LEWIS McCALLEY'S
MAGNIFICENT 7
It was nice to be asked by Cameron Stansfield some time ago to compile a ‘Magnificent 7’ to appear on Elimar. It’s certainly not an easy thing to do, but here is my effort. The criteria for my choices could be described as fairly loose - the birds I have chosen are simply pigeons that have caught my imagination over the relatively short time I’ve been involved in the fancy. I would never profess of these birds to have been any better or worse than the many great champion racers and breeders to have achieved similar feats. I suppose one of the things they all had in common was a great owner and I’ve leant towards, for the most part, pigeons from fanciers I admire and who have influenced me in one way or another.
In no particular order:
Mr Busschaert - Billy Parkes, Killyleagh
Mr Busschaert
An ugly duckling that turned out to be a swan, the vast number of winners down through this prepotent sire in competition in excess of 20000 birds is virtually impossible to determine. A 1975 Georges Busschaert late bred pigeon, in 1976 Billy and Jean Parkes were 1st and 2nd NIPA flying against 25,446 birds with his first pair of nestlings. His descendants include the great Barney winner of nineteen 1st prizes, Lightning 1st NIPA in successive weeks, The Big Man 6 times a first prize winner and sire of EDC winners, Ulster Fed winners and NIPA winners, The 32 Cock 1st,2nd, 5th, 7th Open NIPA, Pale Eyes, Tantrum, Smart Bird - the list is endless!!!
Blueboy - Jim Hannah, Blantyre
As a youngster, probably still at Primary School, an Arthur Evans video appeared in my house - Step by Step featuring Jim Hannah. I watched it so often I could nigh on speak along with it, and the pigeon that caught my attention was Jim’s great producer cock Blueboy. A racer with 3 Rennes prizes and a prize from Nantes to his credit whose true value was as a breeder, a bird whose offspring excelled in both racing and breeding who could be described as sire, g.sire, gg.sire, ggg.sire etc. to one of the most successful lofts of all time in the SNFC West Region 7 times 1st Region in cross channel competition and Open positions to stand alongside any other loft in the country.
Freckles - Robert Cormack, Winchburgh
Growing up as the son of a pigeon fancier in Central Scotland it wasn’t long before I heard the name Robert Cormack, quite easily one of the greatest pigeon men this part of the world has ever produced. Amongst his finest moments in the sport were winning 2nd Open SNFC Rennes, 2nd Open SNFC Sartilly, 1st Open SCC Lille and 1st Open SCC Yearling Derby. It’s his champion hen Freckles I have decided to include. It takes a good pigeon to make the result from the SNFC Blue Riband event, but to take a position in the top 20 is something that will stay with a fancier all his life. Freckles achieved this feat 3 years in succession winning 12th, 7th and 18th Open Magnificent!!
Freckles
Storm Queen - Ritchie & Whyte, Fraserburgh
In 1966 Storm Queen propelled the great Ritchie & Whyte partnership to pigeon world fame. The harder the day, the better this hen came. After winning 54th Open SNFC Beauvais (only pigeon north of the River Tay) through strong headwinds and heavy rain in 1965, the following year she went onto record one of the Scottish National Flying Club’s greatest and most iconic performances 1st North Section 2nd Open SNFC Nantes, 9th Open Usher Vaux international (723 miles) again through wind and rain. Her value as a breeder is every bit as magnificent as her racing accolades - her descendants included Storm Princess 1st North Section, 18th Open SNFC Nantes and Jubilee Express 1st North Section 7th open SNFC Nantes, 723 miles on the day of liberation - a record breaking performance.
Storm Queen
Rowena - Dennis Dall, Ladybank
In 2013 British pigeon racing lost one of its iconic fanciers, Dennis Dall. Such was the character of the man and his performances in long distance racing, I’m certain his memory will live on as long as pigeon racing exists. I’ve chosen his great blue hen Rowena which to this day is the furthest flying Open winner in Scottish National Flying Club history. 1st Open Niort in 1990, a distance of 697 miles. She scored from this race point on three occasions including 51st Open and 52nd East Section to add to her 79th Open Sartilly and 136th Open Rennes. A pigeon of undoubtable constitution and class!!
Rowena
25 Hen - N. Black & Son, Dromore
I’ve known about the Black family of Dromore, Co. Down and their performances over the Irish Sea pretty much as long as I’ve been involved with pigeons, though it was only around five years ago I first had the privilege of visiting their home and lofts. In terms of Irish National Flying Club King’s Cup racing they have few equals; this is in no small part down to their great 25 Hen. When one considers how few pigeons have featured in the top 10 of the INFC King’s Cup this line of pigeons is truly remarkable. The 25 Hen was herself a Hall of Fame winner taking 6th, 7th and 176th Open, a granddaughter Annie Mary was 4th and 8th Open, and a half-sister of Annie Mary bred the great blue cock Rocky who won 8th and 5th Open. Other winners to emerge from the 25 Hen include the Black’s 6th open King’s Cup 2010 plus 2 x 1st Open EDC winners and a 10th Open King’s Cup in the hands of other fanciers a sure sign of truly great breeding.
25 Hen
5 O’Clock Rock - Walter Masson, Inverallochy
The first pigeon into the far North of Scotland to win 1st Open with the SNFC. To put it simply, this hen’s performance from Avranches in 1976 has never been bettered in the 120 year history of the Scottish National Flying Club. To beat the 2nd place bird (which was flying 120 miles less) by 135ypm, 5 O’Clock Rock must have flown most of the 622 mile journey home on her own. She was duly recognised for her performance that year, being presented with an Osman Memorial Cup. As a point of interest it was some 19 years before an Open in the SNFC was won into this part of the country and 5 O’Clock Rock is one of only four to have done so.
5 O’Clock Rock
I’ve taken longer to compile this than I perhaps should have. I could just have easily made it on 14 or 21 pigeon so I’ve decided to send it into Cameron before I change my mind again. I’d like to thank him again for asking me to take part and hope 2014 sees you all stumble onto something magnificent in your own lofts.
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Elimar - April 2014
