011: 1st open International Bordeaux (22,029 birds) and in the 2014 season another grandson, ‘Farmer Sparey’, won 1st West of England Combine Bordeaux. ‘George’ is now one of the principal breeders at Geoff and Catherine Cooper’s loft and is also responsible for 2nd International Yearlings Bordeaux. A fantastic champion racer and breeder!
CH. ‘NORTH STAR’ David Impett of Blackpool
One January, while in Blackpool for the B.H.W. ‘Show of the Year’, I had the good fortune to visit the long distance loft of David Impett, who I have known for some 20 years, originally through our mutual friendship with Eric Cannon. Dave is a dedicated long distance fancier and in recent seasons has put up some wonderful performances with his Jan Aarden based Brugeman Brothers of Holland pigeons. Dave has put up some brilliant performances in the National Flying Club in recent seasons and since 2005 he has won 1st, 3rd, 5th, 6th, 6th, 8th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 11th, 12th, 15th, 16th, 18th Section L, 12th, 13th, 19th, 59th, 62nd, 66th, 97th, 118th, 149th, 174th, 177th, 267th, 273rd,373rd open Tarbes (748 miles), 1st Section L Alencon, 8th, 14th, 16th, 20th Section L Saintes (571 miles), 10th, 19th Section L Angers, 12th Section L Bordeaux, 13th Section L Herstal. Many premier trophies have won over the years including: the ‘Lancashire Rose Trophy’ for best average Section L, ‘Roy Gough Trophy’ best individual pigeon Section L, ‘The Burton Trophy’ first bird in to Lancashire and Merseyside (won twice), ‘Best Average in Section L. from Tarbes’ and several RPRA and Meritorious Awards have been won. A fantastic achievement in long distance pigeon racing!
The Blackpool loft has housed many champion long distance racers in recent years and one of Dave’s best was ‘North Star’ his fantastic blue pied hen, winner of 6th section L, 62nd open NFC Tarbes, flying 748 miles in to Blackpool and being clocked on the day of liberation. She was beaten by Brian Denney’s great champion, ‘Brian’s Blue’, that day from Tarbes and both pigeons were flying 748 miles. As a young bird in 2005, ‘North Star’ recorded 184th open NFC Fougeres, being clocked at nearly 400 miles on the day of liberation and later won 16th section L NFC Angers. What a fantastic performance, being clocked from nearly 400 miles on the day as a young bird and then to go on and being clocked on the day of liberation from Tarbes (748 miles). This wonderful hen is now breeding her like in the stock loft and is the grand dam of Frank and George Bristow’s 2014 1st open MNFC ‘Blue Riband’ Bordeaux race winner, ‘Brigitte Bordeaux’. The champion racing and breeding hen!
CH. ‘CULMER BLUE BIRD' Eric & Pat Cannon of Godalming
'Blue Bird' was my favorite of all Eric Cannon's many champions. She was a perfect long distance type of pigeon in the hand, with wonderful feathering and was a great champion racer and breeder. She was a double 1st section A winner from the Pau Grand National, recording 6th, 28th, 57th, 118th, 251st open Pau NFC (540 miles) and if the Pau Merit Award had started a few years earlier she would have won it. She also recorded 247th open Nantes NFC and 98th open Young Bird National. 'Blue Bird' bred many premier long distance pigeons and was the grand dam of Eric's top hen `Culmer Lass', winner of many premier positions including 1st open SMT Combine Bergerac (440 miles), only bird on the day of liberation in the combine; 1st section A, 12th open Pau NFC (540 miles). ‘Culmer Lass’ was also a great breeder and was the grand dam of Champion ‘Marion’, winner of 1st NFC Sartilly for Eric Cannon. 'Blue Bird' was half-sister to the Cannon's champion, `Culmer Lady', winner of 26th, 27th, 48th, 135th, 140th open Pau NFC, lifting the NFC Pau Merit Award, both being daughters of the premier stock hen, 'The Wood Hen', a daughter of Mr. Wood of Horsham's, 'Pride of Sussex', a big NFC winner. The great ‘Blue Bird’ was one my favorite champions of all time! The Cannon loft won four NFC Pau ‘Merit Awards’ presented to pigeons that score three times in the first hundred in the open Pau Grand National results. If this award started a few years earlier, ‘Culmer Blue Bird’, ‘Culmer Beauty’ and ‘Culmer Julie Girl’ would have won the ‘Merit Award’, making it seven for the Eric Cannon loft.
CH. ‘BRIAN’S BLUE’ Brian & Thelma Denney of Strensall
I first visited Brian and Thelma Denney in 1999 when I went to the Yorkshire loft to video ‘Mr Long Distance’ for my ‘Many Miles with Mott’ video series and since then we have met up at the BHW Blackpool Show every year, and I keep saying, ‘I will pop up and see you both this summer’. Well ten years had flown by and I still had not been back to Strensall, but in late April 2009, Peter Taylor and I ‘bit the bullet’ and headed north armed with my pigeon photography box and a battery of cameras, including the video units. The weather was brilliant and the thought of looking at one of the best long distance lofts of pigeon in the sport excited me and Peter! After some tea and a chat on the Denney’s patio, we had a look at all of his then current ‘Bri-Den’ 750 mile champions. What a great day we had!
Brian had put up another fantastic performance in the 2008 NFC Tarbes Grand National and had clocked his blue widowhood cock, ‘Brian’s Blue’, on the day of liberation, flying 748 miles, and recording 1st sect K, 61st open (4045 birds). This champion pigeon was clocked just after 20.00 hrs on the day, flying 16 hours 15 minutes and I believe, at that time was the furthest flying pigeon clocked on the day ever in a NFC race. ‘Brian’s Blue’ won 1st RPRA Region Long Distance Award and 1st RPRA UK Long Distance Champion for his brilliant performance from Tarbes in the 2008 season. A wonderful performance, too follow Brian’s brilliant 2007 NFC Tarbes performance when he recorded several premier positions in the open result, including 1st sect. K, 5th open. Brian recorded 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th sect K. (240 birds) in the 2008 race. ‘Brian’s Blue’ was bred down on both sides of his pedigree from Brian’s champion Pau National hen, ‘Blue Pau’, who was also a wonderful breeder. Brian’s third pigeon home from the NFC Tarbes race in the 2009 season to record 3rd section K, 12th open was the four year old blue cock, ‘Blue Boy’, and he is a son of Champion ‘Brian’s Blue’, winner of 1st RPRA UK Long Distance Champion in 2008 when mated to ‘Class Blue’, winner of 2nd section K NFC Fougeres (394 miles). What can I say about my ol’ mate, Brian, that I haven’t said before? A great friend and one of our greatest long distance champions of all time, putting up brilliant performance in the major National races every year! Brian and Thelma are two of the nicest people we’ve ever met in our time in pigeon racing!
CH. ‘FAVORI’ Jean Marie Duqueny of France
Jim Biss purchased Champion ‘Favori’ at great expense to add to his wonderful stock team of the very best long distance champions and at that time he rated him as one of the best pigeons in the world. When I visited Jim’s ‘Hillside Lofts’ at Brundall in 1996 I was amazed at his wonderful loft set up and he allowed me to handle most of his premier breeders in his stock loft, which had big, spacious flights kitted out with showers for the inmates to bath in. The stock loft was very luxurious, fit for a king, but the king ‘Favori’ wasn’t house there! After looking at the stock and race birds Jim took me to an old garden shed erected on the corn of the lawn, which looked like it housed the mower and ‘Favori’ was in there with several hens. Although he was getting in years he handled well and was perfect in the hand. ‘Favori’ bred his like at ‘Hillside Lofts’, producing many premier races and was the great grandsire of Champion ‘Vend’ winner of 1st open NFC Pau Grand National in 1993. ‘Favori’s’ sire was ‘Hovaert’, brother to ‘Super Crack’ three time 1st National and these two brothers were responsible for 40 National and International winners.
Champion ‘Favori’ won: 1984: 27th Tours, 22nd open National Pau, 338th open Nation Pau, 29th open National Lourdes, 289th open International Lourdes, 28th open National Perpignan, 370th International Perpignan, 1985: 245th Bourges, 27th Argenton, 37th open National Pau, 202nd open International Pau, 1st open National Lourdes, 7th open International Lourdes, 48th open National Perpignan, 814th open International Perpignan, 1986: 171st Tours, 83rd Poitiers, 12th open National Pau, 51st open International Pau, 9th open National Lourdes, 151st open International Lourdes, 1st open National Perpignan, 8th open International Perpignan, 15th Sourterraine, 1987: 157th Bourges, 169th open National Pau, 908th open International Pau, 5th open National Lourdes, 44th open International Lourdes, 1st open National Perpignan, 26th open International Perpignan. ‘Favori’ was the ‘Gold Wing’ winner in 1986. A world class performance!
Jim Biss said at the time, ‘Favori’ is consided by many to be the outstanding pigeon of his generation. Apart from winning at the distance this racing machine won in short 50 mile events. In 1986 he was to win the coveted ‘Gold Wing’ award and was thrice winner of the 1st ‘Ace Pigeon’ in the Font Club Franco-Belge from 1984 to 1986. In this club the best Belgian fancier compete against the best French fanciers. He was the best International racer during the years 1984 / 87. Each year he flew Pau, Lourdes and Perpignan. At the end of the 1984 season he was put into three sprints and scored three wins, winning an excessive amount of pool money. The world has never seen another bird as good as ‘Favori’ and in all probability never will again. ‘Favori’ has no equal as a National racer. He won three firsts at National level against the best of France’.
CH. ‘FILMSTAR’ Frank & Ann Tasker of Wainfleet
When the late Frank Tasker spoke about his Champion ‘Filmstar’ you could hear the pride in his voice, and quite rightly too, as he owned the ultimate in a racing pigeon. ‘Filmstar’ was wonderful to look at and handle, and he was also a champion breeder. He was bred from the very best Mencke Haelterman bloodlines, and his sire, ‘Blue Telstar’, was obtained via Claude Hetru of Lomme, France. ‘Blue Telstar’ was a direct son of ‘Eole’, the champion of the champions being the winner of 1st open National Royan and 1st open National Poitiers. The dam of ‘Filmstar’ was ‘Jonge Whitenose’, bred by Frank and Ann Tasker and they said she was one of the best breeding hens they ever owned. Her sire was the base of their entire loft, the champion breeder, ‘Blue Eole’, and he was a full brother to Champion ‘Eole’, winner of twice 1st open National. A wonderful family of pigeons!
Champion ‘Filmstar’ won 26 times 1st prize, 12 times 1st open Federation and in 1986 was the R.P.R.A. Sprint Champion of Great Britain. He also won two R.P.R.A. Awards and 7th World Champion Versalaga Laga. Frank told me he was the base of his loft at that time and his children have bred at least 50 times 1st open Federation winners. He is grandsire and great grandsire of ten 1st open National and Classic winners including, ‘Starlett’, winner of 1st open NFC Pontorson for Ced and Clive Allwright, ‘Digit’, 1st open MNFC Nantes for Dave Sharratt, 1st open CSCFC Rennes for Tony Hayne, 1st open CSCFC Bergerac for Staddon Brothers, 1st open Up North Combine Abbeville for Les Thurlow, two champion racers for G. White & son and of course 1st open North Road Championship Club Berwick National in 2000 for Frank and Ann Tasker. Champion ‘Filmstar’, a once in a lifetime pigeon!
TEXT & PHOTOS BY KEITH MOTT (www.keith mott.com)
---
Elimar - October 2014
