If I was to start
this week’s article by saying, that Mick McGrevy had enjoyed a wonderful old
bird season, this year, it would be an understatement. He has had one of those
‘magic’ seasons, when nothing seems to go wrong and everything seems to turn
to gold. Mick told me, that his management has been the same as ever, but the
pigeons have been coming brilliantly and won everything in front of them.
Highlights of the old bird season have been: 1st. and 2nd.
section K. 91ST. and 124TH. open N.F.C. Nantes (434
miles), 1st. open Northern Classic Fourgeres (358 miles), 1st.,2nd.,
3rd.,4th. Versele-Laga Yearling Championship over 400
miles band, 1st. and 2nd. open Northern Classic Nantes(434
miles), 5th.,13th.,15th. section K. 252nd.
and 334th. open N.F.C. Saintes, 1st.,2nd.,4th.,6th.
in his local club from Le Ferte Bernarde (379 miles) and 1st. club, 2nd.
open Federation Poitiers (485 miles), only two birds home in the federation on
the day of liberation. Mick calls it his ‘lucky streak’, I call it brilliant
pigeon racing!
Mick
is only interested in long distance racing, and concentrates on N.F.C., M.N.F.C.
and Northern Classic events. He kept pigeons when in his teens, but really
started racing in 1983, with pigeons obtained from local fanciers. These
bloodlines still go through his loft today, with outstanding success. When I
asked Mick what his best positions were, he said he had recorded many premier
prizes through the years, but thought 2nd. open M.N.F.C. Nantes and
18th. open N.F.C. Pau (704 miles) were his best.
Mick
races 13 pairs on the roundabout, on a very simple system of hens in, cocks out.
He maintains that pigeon management should be kept very simple and says it’s a
case of getting some good birds and keeping them fit and in good health. He
breeds off the stock birds and some cocks in the racing section. The rest are
allowed to pair up as they like. The racers rear a youngster and are put on the
roundabout system when sitting 10 day on their second round of eggs. The racers
fly out around the loft twice a day with the loft doors closed and when training
starts they get 60 mile single-ups twice a week. The birds are broken down,
being fed on a quality widowhood mixture, with extra maize being added at the
end of the week. Mick’s wonderful loft is 48ft. long and has five sections,
open door trapping and the roundabout system has 24 nest boxes. As I said, he
only keeps 13 pairs and says with the number of National and Classic long
distance races he competes in, he could do with a few more, but maintains that,
good distance birds are not easy to come by.
He
is not interested in breeds and says he just races good pigeons. When he bring
in stock birds they are just good performance lines and not any fancy strains.
The McGrevy stock loft is 12ft. long and houses ten pairs, many of them being
his retired champion racers. One of his champions, now in the stock loft, is the
blue pied hen ‘The National Hen’. Racing on the roundabout she won: 2nd.
open M.N.F.C. Nantes, 121st. open M.N.F.C. Saintes, 77th.
open M.N.F.C. Saintes, 148th. open M.N.F.C. Saintes, 579th.
open N.F.C. Nantes, 4th. open Northern Classic Nantes, 65th.
open M.N.F.C. Nantes and 324th. open M.N.F.C. Bergerac. A once in a
lifetime hen! His young birds are trained three times a week and have raced on
the darkness system in recent seasons. They are fed on a heavy mixture which
contains 20% turkey pellets and are raced though the card, down to the south
coast. Mick is a member of the N.F.C. committee and is a great worker for the
sport!
A
letter from the N.F.C. President, Bill Harris.
I
visited the Exeter marking station, for the Saintes race, a promise I made to
life vice president, Nobby Henley, last year. The marking station is easily
found, just a couple of miles off the M5 and they have a lovely set up down
there, well controlled by Nobby, with help from some fine fanciers.
Committeemen, Ray Barrington and Rod Harding were on hand to help with the
marking as well, at this very busy west country marking station. Nobby and his
brother, Mike, travelled from Exeter to Frome with the marked pigeons, to meet
up with the transporter and I would like to say a big thank you to everybody
concerned.
I
spoke to several fanciers at the Exeter marking station and discussed several
N.F.C. issues, with the main complaint being, the location of this year’s Y.B./O.H.
National from Falaise. As usual I did inform them that the club needs
propositions and votes from members in the west country. Your votes will count,
it’s down to you chaps! I was pleased to see Mr. Buck of Plymouth win the
N.F.C. Saintes race. I rang him on the Sunday after the race and to say he was
pleased with his National win, was an understatement.
The
Dax International race was the next N.F.C. race on the agenda and what a race it
turned out to be. I think everybody knows the outcome of this fantastic weekend.
The race couldn’t have been put on without the help and encouragement of the
following: once again the clock stations were called upon, as were the marking
station I.C’s, all doing an excellent job. All the helpers at the marking
stations, in fact everybody who helps out throughout the year.
A
very special Dax International mention to the following: Richard King, who drove
from his home in Bristol to Crewe, then back to Frome, where he picked up the
Exeter and Frome pigeons and along with Roy Christopher, drove them to the
Horndean marking station. Mick McGrevy, along with John Dudhill and N.F.C. chief
convoyer, Colin Bates, travelled with the birds, from Sheffield, over to
Norfolk, down to Farnborough and then on to the Horndean marking station. Last
and by no means least, John Tyerman and Keith Mott, who picked up the trailer
unit and van at Fontwell and drove it to Horndean. They then prepared the crates
ready for the arrival of the feeder birds, ably assisted by local fancier, John
Everly. Keith and John, along with Colin Bates, then drove through the night, to
get the pigeon to Belgium for theonward
journey by train to Dax. A fantastic result, by fantastic pigeons and fanciers,
helped by enthusiastic workers. All the above was of course orchestrated by the
N.F.C. secretary, Sid Barkel. Many thanks to all those that were involved!
By
the time you read this letter, the Blue Riband Race from Pau will be upon us,
good luck to all those that have entered.
Bill Harris (July 2003).
N.F.C.
Dax convoyer’s report (Colin Bates)
Left
home at 05.00hrs on the Wednesday and travelled down to Sheffield, where I met
up with Mick McGrevy. Watered the marked pigeons at the Sheffield station.
Travelled to Shelford, then drove on to Farnborough, picking up the birds, and
then on to the Horndean marking station where every one was meeting up. I fed
and watered the birds at Horndean and waited for the Frome convoy to arrive.
Keith Mott, John Tyerman and myself left for Dover docks in the early evening
and caught the midnight ferry to Calais. We drove through the night, arriving at
Saint Chispain railway station at about 03.30hrs on the Thursday and met up with
the lads from the B.I.C.C., who were also taking part in the International race
from Dax. We were met by the International chief convoyer, Philippe, and he
showed us to the railway sidings, where the birds were to be re-basketed into
Entente Belge plastic crates. Both the two British delegations mucked in
together and loaded the British birds on to the waiting train. After the birds
were re-basketed, Keith and John said goodbye and I travelled in the carriage
with the British pigeons to the Dax liberation site. All the baskets were
stacked in the carriage like a wall, with gaps and I fed and watered the birds
at mid-day. The train left Saint Chispain at 16.30hrs., for Dax, stopping three
times enroute to water the pigeons. Not having any sleep since Tuesday night, I
went to bed on top of the bags of corn, on the train, at 23.00hrs. on the
Thursday. At 04.00hrs on the Friday we stopped to water the birds at Bordeaux,
then they were fed and watered at mid-day. We arrived at Dax at 19.00hrs., where
I watered the birds and then left them to rest. All the convoyers were taken for
a five course meal, with wine, at a local café and went to bed at 23.00hrs. At
04.00hrs. on the Saturday morning all the baskets were removed from the railway
carriages, being stacked on the sidings, five high and the birds were watered.
The 19,400 International birds were liberated at 06.00hrs. and they cleared the
Dax liberation site well. We reloaded the baskets and cleared up, after which
all the convoyers went for a wash and change of clothing. The train left Dax at
12.40hrs. and arrived in Lille at 20.00hrs. I caught the Eurostar train back to
England and spent the night in a hotel in London, returning home on the Sunday
morning. Many thanks, to all who helped to make this race possible and
especially the Belgians, for their kindness and hospitality.
Colin Bates (July 2003)
That’s
it for this week! Any one with N.F.C. news, please phone me on: 01372 463480 or
email: keithmott@btopenworld
