RHONDDA VALLEY FED
Reports by Martin Dunn
Rhondda Valley Federation Champions 2009
Morris, Pugh & Whitcombe of Maerdy
PLUS
1ST WELSH SOUTH EAST NATIONAL BRUSSELS 2009
2ND WELSH SOUTH EAST NATIONAL LILLERS 2009
The partnership of Morris Pugh & Whitcombe consists of Robert Pugh and Jim Whitcombe, Plus the support of Roberts Father and Mother, to make it a real team effort, with Kenny Morris’s name kept in the partnership as a mark of respect, Kenny passed away after a long battle with illness in 2006.
Robert and Kenny first joined together in 1998, they were good friends who up until then flew separately, Kenny was suffering with his health and with Robert having less time due to work commitments, they decided that they would fly together, A decision that was to pay off handsomely over the coming years.
Kenny had been a lifelong fancier, Robert encouraged by Kenny, had started with pigeons as a 11 year old. Robert was successful from the start, culminating in being West section champion in the Welsh North Road fed when only being 19 years of age. When going into partnership in their second season together they ended up being the highest prize winners in the South West Glamorgan Fed in the 1999 season. Success continued with Jim Whitcombe joining the partnership in 2002, this again gave the loft an added edge, in 2002 their good cock Riverside lad came to win 1st club 42nd National from Liege, 400 miles and 2 weeks later followed this up with 1st club, 1st fed, 1st sect National, 2nd open Welsh South East National from Bonn, 470 miles, a performance that enabled them to win the Welsh Homing union G.Buffet trophy , Runner up for the Queens cup, best performance into Wales from over 300 miles.
Jim Whitcombe left, Robert Pugh Right, holing two R.V fed winners from 2009
Moving Onto the pigeons that make this loft successful, they are based on two lines, first of which are the Red Fox Janssens from fellow Maerdy club mate Anuerin Williams, Anuerin has bred no end of winners for fanciers over the years and Robert and Jim have the best of these pigeons. They have also brought in a number direct to boost the original bloodlines.The other line that can be found through the loft is the Ponderosa James Bond lines that they have blended together to form a team of pigeons that will score from 60 miles right through the programme to Bonn 470 miles.
The stock birds number around 30 pairs and are paired together generally on Boxing day, they have more time over the Xmas period to put them together and make sure all is well before returning to work in the new year.
The race team consisted of 20 widowhood cocks and around 15 pair of naturals for the 2009 season, although this may be reviewed for 2010, the partners are thinking of flying Roundabout. After the birds have reared their round of babies, they are exercised around the loft to build fitness before they are started training. The training consists of a number of spins out to 30 miles before the first race, this depends on the weather conditions and how many spins can be fitted in. When racing commences the Naturals are given two training spins a week from 30 miles to keep them ticking over.
The old birds are exercised for an hour period Morning and Evening, They are left to fly as they want and not forced at all around the loft, they can do as they want for the hour period. To get them into top condition, they are fed a mixture of Homoform and Red Band in the morning, then in the evening they will receive a good depurative mix until the Tuesday, then Wednesday onwards they are given the best Vanrobaeys mixtures.
The widowhood cocks are fed individually in their boxes, they generally have an amount of corn in front of them at all times, they are given an once morning an evening. Both widowhood and naturals follow the same routine, they are given Epsom salts in the water on return from the race. Cider vinegar is given Sunday, with Gervit W in the water on Monday & Tuesday’s. The partners then build them up on Wednesday & Thursday with Gem Impact.
As for the young birds, they keep a big team, numbers around the 100 mark, flown on darkness, although they all have to earn a perch. The young birds will have to race the programme through to 215 miles and some then selected for Lillers, which is 270 miles. Once they are up and flying they are well trained before the first race, as many training spins as possible out to 40 miles.
When racing starts, they are let out for exercise every day, if the weather is good, they are left to their own means for most of the day. Added to this they are given two training spins a week from 30 miles to keep their minds active. Within the loft they are all kept together and allowed to pair and go to nest as they wish.Contentment being the main factor with the young birds.
The young birds follow a similar feeding programme as the old birds, Homoform and Redband in the morning, with a mixture of Bamfords Breed and Wean added to Vanrobaeys Super Special and Liege mixtures given in the evening.Again with the same supplements in the drinking water as the old birds. The partners have no problems with the moult at the end of the season the birds moult well and are generally finished by the end of December.
If you look at the Rhondda valley fed results and Welsh South East National results for 2008 and 2009, you will see how well the birds arrive as a team, results like Maidstone young birds in 08, taking the first 10 positions in the club, 2,3,4,5,6,7,8,10.14.15.29th fed 2285 pigeons, followed on in the National with, 8,9,10,11,12,13,14,17,33,36,38,50,58,72, & 84th Open National with 3000 pigeons competing.
They followed this up from Ramsgate with 2,10,17,21,28th fed, 15,38,59,70,86,92 Open Welsh South East National, 2224 pigeons. Again from Lillers they had another top performance, first 6 positions in the club, 3,4,7,8 fed, 11,12,31,32,55,77th open Welsh South East National. A series of performances that anyone would be proud of.
This meant the loft won 11 x 1st club, 3 x 1st 2-bird club and premier prize winners in both clubs.You have to take into consideration that the Maerdy club is the largest in the Rhondda Valley Federation with 20 plus members during 2008.
On now to 2009 and again the results came in a similar vain, but this time one pigeon in Particular hit top form, ‘Licensed to Thrill’ as he is now know, based on his ring number, ‘007’ and his bloodlines, Ponderosa James Bond, what else can you call him?
From Lillers, this cock came to take 1st club, 1st fed, 2134 pigeons, 1st open Welsh South East Combine 5427 pigeons, 2nd Open Welsh South East National. Then incredibly, 2 weeks Later at Brussels, he follows this up with 1st club, 1ST fed 1st Welsh South East Combine, 1st Open Welsh South East National, 2906 pigeons.
Lillers is 270 Miles and Brussels is 350 plus miles.
This cock also has previous form, as young bird he came to take 1st club, 3rd Rhondda Valley federation, 11th Open Welsh South East National, from Lillers and previous to this he was 36th Open Maidstone in the Welsh South East National. All from A yearling cock. You can make a case out for this pigeon to be the best in the U.K. at the Middle distance races in 2009.
Licensed to Thrill
1ST Welsh South East National Brussels – 350 miles
2nd Welsh South East National Lillers – 270 miles
2009
Don’t be fooled into thinking its all about one pigeon in 2009, they have topped the Rhondda Valley fed 3 x times with the old birds, with 6 x 1st club to go with it. The young birds performed equally well, finishing off in style when taking 1st fed from the final race at Swindon to secure the title of Fed champions for 2009. I hope you have enjoyed an insight into one of the top lofts in Wales, who I believe will keep turning out top results for many years to come.
