CHASE CHARITY SHOW
2013
by Keith Mott
The annual C.H.A.S.E. Charity Show was held at the Horsham YMCA Football ground in early December and as in past years the support for this great event was first class. On show day the pens and hall were packed. Entry looked like one of the biggest for some years and judges were Keith Mott, Terry Haley, Peter Obertelli, Peter Coles and Roy Underdown. The C.H.A.S.E. Charity Show and Auction staged annually by members of the Horsham R.P.C. has become one of the major winter show events in the South of England. This annual event is one of the fanciers' favourite winter days out, with a quiz and bingo, and this year’s show had the usually format, with six handling classes for racing pigeons, with additional classes for show racers. Every year a very select daft of quality pigeons are auctioned for the C.H.A.S.E. Charity and this time they had one of the best sales ever, with some unbelievable pigeons being donated! All proceeds of the Show and Auction are donated to the C.H.A.S.E. The C.H.A.S.E. Children's Hospice Service is dedicated to the support of children who are not expected to reach their 19th birthday. For these children there is, at present, no hope of cure but they and their families still need care and support over the course of the life ahead of them. Ever since 1994 C.H.A.S.E. has been dedicated to the support of life-limited children and their families in Surrey, South West London and parts of West Sussex. C.H.A.S.E. offers this vital service at no cost to the families 24 hours a day, every day of the year, in whatever way it is needed, emotionally or practically, at home or at ‘Christopher's’, the purpose-built children's hospice just outside Guildford.
Best in Show was won by Gordon & Delia Marsh of East Southwater and they are one the premier lofts on the south coast, winning many top prizes including 3rd open L&SECC Tarbes (524 miles) in 2013. Their winning pigeon was a handsome blue pied Cattrysse cock and he had to win a very strong 400 miles class to take BIS. Gordon bought the original Cattrysse stock birds from Ernie Goodyear about four years ago and he tells me his BIS winner flew Bergerac (450 miles) in both the last two seasons. Gordon and Delia started the CHASE Charity Show, with a lot of help from the Horsham pigeon club members, about 14 years ago and have raised in excess of £25,000 for the charity in that time. Delia is very heavy into ‘running’ her dogs these days and the show is now run by Clive Turner and Gordon.
Gordon and Delia Marsh have enjoyed a wonderful 2013 racing season in the very strong Horsham club, winning a hatful of prize cards in the club and Federation, including seven firsts, plus 1st section, 3rd open L&SECC Bergerac. I will be doing a full loft report on Gordon and Delia early in the New Year. Gordon likes all pigeon races and enjoys winning at any distance, but in recent years has only really raced from over the Channel. He told me, one of his best pigeons ever was a dark chequer cock, bred down from the old Marsh pigeons in the 1970s and he flew Thurso seven times (twice on the day), winning on three occasions, also winning 2nd and 3rd on two other occasions. The first of his two London & South East Classic Club winners was also from the old Marsh stock and she was a yearling chequer pied hen sent feeding her first ever youngster. Over the years you own many good pigeons, but some you never forget. Gordon says he has had many thrilling experiences with his birds, but one of the best must be seeing his pigeon on the loft at just after six, on the day of liberation from Thurso and half an hour later seeing his hen arrive, to take 1st and 2nd club, only two birds on the day. Winning 1st open London & South East Classic Club twice ranks highly in his most thrilling experiences category. Gordon was born in South Wales, but only lived there for a year and has now spent most of his life living in West Sussex. He is from a racing pigeon family; his grandfather had pigeons, as did his father and both his brothers. Gordon sayshe was born into pigeons and as far back as he can remember, he was always in the pigeon loft with his dad. The loft was up on 6ft poles, with double door trapping and it had a cabin, with easy chairs and paraffin stove to make tea on. He spent hour upon hour in his dad's loft and it was in 1965 that Gordon got his own place and started up his own loft of pigeons. His first stock came from his father’s loft in the form of a complete round of youngsters and he recalls that Jed Jackson gave him a really nice pied hen, which was surplus to his requirements. Gordon's first major success was with a young blue cock which recorded 2nd club, 3rd Federation and was well up in the S.M.T. Combine result from Avranches. Gordon's first pigeons were mainly Logans, Barkers and Kirkpatrick crosses, as raced by his father and his father before him, and they won at all distances. He joined one of the best clubs on the south coast, the Worthing & Dist. H.S. and his loft was set up for the natural system, with just two sections. He wintered ten pairs of old birds and bred only 12 youngsters, which had to race the programme. Gordon maintains he was a well trained pigeon fancier long before he was ever let loose on his own, but has made many mistakes since and hopefully learnt from them. His two biggest mistakes were undoubtedly, in the 1970s, making winning his one aim, forgetting that he loved to be around pigeons and being impatient.
This year’s show saw over 207 birds entered in the six classes, which were all handled. Racing Pigeon Class winners were: Old Cocks: 1) Gordon & Delia Marsh 2) Des & Darran McFadden 3) Des & Darran McFadden: Old Hens: 1) Doug Gatland 2) Mick Tuck 3) Mullen & Buckland: Young Cocks: 1) N. Emberson 2) Mullen & Buckland 3) B. & J. Gumbrill: Young Hens: 1) Clive Turner 2) Doug Gatland 3) A. Muir: 400 mile Cock & Hen: 1) Gordon & Delea Mash 2) Doug Gatland 3) Clive Turner: Eyesign: 1) Doug Gatland 2) E. Cable 3) Des & Darran McFadden. Show Racer Class winners were: Old Cocks: 1) Colin Reynolds 2) Mike Horner 3) Des & Darran McFadden: Old Hens: 1) Mike Horner 2) Des & Darran McFadden 3) Colin Reynolds: Young Cocks: 1) Des & Darran McFadden 2) Colin Reynolds 3) Colin Reynolds: Young Hens: 1) Mike Horner 2) Colin Reynolds 3) Mike Horner. Winner of Best in Show was Gordon & Delia Marsh winning the ‘Charity Cup’, B.O.S was Doug Gatland winning the ‘Clare Cup’ and ‘The Ralf Foreman Cup’ for the best hen. Show secretary, Clive Turner, won the ‘Fred Mott Memorial Cup’ for the best young bird and winner of the ‘400 Mile Cup’ was Gordon & Delia Marsh. In the Show Racer classes, Mike Horner won B.I.S, lifting the ‘Iris Mott Memorial Cup’ and Colin Reynolds recorded BOS, winning the ‘Millis Cup’.
I judged the Show Racers again this year and gave BIS Show Racers to a wonderful dark hen owned by Mike and Horner of Alton. I first met Mike Horner back November 2006, when he won Best in Show at the R.P.R.A. Southern Region Show and I was there at the High Wycombe event judging. To say he was overjoyed at his performance would be an understatement. This was his best performance ever with his Show Racers and he was over the moon! His team for the Southern Region Show were exceptionally good that year and in the light of that he fancied his chances. Mike and Theresa won Best in Show (645 birds) with their four year old Mosaic show racer cock, ‘Barny’, and he had plenty of previous good form, having won in the show pen twelve times. He won Class 7 (Coloured Cock or Hen) at High Wycombe and also lifted two trophies, ‘Best Show Racer’ and ‘Best in Show’. Mike has been in pigeons, in one form or the other, all his life and is from a racing pigeon family, with his father and grandfathers being pigeon racers. He started up with the Show Racer properly on marring Theresa in 1980, with birds from Tony Williams, which were reds and mealies, and later some stock from Mr. & Mrs. Colin Carter of Churchdown. Well done to Mike another great performance!
A small draft of eighteen gift birds were auctioned and helped to push the donation to the C.H.A.S.E. Charity up to a wonderful £1,300 this year. This time they had one of the best sales ever, with some unbelievable pigeons being donated! Thanks to the donors of the auction birds, it was a magnificent gesture! It was a good fun day and the lady members of the club put on tea, cakes and sandwiches for all to enjoy. A Bingo session and Quiz is held in the bar area while the birds are being judged, and these are very popular and add fun to a brilliant day. The raffle on the day was massive with prizes donated by most who attended the show, but a special ‘thanks’ must go to ‘Pets Pantry’ of Cranleigh who donated a mountain of pigeon items, including six bags of corn for prizes. Thanks to Darran and Des! The show has been extended in recent times and included four classes for Show Racers, which I enjoy judging.
Well done to the Horsham Pigeon Club, on another brilliant effort! The C.H.A.S.E. show secretary, Clive Turner, put in a lot of hard work in organizing the show and auction, so a big ‘thank you’ to him! A special thanks to Gordon Marsh, Adam Light and Steve Vizor, who worked flat out all day. Thanks also to the British Homing World for their kindness and generosity with their advert, which was free of charge. I can be contacted for any pigeon matters on telephone number: 01372 463480.
TEXT & PHOTOS BY KEITH MOTT (www.keithmott.com)
