KEITH MOTT writes about winning fanciers past and present...
LEWIS & ANGELA MILNE OF DONCASTER
After the fantastic performances put up by their wonderful Gaby Vandenabeele cock ‘Champ Seventy Seven’ in the 2013 season, Lewis and Angela Milne decided to race him on for one more season before retiring him to the stock loft. With the 2014 season being 'choc-a' with hard National races in predominantly northern and easterly winds, this could have been a bad decision, but the ‘Champ’ came out on top, flying well over 400 miles on the day three times and scoring in four National races. He scored well up in the NFC Carentan National (9,317 birds) and the MNFC Ancenis National (4,670 birds), but his best positions were: 6th section, 51st open NFC Cholet (6,946 birds), flying 452 miles on the day of liberation, and 32nd section, 595th open NFC Messac (6,352 birds), flying just over 400 miles on the day. The husband and wife partnership have now retired ‘Champ Seventy Seven’ to the stock loft and Lewis tells me he gifted a 2013 youngster, ‘36259’, out of the ‘Champ’ to his friend, Nial Bolker of Doncaster, and it has won this season: 1st club, 2nd Federation La Mans (495 birds), 1st club (257 birds), 29th Federation (2,065 birds) Buckingham, 1st club La Mans (57 birds). Lewis says ‘Champ Seventy Seven’ has bred another Federation topper from France this season and now he is retired to the stock loft, he hopes he will breed him a new dynasty of winning pigeons. A wonderful champion!
I quite often have very interesting conversations with Mark and Dick Evans of Whitley Bridge, who are world famous for their wonderful racing performances and breeding of the Gaby Vandenabeele pigeons. The Vandenabeeles must be rated as the best family in the UK at this time, winning everything at every level in recent seasons. In my opinion the Busschaerts were one of the best families of racing pigeon ever,; winning big time over a great many years and now the Gaby Vandenabeele pigeons have replaced them. I think the Vandenabeele pigeons will be highly successful for many years to come! I was talking to Dick on the phone a few months ago and he was telling me about the success Lewis and Angela Milne have enjoyed with one of their Gaby Vandenabeele pigeons. I have always thought of the Vandenabeele pigeons being brilliant between 100 and 400 miles, but Lewis and Angela won 1st North Section, 3rd Open MNFC Bordeaux ‘Blue Riband’ National in 2013. The partner’s section winner, ‘Champ Seventy Seven’, was their single entry in to the Bordeaux National and was bred by Mark & Dick from ‘Calvin’ and ‘Cosmic Girl’, the 1st Up North Combine winner. ‘Champ Seventy Seven’ and his nest brother were purchased by the Milnes at the Mr & Mrs Crossley clearance sale and were broken pigeons to the loft at Doncaster. Dick Evans tells me, it has been confirmed that the partners Bordeaux National performance is a new 600 mile record, with ‘Champ Seventy Seven’ recording a velocity of 1685ym, flying 602 miles. This is the highest velocity recorded by a pigeon flying over 600 miles and the previous record was set by Dr. Tresidder in 1931! A fantastic performance! My good friend, Ian French, who has been the MNFC convoyer for several seasons, liberated the 1352 Bordeaux National birds at 06.10hrs in no wind situation, but they picked some helping wind on route, with 600 mile pigeons being clock on the day. Dick Evans has told me that the Gaby Vandenabeele pigeons have been clocked at 500 miles and he has been asked many times if they will do 600 miles. This Bordeaux race has answered that question, they win at 600 miles!
‘Champ Seventy Seven’ is a champion in the truest sense of the word, having won many other premier positions before his Bordeaux record breaking performance including: 2011: 10th section, 17th open MNFC Chale (4080 birds), 69th section, 164th open MNFC Carentan (3949 birds): 2012: 221st section, 1544th open MNFC Vire (4756 birds), just three weeks after being broken in to Lewis’ loft: 2013: 98th section, 571st open MNFC Ancenis (5510 birds), 1st section, 3rd open MNFC Bordeaux (1352 birds), New British record holder for fastest velocity flying over 600 miles, 2nd open Great Yorkshire Combine Bordeaux, RPRA South Yorkshire & Derbyshire Region Award for best all round performance, 3rd National ‘ace bird’ Long Distance MNFC North Section. Plus other prizes in the club and Federation. A wonderful pigeon! His nest brother is the blue cock, ‘Super Seventy Six’, and he has also been an outstanding racer for Lewis, winning: 4th Federation, 33rd section, 125th open National (4,379 birds), 65th section, 150th open National (3,949 birds), 376th section, 2,418th open National (6,861 birds). A fantastic nest pair of Gaby Vandenabeele racers!
LES KIDD OF NEW MILTON (Return visit 2014)
Les Kidd has been a member of the British Barcelona Club for the club’s full 50 years and he tells me he competed in the very first two Barcelona races in 1965 and 1966. How many fanciers around today can say that! Although he competes in several premier long distance races every season, the Barcelona event is the one that is still dear to his heart! He was a leading long distance racer in the London area for many years and moved to New Milton about 15 years ago, and continued his racing success there in Hampshire. Betty and I have taken holidays, on and off, for over 30 years in Highcliff the neighbouring town to New Milton and every time Les and I cross paths, he says, ‘why don’t you pop around and see the birds next time you are in the area’. The month of July saw us take a week’s holiday with the family in Hampshire and I thought I might take the opportunity to have a day out on my own to visit Les and Cynthia Kidd. I have visited them twice now and both times I have arrived at Les’ home in brilliant sun shine and both times I was very impressed on how good his loft looked in his wonderful garden. Les tells me Cynthia must take the credit for that, as she is very keen gardener and works very hard to keep it looking so nice. She is also a great help with his pigeon management!
Les has enjoyed a good 2014 season, racing the long distance, including clocking from the very hard British Barcelona Club ‘Blue Riband’ race from Barcelona (670 miles). The race was held in July and he sent four birds, including his good blue chequer hen, ‘Princess’ Sister’, sitting ten day old eggs. Les recorded two birds and first bird on the ETS, to win 5th section, 19th open BBC Barcelona was his game little hen, ‘Princess’ Sister’. She only had one training race from Messac on her build up to the Barcelona race and previously won 1st section, 25th open BICC Marseille (640 miles) in the 2013 season. As her name suggests, she is a sister to Les’ good hen, ‘Princess’, winner of 9th open CSCFC Tarbes in 2012. Just for good measure, the Kidd loft also recorded 27th open Central Southern Classic Flying Club Tarbes in the 2014 season.
Les Kidd is a 100% long distance enthusiast and has no interest in any other racing whatsoever. He has had many years of success racing at the very top level in the long distance side of our sport. The main family raced is A. E. Sheppard of North London and go back to 1905, and these were originally obtained from the great Surrey long distance fancier Ian Benstead of Capel. Les brings in a cross from time to time and has had great success with all English bloodlines, including: Mike Young (Spangles), Peter Titmuss, Norman Southwell and Fear Brothers. Johnny Will of Frimley is a great friend of Les’ and he is famed for his great success racing long distance with the Ian Benstead pigeons, and years ago he bred Les a youngster which turned out to be the father of the New Milton loft. The champion breeding cock was the blue chequer, ‘Sadler’s Wills’ and Les tells me nearly all his best birds through the years go back to this wonderful pigeon. This once in a life time stock cock was named after the champion stud race horse and Les’ good friend Johnny Wills! His long distance birds have given him a lot of fun over the years and he still gets a great ‘buzz’ from seeing his birds arrive home from races from France and Spain.
TEXT & PHOTOS BY KEITH MOTT (www.keithmott.com)
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