There seems to be an increase in interest in the longer races, and with The National Flying Club promoting International competition, I felt that more fanciers might be tempted to enter these races if they felt that they could compete successfully.
I would like to share with you my experience of meeting one of the most dedicated distance flyers whom you could wish to meet, he is also one of the most genuine and unassuming fanciers that I have had the pleasure of visiting. His story should be an inspiration to anyone who would like to tackle races of 500 miles through to almost 900 miles!
It happened about 10 years ago that one of my young birds was reported in Wakefield, West Yorkshire. I arranged to collect it and duly knocked on the door of the address provided, I was not at all prepared for what I was about to encounter!
The door opened and, I was welcomed by Brian Riley, Brian showed me into his compact back garden which was dominated by a modest loft of about 12 feet by 6 feet. As we talked pigeons, I innocently asked if he had enjoyed much success, the answer was delivered in a modest, almost apologetic fashion.
Brian explained that he had kept racing pigeons since 1948, when at the age of 12 years old he had already developed a longing for long distance racing.
In 1949 (the year I was born!), he joined Wakefield F.C. in his father’s name as he was too young to become a member himself. Early purchases of birds were made for ten shillings (50 pence), and sometimes even more with his father’s help!.
His first year racing was 1951, and he was delighted to take 2nd from Rugby, in a very strong club. At that time he only sent 2 0r 3 entries as that was all that he could afford.
The following season he won his first race from Oxford and followed that up with 2nd from Ambergate, taking all pools on both occasions.
Each year his team got stronger and in 1953, against some 36 members he had some notable success including taking the Inland Average.
This set the scene for the following years during which Brian had many notable successes with his small team.
In 1978 Brian joined The National Flying Club and felt that he was at last going to be able to realise his dream of National and International competition. What he soon realised was that the birds required to fly Pau, some 714 miles had to be different to the 500 milers which he was used to. Brian felt that the Pau pigeons had to have a far better homing ability as well as greater stamina. Brian had some disappointments, loosing a particulary good bird at his first attempt, this was his Niort Hen, she had flown the channel 14 times, always in the clock, she was regarded by many as the best 500 mile pigeon ever to fly in the Federation and Combine. Many fanciers told Brian that he was foolish to send her but he knew that he had to send his very best if he was to achieve his goal.
We now fast-forward to 1988, when Brian hatched a latebred hen from an l.Tuplin & son Barker cock and a hen from J. Colley. Little did Brian know it, but the latebred hen GB88J54091, was to become one of the best long distance racers ever to fly into the U.K.
In 1990 she flew Sandac 497 miles, in 1991 she was sent to Nantes, 444 miles, with The National Flying Club, then on to Pau, 714 miles, taking 21st Section K, 562nd Open from 4,992 birds, this despite returning injured. 1992 again saw her at Nantes with The National Flying Club, and once more to Pau, this time she was 1st Section K, 220th Open and 1ST N.E. 700 mile Club. This race was very hard with only about 500 birds making it home in race time out of an entry of 5,551 birds.
After these performances Brian joined the BICC to enable him to compete in the Barcelona International. In 1993 he could not train his birds as he did not have a car and his friend, who normally helped with the training was starting a business and was therefore unable to assist. Brian was not to be defeated and set out a programme whereby the hen was flown morning and afternoon with his youngbird team. This meant delaying the youngbirds morning exercise until the hen came off the nest, but everything was sacrificed for her benefit and to give her the best possible chance.
She was sent to Banbury 112 miles, then Southsea 200 miles, followed by Nantes with The National Flying Club, inbetween she was kept going with the youngbirds. Two weels after Nantes she flew Rugby 91 miles, and one week prior to basketing for Barcelona she was given a 30 mile toss, from the West, by Brian’s son who was visiting from Liverpool.
She was sent sitting 10 days, but this was purely coincidental as she always came regardless of how she was sent.
The convoy of 33,145 birds was heldover, due to bad weather, then released on Saturday, into a North West wind. From this massive liberation only 155 birds were from the U.K. most of the experienced distance fanciers told Brian that if he had the hen by Thursday that it would be a good one. However Brian had other ideas, although he kept them to himself, he had worked out the hen’s time from previous Pau races and felt that Monday was more realistic.
And so it proved to be, the game hen, known as ‘Riley’s Duchess’, was clocked after flying 863 miles, into a North West wind, on Monday morning to record a velocity of 692 ypm, and taking 2nd Open British International Champion Club and 3,714 Open International beating 29,431 birds. The ‘Duchess’ was flying 162 miles farther than the BICC winner and she was the second farthest flying pigeon in the International.
Her performance was described by some as,” the greatest of all time”.
In 1994 she was retired to stock.
I hope that this story, of a truly dedicated long distance fancier and a very game hen, inspire you to try your hand at racing with The National Flying Club and some of the other great clubs sponsoring long distance International competition.
There is still time to join for 2005.
Ron Hillcoat
Press Officer National Flying Club
Ron can be contacted at,
Old House,
44 Rochdale Road,
Sowerby Bridge,
West Yorkshire,
HX6 3BL, tel; 01422 839688,
mobile; 07944 028178
Footnote; Brian told me that there were also other very good performances by local fanciers, perhaps these can be told in a future article.
featuring top Dutch Janssen based lofts, but also highlighting successful flyers in the U.K.
