THREE BORDERS FED
YOUNG BIRD UPDATE - 1
by Keith Mott
Members of the Three Borders Federation sent 1,693 young birds for the Wincanton (95 miles) race and with the convoyer, Dave Stanway, liberating at 08.45hrs in a westerly wind, the 25 birds result was complete within 22ypm. The Esher club were there again at the top of the result sheet, in the form of Jimmy Rookledge and Ray Mearns, doing 1722 ypm. This is their second Federation winner of the 2014 season, previously winning the last old bird inland race from Yeovil in July. Jim and Ray’s loft in Epsom won 1st Federation by a ‘country mile’ that day in July! Jimmy is advancing in years and has carried on racing the pigeons this season in spite of the very sudden passing of his pigeon partner and the club’s dear friend, Ray Mearns, in February of this year. Jim and Ray have obtained several outstanding Gaby Vandenabeele pigeons from former Esher member, John Barrett, and the Yeovil Federation winning widowhood cock was produced by these stock birds.
The first ten in the Wincanton Federation result were: 1) Jim Rookledge & Ray Mearns 1722: 2) D. Robinson 1722: 3) Frank & Susan Carson 1720: 4) Frank & Susan Carson 1720: 5) Frank & Susan Carson 1720: 6) Frank & Susan Carson 1719: 7) Frank & Susan Carson 1719: 8) Paul Arnold 1717: 9) Bob & Danny Carter 1714: 10) Bob & Danny Carter 1714.
The Epsom partnership of Jim Rookledge and Ray Mearns have enjoyed some wonderful racing success in recent season, flying in the Three Borders Federation, and have previously won 1st Federation Exeter, 2nd Federation Alencon, 2nd Federation Exeter, 2nd Federation Lulworth, 8th Federation Plymouth, 12th Federation Messac and 13th Federation Lulworth. A brilliant loft performance put up in a very strong Federation! Jim and Ray were both old hands at pigeon racing, forming their successful partnership fourteen years ago after 40 years in the sport. They raced mainly Gaby Vandenabeele from Johnny Barrett, Medina Busschaerts and top-class Staf Van Reets from Paul Arnold of North Cheam. Two teams of widowhood birds are worked, one for sprint racing and the other for racing from the Continent. They race both hens and cocks on widowhood and pair up on 10th December. They have several lofts, the main one being 18ft long, with three sections and open-door trapping. When I asked Jim how far he sends the widowhood racers, he told me all the way through to 450 miles and his best position was 1st Open Combine Alencon in the 2000 season. He and Ray raced a very basic widowhood system by training lightly up to the first race, then exercise twice a day around the loft, and the break down system until Tuesday morning. The partners feed a first-class Super Widowhood mixture and show the hens on marking night. Well done to Jimmy on winning the Federation twice in the 2014 season!
The following weekend the Federation had 1,688 young birds at Blandford (85 miles) and it was great to see one of the sports workers, Terry Smart of the Spelthorne club, win the Federation by 9ypm clear. Although he has had a big involvement in the sport for many years, Terry only came back in to racing his birds again this season after many year off from competing. He started off with a nice new loft built by his good mate, Richard Kent, but his first young bird team took a bit of a knock at the beginning of the season when they had a bad race, but they have come back and won the Federation.
The first ten in the Blandford Federation result were: 1) Terry & Carole Smart 1712: 2) Frank & Susan Carson 1703: 3) Colin Crook & Andy Iddenden 1702: 4) Frank & Susan Carson 1702: 5) Crook & Iddenden 1702: 6) Crook & Iddenden 1701: 7) Crook & Iddenden 1701: 8) Frank & Susan Carson 1701: 9) Frank & Susan Carson 1701: 10) Crook Iddenden 1701.
Terry and Carole Smart of Walton celebrated their Golden Wedding Anniversary on 8th February this year and they were married in St Peter’s Church, West Molesey in 1964, and have been great workers for our sport over the years, including eight years as secretaries of the London & South East Classic Club. My younger brother, Phil, and I started keeping pigeons in the 1950’s and the Mott brother’s pigeon career stared when we obtained a pair of birds, ‘Alma’ and ‘Charlie’, from a school friend, which we housed in a small rabbit hutch. Our first pair of pigeons was bred at the loft of Terry Smart, who was in partnership with the Groombridge family of Kingston and it is common knowledge that Terry with his wife Carole, became the secretary of the London & South East Classic Club some 25 years later and did a brilliant job of it. Although Terry has had a big involvement in the sport over the years, he hasn’t raced for twenty years and is making a comeback in the 2014 season. A ‘smart’ new loft has been made and erected in the Walton back garden by good friend, Richard Kent, and I and several other fanciers started him off again, with some premier youngsters. He tells me Ray Hammond of Godalming is also gifting him top quality youngsters to aid his new start up. Terry wants to race mainly long distance, but tells me he is going to get a few sprinters from a friend in Up North Combine to have some fun in the Spelthorne club. I recently had a chat with Terry Smart, the hard working chairman, auctioneer and general ‘dog’s body’ of the Spelthorne SRFC to check up if their Grand Breeder /Buyer and Young Bird Open Race and he tells me, it has been another great success again in 2014. This event in only three seasons has become one of the top attractions in the pigeon racing calendar in London and the Home Counties area.
On a personal note!
After me recently reporting on Steve Appleby’s success from two French races with one of our bloodlines another premier performance has been reported to me by my good friends Colin Crook and Andy Iddenden of Epsom. Steve has several of our Gaby Vandenabeele pigeons in his stock loft, including a daughter of ‘Myrtle Supremacy’ and ‘Myrtle Exile’, which he calls ‘Treble Four’. In 2013 she was mated to a Chitty Brother’s cock and they produced a chequer hen, now named ‘Out Of Sight’ that won 1st club Falaise, winning the Guildford club by 100 ypm and beat most of the local clubs, including the Godalming club’s 360 birds. Two weeks later this game little hen was sent to Fougeres and recorded 2nd club, with the Guildford club winning the Federation that week. ‘Treble Four’ is a full sister to Colin Crook & Andy Iddenden’s brilliant stock hen, ‘White Tail’, dam of 2nd, 12th, 13th Federation in the 2013 season and is half-sister to Terry Haley’s wonderful cock, ‘The Watford Wizard’, winner of 1st open Combine Aycliffe (205 miles) in the 2013 season. All being produced from our champion Mark & Dick Evans / Gaby Vandenabeele stock hen, ‘Myrtle Exile’. The very latest news, just emailed to me is that Colin Crook and Andy Iddenden have recorded 5th Three Borders Federation Taunton (124 miles) with 959 birds competing, with ‘8001’ a yearling son of the premier stock hen, ‘White Tail’. This great stock hen was mated to Champion ‘Frank’ in the 2014 season and they bred a youngster, ‘1385’, which won 14th Federation Taunton (1,471 birds), 24th Federation Wincanton (1,693 birds). The Gaby Vandenabeele stock hen, ‘White Tail’, was bred by us from ‘Myrtle Supremacy’ and ‘Myrtle Exile’. Bobby and Anthony Besant had a great race from Nort sur Erdre by recording 3rd Three Borders Federation, 4th SMT Combine (699 birds) with first bird on the ETS being a yearling bred from one of our Brian Denney hens, ‘Half a Crown’. This outstanding stock hen was a gift egg to the Bob and Anthony and is a daughter of ‘Sasha’s Boy’ when mated to ‘Foxwarren Complete’, winner of 32nd open L&SECC Dax, 2nd East Grinstead CC Dax, 29th open L&SECC San Sebastian, 116th open L&SECC Pau, 109th open L&SECC Pau. A great 2014 racing season!
That’s our article for this week! I can be contacted with any pigeon ‘banter’ or news on telephone number: 01372 463480 or email:
TEXT & PHOTOS BY KEITH MOTT (www.keithmott.com)
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