MY ALL-TIME TOP 12
by Keith Mott
PART 1
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!
CH. ‘TUFF NUT’ Brian & Thelma Denney Strensall
Champion ‘Tuff Nut’ was the champion of the champions, being a wonderful long distance racer and then when he was retired to the stock loft he bred his like many times over. A once in a lifetime pigeon! This wonderful dark white flight cock was bred by David Harrison, in the North West of England, from the very best Brian Denney and Van Bruaene bloodlines. ‘Tuff Nut’ was the latest champion to bless the Yorkshire loft of Brian Denney, in the wake of a surge of wonderful long distance champions over the years that have kept the loft at the top of the Pau National results since the 1960s. ‘Tuff Nut’ recorded 1st section K, 5th open NFC Pau, flying 738 miles to his loft in York, which must be rated as one of the best performances in the Pau Grand National ever. John Ayling had the only bird on the day of liberation in the form of his fantastic champion ‘Home Alone’ and Brian clocked ‘Tuff Nut’ on the second day, flying the 738 miles with north in the wind. When I asked Brian about his wonderful pigeon he smiled and said, “That was a great day when we saw him coming from the Pau National and I knew that only one bird had been clocked on the night flying 519 miles. It must have given John Ayling the thrill of a lifetime to clock the only bird on the day in the Pau Grand National. ‘Tuff Nut’ had been clocked from Saintes, 573 miles on the day, flying 15 hours, in the 2000 season and from Pau I hoped that he had made it into England on the night, but that’s one thing we will never know. After clocking him from Pau, he soon showed plenty of interest in his mate, so I knew he was right and when I phoned Sid Barkel to verify him I was told ‘Tuff Nut’ was the first bird clocked in Section K. Only four birds had beaten him with 4,085 birds competing and the fact that he had flown 738 miles on two hard days and was still up with the leaders made me feel very proud of my pigeon. Not long after the race, Bill Harris, the N.F.C. president, phoned to congratulate me on ‘Tuff Nut’s’ performance, which was very nice and for days after the phone never stopped ringing from fanciers with good wishes, from all over the U.K. The icing on the cake was the N.F.C. prize presentation in Blackpool when my fellow fanciers acknowledged ‘Tuff Nut’s’ wonderful performance. Champion ‘Tuff Nut’ won 1st RPRA Region Long Distance Award and 2nd RPRA UK Long Distance Champion for his wonderful performance.”
Champion ‘Tuff Nut’ was retired to the stock loft after a wonderful racing career and paired to the very best at Brian Denney’s loft, he became world famous for being the breeder of many long distance champions. The list of premier racers bred through this great pigeon is very long, but the main ones included ‘Northern Lady’. Brian’s first two birds were on the clock within three minutes from the 2009 NFC Tarbes National, with the 1st section K, 3rd open winner being the five year old widowhood blue chequer hen, ‘Northern Lady’, and she had previously won 6th section K, 217th open NFC Tarbes. She was a daughter of the sire of Brian’s loft, when mated to ‘Brian’s Prize’ winner of 4th open Northern Classic Saintes, being clocked at 573 miles on the day of liberation, and ‘Northern Lady’ is a full sister to the champion breeding hen, ‘Dark Jan’. Two champion grandsons of ‘Tuff Nut’, both being bred out of ‘Dark Jan’, were Champion ‘Dark Charm’, winner of 1st section K, 5th open NFC Tarbes (748 miles) in 2007 and Champion ‘Dark Dancer’ the winner in 2009 of 1st section K, 4th open NFC Fougeres, 2nd section K, 4th open NFC Tarbes, and previously he won 6th section K, 27th open NFC Tarbes, 4th section K, 208th open NFC Tarbes, 4th section K NFC Fougeres. These two cocks were a nest pair and both won 1st section K in the National Flying Club. An absolutely fantastic performance!
CH. ‘NATRIX’ Jim Biss of Brundall
I was very sad to hear the bad news of Jim Biss's passing as I think the sport of pigeon racing lost one of its greatest fanciers! I met him at his “Hillside” lofts in the mid 1990s when we were making a “Many Miles with Mott” video on fanciers in Norfolk and found him to be a perfect gentleman. I think Jim was a “man's man” and was a great man to talk too about long distance pigeon racing, having a brilliant lifetime record which was second to none. Jim was an original member of the British International Championship Club and gave it his full support in the 27 years after it was formed in 1978. I think I'm right in stating he won the BICC twenty times, including 15 times 1st open Marseille and lifted the 2 bird average several times. He won 1st open NFC Pau Grand National and in partnership with Tony Waite, they won 1st open British Barcelona Club Palamos and 1st open NFC Saintes. A wonderful record put up by one of our greatest champions!
It was the weekend before the 1996 Pau Grand National when I visited Jim's fantastic pigeon set up at his home in Brundall near Norwich. His racing record in National, Classic and Federation events has been well documented through his 70 years in the sport, winning 1st open countless times. Jim started up in 1936 and the best performance that came to mind, he said, was the 1993 Pau N.F.C. race when he was 1st, 2nd and 7th open, plus several other useful positions. The 1993 Pau National had 5,427 birds entered and Jim's 1st open winner was the blue widowhood cock, “Vend”, which had also flown the 646 miles from Pau the previous season, which was a very bad race. A few minutes after clocking “Vend”, Jim recorded the dark chequer cock “Turban” to take 2nd open Pau, and this great pigeon's previous form in distance Nationals was outstanding. We handled these two great champions when we looked at Jim's team of breeders in his wonderful stock lofts, which housed 70 pairs.
Jim Biss owned many world class long distance champions in his lifetime, but it is my opinion that his wonderful Champion ‘Natrix’ was one of his greatest. He recorded 1985: 220th open NFC Pau (645 miles), 1986: 1st open National Marseilles (670 miles), 1987: 1st open National Marseilles, ‘Gold Wing’ winner, 1st EECC Orleans, 1988: 1st open National Marseilles, Enhanced ‘Gold Wing’ winner. ‘Natrix’ competed only three times from Marseilles National and won all three by over a day in advance of the next pigeon and was twice 1st International pigeon over the distance of 1,050km and once 2nd International from that distance. His sire was ‘Magna’ who was bred down from ‘Fellow’ and ‘Black Velvet’ the winner of 1st open National Perpignan and his dam was down from the great ‘Knightsdale Lady’ and the National winner, ‘Digit’. ‘Natrix’ proved to be a great breeder and in the stock loft produce many premier long distance racers. He was the sire of: ‘Yabber’ winner of, 1997: 10th open National Marseilles, 1998: 2nd open National Marseilles, 1999: 6th open National Marseilles; ‘Botham’ winner of 1999: 4th open National Marseilles. ‘Natrix’ was the grand sire of ‘York’ winner of 1997: 1st open National Marseilles, 1998: 3rd open National Marseilles, 1999: 7th open National Marseilles; ‘Bassi’ 1998: 1st open National Marseilles, 1st International Marseilles long distance award (19,968 birds), 1999: 3rd open National Marseilles; ‘Zimbiss’ the winner of 1st open National Palamos (two hours ahead) in 1998. Champion ‘Natrix’, another of out all-time greats!
CH. ‘HIGHTOWER DARREN’S BOY’ Derik & Anne Nordon of Langholm
One of the premier lofts in Scotland over many seasons must be that of Derik & Anne Nordon, with brilliant performances in the SNFC including 1st Open twice. I first visited the Langholm loft in the spring of 1997 while on a “Many Miles with Mott” video tour of Cumbria and Scotland and was very impressed from the outset with Derik's pigeons and loft set-up. At that time Derik had played accordion in a dance band for many years and during the day worked in an engineering workshop, with one of his workmates being the ace pigeon racer, Ralston Graham.
He first won the SNFC in 1996 from Sartilly with his good mealy widowhood hen, ‘Anne's Delight’, and she flew the National in 10 hours 44 minutes against a north-east wind. This game hen was a Gilbertson/Van Bruaene and the Sartilly National was only the sixth race of her life. Her sire was the wonderful mealy cock ‘Hightower Darren’s Boy’ and he flew Rennes with the SNFC six times on the day, for six years on the trot. Other premier racers at the Langholm loft were: ‘Champion Anniversary Girl’, blue hen, 1999: 1st Open Rennes SNFC (2,862 birds), 490 miles. This great hen won over £1,000 and two gold awards for winning five times from the Channel; ‘Danny Boy’, a blue cock, a champion in the truest sense of the word, winning: 1999: 2nd Open Rennes SNFC (2,865 birds), 65th Open Frome SNFC (4,005 birds); 1998: 5th Open Rennes SNFC (3,019 birds); 1997: 9th Open Rennes SNFC (3,269 birds), 38th Open Frome SNFC (3,272 birds) and over £7,000. A brilliant loft of national racers!
One of Derik’s best pigeons of all time was his champion Kirkpatrick mealy cock ‘Hightower Darren’s Boy’ and he was bred down from the Tommy Gilbertson and Bobby Carruthers bloodlines. This wonderful pigeon won many positions racing, but the longest SNFC race from Rennes was his main event each season, flying Rennes (490 miles) six times on the day of liberation and winning: 1989: 150th open SNFC Rennes, 1990: 10th open SNFC Rennes, 1991: 97th open SNFC Rennes, 1992: 186th open SNFC Rennes, 1993: 36th open SNFC Rennes. A fantastic racing record! He was named after Derik and Anne’s first grandson, Darren, and his brother was the mealy cock, ‘Hightower Jamie’, and he was named after their other grandson, Jamie. ‘Hightower Jamie’ was also a top racer, winning: 52nd open SNFC Rennes, 157th open SNFC Rennes and 1st section, 2nd open SNFC Rennes (490 miles), the day when Dal Newcombe won the National race. ‘Hightower Darren’s Boy’ died at 22 years of age, after many years breeding winners in the Nordon stock loft and was the sire of Champion ‘Anne’s Delight’ winner of 1st open SNFC Sartilly. ‘Hightower Darren’s Boy’, a once in a life time pigeon!
CH. ‘MISTY LADY’ Terry Haley of Watford
Every season I seem to be reporting on the fantastic racing performances put up by my good ol’ mate Terry Haley, and the 2014 season has not been the exception. Terry recently retired from work and on becoming an old age pensioner the ‘Watford Wizard’ has taken his pigeon racing to an even higher level of success. At the time of writing my last report on him in late 2013, Terry had won fourteen first prizes, three times 1st Federation, 1st open Combine and lifted the ‘Brooker Gold Cup’ in the London & South East Classic Club for the second year on the trot. I think it is common knowledge that Terry races North and South Road and will send the same pigeons on both roads and win with them. In July 2013 the Inter Counties SR Federation decided to postpone their Minstead young bird race because of a very bad weather forecast for the Saturday and marked the birds on Saturday evening and held the race on the Sunday. Terry sent 12 youngsters to the North Road race from Newark on the Friday night and won 1st, 2nd, 3rd Watford NRFC, 1st, 2nd, 4th, 8th, 9th, 10th Thames Valley NR Federation on the Saturday. He then had the same pigeons re-marked on the Saturday evening and sent them South Road to Minstead. The birds came really well and the ‘Watford Wizard’ recorded 1st Boxmoor club (247 birds), 1st Inter Counties Federation (1,216 birds). Brilliant racing by our Terry!
Terry’s wonderful blue hen, Champion ‘Misty Lady’, must rate as one of the greatest long distance racing pigeons in the UK, when she was alive. The last race ‘Misty Lady’ flew was Thurso (492 miles) and she was the only bird on the day in the Federation, being clocked in darkness at 21.55hrs. Terry retired her after that race at nine years of age, although she still looked and acted like a yearling. As a yearling in 1990 she won 1st club, 1st Thames Valley Federation, 3rd open North Thames NR Combine (2,412 birds) Thurso (492 miles) velocity 980ypm. Just three weeks later she was put back to Thurso and once again won 1st club, 2nd Thames Valley Federation, 2nd open North Thames NR Combine (2,200 birds). In 1992 she was 29th Thames Valley Federation Banff, beaten by five loft mates, all of which figured in the first 20 of the Federation result, with 1,051 birds competing. Three weeks later she was sent back to Thurso and recorded 3rd club, 9th Thames Valley Federation, 39th open North Thames N.R. Combine (1,749 birds) velocity 620ypm, in a south east head wind. This wonderful hen was entered in to Thurso in 1993 but due to bad weather the Combine brought the convoy back to Berwick and after a five day holdover was liberated from the 288 miles race point, and she arrived home late on the day. In 1994 ‘Misty Lady’ won 1st club, 1st Thames Valley Federation, 1st open North Thames NR Combine (1,914 birds) Fraserburgh (419 miles) velocity 1024ypm, in a South West wind. In 1995 she won 4th Club, 29th Thames Valley Federation, 78th North Thames Combine (1,951 birds) Fraserburgh. Then three weeks later went back again to Thurso (492 miles), to win 1st club, 2nd Thames Valley Federation, 8th North Thames Combine (1,613 birds), vel. 822ypm, in a South East head wind. This wonderful hen also won many prizes from the shorter race points, including 1st club Nottingham (91 miles) etc. In the 1996 she recorded 6th Federation, 13th Combine (1,597 birds) Thurso and in 1997, at the age of nine years old, she won in the three longest races: 35th Federation, 80th Combine (3695 birds) Berwick (289 miles), 19th Federation, 42nd Combine (1,708 birds) Stonehaven (372 miles), 1st club, 1st Thames Valley Federation (only bird on the day of liberation in the Federation), 3rd North Thames Combine, 1,832 birds (only four birds home on the day in the Combine). She won all the club and Federation major trophies on her own and also won the London Region and Osman Memorial Trophies in the past seasons. Champion ‘Misty Lady’ is a daughter of Terry’s good blue cock, ‘Gold Dust’, who won on the road: 1st club, 2nd Federation Fraserburgh, 1st club Doncaster and bred many outstanding racers including ‘The Lerwick Cock’. This brilliant cock was half-brother to ‘Misty Lady’ and won 1989: 2nd club, 3rd Federation Thurso (loft mate won the Federation), 1991: 1st club, 1st Federation, 4th open Combine Lerwick, 1992: 1st club, 2nd Federation, 3rd open Combine Lerwick. A wonderful family of long distance racers! Terry tells me ‘Misty Lady’ won in different nest conditions, but thinks she was at her best sitting 14 to 17 day old eggs. This champion hen was the dam of many outstanding winners and grand dam of many premier racers including ‘Miss Ripple’, ‘The 34 Hen’ and Terry Robinson’s of Cheshunt 2nd open London N.R. Combine Berwick in 2001.
CH. ‘KNIGHTSDALE LADY’ Reg Churchill of Weymouth
‘Knightsdale Lady’ was bred in 1966 and was the winner of six consecutive prizes from Palamos (657 miles). She also won an RPRA South West Region Meritorious Award and Gold Medal, plus the Lt. Col. Osman Memorial Trophy and was retired to the stock loft in 1973. Her fantastic racing record was: 1973: 1st section, 1st open BBC Palamos (657 miles), 1971: 6th open BBC Palamos (657 miles), 1970: 10th open BBC Palamos (657 miles), 1969: 15th open BBC Palamos (657 miles), 1968: 17th open BBC Palamos (657 miles), 1972: 57th open BBC Palamos (657 birds), 1967: 3rd club (only three birds on the day), 10th Dorset Federation, 11th Wessex Combine La Reole (450 miles). She was sold to the Norfolk loft of Jim Biss, where she became a prolific breeder and when she stopped laying, Jim gave her back to Reg Churchill so she could finish her days at her home loft in Weymouth. There were several of Jim Biss’ champions that had ‘Knightsdale Lady’ in their pedigree including Champion ‘Natrix’, the winner of: 1986 1st open BICC Marseilles, 1987 1st open BICC Marseille, 1988 1st open BICC Marseille. The wonderful ‘Knightsdale Lady’, one of our greatest long distance champions of all time in the UK!
CH. ‘SUPER LOU’ Peter Wells of Dunstable
My good friend, Terry Haley, arranged a mini loft tour of Hertfordshire for me in August 2013, with the view to doing some articles and the second loft we visited was the highly successful fancier, Peter Wells of Dunstable. The Wells loft has had some great seasons for many years racing in the Combine, Classic and National. Peter has been a fantastic pigeon racer since he started up in the sport in 1974, but is mostly noted for being the owner and racer of one of the greatest sprint pigeons in the world of pigeon racing ever, Champion ‘Super Lou’. This wonderful Joseph Van Ramadonk widowhood cock was bred by Louella Pigeon World at Leicester and Peter purchased him in a batch of pigeons, which were eight for £80, so ‘Super Lou’ cost him £10. This champion blue chequer pied cock won 52 first prizes, including 16 times 1st Federation, 1st open Combine and several Open races. Peter told me, he has clocked ‘Super Lou’ and then had a batch of five come together five minutes later and taken the first six in the Federation result, that’s how good that pigeon was! He was always paired to ‘Brandy’ and she was another one from the Joseph Van Ramadonk job lot, and she was also another brilliant racer, winning several premier races. Champion ‘Super Lou’ was sold back to Louella for £11,500!
TEXT & PHOTOS BY KEITH MOTT (www.keith mott.com)
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Elimar - October 2014
