When the members
of the National Flying Club sent their birds to the club’s first
International race, no one really knew what an outstanding success it would be
and that British racing pigeon history was in the making. The N.F.C. Dax
International marked the start of a new era in British pigeon racing, when two
of it’s members were declared provisional 1st. and 2nd.
open International winners. John Tyerman and myself were asked to take the
N.F.C. birds to Belgium and meet up with the International train, on the
railway sidings, not far from Bruxelles. The race started for John and I,
early on the Wednesday morning, when we picked up the hired van and Brighton
and Worthing 5 bird trailer from Ian Crammond’s farm at Fontwell. The 5
bird’s first class trailer holds just over 700 birds, has the same crates as
the B.I.C.C., with the wire floors and is very well ventilated. The Horndean
marking station was the central point for all the Dax pigeons to be loaded and
when we arrived there, the place was buzzing, with birds being marked for the
big race. I must say it was nice to see our President, Bill Harris, there with
loft scrapper in hand and cleaning out the race crates. Mick McGrevy and John
Dudhill drove the northern pigeons down to Horndean, calling at marking
stations on route and Richard King and Roy Christopher convoyed the west
country birds. The whole marking thing was a big joint effort and it’s
success is full credit to the workers! The N.F.C. convoyer, Colin Bates,
joined us at Horndean and we caught the midnight ferry to Calais. We drove
through the night, arriving at the railway station at about 04.00hrs, English
time, and was met by, Philippe Magnet, the chief convoyer for the
International race. The railway sidings were very busy, with the three trains
there, being loaded with thousands of pigeons for three major races. The
British entry into the Dax race was very strong, with the N.F.C. entering a
very healthy 739 birds and it’s sister club, the B.I.C.C., sending a record
birdage of 450 birds. We met up with the B.I.C.C. lads at the railway station
and we mucked in together and loaded the British birds. All the British
pigeons had to be re-basketed into Entente Belge plastic crates and this was
carried out in the railway carriage, with special wire doors put over the
entrances, to stop pigeons getting out. At midday, when all the birds were in
the new baskets and watered, Yvan Eeckhout, the secretary of the Entente Belge,
took all the English lads out for lunch, before making the journey home to
England. Colin Bates travelled in the carriage with the British birds and the
record International birdage, of 19,400 birds, were liberated at 06.00hrs.
English time, with no wind at the French site, getting up to North East on
route. Only six game pigeons were recorded on the day of liberation in the
N.F.C. and the first two were clocked in the west country.
Britain’s
first ever 1st. open International winner was recorded by Brian
Sheppard of Trowbridge and on the Sunday morning after the race, I made the
130 mile drive down to Wiltshire, to visit his loft and see his champion, now
named ‘Legend’. In of my 30 years as a racing pigeon scribe, I think this
loft visit was the one that I have waited all those years for. To be the first
scribe on the scene of a bit of English racing pigeon history! Champion
‘Legend’, is only a very average pigeon to look at and handle, being
medium long castin the hand,
with good feather and pearl eye, but his heart is as big as Wiltshire. This
game blue chequer widowhood cock was paired up on 6th. December and
after rearing a pair of youngsters, was put on the widowhood system sitting
six days on his second pair of eggs. Champion ‘Legend’ had several channel
races on his build up to his Dax International win, including training races
from Picauville, two races from Nantes and the Saintes National. This
brilliant, two year old cock has lots of wonderful previous racing form and
recorded 2nd. section B.B.C. Nantes and 2nd. section, 6th.
open N.F.C. Saintes this season. Brian sent 11 birds to the Dax International,
clocking Champion ‘Legend’ just after 19.00hrs. on the day, flying 507
miles and two next morning, with one arriving home when I was at the loft. On
‘Legend’s’ dam side he is off Brian’s old Pau family, being bred down
from his N.F.C. Pau merit award winner ‘Jingals’, winner of 6th.,
34th. and 34th. open Pau and his sire was bred by Jos
Thone of As in Belgium, from his champion cock ‘Sumo’.
Brian has been
in the sport 60 years and started up in the war years, at the age of 8, with a
pair of tipplers, which he paid 10/6d for. His fist racing pigeons were
purchased from the late, Major Eatwell of Trowbridge, and from the outset was
successful with these birds, racing on the north road. Brian told me that he
has always been a north road flyer, until turning south a few seasons ago and
has clocked in on the day of liberation from Thurso and Pau. He races 25
widowhoodcocks, to his very
smart 20ft. brick built loft and pairs up his race team in December. The loft
has only one section and grilled floors, to keep the inmates clean and well
ventilated. The cocks are put on the widowhood system after rearing a pair of
youngsters, only being trained prior to the first race and are flagged around
the loft for regular exercise, during the racing season. The racers are fed on
a good widowhood mixture and are not broken down. Brian never repairs his
widowhood cocks for the long distance events and says this knocks the edge off
then. The new Wiltshire Continental club has lots of early races from
Picauville and Brian uses these events to get his birds ready for the main
National and Classic races. All his pigeons must perform, with his yearlings
going through to 400 miles and his old birds flying Pau (550 miles). Brian
likes all pigeon racing, long and short, but says he gets his biggest thrill
out of the long distance events.
The Sheppard
loft houses six pairs of stock birds and they are paired up the same time as
the race team, in December. The stock team is mainly made up with pigeons from
his old Pau family and one or two birds from Belgium, for the shorter races.
His young bird loft is built in the roof of his garage and houses about 30
youngsters each year. All Brian’s lofts have pan tiled roof and
‘sputnik’ traps. The young birds are well trained and all must fly the
English Channel in their first year, with the hens flying the programme. The
young birds are put on the darkness system, but Brian says, he takes them off
very early, so as they finish their moult by the end of the year. They are
race natural to the perch, but if they want to pair up, he allows them to and
they are given nest bowls.
Brian has won
many averages in the Nation Flying Club, including the ‘Langstone Gold
Cup’ and maintains that national and classic racing is the future of pigeon
racing in this country. The Sheppard loft has won countless premier positions
in the N.F.C., including 2nd. open Saintes. Brian’s pigeon
success is very much a family effort, with his wife, Jean, and grandson, Lee,
helping out and his good friend, Kevin Hemmery, helping with the management of
the loft. He told me, that he thought the sport of pigeon racing had
progressed in the last 20 years, saying it used to be good enough to get one
on the day from the long distance races, but now they have to be quick.
Congratulations to the Sheppard family on their wonderful success from Dax.
Well done!
The very
successful west country partnership of Crowley & Green are provisionally 2nd.
open Dax International and they clocked their champion blue chequer cock,
‘Brimstone’, at 19.40hrs., flying 514 miles. This ‘ace’ five year old
Van Loon / Janssen widowhood cock has been a brilliant racer in National and
Classic events, having won 1st. open C.S.C.F.C. Bergerac, 43rd.
open N.F.C. Saintes and 43rd. open B.B.C. Bordeaux. He had several
channel races on his preparation for the Dax race. The partners use a basic
widowhood system, pairing up at Christmas and putting their 40 cocks on the
system while on their second round of eggs. The racers are lightly trained and
are some times sent to the first race sitting eggs, before going on the
system. The cocks are housed in two, 24ft. lofts and they are never trained
once racing has started. They are fed a good widowhood mixture and are broke
down three days a week, during the season. The cock are some times shown their
hen or the nest bowl on marking night, but are never repaired for the long
distance races.
Richard and Anna
house 20 pairs of stock pigeons, which are paired up in December and these are
mostly of the Janssen and Van Reet bloodlines. When purchasing new stock
birds, Richard, tells me he looks for good health and is not bothered about
type. The partners keep about 100 young birds each season and these are raced
natural to the perch, but if they want to pair up, they are allowed too.
Richard told me that they best season was in 2000, when they recorded 1st.,
2nd.,3rd. open B.B.C. Bordeaux, 2nd., 5th.
open N.F.C. Nantes and 3rd.,4th.,8th. open
C.S.C.F.C. Bergerac. Brilliant pigeon flying! Well done to Richard and Anna on
their outstanding Dax International performance.
N.F.C. section
winners in the Dax International were: (A) I. James & B. Smith 900: (B) A.
Holdaway 931: (C) R. Owers 885: (D) G. Buck 902 (also 1st. open
N.F.C. Saintes this season): (E) K.G. May 784: (F) Crowley & Green 1101:
(G) B.S. Sheppard 1145: (H) L. Rix & son 601: (I) C. Leadbeater & son
753: (J) J. Rodway 748: (K) Hall & Horner 836: (L) K. & M. Cliffe 690.
Congratulations to you all!
Racing pigeon
history is made by the National Flying Club! Any one with any N.F.C. news
please contact me on Telephone: 01372 463480 or Email: keithmott@btopenworld.com
