Brian Long

BRIAN & CORNELIA LONG OF GIPPING

In memory of Brian Long a great benefactor for the sport

For several months I have been putting an article together of one of the very best leading supporters of the sport mainly through the BICC and National Flying Club but has always been heavily involved in his local organisations. Unfortunately Brian passed away on Monday evening 7th July 2008 and will be sadly missed by his many friends, especially the “Breakfast Club”. Our condolences go out to Cornelia and her family on what is a very sad occasion. The following is an article that I would like to put to print as a tribute to the man himself a man who has helped the BICC, National Flying Club and his local organisations so much and made them into strong viable organisations, his legacy will live on.

Les & Elizabeth with Cornelia & Brian Long

What does it take to make a good pigeon fancier what does a person require to be judged as a complete pigeon fancier questions that are very hard to answer. Well good pigeons for a start, knowledge of our feathered friends is more than a required necessity, a good partner is most essential especially the wife or as in some cases vice versa. Others that can be included are not afraid of hard work before and after your normal working day because a part time pigeon fancier is going to win nothing. One who works hard in the clubs they are involved with, sponsors of the sport wherever and whenever they consider it important to do so. Then of course there is the end result of achieving the goal of winning races and breeding winners for others. This report is about the late Brian Long and his charming wife Cornelia who is going to carry on racing the pigeons that Brian has built over the years. I wonder just how many fanciers know exactly what Brian has done for the sport over the years, how generous both he and Cornelia have been with the sport they love so much. More importantly just how much work they themselves have physically put into pigeon racing. I can hear the words rippling out “Yes but they can afford it” Nothing to do with it because there are many more in the sport who can also afford it but they choose to stay on the sidelines, Brian actually work for and within the sport and Cornelia is going to carry on. I know for a fact that Cornelia is not in favour of anyone pouring out generous comments about them because at times she gets embarrassed and there is no need to because it is well deserved.

Brian Long with visitors to his lofts

Brian (Mr BICC) and Cornelia worked as a very good team who loved to be and work together with the pigeons even as is often the case a full day in the garden. I think many people were not aware how ill Brian was and having serious health problems. So with that in mind I asked Brian about Cornelia carrying on with pigeons into the future? Brian told that they have always worked together as a partnership with the pigeons and one would not want to continue racing pigeons without the other. However some time later when I was talking to Brian he said that there was some good news and that was no matter how his health problem went Cornelia was going to carry on racing the pigeons. Brian was always the first to admit that it was Cornelia who spent the most time with the pigeons because he was so busy. One thing is for sure when I have been at the lofts it was obvious that Cornelia certainly knew what she is doing around the lofts and pigeons. Brian always gave credit and publicly recognised the fact that Cornelia has learnt an awful lot about racing pigeons and can more than hold her own in the sport that they both love so much to compete in. Brian was a self made man who had to work hard all his life to get to the top and therefore knew what was required for any athlete let alone a racing pigeon to reach that same benchmark. Racing pigeons is never easy and even if you purchased the best in the world it does not say that those pigeons will take you to the top of the tree. This is a sport where money does not buy you success because you too have to do your part and like the pigeons you have to work hard to reach your goal. As I sat in the lookout tower at the lofts one sunny day with Brian I could appreciate just how relaxing the sport can be. Looking out across the fields watching the pigeon’s exercise never wandering too far from the loft but bunched up well. This was only early March so they were not in the right condition to range and to be racing in the National and International races it was too early to have them buzzing around the loft. We were on about how heavy they sounded and it was only then that Brian pointed out that this was only their third day of exercise for the year, they like ours had been sitting on perches all winter. This is a practice that many fanciers have taken to in recent years and one that does the pigeons no harm whatsoever. Judging by the way these pigeons were going they were not going to take long before they were fighting fit and ready for the challenge of National racing ahead of them. I went back two weeks later and there was a big change in the way the pigeons were racing around the lofts, not quite there but a lot nearer than they were two weeks earlier.

How it began

This is how it all began for the late Brian long who was not really much different from many other fanciers after having pigeons in his school days. At that time there were many more young prospective fanciers about than there are today and therefore there was competition from an early age amongst other fanciers of his own age. This is where many of the modern day young fanciers miss out because they are few and far between and so have to compete against the more established fanciers. The first pigeons were housed in a rabbit hutch that he had built but they only lasted until he was 16yrs and ready to go out into the world of earning your money. This is also a time when many of our young fanciers leave the sport, which was the case with Brian. But as with many pigeons gets in the blood and Brian rejoined the pigeon fraternity in 1976 over in Laindon where he was born and where he spent many happy hours with top fanciers of the day. The partnership was known as Mr & Mrs Long & Cox but few people know who Cox in the partnership is. That name belongs to the late Cyril Cox who started his days as a friend of Brian before being brought into the partnership. Sadly Cyril passed away in 1984 but his name remained in the partnership. That was the start of one of the most competitive lofts in pigeon racing today. The partnership was only changed recently due to Brian’s illness.

The lofts    

There is an excellent range of lofts where Cornelia will now race the pigeons and one thing that stands out in them all, they are very well ventilated and all have central heating systems that are used when necessary. The heating is very useful to stabilise the temperatures for the benefit of the pigeons but as with many parts of the sport is a preference to this partnership that not everyone wants. Everything in the sport is there to suit somebody so we all make the best use of everything possible at our disposal. The racing lofts also have strong grilled floors with some lofts also having the electric belt system boxes all working together to make the lofts easily managed. Although there is a central heating system fitted this in no way makes the lofts hot and comfortable to be in, more a case of a stable temperature for the birds, a case of taking the chill out of the air. There are also roof extractors fitted to keep the air circulating in the lofts so the heat is not locked in just circulating around the loft all the time, fresh air is in abundance. The lofts must also be dry at all times because damp does lead to problems with the pigeons. Going back to the heating you must remember that if the loft temperature is stable then the birds will feed better and a more regular even diet taken in at feed times. You can tell if everything is going right by the droppings in the loft and they are something that the team scrutinise very carefully. They also like to see the pigeons eat what is considered their quota of food each day, if they don’t then they are looked at again to see if there are any underlying problems with the birds. 

Breeding

The breeding programme is very carefully done and with they’re being so many prominent winners and breeders they can be very selective in what they breed off. Many of the top pigeons are paired in individual pens so that the breeding pair are correct and no rogue cock has gone where he should not have done. The system makes it easy to swap the hens around and try different pairings with ease because there are always a few top quality hens in a section ready to be mated. If needed prior to pairing hens are left in a section on their own as part of the preparation. This system also means that there is little time lost between the cock being with one hen and the next. What did make me take notice was when Brian said that he does not always use the pens because he likes the cocks to keep sharp and keen so they do have a spell in a breeding loft with other cocks. If a cock is left too long on his own they can lose their ability to claim a box against top competition and they can become infertile earlier in their lives. When it comes to breeding distance pigeons it is always a case of the best to the best and if they are bred right then you should get the results.

Training

The young birds are split when the training starts with the sequence of tosses being, 5-15-25-35-45mls then everyday if the weather permits. Many years ago I was talking to the late Brian Beardmore about training pigeons and he was telling me that he had been up at Penkridge waiting for it to come light so that he could liberate the pigeons. On my second visit for this report as we stood in front of the loft Cornelia shyly said that the pigeons had received a 3ml toss. I thought to myself nowadays I wouldn’t put them in a basket unless I was going at least 10mls but then you think yes but these lofts are winning from the beginning of the season to the end so who is right. A much-used saying is that “All roads lead to Rome” which is quite right they do; we all do things our own individual way. Brian did say that we must be careful when sending birds to any sort of toss whether training or racing because if they are not fit you are going to hurt them and they will not perform and to get them fit they must be healthy first and foremost. Then once racing has started they are not trained unless the team think they need to put in more time on the wing for ultimate fitness. If they do go down the road it is because they are not exercising around home.

Feeding

The feeding is an important area of the sport and to get the pigeons right you have to feed them right and that is something that is taken into account and treated very seriously. When the birds come home from the races they are given garlic and honey which is made up with warm water and mixed then cold water is added to a measured amount. The electrolytes that are used are the ones for human consumption as are some of the feeds that the pigeons are given. Back to the feeding that starting with the sprinters who start with depurative when they come back from the race until Tuesday morning when it is changed to 80% standard widowhood with 10% mung beans that are high protein from the health shop plus 10% popcorn. The middle distance team are fed 40% depurative and 40% sprint in the build up and are fed in trays to get as many different grains inside them as possible. 

Products

The drinkers are cleaned out daily and fresh water is always before the birds and products used include Vior and T Curr from Bifs and these two additions to the water are regarded as the best available. Another product that is very highly rated at these lofts is Gervit, which has helped to stand them in good stead for many years.

Records

I was very surprised when I was told about the records that are kept on how, when and what the pigeons have been treated for since 1993. Brian was a firm believer in making sure that when something arises in the loft then it is on record for the future, most trust such things to memory that is not a good idea. If these points are not noted you can bet your life that one day you will be scratching your head about how you got over the hurdle a few years prior. With the modern day computer systems fanciers can actually record all these points and then draw them up at the touch of a button. Before the season starts the birds are vaccinated for paramyxo then two weeks later for paratyphus then multi vits for two days before the treatment is repeated again. Although they do vaccinate it is believed that some treat their birds far too much before the season starts, they are blanket treated when it is not required. A close eye is kept on the young birds and they are treated for canker every 6 weeks and also for respiratory. You must respect the course of treatments and give them as prescribed to make sure that you get the best results. However if they are winning and winning well they birds should not be treated because they are in a natural condition and good health. Worms and cocci are not a problem because the lofts are dry at all times and it is damp that causes these problems. If you bring pigeons in then there is in many cases a chance that you may also bring a problem in with them. The lofts are also sterilised once each year to make sure that they are free from any hidden dangers that will knock them off form. They are then sprayed with a heavy dose of Vercon “S” that is always good to use around the lofts.

Condition

Both partners always kept an eye on the pigeons at all times and the pigeon will tell you if it is not right and through the experience passed on I am sure Cornelia will do the same. They may not clap out of the loft as they do when they are in peak condition. They might not look happy and content in the loft, if they are sitting around looking less interested then there is something that needs looking at. The pigeon will always tell you when it is right and through observation you can pick up on the fact that the pigeon is either spot on or not up to racing. When a team are sent from these lofts they are sent with top condition in mind and when they return they are following one another through the doors. Love of home wins races and the pigeons certainly have a love for home at these lofts.

Selection

The pigeons are selected on a good body that is essential for both breeding and racing and they have to have very good feather quality. Having said that this partnership purchase the absolute best pigeons available so there is always going to be pigeons of the highest quality coming from them. Take a look in the birds housed section to see what I mean.

Competitiveness/the wife

Each time I visited Brian would emphasised that the driving force is the competitiveness not to win the club because they did not fly for club honours. The aim was for both of them to beat each other and at the time Brian pointed out Cornelia is petite and therefore quicker around the lofts. They were always both up and out with the pigeons at the crack of dawn and Brian had always worked on the basis that the early bird catches the worm. They respect each other very much for their ability to look after and race the pigeons. Cornelia does have a good feeling for the pigeons and puts in a tremendous amount of work on a daily basis and not just when the sun is shining. Brian did do a video about racing hens and on it he mentions that Cornelia talks to the pigeons, why not we all talk to them in our own way. Pigeons like all animals will react to a certain extent when you talk to them and the more you do the more they respond. One of Cornelia’s good pigeons is “Corny’s Pride” a winner of 1st Saran and 1st Bihrol both with the BICC National. 

Rest

A very important point raised and one that should be considered more often is the amount of rest the pigeons get. Rest is what all good pigeons need to produce top class results and that is something the pigeons get at these lofts. There are curtains put in front of the sections where the widowhood cocks are housed and they stay in that position unless the pigeons are being exercised and then fed. A big difference between sprinters and distance pigeons is that the heating is more based on natural heat than the radiators that are in the lofts and the curtain system is also not used for the distance race team. They are also allowed an open hole as much as possible when it gets nearer to the races that they are selected for. It is preferred to keep all the birds in a relaxed environment and unless necessary there is no handling of the pigeons at all. The widowhood hens are in the aviary until Wednesday at which time they are taken in and boxed individually. With them being on their own for the last few days they are far keener and this helps to motivate the cock.

The moult

This is another time of the year when the pigeons at Gipping also have plenty of rest to help them to go through a relaxed moult. To help achieve this, the pigeons are not exercised over the winter months and during this period the feathers should come out equally. The wattles should be white at all times because if they are not it is a sure sign that something is wrong. The droppings are also watched carefully because they too can tell you a lot about the pigeon. A point that was made referred to the fact that you should spend more time looking, being observant than handling the pigeons. 

Birds Housed

As with all winning lofts there are several strains housed but one that the partnership are well known for are the De Klaks that have produced many very good pigeons over the years. These pigeons have been the family that have kept the partnership to the forefront of racing in the sprint events. In fact I would go as far as to say that these pigeons have probably been the best of the De Klak family for many years here in the UK. Brian purchased the best in the early days and has stuck to them when others have cast them aside and his confidence in them has repaid him many times. There are also other strains that have performed well and it has always been a choice to bring in top winners when they become available. At the time of my visit there is also a very good team of cocks being prepared for the BICC St Vincent yearlings International race these being mainly from the “Red Barcelona” 1st National 4th International and “Vale Cahors” also a 1st National winner but this did not happen due to circumstances. Brian was always looking for good pigeons and purchased these two cocks and sent them to the Bifs AI centre where a good team was bred from both cocks in 2004. Although these are distance-based pigeons they were very impressed with the way that they flew as young birds, their performances were rather unexpected against those bred to compete in the sprint races. With the health problem that Brian has the pigeons are going to be worked hard and good teams sent to the big races and this coupled with their excellent pedigrees there are more than likely going to be some top results going to the lofts at Gipping during the 2007 season. Yes what other pigeons are there at these lofts where can we start, that’s a difficult one with so many very good pigeons in fact class pigeons housed under the same roof. “Red Barcelona” as mentioned earlier has been very busy because Ferdy Vandersanden used this cock on the AI system for the Gipping Lofts so there are 60 plus direct children from him in the lofts. That is also the case with the National winning “Vale Cahors” that has also a good team in the lofts. Another exceptionally good hen at these lofts is “Nadira” 1st International Hens Carcessone and 1st International hens Perpignan a hen of the highest quality in every way. The International theme continues with “The Emperor” son of “Sumo” and sire of 1st International Dax 19,400 birds and 2nd International Dax 17,000 birds. One of the most fancied pigeons of several people who were there on one of our trips is the Grizzle cock son of “Poco” 1st International Barcelona and there is also another off this top class hen. A highly rated pigeon is “Lucas” a super cock being a winner of 1st National NPO plus 8th Nat NPO and 10th Nat NPO. Also on view are an excellent team purchased from the late Jim Biss sale where the Gipping Lofts was probably the biggest buyer. 1st BICC National winner “Corni’s Pride” is also at stock being paired to “Emi” brother of 1st 8th & 10th National. There are also such top racers and breeders as “Thunder” “Trader” “Bantam” “The Tame Hen” “Sherry” “Quicksand” “Torpedo” “Triumph” “Berserk” “Smartey” “Toby” “Eggar” “Tradition” “Argenton” ”Beatnic” “Artist” “Bandit” “Bridge” what a team. As well as having named and known top pigeons there are also numerous direct children of top pigeons at stock as well as in the race team. I was quite surprised on one of these visit’s when Brian told me that a pigeon he purchased from one of my sales was also an excellent pigeon that had bred well for him, that one was “Highview Northern Pride” the Red Busschaert Cock bred and raced by Hulme & Knowles. Any racing loft is only as good as the birds housed in the stock loft and here there are many good top class winners reproducing their type. As was pointed out you can have all the methods in the world but if you don’t have the pigeons to start with you are going nowhere. Pigeons need to be bred right and have a built in ability to race home to the loft.

Preparation

The pigeons are paired and left to rear a youngster for about 10days after which, they are separated at this time the hens are on their own. They are locked in boxes with water, grit and food on the front of each box at all times. When these hens are right they will fly the skies like a team of youngster that are enjoying their freedom. An important point is that these hens have two places, either the sky or their box; they are not allowed freedom in the loft. Cornelia likes racing the hens because she feels that they are more genuine than the cocks and are easier to handle. They also give more commitment when it comes to the longer races. This is a cracking system to race the hens that will see them go from April through to September no problem at all. The cocks are never allowed to tread these hens and to make sure that does not happen there is a board put in the boxes when the hens return from the races to only allow them standing room. This system stops the hens from laying and that is the reason why they will go through a longer racing season.

Moving yearlings

When the yearlings go into the old bird race team there is a set system to allow the minimum amount of disruption to the existing inmates. The established cocks are taken out and their boxes locked up while the now empty boxes are left open for the yearlings to choose their own. This leads to the least fighting amongst the cocks and they do settle to the section much better.

Racing teams

The racing is mainly done with the standard widowhood system but for the 2007 season Cornelia was going to race a few hens and no doubt she did go out to prove the ladies are as good as the men when it comes to racing home for a treat. The birds housed are segregated with each family depending on distance having their own lofts this allows the partnership to get the pigeons in the right condition at the right time for their selected races. There is going to be another big push in the 2008 season that will see them compete in all the International races with a good team of pigeons for each of them. The De Klaks are mainly the sprint team but have been known to push the boat out a bit further with great success. Generally this family only go to about 150mls and then they are stopped. When they are being prepared for the races only every other cock sees his hen prior to going into the basket this learns the pigeons what the game is all about. In the first few races they may not see their hen at all. The middle distance team are raced between 200 & 450mls that are seen as one-day races with their feeding being via the hopper but it is controlled at all times.

ETS

The local club is financially sound and has gone all ETS with all systems being purchased by the club and therefore no expenses to members and this will keep everyone on the same level. When all clubs do go down this road then there can be no arguments about the systems used.

Club racing

Brian was saying that they do not compete for club honours however there performances do go forward to the federation and they do prefer to go into the National and International races. The later are the races where the loft aims to compete the most and a lot of work is put into getting the pigeons both physically and mentally fit. No matter how hard you work to get the pigeons fit it is no good unless they are also mentally fit because that’s what drives them home. Whether I am right or wrong is another matter but I do think Cornelia is the one who likes the shorter races and to achieve the results required they have brought in a new team of sprinters.

Clubs

What official positions within the sport are held, well there is no doubt that Brian was known as Mr BICC because he had done so much for the club and they are going from strength to strength all the time. These last few years saw him go onto the committee of the National flying club where he made a tremendous impact on the way the club is going. I would go as far as to say that Brian with the help of committee members turned the club back into a force to be reckoned with. Wherever he went and whatever he did in the sport he was very influential and he helped to build an excellent committee for the future. This is something that he was very good at he knows business and also knows that the big clubs must be run as a business otherwise they are not going to survive. While we were there on one of our visits Brian was arranging to go down to the local club to help out with the clocks so all the money in the world did not alter Brian because he still liked to be with the boys, the root fanciers of the sport. On the clubs side Brain did think it would be beneficial to all clubs to go onto the Belgium style with a ratio of prizes instead of a set amount no matter how many birds are sent.  

Video

There is a video out by Brian so anyone can see what the master himself did at Gipping but the other video made in 1999 has not been released. Although it is called “Racing pure widowhood hens” there is plenty to listen and learn and I am confident that a lot of the information can be put towards any form of racing pigeons. The problem is that the decision was made that they would not go ahead and put it on sale to the general public. Is this a mistake or did they decided that there is too much good information that could make average lofts into top winning lofts. I think that even though the video was made a few years ago it is still worth marketing. It is immaterial at thee lofts because all profits from his previous video were donated to organisations, which was a brilliant gesture towards the sport.  

Impressive

No matter who visits this loft they cannot go away without being impressed at the quality of pigeons housed and the conditions that they are kept under. There are a lot of pigeons but the pigeons did compete in the best races and there is never any intention to send every pigeon every week. The pigeons are carefully selected and prepared for the races and the system has produced many good results. As most were aware Brian was not in the best of health but to the end he never given up and has worked hard for pigeon racing. That hard work will see pigeon racing move forward with the BICC and National FC being great benefactors of the work Brian has put in. Brian has headed teams in both these clubs to make sure that they are financially sound for the future. Both clubs are now on an upward trend with the BICC topping the 1,000 members make for the first time and the National FC also seeing their membership and birdage figures increase. Yes all the work put in is now showing excellent dividends and who knows what the future holds for this great sport of ours. 

Summary

When anyone passes away the “Will be sadly missed” are used and they are by someone but in the case of Brian Long our treasured sport of pigeon racing will miss a man who has given it so much financial support. Long may his legacy to the sport last and the sport continue to go forward with the support that he gave, Rest in Peace Brian you have served so many so well.