Keith Mott...
THE LION BREWERY 2007
The ‘Lion Brewery’ mid-week club purchased an 800 bird trailer in the winter months of 2006, at a knock down price of £800. The vehicle was in excellent condition, being recently fitted with new suspension and new tyres, and is well worth what the club paid for it. The trailer is crate free and the ten sections have good ventilation, and grilled floors to keep the inmates perfectly clean. Since that purchase the club has never looked back and has enjoyed a big increase in membership, and some first class mid week racing in the 2007 season. Because of the ‘bird flu’ problem and the DEFRA seven day rule most of the racing had to be from Hamworthy (90 miles), but the members entered good birdage. Well done to Martin Penfold of Kingston who won several old bird races and every young bird race. Brilliant pigeon racing by Martin, in the hottest of competition!
‘Lion Brewery’ 2007 race winners were: OLD BIRD: Hamworthy (154 birds) Don Herbert: Hamworthy (352 birds) I. Malik & Partners: Seaton (113 birds) Mick & Pauline Worsfold: Hamworthy (107 birds) Don Herbert: Hamworthy (72 birds) Mick & Pauline Worsfold: Hamworthy (66 birds) Mike Armitage: Hamworthy (169 birds) Martin Penfold & son: Hamworthy (146 birds) Martin Penfold & son: Hamworthy (210 birds) Martin Penfold & son: Hamworthy (181 birds) Martin Penfold & son: Hamworthy (144 birds) Mick Armitage: YOUNG BIRD: Hamworthy (99 birds) Martin Penfold & son: Hamworthy (174 birds) Martin Penfold & son: Hamworthy (226 birds) Martin Penfold & son: Hamworthy (80 birds) Martin Penfold & son.
In September the ‘Lion Brewery’ joined forces with the Bromley mid-week and held an open race from Newton Abbot (170 miles) and the 269 young birds were liberated at 11.00hrs in a South West wind. The race was a complete success, with the winning birds making 1500 ypm and returns were very good, with the youngsters dropping on fancier’s lofts in small batches. Imran Malik and his partners, Dean Shah and Samir Khan, of Tolworth won the open with their good blue pied hen, ‘The Super 84’, and she recorded 1528ypm. This game little hen was bred from Khan Brother’s ‘Zola’ Janssen bloodlines when crossed with a new Dutch line, which Imran has introduced this year. She has been a brilliant young bird in the 2007 season, winning 6th Three Borders Federation (1,235 birds) West Bay, 11th Three Borders Federation (1,058 birds) Newton Abbot and finished the season by winning the ‘Lion Brewery’ / Bromley open race. The Malik partnership have had a good 2007 season winning eight firsts in the Hersham and ‘Lion Brewery’ clubs, plus some good positions in the Three Borders Federation, including 2nd Wadebridge (1,030 birds).
Although the racing name is Iran Malik & Partners, there are in fact three partners, including his best friend, Dean Shah and his cousin, Samir Khan. The three lads worked very hard with their young birds in the 2006 season and took the Three Borders Federation by storm, winning: 12th, 21st. Federation Blandford (1831 birds), 1st, 2nd. Federation Lulworth (1) (1620 birds), 4th, 7th, 14th, 17th. Federation West Bay (1404 birds), 1st, 2nd, 23rd. Federation Lulworth (2) (2101 birds), 5th. Federation Exeter (1327 birds), 2nd, 7th. Federation, 6th. open S.M.T. Combine Yelverton and finished up the season by winning the Federation Individual Points Trophy. Fantastic young bird flying by any ones standards!
The youngsters are put on the ‘darkness’ system on the last weekend in March and they come off normally at the back end of June. The loft houses 50 young birds for racing each and they race the whole programme, although Imran says, he wished he had it in him to stop a few and save them for old birds racing, but he is to greedy and want to win every thing he can with young birds. He maintains, he just loves young bird racing! Ten cocks are put on the widowhood system and the rest are raced to the perch, although they are allowed to pair up and have eggs and youngsters if they want. Training starts two weeks after they come off the ‘dark’ and this is worked up in stages to 25 miles and they get three 25 mile tosses ever week during the racing season. The widowhood cocks are treated like old birds and are not trained during the racing season.
The Malik loft came off the ‘darkness’ on the 12th. June this year and they paired ten young cocks to old hens and allowed them to rear a youngster each. The old hens were taken away when the youngsters were 15 days and the young cocks finished rearing the squeakers, and once they were weaned, the cocks were on widowhood. The next time the young cocks saw the hens, it was the marking night of the first young bird race from Blandford, but Imran says, they didn’t come to well. The following week three of those widowhood cocks were well up in the Federation result.
Imran’s first Federation winner of the 2006 season was from Lulworth (1) and he won it with his good Janssen blue chequer hen, ‘Lady Ace’, and she was sent feeding a pair of five day old youngsters. She was 90 seconds in front of the next pigeon to the loft, which recorded 2nd Federation. Imran says she was very keen on her babies, because she wouldn’t let the cock bird sit on them and they knew she was going to do well in the 97 mile race. This game little hen was bred from two gift Janssen stock birds from his uncles, Khan Brothers of Kingston, and they are down from their successful ‘Zola’ bloodlines. The Lulworth (2) race produced the biggest young bird birdage of the 2006 season, with 2101 birds being sent, and the Malik loft won the Federation with their dark chequer hen, ‘Classic Ace’. She was bred down from the Wall, Lunt, Green & Galley of Manchester bloodlines and is a grand daughter of their famous racer, ‘The Classic Cock’. The Federation’s longest young bird race was flown from Yelverton (180 miles) and the birds had a hard fly in a north wind. Imran tells me he had a really bad trap as his good widowhood dark chequer cock, ‘The Special Cock’, came home with a hen in tow and spent a lot of time clapping around the sky with her before surrendering his race rubber. When he finally got on the clock he recorded 1st. club, 2nd. Federation, 6th. open S.M.T. Combine and secured the Federation Individual Points Trophy for the Tolworth loft. This game cock was first bird on the clock the weekend before from the L.&S.E.C.C. Yelverton race and is a full brother to the dark hen, ‘Classic Ace’, the partner’s Lulworth (2) Federation winner, being a grand son of Wall, Lunt, Green & Galley’s ‘The Classic Cock’. A great line of winners!
Imran started racing pigeons in the 2004 season with a team of young birds purchased from Louella Pigeon World and in the 2005 season Janssens were introduced from Imran’s uncles, Khan Brothers of Kingston. The 2005 young bird season saw him smash his novice status and recorded 1st, 2nd, 9th, 10th. Federation in that season. He races 16 old bird cocks on the widowhood system. The old birds racers are paired up in January to rear a pair of youngsters and are trained on their second round of eggs, before going on the widowhood. The cocks are trained twice a day for eight day from 25 miles and are only sent to sprint races. Imran only likes short racing and has no interest what so ever in long distance pigeon racing. Whether it be the old bird or young bird widowhood system, the birds are broke down for several days each week and the hens are shown on marking night, but if it looks like being a very easy race, they might only be shown the nest bowls. The cocks get their mates for a couple of hours on their return from the race.
The partners loft is a 22ft. brick structure, which was converted from a brick garden shed already in Imran’s garden. The original floor was concrete, but the partners have fitted a new wooden floor over the concrete and all trapping is through the open window for both young and old birds. The loft has three sections, with an aviary on one end, which houses a few latebreds and the loft is cleaned out every day, with the floor and perches being burnt off. Imran tells me, they keep 12 pairs of stock birds and they are all Janssen, but different lines. The breeders are paired up on Boxing Day and any new introductions into the stock loft are selected on the pedigree, and never type. I must say, it’s great and very refreshing to witness three young lads do so well, with their pigeons!
The first ten in the ‘Lion Brewery’ / Bromley open were: 1) I. Malik & Partners 1528: 2) Mr. & Mrs. Frank Carson 1525: 3) Mr. & Mrs. Frank Carson 1522: 4) Mike Armitage 1497: 5) Mike Armitage 1493: 6) Mike Armitage 1486: 7) Mike Armitage 1485: 8) Mr. & Mrs. Roosi 1482.72: 9) Lewis & Fletcher Partnership 1482.70: 10) T. Cullip 1479.
The ‘Lion Brewery’ mid week is a club on the it’s way up, so if you fancy joining give our secretary, Mick Worsfold a ring on: 01483 487330. Any comments, please give me a phone call on: 01372 463480. See yer!
TEXT & PHOTOS BY KEITH MOTT
15/10/07
