I have been writing in the fancy press for over 30 years now, visiting thousands of
premier lofts in that time, but when I’ve visited a 1st. open N.F.C. Pau winner
it’s always been that little bit more special. In this week’s ‘NATIONAL
FORUM’ we are going to have the second part of my Pau Grand National winners feature
and must say that the loft performances of these three great fanciers go way beyond their
National Flying Club wins.
Dave Delea of Rainham.
Dave Delea’s family of long distance pigeons must rate as one of the best in this
country today, winning top honours in combine, national and international races. In recent
seasons the Delea loft has won many premier positions in the N.F.C. including, 8th.,
51st., 79th., 84th., 99th., 105th. and 107th. open Pau, 46th. and 93rd. open San
Sebastian, 86th. and 129th. open Pontorson (young bird) Nationals. On my loft visit Dave
showed me a stack of National Flying Club prize cards, with the pride of place given to
his 1st. open N.F.C. Pau 1989 diploma, won by his champion blue hen ‘Greenacres
Florence’. This wonderful hen was the first yearling to win the Pau Grand National,
beating 5,378 birds in only the second race of her life. She was bred from a long line of
outstanding channel racing pigeons, with her sire being the old man of the loft,
‘Oscar’, winner of 1st. club Chartres, 7th. open British International Pau, 8th.
open British International Pau (B.I.C.C.) and was a champion at stock. Sire of
‘Oscar’ was ‘Blue 17’, winner of 1st. open British International
Narbonne (601 miles), winning Narbonne as a yearling and is sire of J. Hunt’s 1988
Pau British International winner. Dave’s loft is awash with class and the long
distance winners go on and on, with winners breeding winners.
Dave’s loft is very much a natural loft, with the racing team on open hole all
day and taking to the local fields. He only races on the natural system and keeps his
birds as close to nature as he can and says his is the original ‘green’ loft. He
maintains that, as far as racing goes, the old birds must fly Barcelona (704 miles) or Pau
(565 miles). The young birds race Falaise (200 miles) with the N.F.C. or Lamballe (220
miles) with the B.B.C. and one of these will be the youngsters first race. Dave’s
family is based on local fancier’s premier combine birds of yesteryear and very few
introductions have been made in recent years. The birds are fed on a sound mixture of
beans, maize and maples when racing, with a little barley added when resting in the winter
months. Dave hasn’t got a favourite condition when sending his birds to the long
distance and maintains that, if they are 100% fit, they will go. He only races in national
and classic clubs, as he is not a member of a federation club. The Delea loft has a
brilliant record from the Pau Grand National and likes to send yearlings, recording 1st.,
7th. and 10th. open in recent seasons with one year old pigeons. Dave Delea, a master at
the long distance!
Jack and John Newell of Feltham.
The 1991 Pau Grand National was the highlight of Feltham’s, Jack and John
Newell’s successful 60 year racing pigeon career. They won the greatest prize in
British pigeon racing, with nearly 5,000 birds taking part, recording 1st., 4th. and 36th.
open. A fantastic performance! Their Pau National winner was their Marriott dark chequer
hen, Champion ‘Betty’s Choice’, so named because Jack’s wife, Betty,
picked her out for the national. This hen was on her second time at Pau and was sent to
win, feeding an 8 day old youngster. Jack and John’s second bird was clocked over one
hour later to record 4th. open and was a Marriott blue chequer hen called, ‘Carrie
Ann’. This was this hen’s sixth time at the Pau National, sent sitting 14 day
old eggs and had previously won 1st. club Nantes. In recent seasons the Newell loft has
recorded many positions from the N.F.C. Pau race including, 112th., 148th., 160th., 180th.
and 199th. open.
The Newells race natural and widowhood, with the main ‘H’ shaped racing loft
housing stock birds, young birds and the natural racers. This loft has a slate pitched
roof and open door trapping. Their widowhood loft is built on top of the garage and this
houses 18 cocks, with most of these being Janssen based, and fly the card through to
Bergerac (450 miles). They are fed a standard widowhood mixture and are broken down. The
cocks rear two babies each, being paired up at the end of January, and fly out one hour
morning and evening. The loft has won it’s best positions from the Pau National with
natural hens, sent sitting about 10 day old eggs and small youngsters. In it’s long
and highly successful racing career the Newell loft has won 1st. federation countless
times and 1st. open combine from France several times. One of the all time great lofts!
George Burgess of Wraysbury
George Burgess lives in the royal county of Berkshire and he won the Pau Grand
National in 1988 with his, Champion ‘ Rosemead Abbygale’. George has been a
fancier for over 50 years and when he lived in Hounslow, he was a major force in the West
Middlesex Federation. Nowadays he puts all his efforts into long distance events, with
pigeons from Peter Titmus, Fear Brothers, Mr.& Mrs. Venner and George’s old white
hen family. George loves racing from Palamos (682 miles) with the British Barcelona Club
and in the 2002 season won two ‘Spanish Diplomas’, with’Rosemead
Janine’, winner of 60th., 80th. and 59th. open Palamos, and ‘Rosemead
Mike’, winner of 48th., 143rd. and 51st. open Palamos. True champion long distance
racers!
George won the Pau National with his champion dark chequer hen, ‘Rosemead
Abbygale’, with just under 5,000 birds in the race and she was clocked on the day at
19.20hrs, recording a velocity of 1244 y.p.m. She was sent sitting 12 day old eggs, being
a natural hen, and George says she looked a million dollars when she came in from Pau.
Since her Pau National win, ‘Rosemead Abbygale’ has been at stock and has proved
to be an ‘ace’ breeder. She has bred several pigeons to fly and score from Pau
(550 miles), with a grandson winning, in 1995: 1st. club, 1st. federation, 3rd. open
Lancs. Combine Niort (530 miles) on the day of liberation and a granddaughter winning,
also in 1995, 1st. club, 8th. open Bergerac (450 miles) on the day. One of George’s
premier racers in recent years is the red chequer hen, ‘Rosemead Lady’, which,
in 1995 won 70th. open N.F.C. Pau, lifting the trophy for the first pigeon into Berkshire.
This great hen flew and recorded 56th. open in the 1994 national race. Another of the
Burgess champions is the blue chequer hen, ‘Rosemead Ann’, which is a full
sister to the Pau National winner. This game hen liked to race to a small baby and flew
Pau five times, recording, in 1987: 1st. section, 3rd. open N.F.C. Pau, in 1988: 30th.
open N.F.C. Pau and in 1990: 170th. open N.F.C. Pau. George is a member of the London
& South East Classic Club and in the classic’s 1998 Pau race the Wraysbury loft
recorded two day pigeons, to take, 2nd. and 5th. open. His first bird on the clock from
the Pau classic was a blue chequer hen sent feeding a small youngster. She has the Ron
Wasey and Peter Titmus bloodlines in her, with her dam being George’s ‘Rosemead
Lucie’. A fantastic family of long distance racing pigeons and wonderful fancier!
This time we have featured three of the premier long distance lofts in Great Britain
and I hope you have enjoyed reading about their brilliant Pau National performances. I
shall be writing part three of my Pau National winners feature very soon, so watch this
space. I can be contacted on Tel: 01372 463480 or Email: keithmott@btopenworld.com.
