racing pigeon

pictorial
international
DAVID
IMPETT
JOHN
GILMOUR
HUMAN
GEVAERT-
FAMILY LANNOO
‘THOMAS’

MR & MRS
PETER SHAW GREG McKNIGHT
69
BOSMANS
9 770033 740068
No 569
£3.95
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Winning from every race point on including breeding, feeding, training, loft management, flying
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In this DVD Frank tells Richard Green his methods and racing enthusiasts from the heart of
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Subjects covered in this film are: established a family of outstanding
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rank amongst the most consistent fliers in Europe.
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 4
David Impett is described by Keith Mott
Racing Pigeon Pictorial as having one of the best long distance
set ups in the UK. This article takes a look
International at some of the many champions that he
has housed.
January 2018 No 569

10
Brook Cottage, Huxtables Lane Mr & Mrs Shaw are the subjects of Mike
Fordham Heath Lakin’s article this month. Mike’s article
Colchester CO3 9TJ includes the recent National win from Vire
phone 01206 242121 and a look at the impressive results from
(international + 44 1206 242121) this ambitious and motivated couple.

Email address:

18
racingpigeon@btconnect.com This month’s article by our regular
Website: www.racingpigeon.co.uk writer Greg McKnight is titled
‘Pick ’Em Apart’, where he
ISSN 0033 7404
explains the many different
selection techniques and theories
Editor: Lee Fribbins used by fanciers over the years.
Production: Stephen Rickett
Advertisement/Subscriptions:
Carly Huggins

22
John Gilmour this season
realised a lifelong ambition
Front Page Picture winning the Scottish
National FC Blue Riband
Alencon race. Billy Wortley
takes up the story.

32
Gervaert-Lannoo of Meigem in
Belgium are described as ‘a tiny
pigeon family with big
achievements’. This Pipa article
looks at these middle distance
fanciers that still race as a hobby.

38
Tony Harte continues
his tour of Holland and
‘THOMAS’ Belgium with a trip to
SEE BELOW RIGHT FOR PERFORANCES the ultra successful
PHOTO BY PETER BENNETT pigeon fanciers
Bosmans-Leekens.
Available on order through all retail newsagents and
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liability for all statements. Material, whether
commissioned or freely submitted, is provided at the
contributor’s own risk and The Racing Pigeon Co. Ltd.
will not accept responsibility for loss or damage from
whatever cause. In the need for accurate reporting,
references to trade names or proprietary products may
be necessary in articles in Racing Pigeon Pictorial
International. No endorsement of such products is
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which are not mentioned.
Distributed by CoMAG.
©The Racing Pigeon Co Ltd 2018
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44
Several Generations of the Human Family
have raced pigeons with outstanding
success. Keith Mott takes a look at Derek
Human who must have one of the best
racing records in Classic and National
racing in the South of England.
‘THOMAS’ PERFORMANCES
11th Section F, 44th Open North Road Championship Club Lerwick
527 miles, 913 birds, vel 783.8ypm, 2015
4th Section F, 16th Open North Road Championship Club Lerwick
819 birds, vel 912.6ypm 2016
2nd Section F, 2nd Open North Road Championship Club Lerwick
630 birds, vel 1344.5ypm 2017
North Road Championship Club Lerwick Diploma of Merit 2017
Bred by Chris Leek, Dereham. Raced by G Smith, New Cottessy.

Email racingpigeon@btconnect.com • website www.racingpigeon.co.uk

David Impett’s
loft set up.

DAVID
IMPETT
of Blackpool
Text & Photos by Keith Mott
www.keithmott.com
4 Racing Pigeon Pictorial International — No 569
 hile in Blackpool
W
for the ‘Show of
the Year’, I had
the good fortune
to visit the long
distance loft of
David Impett, who I have
known for some 20 years,
originally through our mutual
friendship with Eric Cannon.
Dave is a dedicated long
distance fancier and in recent
seasons has put up some
wonderful performances, with
his Jan Aarden based,
Brugeman Brothers of Holland
pigeons.
Dave has put up some brilliant
performances in the National
Flying Club in recent seasons
and since 2005 he has won 1st,
3rd, 5th, 6th, 6th, 8th, 8th, 9th,
10th, 11th, 11th, 12th, 15th,
16th, 18th Section L, 12th, 13th,
19th, 59th, 62nd, 66th, 97th,
118th, 149th, 174th, 177th,
267th, 273rd,373rd Open Tarbes
(748 miles), 1st Section L
Alencon, 8th, 14th, 16th & 20th
Section L Saintes (571 miles),
Racing Pigeon Pictorial International — No 569
10th & 19th Section L Angers,
12th Section L Bordeaux, 13th
Section L Herstal. Many premier
trophies have won over the
years including Lancashire Rose
Trophy for best average Section
L, Roy Gough Trophy best
individual pigeon Section L, The
Burton Trophy first bird in to
Lancashire and Merseyside (won
twice), Best Average in Section L
from Tarbes and several RPRA
and Meritorious Awards have
been won. A fantastic
achievement in long distance
pigeon racing!
The Blackpool loft has housed
many champion long distance
racers in recent years and one
of Dave’s best was ‘North Star’
his fantastic blue pied hen,
winner of 6th Section L, 62nd
Open NFC Tarbes, flying 748
miles into Blackpool and being
clocked on the day of
liberation. She was beaten by
Brian Denney’s great champion,
‘Brian’s Blue’, that day from
Tarbes and both pigeons were
flying 748 miles. As a young
bird in 2005, ‘North Star’
recorded 184th Open NFC
Fougeres, being clocked at
nearly 400 miles on the day of
liberation and later won 16th
Section L NFC Angers. What a
fantastic performance, being
clocked from nearly 400 miles
on the day as a young bird and
then to go on and being
clocked on the day of liberation
from Tarbes (748 miles). This
wonderful hen is now breeding
her like in the stock loft and is
the grand dam of Frank &
George Bristow’s 2014 1st Open
MNFC ‘Blue Riband’ Bordeaux
race winner, ‘Brigitte Bordeaux’.
The champion racing and
breeding hen.
Other premier pigeons in Dave’s
loft are: ‘Katie’s Star’ winner of
1st Section L, 12th Open NFC
Tarbes (4,066 birds) flying 748
miles to the loft in Blackpool.
‘Paula’s Star’ 14th Section L NFC
Saintes, clocked at 571 miles on
the day of liberation, 18th
Section L NFC Tarbes (748 miles).
Daughter of ‘The Golden Hen’.
5
 20 years pigeon racing, however
he says this time was not
wasted, because it made him a
wiser person. He restarted with
the Pedley & Impett partnership
in 1998 and the two fanciers
raced with two lofts, one sprint
and the other long distance. In
1999 they joined the North
West Classic and were successful
from the outset, winning 2nd
Section, 8th Open (£508), 1st
Section, 7th Open, 1st Section
Yearling Derby and 5th & 6th
Section, 35th & 36th Open. The
partners did well in the NFC
races, including 20th Section,
268th Open Saintes (571 miles)
in a north west wind.

Dave decided to start racing

‘Christine’s Star’ winner of 6th &
11th North Ashton Open Saintes
(571 miles), 5th Section L, 13th
Open NFC Tarbes (748 miles).
‘Linzi’s Star’ winner of 3rd
North Ashton CC Niort, 4th
North Ashton CC Saintes (571
miles). Winner of over £1,000 in
long distance racing. ‘Lee’s Star’
winner of 8th Section L, 19th
Open NFC Tarbes (748 miles),
11th Section L NFC Bordeaux
(630 miles), 15th Section L NFC
Tarbes.
Combine Marrenes, 2nd Section,
30th Open Pau, also winner of
the Osman Memorial Cup, and
‘Vale Princess’, winner of 1st
Section Pau. Another good line
was Roy Mundy’s, ‘Rossall King’,
winner of 1st Section, 49th
Open Pau. With these
outstanding bloodlines, success
came straight away for the
Impett loft, but this was short
lived, as the young Dave retired
from the sport over ‘pigeon
politics’. This action cost Dave,
long distance on his own and
started up his present loft at
Trapp Farm in 2001. He told me
it was a good move, as the
pigeons are in a natural
environment, which he thinks is
a must for successful long
distance racing. Due to the foot
and mouth, Dave only had one
Channel race in 2001 and
recorded, 13th Section L from
Herstal with the NFC. The
following season he recorded
21st, 27th & 29th Section L
Saintes (571 miles) NFC. In the

Dave started racing pigeons

with his father in the 1960’s and
at that time met up with
premier National long distance
flyer, the late Roy Mundy of
Bolton. Dave says, Roy was a
brilliant fancier and taught him
every thing he needed to know
about racing pigeons on the
long distance. He spent a lot of
time with Roy Mundy, serving
his pigeon racing apprenticeship
with him and maintains he
owes his present day success to
this very gifted fancier and dear
friend. In the 1970’s, Dave
resigned from the NWHU and
joined the RPRA so he could
compete at National level, but
unfortunately was only
accepted as a guest member
because his loft was five miles
north of the boundaries. The
base pigeons in the early days
were bred down from, ‘Vale Dave Impett and Keith Mott.
Lady’, winner of 1st Open Lancs.

6 Racing Pigeon Pictorial International — No 569

2003 season he joined the North
Ashton 2-Bird Championship
Club, racing against the very
best fanciers in the north west
of England and quite often if
you don’t time in on the day
from the long races, you don’t
get on the result sheet. In his
first season in the North
Ashton, Dave, recorded 3rd
Niort, 6th, 9th Saintes (571
miles), winning the best 2-Bird
Average from Saintes. 2004 saw
him win 20th Niort, 4th Saintes,
lifting the best average
Niort/Saintes in the North
Ashton and 8th & 14th Section L
(only 14 birds on the day in the
Section), 155th & 288th Open
NFC Saintes, flown in to a very
hard north west wind.
The 2005 season was one of his
best and saw Dave put up some
really outstanding performances
in the National Flying Club, the
best being from the Tarbes
Grand National, when he
recorded 1st Section L, 12th
Open (4,066 birds), plus 15th &
18th Section L, flying a fantastic
Racing Pigeon Pictorial International — No 569
747 miles. The first pigeon on
the clock from Tarbes was his
good three year old blue
chequer natural hen, ‘Katie’s
Star’ and she was sent to the
race sitting 12 day old eggs.
This game hen was bred from a
direct Brugeman Brothers cock,
which is a half-brother to the
famous ‘Sutra’ and her dam is a
stock hen bred down from ‘De
16’ of Albert Simmons. In NFC
he won several trophies,
including The Lancashire Rose
Trophy, for the best average
Section L all NFC races and won
an RPRA Award. Dave had an
outstanding pigeon from the
2005 Young Bird National, when
his game blue pied hen, ‘North
Star’, recorded 184th Open,
flying just under 400 miles on
the day. A brilliant season!
David Impett keeps his pigeons
in a wonderful natural
environment, at Trapp Farm and
races 36 pairs on the natural
system, with 500 mile plus
racing in mind. The main racing
loft is 40ft long, with open door
trapping and he has never used
deep litter. Dave told me he had
visited many premier lofts that
use deep litter, including
Brugeman Brothers in Holland,
but it’s not his cup of tea and
likes to scrap out regularly. He
maintains the most important
factor in good loft design is
good ventilation and the lofts
must be dry. The old birds are
paired up in mid-March and get
very little training, as they are
given an open loft a lot of the
time. Dave normally gives them
three 50 mile training tosses
prior to the race he is setting
them up for. His feeding system
consists of a good balanced
mixture, with an additional fat
mixture being added for the
long distance events. The old
birds have raced outstandingly
up to Saintes, 571 miles, but
Dave tells me, the 2005 season
will see him have go at Pau
which is well over 700 miles to
his loft in the north west of
England. The 50 young birds are
housed in a 20ft loft and they
are given about eight training
7
tosses, up to 30 miles before
their first race. There is no
Darkness system, with the
youngsters being raced
naturally to the perch and they
are only given four races to
train them. They are fed a good
mixture similar to the old birds,
but with a higher proportion of
Maple peas. Dave doesn’t race
his old birds or youngsters
inland, they are only sent to the
short events, every now and
then, for training.
Dave says, long distance pigeon
racing is for him, because he
likes a challenge and sprint
racing is not a challenge.
Anyone with a good loft
position can win sprint races.
His family of Brugeman Brothers
and Eric De-Meulmeester
pigeons only perform well over
500 miles and Dave is very
proud that his loft houses seven
different pigeons that have
scored at 571 mile races. Dave
told me, his most thrilling
experience in pigeon racing was
meeting the late, great Eric
Cannon, who he says, is possibly
our greatest fancier.
The 16 pairs of stock birds are
housed in two 8ft lofts, with
flights and the breeders are
paired up in mid-February.
These birds are fed on a heavy
8 Racing Pigeon Pictorial International — No 569
mixture and when feeding their
young are given 80% maple
peas. Dave rates Brugeman
Brothers of Holland one the
best lofts in Europe and says
their record in long distance
International racing is second to
none. He visits the Dutch loft
once a year and most of his
stock team are direct from the
brothers. The Brugeman
pigeons are an inbred family
and are Jan Aarden based,
being medium long cast in the
hand, with wonderful feather
quality. Dave maintains, that
when you bring in new stock
birds they must conform with
what you have already,
especially if you have a good
inbred family. For example,
Dave recently purchased two
pigeons from premier National
flyers, Padfield Family of Wales,
off their famous ’63’ pigeon,
which is Jan Aarden based, from
the best of Wim Muller.
Brugeman Brothers famous
pigeon, ‘Orhan’, winner of 8th
International Barcelona, is bred
down from Muller/Aardens on
one side. Every pigeon in the
Brugeman loft contains the
‘Orhan’ bloodline and Dave’s
top breeders are grandchildren
of this champion pigeon.
Another Brugeman bloodline
which is very strong in the
Impett loft is that of, ‘Myra’,
winner of 8th National
Barcelona and 45th National
Barcelona. Dave Impett’s best
stock pigeon is, ‘The Golden
Hen’, and she is the dam of the
loft, being a champion
producer. This wonderful dark
chequer hen is direct from
Brugeman Brothers and is a
granddaughter of ‘Orhan’ and
‘Myra’.
Dave maintains that sadly our
sport has declined in the past 20
years, because we live in a lazy
society and pigeon racing needs
hard work and dedication to
make it thrive. Very few young
people are coming in to the
sport, as we live in a computer
age they are more interested in
electronics than the old
fashioned hobbies, like fishing
and pigeon racing. He thinks
the management at top of our
sport should channel their
energies in to trying to get the
fancy back to what it was year
ago, when clubs and birdage
were big. Dave says, if it was in
his power he would introduce a
rule, that clubs would not have
radius’ and all decent fancier
had to be accepted in to the
membership, and not rejected
because they are good flyers.
The best advice that Dave can
give a new starter in the sport is
try and serve a ‘pigeon
apprenticeship’, by spending as
much time as they can with an
outstanding fancier and learn. It
was what he did all those years
ago and it is the quickest way
to the top. Line and inbreeding
is practiced at the Blackpool loft
and Dave says you must do it to
maintain quality in any live
stock. An occasional cross is
required to spice up an inbred
family, but you have to be very
careful when bringing it in, as
the wrong one can ruin every
thing. He also thinks the moult
is very important and good
food and rest bring the pigeons
through this period of the year.
Well that’s it for this month! I
hope you’ve enjoyed this insight
in to David Impett’s loft in
Blackpool. In my opinion, one
of the best long distance set ups
in the UK.
 Mr & Mrs
PETER SHAW
of Wombourne

Peter explaining his feeding method in the aviary.

‘Inspired by Ambition’
by Mike Lakin
10 Racing Pigeon Pictorial International — No 569
 have known Peter for a

I
few years now and have
seen both he and his
wife Sandra climb the
ladder of success with
some very impressive
results with their team
of pigeons. That said it
wasn’t until I took a trip
down to Wombourne
Park where the couple live, after
their National win from Vire
recently that I realised just how
ambitious and motivated Peter
and Sandra were to achieve
their maiden National win. So
with this in mind I promised to
go back and put a report
together on this very deserving
partnership. This piece is the
result of that return visit.

When I called Peter to arrange a
visit Peter told me, “Mike you
are in for a surprise when you
come down’’. Being rather a
nosey character which I suppose
comes with territory of
journalism at all levels, I was
both impatient and intrigued to
find out exactly what the
surprise was that Peter was
referring too. Well as soon as
‘Bonnie’ and ‘Clyde’ the parents of ‘Blue 74’ the double RPRA Award winner.
we went into the garden all was
revealed with a shiny white
extension running at right
angles with the original lofts.
When I commented how good
the lofts looked resplendent
with its white plastic cladding
Peter nodded and said, “Yes it
looks smart doesn’t it?’’. Then
with a broad grin he added,
“and the extra bonus is that it
covers a multitude of sins as I
aren’t a skilled joiner mate’’.
Soon I was ushered inside the
new construction and Peter
explained his plans. At the far
end was a closed off section

Peter entering the new widow hens lofts.

Racing Pigeon Pictorial International — No 569 11

Peter and Sandra flanked by ‘Jonjo’ and ‘Jackpot’ two of the loft’s base racer breeders.
where the breeding cocks are new loft via a small entrance important part of the loft
housed, at the moment on vee into their new loft. management as it is used as the
perches which when the season ‘dining room’ for the young
starts will be replaced by This suspended aviary is a very birds and widowers. By this I
nestboxes. At right angles to the
cocks quarters there are two
sections where the racing hens
are to be housed. It was
explained that it was essential
to have two sections so that any
hens that show signs of coupling
together can be kept apart. All
along the front of the loft the
top half is open behind wire
grills which open up to allow
the ‘ladies’ to take their daily
exercise. All of this gives a very
light and airy accommodation
for both the racing hens and the
breeding cocks that they will be
mated to after the cocks have
helped to rear a round of babies
earlier in the year. I was a tad
puzzled as to how the hens
gained access back into the loft
and Peter said they trap to the
same aviary that is on the front
of the young bird loft which
they had homed to as young
birds but now they simply go
along the front and enter the Inside one of the hens sections.

12 Racing Pigeon Pictorial International — No 569


mean that the birds are fed here
before being ushered back into
their resting quarters with the
aid of a cut down plastic lawn
rake. While I was there I
witnessed three sections being
fed in next to no time without
the need to enter the main loft,
all very simple and ingenious.
Racing Pigeon Pictorial International — No 569
Four of the lofts finest racing hens.
When it comes to pigeons the
couple are workaholics and
Peter explained how he
managed to race no less than
four different teams of pigeons.
With two teams of hens racing
back to the same cocks and the
yearling cocks used to take care
of the early club races. Here I
know that Peter and Sandra
tend to ‘buck the trend’ but few
can argue that it works out fine
for them and I shall be
discussing how these yearlings
are prepared before the season
starts.
Let’s now talk about the Shaw’s
13
The breeding cocks that will be coupled later to the racing hens.
‘Blue 74’ the double West Midlands
pigeons and the basis of this was the fact that ‘Blue 74’ won RPRA Award winner.
present day, highly successful two West Midlands RPRA Sprint
racing loft. Their Janssen Van Awards in 2013 and again in doors’ to obtain children off
den Bosche old lines are still 2014. If you look at the attached umpteen National big winning
present and more importantly photo you will be able to pigeons. This tactic hasn’t always
still producing the goods. Over understand why ‘74’ is a real bore fruit he freely admitted but
the last few years several new Champion. I have handled when it does…Bingo. One thing
families have been introduced brothers and sister along with that I soon realised from my
but only those that do ‘what it children from ‘74’ and they are time in the Shaw’s loft is that all
says on the tin’ are still in their absolute ‘Quality Street’. of their birds conform to a very
lofts. The families that have important thing and this
proved their worth include Kees Peter explained to me that he is…type. All of the several lines
Boshua, Van den Brande, had been and ‘knocked on different families have one
Syndicate Lofts lines that have
acquired both directly and
indirectly, along the German
Mandelartz that were obtained
via John Gerard who has
provided Peter and Sandra with
some good birds previously and
Peter has high hopes of these
Gus Janssen based Mandelartz
pigeons.
I think that it is significant that
Peter and Sandra both prefer to
introduce lines from specific,
highly successful pigeons
regardless of their strain name.
For instance Peter got his
fantastic ‘Blue 74’ from his
namesake John Shaw of
Netherton along with his
parents ‘Bonnie’ and ‘Clyde’
after his friend presented them
to Peter shortly before he sadly
passed away. The fact that they
were Van den Brande didn’t The partners collecting their awards at the MNFC 2017 presentation off Libbie
particularly matter to the Harrison with the help of their grandson who appears to be wanting to keep
partners but what did matter the Vire winner's trophy.

14 Racing Pigeon Pictorial International — No 569


The widowers loft.
massive thing in common and
this that they all handle very
similarly. So it is clear that the
partners believe very strongly
that the best birds by and large
conform to this shape. I must
admit that from the many
superb birds that I have had the
pleasure to have held in both
England and Belgium that 95%
of them were of this similar
shape. To prove just how much
importance Peter places on his
belief he confided to me that he
Peter shows off one of his superb birds. Please note the quotation to the
right, how apt!
Racing Pigeon Pictorial International — No 569
about can cost far more than the
financial expense because the
greater mistake would be to
wait years to find out exactly
what you suspected all along
that their introduction was a
massive error.
Sticking to these beliefs have
made the partners serious
competitors in both the MCC
where they have won both races
and several Averages and the
MNFC where I believe their
recent victory from Vire could
just be the tip of the iceberg
quite simply because Peter is not
one to rest on his laurels and his
appetite has merely been
whetted by his past successes.
Observant readers will notice
that the Shaw’s loft is mainly
built from middle distance birds.
had recently paid a good deal of
money on new introductions but
in the ‘cold light of day’ he was
disappointed in the body type of
his purchases when compared to
his own birds and doubted that
they would have a long term
future in the Shaw loft. This is
one of the ruthless strengths
that the best fanciers have in
common in as much as ‘when in
doubt throw them out’. You see
continuing to breed from birds
that you have grave concerns
Sandra with one of the best
breeders.
This is because Peter believes
that to win in the Midlands
National races in particular that
you must have fast pigeons,
birds that can sprint for 7 or 8
hours otherwise in all but the
hardest races you will be left
behind with the also rans! That
said they do cross into these fast
pigeons various long distance
lines one example being a hen
that had won from Saintes three
years in succession and a
Deweerdt cock from the couple’s
good friends Clive & Donna
Yates that flew in the two very
15
hard NFC and MNFC from
Fougeres and Ancenis
respectively and this cock proved
his ability by winning a
combined total of nearly £3,000
for his owners. Armed with a
blend of pigeons of this calibre
the future certainly looks very
bright for the Shaws.
Now I would like to give readers
a little insight into some of the
thoughts and methods employed
by the partners.
Young Birds
The policy here is one of
patience and having made the
decision that they are of the
right quality the birds are
trained carefully without taking
large risks because these birds
are the Loft’s future and to
prosper one doesn’t want to lose
them by making stupid mistakes.
Another thing worthy of note is
that Peter is quite partial to a
few late youngsters that are
bred from their best pigeons.
16
The method used here is to train
them well in the late autumn
and winter. Peter has found that
when treated in this way these
birds will give a good account of
themselves in the early club
races the following season
because they have been well
educated and are as fit as the
proverbial ‘fiddle’ which gives
them a big advantage against
the opposition whose birds have
been rearing youngsters just a
few weeks earlier.
Racing Hens
The partners don’t normally
breed off their racing hens,
though eggs from the very best
performers may be reared by
‘feeders’. In this way the stay at
home cocks can be coupled to
two hens separately and with
careful management they can
both be raced without either
becoming demoralised. This
method allows for any star
performers to be coupled and
sent to the final races highly
Racing Pigeon Pictorial International — No 569
motivated by either eggs or a
small baby in the nest.
Widowers
The cocks I believe are raced in
a more conventional manner
but they aren’t rushed and
brought on gradually to allow
the all important form to be
built up. One important fact is
that the cocks are never
disappointed on their return as
their mate is always awaiting
them.
I sincerely hope that readers have
enjoyed reading this piece on
one of the Midlands current star
lofts and if you look closely at the
photographs of some of their
pigeons that accompany this
piece and study their fine
performances that you will agree
that Mr & Mrs Peter Shaw have
reaped a rich reward by being
‘inspired by ambition’ and I firmly
believe that if they continue with
this mindset their results will
mirror these ambitions.
 racing p
igeon

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 “PICK ’EM APART”
I
over the years have
had many visitors
come and select birds
to purchase and I’ve
learned much from
these fanciers by their
handling and
statements of likes
and dislikes of this or
that bird, and some
have no idea what makes up a
good candidate, as so many are
stuck on one issue and my
response is a simple nod of the
head or a OK response. Some I
have learned from, with
thoughtful common sense time
proven methods of selections. I
listen and validate with my own
birds to see if they have merit and
many do have a high percentage
of correctness. Let’s face it that’s
what we try to gain is that
percentage edge like playing
poker. “Nothing is a hard rule in
racing pigeons”
In thinking back over 50 years
ago, one fellow was about the leg
bone thickness, the bigger the
better made the whole bird a super
strong bird, because his
18
foundation is set with the thick
bone and short legs too hold up
the rest of the body. Some have
come here and wanted a thick keel
bone and their thoughts were
again on the building blocks of the
animal.
Toe nails of birds were mentioned
with white toe nails colors being
best and I would say many of the
white birds have white toe nails,
and the fancier moved on to
another subject. Under the wing in
some racers have a three square
flights and they think that’s a clue
for a good one and I could show
them 50 in a row and you and I
know all are not good. Eleven
flighted birds were a topic and
some never send a bird to a One
Loft Race with eleven on one
wing and ten on the other for it
may fly lop sided. The secondary
wing if too deep may be too much
drag when in flight, good to keep
in the air for multiple hours, but a
hindrance in speed.
Wings should be ventilated out at
the 7th – 10th flight with good
grouping and many don’t realize
Racing Pigeon Pictorial International — No 569
by
Greg
McKnight
Anaheim,
California, USA
gregmcknight92804
@msn.com
this when inspecting birds, now
many in the old days when the
speeds for the season was in the
1100 yards may have been a
winning bird, but now with the
faster races the birds have evolved
with much more outer wing
ventilation. The step in the wing at
times was a topic from the
secondary to the primaries and the
step from 6th to the 7th but many
now don’t inspect for that sign
when visiting here. Many never
mention the shoulder of the wing
if thin or thick which is important
for the power that brings to the
bird, also check when stretching
the birds wing out the tension and
the raised elbow for that raised
knuckling effect. The length of the
wing when some are inspecting
want it to go back to the black line
of the tail, maybe half way for
balance. Tail length most never
comment on that, but a good
rudder is important and maybe so
on a head wind course than others.
Some believe a single pin tail
feather is best while others don’t
watch this, but mate a right
handed tail bird to a left handed
one, I guess for balance. The cup
of the wing when holding look at
the edge of the wing and you see a
curvature affect like a cup to it,
with this the birds can pull back
the air, for ease of flight; most
don’t look at that when here. Wing
tips some like them sharp and I
thing you have to consider the age
of the bird also when holding a
sharp pointed winged older bird
and think of how was this wing as
a young bird, could be too sharp
and out of balance. Remember
some fanciers give all the credit to
the wing and may forget about the
motor it takes to power it, even
sometimes it’s too much wing for
the body and you get a plugger
type can’t speed it up when it has
too.
Body for some is where its all at
and the more wedge shaped and
more muscled the better, well
remember muscle is weight and
they can have too much
sometimes, so many fanciers are
in awe of the body and forget
about the buoyancy needed, so
beware. Some birds are what I call
heavy boned and need work or the
races too put them into condition
and most of the time its at the last
of the races, so beware of that
fact. Depth of body cavity and
length for some are demanded and
I guess with that you will be fine
for that must be the type of bird
that conditions for you, so stay
with it, for many fanciers have
different approaches to
conditioning and the amount of
training required to perform.
Many check out the vent bone and
no doubt a good quality to have
for the best birds, the closer to the
end of the keel and up high is
expected, and with hens just tight
like only one bone is a great sign.
You have these back/rump masters
that want that wide back and when
holding move the bird up and
down in a motion to show how
the tail goes up or down or stays
still, saying this or that as they do
it. Tail attachment to the rump is
important and many don’t check
for it or don’t think about it, for
the old timers know by just the
feel of the bird.
Most of the fanciers don’t look
down the throat of the bird when
inspecting, but all of them check
out the eyes, for depth and colors
and ask questions or make

Bred and owned by Larry Tomlin of Lamppost Lofts flying in the La Puente Club and East Course
Combine winning this young birds Master Flyer and 2nd Combine Overall Avg Spd losing by 47 seconds
to my friends Tim Brandon & Juan Cerda, congrats to you both for a great season. This hen is of the
Meuleman Hofken breeding and one of his top breeders and my favourite hen in his loft.

Racing Pigeon Pictorial International — No 569 19

Bred and owned by Larry Tomlin (Lamppost Loft) flying in the La Puente Club & East Course Combine
this male another top breeder for Larry bred from the Meuleman/Hofken lineage and offspring
responsible for winning Master Flyer and 2nd Overall Avg Spd in the Combine this 2017 Young Birds.

comments. Some fanciers ask to
see the birds when standing in the
aviary for that gives them another
view of the bird as they watch it
moving and the overall balance
and how the wings cover in the
back and overall stance. Some are
beak pullers and some are not,
some are good at it and some have
no clue how to do it. Expression is
a learnt method so many haven’t
seen enough great ones to
recognize the outstanding ones
and many can’t see it anyway.
Intelligence radiates in the good
ones and some birds have that duh
look to them. Some fanciers are
gifted to have this ability and
transfers to many other animals
such as dogs and horses.
Having a plan when purchasing
birds is important, so do your
homework and keep an open mind
when selecting, Be strict with
your birds and always pick them
apart, don’t settle for less,
remember what I read years ago it
said “when you enter your loft
look for something too cull” keep
moving forward and remember
racing pigeons is a continued
learning curve as I have witnessed
for over 50 years in our great
sport. Thank you all for your
continued kind comments. “Happy
New Year” Sincerely, Greg
McKnight
Salute to my friend
The pictures I’ve attached in this
article are from my long time
friend Larry Tomlin and salute
him for a great season winning
two overalls with 2000 per birds
competing and finishing the
season winning Master Flyer and
2nd Avg Spd in the East Course
Combine. He has a close up
family of birds maintained for
many years now who is an
example of when you get a hold
of the right birds and they work to
your management system; watch
out, for he performs on a high
level routinely with a small
number of birds. His base families
are Meuleman and Hofkens and
pictured are two of my favorite
breeders in his loft. I have lunch
with Larry about 3 days a week
and between pigeons and
checking out the ladies we laugh a
lot. Congratulation my friend and
wish you continued success in the
future.

20 Racing Pigeon Pictorial International — No 569

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It contains all of the tips
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or visit our website www.racingpigeon.co.uk
 JOHN
GILMOUR
FROM ECCLEFECHAN

John Gilmour photographed

outside his shed.

by Billy Wortley
22 Racing Pigeon Pictorial International — No 569
 uring the season past, 7.10pm to head the result on Richard (2), Stafford, Wollaston,

D
John Gilmour from
Ecclefechan realised a
lifelong ambition when
he won the Scottish
National Flying Club.
Blue Riband event from
Alencon.
1049ypm from 479 miles. The
leading arrivals from the event
were well dispersed with Colin
Crees from Ladykirk in the
Borders gaining 2nd Open,
Sinclair Thomson & Son from
Cheltenham and Marlborough,
which was flown on the same
day as the Inland National from
Buckingham. He was paired in
early January and reared two
youngsters and was thereafter

Ecclefechan is a small village

situated four miles south of
Lockerbie, within which there
has been a pigeon presence
from the early part of the last
century. The place name
Ecclefechan is abbreviated
locally to ‘Fechan and this can
be seen in the name of the first
National winner that actually
raced into the village, that
being Mr & Mrs Lew Horsburgh’s
great red pied hen ‘Fechan Lass’,
which won the Rennes Classic in
1963. She went back to the
equivalent event in 1964 and
was 3rd Open. Dam of ‘Fechan
Lass’ was a chequer pied hen
that was bred by Tom Little
from Creca and was out of a
Logan hen when coupled to a
grizzle cock from John
Kirkpatrick, which was in fact
the nestmate of ‘Galabank
Producer’. Sire of ‘Fechan Lass’
was the breeders great stock
cock ‘Fechan King’. In 1973 a
record entry of 7,953 pigeons
competed from Rennes with the
race being won by Joe Murray &
Son, who housed their pigeons
in a humble wee loft at The
Haggs at Ecclefechan, close to
the home of John Carmichael.
Joe Murray’s Classic winner was
a blue chequer hen ‘Murray’s
‘Gilly’ 1st Open SNFC Alencon 2017.
Delight’ and contained the lines
of T Gray from Lanark. John
Gilmour’s winner was therefore Port Seton, near Edinburgh, worked true Widowhood. He
the third pigeon to win the being 3rd Open and C Grieve was basketed for the Classic
Scottish National Blue Riband from Greengairs in Lanarkshire with his first flight three-
event into the village. timing a very good pigeon into quarters grown. Dam is a Theo
the West Section to be 4th Rutten, which was obtained
The 2017 Alencon Classic was Open. from friends Shaun and Linda
originally scheduled for Friday Trodden whilst the sire is a red
30th June but due to an John Gilmour’s National winner cock that was bred by Martin
unfavourable weather forecast, is two year old dark chequer Adair from Flimby in West
it was decided to delay cock ’Gilly’ that had five races as Cumbria.
basketing and target a Monday a youngster, raced from Lymm,
race. The convoy was released at Wollaston and Cheltenham as a Theo & Raymond Rutten reside
5.45am on Monday 3rd July into yearling and in 2017 prior going at Groesbeek, Netherlands, and
a light south west wind, which to the National, competed with are the owners of a superb
turned to a northerly direction the Solway Federation from family of pigeons based on the
en route with John timing at Charnock Richard (1), Charnock bloodlines of Janssen Brothers

Racing Pigeon Pictorial International — No 569 23


3rd Section Eastbourne 2015.
of Arendonk. They first visited
the brothers at Arendonk in
1958 and continued to visit
them on a regular basis,
obtaining stock on an annual
basis. They also acquired
pigeons from Jules Wouters of
Keerbergen, who purchased the
very best of Janssen bloodlines
including grandchildren from
the ‘Prins’; direct progeny from
the ‘Racket’ and from the Super
Pair ‘Louis’ and ‘Irma’. He also
acquired progeny from several
of the all-time greats including
‘The 019’, ‘Oude
Geeloger’, ‘Merckx’ and
the famous ‘Vos’. Theo &
Raymond Rutten
supplemented the
Janssen line by
purchasing stock from
Gebr Janssen,
concentrating on the line
of the ‘Chantilly’ and
‘Winterjongen’ and from
Henri van Venrooij of
Deurne, who obtained his
original stock direct from
Janssen Brothers.
National wins achieved by
Theo & Raymond Rutten
include 1st National
Orleans competing
against 17,211 pigeons,
1st National Montlucon
competing against 7,000+
pigeons, 1st National St
Quentin competing
against 6,611 pigeons, 1st Bobby Adair’s good red hen.
National St Vincent
24
competing against 2,424
pigeons and 1st National
Chantilly competing against
23,193 pigeons.
Martin Adair is the son of the
late Bobby Adair, who was one
of the best fanciers in the North
of England and Southern
Scotland, with his team being
based on the Vandevelde lines
of George Gorley from
Cockermouth and Gordon
Jenkinson from Clifton, which
went back to the lines of Bill
Racing Pigeon Pictorial International — No 569
Heatley and Alf Robinson.
Bobby also obtained Doctor
Anderson Bricioux from George
Lawson from Silloth and the
coupling of Vandevelde to the
Bricioux produced two
exceptional mealy cocks, which
were unrelated but through
which all subsequent winners
emerged.
Racing a modest team of
pigeons on the Natural system,
Bobby and Martin won the
noted Big Cup in the Derwent
Valley Federation on ten
occasions for the best average
from all races through to the
longest channel race. The sire of
the red cock, which John
obtained from Martin, was 8th
Federation Nantes. He was bred
direct from Bobby & Martin
Adair’s noted red hen, which
was the first Gold Award winner
in Cumbria. This hen scored in
the Federation from the
Channel on 12 occasions and
featured in the first 50 of the
Cumbria Combine result from
the channel on eight occasions.
The sire of the red cock that
John Gilmour obtained from
Martin was also the sire of the
red cock that fellow Club
member, Jimmy Dalgliesh,
obtained from Flimby,
which bred the noted
‘Hoddom Dynamo’, that
was 7th Section SNFC
Alencon and 2nd Section
3rd Open Falaise 2008,
and 1st Open SNFC
Falaise in 2009.
A sister of ‘Hoddom
Dynamo’ was 3rd Open
SNFC Maidstone 2007
and 8th Open SNFC
Newbury 2008. A brother
was 70th Newbury, 15th
Section 47th Open
Maidstone, 21st Section
43rd Open Newbury and
296th Open Eastbourne,
all with the SNFC and a
son of ‘Hoddom Dynamo’
was 4th Section 4th Open
SNFC Newbury. Dam of
the red cock that John
obtained from Martin
Adair was a mealy, bred
by Tommy Nichol from
Langholm from two direct
Bobby Adair pigeons. Tommy
passed progeny from the hen to
several fanciers across the
country, which performed on
the road and Martin made a
point getting the hen back
when Tommy left the sport.
When John Gilmour purchased
the sire of the National winner,
he travelled to Flimby with
friend Alistair Little, who is
actually Jimmy Dalgliesh’s son-
in-law and when the young cock
and his nestmate were ready to
be weaned, Martin brought
them part of the way to
Springfield, where John met
him.
John has had an interest in
pigeons since he was a boy with
his father, Jackie, being a very
good fancier before him. In
former years Jackie and his
brother, Eddie, competed under
the loft title Gilmour Brothers
and Martindale and gained a
number of successes with the
highlight being winning the
Vaux Usher Young Bird National
in 1963 with a red cock that was
bred by Hughie Falconer from
Mid Calder. At that time they
were advised by John Prott from
Longtown, who was a really
good fancier and as the years
passed they assembled a superb
Dark hen that was 5th Section 6th Open SNFC Falaise.
Racing Pigeon Pictorial International — No 569
Front elevation of John Gilmour’s loft.
team of pigeons. In 1967, they
gained the first three positions
in the Section from SNFC
Avranches and in 1974 they
were 3rd Open SNFC Avranches.
The brothers eventually formed
their own separate lofts and as
the years passed they achieved
individual successes. In 2005,
Jackie was 6th Section 29th
Open Tours and in 2006 this
same pigeon was 1st Section 3rd
Open from the equivalent race.
Dam of the 3rd Open Tours was
incidentally, gifted to Jackie by
his son-in-law, Brian Robertson,
who for a time also participated
in the fancy. The pigeon was a
Janssen that Brian obtained
from the late Andy Wilson from
Locharbriggs. I should add that
during the season past, Jackie
was once more amongst the
winners, being 3rd Section from
the Ypres Commemorative Race
with a hen that was bred from a
pair of pigeons that John bred
for his father.
Having always been amongst
pigeons John entered the
competitive side of our hobby
whilst still at school, competing
in partnership with his cousin
Stewart, as S & J Gilmour. It
should be explained that they
were guided and assisted by
their uncle, Eddie, who is known
in the family as Ned and as
previously explained, formerly
competed under the loft title
Gilmour Brothers and
Martindale. Amongst the
positions gained by S & J
Gilmour were 1st Section 3rd
Open Avranches and 3rd Section
4th Open Nantes. At the time
Jim Renwick made comment in
his column in the Fancy Press
about the schoolboy fanciers
winning into Ecclefechan but
didn’t mention that we were
being guided and assisted by
their uncle, who was quite an
25
expert. I publish with this local club. Son Raymond
article a photograph that and his mother, Tilly, are
was taken at the 1974 also actively involved in
SNFC Prize Presentation, the management of the
which shows Stewart and pigeons. Having
John receiving silverware explained above that the
from Guy Barrett. Rutten loft is based on
the lines of the Janssen
The years marched Brothers from Arendonk,
forward and John it will interest our
married and set up home readers to know that
in the community of Theo is affectionately
Waterbeck, which is a known in the
picturesque village Netherlands as ‘Theo, the
situated between Dutch Louie Janssen’.
Ecclefechan and Sean and Linda first
Langholm. At the new purchased examples of
address, he built a 16ft x the Rutten family some
6ft three compartment 15 years ago, direct from
loft and joined Hoddom the breeders and through
Club. Pigeons were ongoing introductions
obtained from his father, have formed a superb
from friend Alistair Little team of Rutten pigeons.
and from fellow club John Gilmour also
member Jimmy Dalgliesh, John Gilmour (right) and his cousin Stewart, being learned that pigeons
which were worked on presented with trophies by Guy Barrett at the SNFC emanating from the
the Natural system. He is Prize Presentation in 1974. Rutten loft were winning
a joiner by profession across the pigeon world
and in time, assisted by Raymond Rutten, who are five in such diverse locations as
members of the family and times Dutch National winners Germany, Belgium, Poland,
friends, he built a bungalow at and have been Champions of Portugal, Taiwan, China and of
Ecclefechan, which has a large their club on more than forty course the UK. On viewing the
garden within which he erected occasions racing from 60 miles pigeons that day he further
the original loft. At that time his to 650 miles. learned that Sean and Linda
total concentration wasn’t on actually worked with several
pigeons as his sons Ryan and Theo Rutten developed an other families, including SVR’s
Adam played youth football interest in pigeons, whilst still at obtained from Steve Wheatley
with Annan Athletic. He took Primary School, initially from Middlesbrough and Jan
them to training and to matches competing in partnership with Aardens, which they obtained
and became so involved he his uncle. He formed his own from Dutch fancier Fritz
assisted to coach youths at the loft when he was thirteen years Ringenberg. It was explained to
club. This continued until the old and given time, showed his him that Fritz sold his primary
boys stopped playing and he class becoming Champion of the pigeons to a fancier in Ibiza and
was then able to focus once
more on the pigeons, which
included building a new loft.

Through his work, he met Sean

Trodden, who was the Health
and Safety Officer on a Building
Site where he was working. An
immediate friendship was
formed and he arranged to visit
Sean at his home at Egremont in
West Cumbria. He was truly
impressed with Sean’s pigeons
and importantly with his system.
Sean competes in partnership
with his good lady Linda and on
visiting their home at Egremont
he learned that the primary
family of pigeons, which they Sire of the Alencon National winner.
housed, was that of Theo and

26 Racing Pigeon Pictorial International — No 569

Sean and Linda obtained their
first two Ringenberg Jan
Aardens from that source. John
travelled to Egremont with his
son Adam and on departure
Adam was gifted a pair of
pigeons, which John still has and
over the years, on an ongoing
basis, he’s received further birds
One of the original Ruttens obtained from Sean & Linda Trodden.
from Sean and Linda, bred from
and related to the best in the
loft.
At the time of his original visit
Sean and Linda were winning
out of turn right through to
Federation and Combine level.
In 2015 they moved across the
Border to Springfield, near to
the famous Blacksmith’s Shop at
Gretna Green and are now
members of Springfield Club.
Competing in Springfield with
their youngsters in 2016 they
gained a succession of sparkling
results. Week after week they
had birds arrive in numbers;
they took the first ten positions
in the Federation from
Sedburgh (2) and had eight in a
drop from the Federation Open
race, which they won. When
Racing Pigeon Pictorial International — No 569
they took all ten positions in the
Federation, from Sedburgh (2) I
wrote in my column in The RP, “I
have been writing for the
Pigeon Press since the 1970’s
and never before have I written
about the same fancier taking
all ten Open positions in the
Solway Federation”. At the close
of the season Sean and Linda
were presented with the trophy
as Federation Fanciers of the
Year.
When John Gilmour first visited
Sean & Linda Trodden he
managed his team on the
Natural method. Sean, by
comparison, worked his team on
Widowhood and John listened
to his every word when Sean
explained the rudiments of the
system to him. On arriving home
he obtained books and DVD’s to
learn more about the
Widowhood method and made
a commitment to change my
system to a form of
Widowhood.
John saw an immediate
improvement in performance in
local and National competition.
In 2010, for example, he was 3rd
Section 15th Open from the
Inland National from Bovingdon
with a two year old mealy cock
that went to the race on
Roundabout. His sire was a red
cock that was bred from a
Busschaert cock that was
obtained from Ron Strong from
Hexham when coupled to a
mealy Van Hee hen that was
obtained from Davie Robinson
from Lockerbie. Dam was a blue
w/f hen that was bred from a
Ron Strong Busschaert when
paired to a Janssen cock. In 2013
he was 5th Section 56th Open
from the SNFC Blue Riband
event from Alencon with a two
year old blue chequer cock, the
sire of which contained the
loft’s original bloodlines whilst
the dam was a SVR from Sean
and Linda Trodden. The chequer
cock had five races as a
youngster and went to the coast
as a yearling. In 2013 he was
paired in the middle of January
and reared two youngsters after
which he was split from his
mate and put on Roundabout.
He entered the race basket at
Appleby and thereafter had five
races with the Federation to
Cheltenham and then went to
Newbury with the National
when he made the clock and
was 208th Open. He was worked
on Roundabout for his first four
races and was then re-paired,
going to Alencon covering 10
day eggs.
The Annual Commemorative
race from Ypres is a regular part
of the SNFC race programme but
in 2015 it was cancelled due to
problems with the Ferry. The
Ypres race was therefore
substituted with a race from
Eastbourne and John timed with
the leaders into the area, to be
3rd Section 196th Open. The
winning pigeon on this occasion
was a two year old blue chequer
cock that was home bred from
Rutten stock obtained from Sean
& Linda Trodden. He had four
races as a youngster and went to
the coast as a yearling on
Widowhood. In 2015 he was
paired after the Blackpool Show
27
and having reared a pair of
youngsters was then put on
Widowhood. He went through
the Federation programme to
the Inland National from
Billericay and was then re-paired
with the intention of sending
him to Ypres. He went to
Eastbourne covering five day old
youngsters.
Our readers will have observed
that the system that evolved was
that John worked the
team on a Widowhood
method from the earlier
races and then re-paired
them for the Channel.
During the years that he
worked the system,
however, he promised
himself that “next year I’ll
continue racing cocks and
hens on Widowhood,
right out to the
Channel”. In 2017 that is
exactly what he did,
which obviously paid
dividends as he featured
in the prize list in the
very competitive Hoddom
Club throughout the
season and then won
Scottish National Blue
Riband event from
Alencon.
His current loft is ‘L’
shaped and contains
three compartments on
the front elevation. On
looking onto the front of
the shed, there is a 9ft John Gilmour photographed receiving the King
long compartment for George V Cup and the famous Gold Cup from
cocks on the right hand President, John McCord at the SNFC Prize
Presentation.
side of the structure and
an 8ft long compartment
for young birds on the left, with thirty plus old birds, which were
the centre compartment being
used as a corridor. The shed is
extended behind the young bird youngster. When the youngsters
compartment, to form the
second leg of the ‘L’. This leg is
6ft wide at the narrowest point
and is so constructed that it
marries into the corridor,
previously described.
Immediately behind the young
bird compartment is a
compartment for Widowhood
hens and behind that are two
further compartments for stock
pigeons. The compartment for
28
the Widowhood cocks is kitted
out with conventional
Widowhood nest boxes whilst
the compartment for the
Widowhood hens is kitted out
with boxes with fronts, equal to
half the front of a conventional
Widowhood front.
As the years have passed his
management system has evolved
and improved. In 2017 he
commenced the season with
paired in early January, with
each pair rearing at least one
were weaned the cocks and hens hen to Falaise covering the eggs
were separated from their mates and timed it at 2.47pm from a
and put on Widowhood. At the
gateway to the season they had
two 20 mile training tosses and
were thereafter worked around
the loft only, exercising freely
for one hour, each time they
were put out. It should be
understood, however, that over
the days leading up to basketing and went to Charnock Richard
for the Alencon Classic, the
Racing Pigeon Pictorial International — No 569
National winner had five 20 mile
training tosses. The squad was
worked on a form of
Roundabout but as the hens
were at all times boxed whilst in
the shed, John describes it as
Widowhood for cocks and hens.
The system worked was that the
hens were released from their
boxes, driven into the corridor
and thereafter put out to
exercise. While the hens were
exercising, the cocks were
moved though the
corridor into the hen end.
When the hens had
completed their period of
exercise they entered the
cock compartment
through a sputnik. The
cocks were then moved
through the corridor and
put out to exercise after
which the hens were
moved through the
corridor into their own
compartment, being fed
and watered in their
boxes. When the cocks
completed their exercise
they entered the loft
through the sputnik and
were fed on trays on the
floor.
On one occasion, John
couldn’t get the hens
into the loft in the
morning following
exercise and he went to
work and reluctantly left
them to enter the shed
through the sputnik.
When he arrived home
he discovered two of the
hens on the loft floor,
toying on with each
other. He chose to leave them
and one of the pair layed, which
was a yearling dark hen. He
then decided to send the dark
6.15am liberation to be 5th
Section 6th Open. She went
through the programme to
Charnock Richard as a
youngster. In 2017 it was paired
during the first week in January
and reared two youngsters. It
was then put on Widowhood
(2) when it was 8th Club, Lymm,
Wollaston and Marlborough
when it was 2nd Club. It then
went to the Inland National
from Bedhampton before
competing from Falaise. Sire is a
Deweerdt from Andy Gregson
whilst the dam is a Grizzle
Koopman from Ernie Goodyear
with both parents being
purchased at Blackpool Show.
During the season past, John
bred fifty youngsters, thirty of
which were worked on Darkness.
It should be noted that this was
the first time he’d tried Darkness
and looks forward to comparing
those worked on Darkness
against those managed on the
conventional method next
season.
He manages the loft on a bare
board system with the loft being
scraped each and every day. He
applies a floor dressing of
coarse sand, which is riddled
daily, to keep the floor clean
and dry.
During the early part of the
season the birds were broken
down during the early part of
the week and built up for
competition using normal
Widowhood mixture. When the
flying distance extended beyond
Widowhood hen boxes.
Racing Pigeon Pictorial International — No 569
The wing of ‘Gilly’, 1st Open SNFC Alencon (photographed several days
after the race).
200 miles, they were fed a
conventional Widowhood
mixture on build up, boosted
with a measured amount if high
energy mixture provided over
the days prior to basketing. It
was explained to me also that he
uses Versele Laga and Bamfords
mixtures, carefully selecting the
mixture for the task in hand.
With regards additives, he adds
Apple Cider Vinegar to the
drinking water all the year
round and uses Natural
Vitaminor. On completion of the
moult, the entire team is
inoculated as a preventative
against PMV and treated for
Canker and Coccidiosis before
racing commences. Two weeks
prior to the first National they
are again treated for Canker
and Coccidiosis. He also uses
Ropa B Flight Boost, which is a
natural herbal remedy for the
respiratory system, immunity
and digestive system.
Since he was a boy John Gilmour
has harboured an ambition to
win the Scottish National Blue
Riband event and was ever so
proud in 2017 when he realised
this ambition. At the SNFC Prize
Presentation in October, he
stepped proudly forward to
receive the famous Gold Cup,
The King George V Cup, the
British Homing World Trophy
and Section A Trophy from Club
President, John McCord and also
received The T Buck Trophy for
the best average from Alencon
and Falaise. This trophy was
incidentally donated to the
SNFC by Tommy Buck in memory
of Doctor and Mrs Anderson.
John Gilmour is a young man
who puts a great deal of
thought and effort into his
pigeons and I have absolutely
no doubt that we’ll be hearing a
great deal more about him in
the months and years ahead.
29
GEVAERT-LANNOO
(MEIGEM, BEL)

A TINY PIGEON
FAMILY WITH BIG
ACHIEVEMENTS
32 Racing Pigeon Pictorial International — No 569
 his team is few in
T
numbers but their prize
list is quite impressive.
They did really well in
2017, despite having to
start out with an entirely
new racing team. They claimed
several 1st prizes at Provincial
and National level, as well as a
few Provincial Ace Pigeon titles
and KBDB Championship titles.
A Provincial and Zonal
victory for an inexperienced
racing team
The 2017 racing season would be
quite a challenge for Paul
Gevaerts & Carlos Lannoo, who
had auctioned their entire racing
team (olds, yearlings an raced
youngsters of 2016) last winter.
The auction was a great success
financially but it also meant a
considerable loss in quality for
the team.
The two fanciers started the
2017 season with a brand new
and inexperienced team of
summer youngsters of 2016.
These birds had only had a few
shorter middle distance races in
their year of birth (2016). These
youngsters all came from
renowned breeding pairs but
any fancier knows that is no
guarantee for success. These
racing birds had hardly any
experience, so they were raced
with the brakes on, to avoid any
mishaps in the early season.
This team quickly turned out to
have a lot potential, and as they
gained some experience they
also started winning prizes. The
team was able to win several 1st
Racing Pigeon Pictorial International — No 569
prizes, including a Provincial win
from Orleans and a Zonal 1st
prize from Argenton.
Despite racing just a small team
of yearlings and young birds,
Gevaert-Lannoo was able to win
several championship titles this
season, which goes to show that
they have a bright future ahead.
Some new champions have
emerged, and the team is again
in full bloom. These are their
most important titles:
6th Provincial Ace Pigeon
Middle Distance Olds &
Yearlings KBDB
6th Provincial Champion Olds
& Yearlings KBDB
1st Champion Longer Middle
Distance Young Birds 2017
Fondclub Eeklo
1st Ace Pigeon Longer Middle
Distance Young Birds 2017
Fondclub Eeklo
2nd Champion Long Distance
Young Birds 2017 Fondclub
Eeklo
3rd General Champion Longer
Middle Distance 2017
Fondclub Eeklo
A group of 60 pigeons in winter
(16 breeding pairs and 12 pairs
of racing birds) has been the
winning formula for the fanciers
from Meigem. They breed
youngsters from proven racing
birds and prize winners. They
also get rid of many pigeons,
and their loft is home only to
nationally renowned birds. This
is the key to success, not only for
this loft but for many other lofts
that have purchased pigeons
here as well.
New ace pigeons
Like we said, there are many
talented pigeons in this racing
team, and Paul and Carlos
discovered some new ace
pigeons as well, ‘Brother-3-
Platina’ and ‘Barones 60’. We
take a closer look:
‘Brother-3-Platina’ BE16-
4070113
6th Provincial Ace Pigeon Middle
Distance Olds & Yearlings 2017
KBDB East-Flanders
1st Fontenay 363 birds
1st Fontenay 334 birds
2nd Blois 222 birds (5th
Provincial 1,275 birds – on 29/07)
2nd Orleans 106 birds (8th
Provincial 612 birds – on 13/08)
3rd Orleans 194 birds (68th
Provincial 1,749 birds – on 08/07)
7th Blois 206 birds (34th
Provincial 873 birds – on 22/07)
58th N Zone Argenton 660 birds
He is a son of top pair ‘Willy’
BE13-4035076 x ‘Perfecta’
BE13/4035080. This makes him a
full brother of super class hen
‘Platina’ BE15-4146027, winner
of 1st Provincial Ace Pigeon
Middle Distance YBs KBDB 2015,
5th National Ace Pigeon Shorter
Middle Distance YBs KBDB 2015.
One of the most promising
pigeons in the 2017 young bird
team is without doubt ‘Barones
60’. She is another hen with an
excellent pedigree, coming from
a crossing of two highly
renowned bloodlines.
‘Barones 60’ BE17-4176060
1st Ace Pigeon Longer Middle
Distance YBs 2017 Fondclub Eeklo
33
1st Clermont 457 birds
7th Arras 297 birds
8th Vierzon 325 birds
(177th Provincial 2,341
birds)
10th Blois 1,114 birds
(104th Provincial 6,013
birds)
11th Issoudun 601 birds
(206th Provincial 3,874
birds)
25th Chateauroux 396
birds (152nd N Zone
3,369 birds)
29th Orleans 888 birds
(342nd Prov 6,380 birds)
40th Argenton 838 birds (274th
N Zone 7,382 birds)
She is a daughter of top breeder
‘Baron’ BE10-4275541 (she comes
from a son of ‘Bliksem’, ‘Bliksem
34
CEO’ BE04-3230979 x stock dam
‘Chateauke’ BE05-3202164),
paired to ‘Renate’ BE15-3095344,
winner of a 1st National
Argenton 11,215 birds for Dirk &
Bart Delodder (granddaughter of
Racing Pigeon Pictorial International — No 569
top breeder ‘Orlandor’
of Geert & Annick
Vanrenterghem-
Goeteyn).
These ace pigeons are
expected to do well
again in 2018, along
with the Provincial and
Zonal winners of 2017.
And that sums up some
of the big favourites for
next season.
Dolce, Ivanka and
Twiggy put Gevaert-
Lannoo in the spotlight again
Here are three more champions
of 2017. These pigeons have put
the team of Gevaert-Lannoo in
the spotlight at National level,
winning a 1st National Zone A2
from Argenton, a 1st Provincial
Orleans and a 2nd National Zone
from Chateauroux. All three are
direct descendants of stock dam
‘Chateauke’.
‘Twiggy’ BE16-4070106
1st National Zone Argenton (3)
660 birds (32nd National 3,966
birds)
9th Argenton (1) 787 birds (150th
National Zone 6,628 birds)
55th Provincial Tours 2,718 birds
35th Chateauroux 1,091 birds
(556th National 26,695 birds on
10/06)
35th Chaterauroux 757 birds
(292nd Provincial 4,740 birds on
17/06)
202nd Provincial Blois 2,147 birds
‘Twiggy’ is inbred to the
renowned stock pair ‘Dikke
Antoon’ x ‘Chateauke’, which
appear in his pedigree not one
but three times. Her sire is ‘Ensor’
BE14-4032050,and he is bred
from the best racing cock x
racing hen of 2014, ‘Blikkaaf’ (a
grandson of this stock pair) x
‘Sister 42 Kakafje’ (a direct
daughter of the stock pair). The
dam is ‘Amber’ BE12-4175014,
winner of a 1st Provincial
Argenton 6,097 birds, a 6th
National Argenton 25,949 birds,
a 1st Angerville 362 birds, a 1st
Arras 119 birds, a 49th National
Zone Poitiers 3,342 birds etc.
‘Amber’ is a daughter of ‘Brother
14 Kaafje’, a son of the stock pair
x ‘Gabytje’ (a direct Gaby
Vandenabeele and a daughter of
‘Tsaar’, winner of a 1st Provincial
Argenton 2,226 birds).
The racing team was clearly in
Racing Pigeon Pictorial International — No 569
great form. ‘Twiggy’ put in a
great performance in Argenton,
and ‘Ivanka’ had already claimed
a Provincial 1st prize from
Orleans. ‘Dolce’ was close to
another big win but had to settle
for a 2nd Zonal instead. It would
have been three in a row.
‘Ivanka’ BE16-4070112
1st Prov Orleans 612 birds
6th Clermont 275 birds
7th Fontenay 263 birds (on 13/05)
15th Fontenay 334 birds (on 20/05)
48th Tours 573 birds (191st
Provincial 2,718 birds)
She is a daughter of ‘Master
King’ BE12-4175097, winner of
two 1st prizes, a 33rd National
La Souterraine 7,176 birds ’14
and a 39th National La
Souterraine 4,144 birds ’13, and
a full brother of a 1st Provincial
and 2nd National Ace Pigeon
Middle Distance KBB 2010 (a son
of top breeder ‘King Gaby’, a
grandson of ‘Bliksem’
Vandenabeele x
‘Chateaufideelke’). The dam is
‘Sister Caraat’ BE14-4032116
(from ‘Bliksem Rik’, another
grandson of ‘Bliksem’ x ‘Red
Nationaal’ hen).
Racing bird ‘Dolce’ was close to
a prestigious win as well but she
had to settle for 2nd place at
Zonal level.
‘Dolce’ BE16-4070098
2nd National Zone Chateauroux
(3) 842 birds (1st Club 98 birds)
6th National Chateauroux (3)
4,386 birds
6th National Zone Bourges (2)
2,381 birds
14th Provincial Issoudun 518
birds (1st Club 71 birds)
14th Provincial Blois 2,147 birds
17th National Zone Argenton (3)
660 birds
A fantastic racing hen. She is
inbred to ‘Chateauke’ BE05-
3202164, the stock dam of the
Gevaert-Lannoo pigeon breed.
She comes from a son x
granddaughter of ‘Chateauke’,
‘Crayonné Witpen Fideel’ BE08-
4280370 (from ‘Fideel Etienne’ x
‘Chateauke’) x ‘Dicapria’ 84
BE15-4146084 (from ‘Son Di
Caprio’ Van Dyck – line
‘Kannibaal’ x ‘Sister 100 Kaafje’,
a daughter of ‘Chateauke’).
Great confidence for 2018
Paul explains that they are still
hobby fanciers. Their goal is to
enjoy pigeon racing as much as
they can with a small group of
pigeons. They want to do what
is still well within their abilities
at their age. Team Gevaert-
Lannoo is looking towards 2018
with great confidence, with a
team of promising youngsters in
their collection, specialised in
the middle distance and the
longer middle distance. They
became National stars in these
two competitions, and they want
to live up to their reputation in
2018. Their pigeon breed is
centered around a few core
bloodlines, stock dam
‘Chateauke’ and her daughter
‘Kaafke’, crossed with the line of
Gaby Vandenabeele’s ‘Bliksem’.
This will be the road to success
for this team in the next few
seasons as well.
www.pipa.be
35
 AVAILABLE FROM THE RACING PIGEON
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special pigeons and much more…
“Progressing through the ranks from his ‘pudding
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joined his first registered club, the Raglan HS, in
1959.
Sprint racing lost out to distance racing by 1971
when he became obsessed with winning the Up
North Combine from Bourges, its longest race.
Pursuing this goal, and only this goal, it took him a
mere 20 years to achieve it!
His chosen career was laboratory technology and
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gave him the time and money to see a bit of the world
travelling around Europe, South America, South
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have led him.
Now retired from the racing scene he maintains a loft of about 30 pairs of breeders the produce of
which go to others race, to one man in particular a close friend of over 60 years.
He lives where he has always lived in the North East of England. He likes it there!” –
Lee Fribbins, Editor
UK £11.95 including p&p
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or go to www.racingpigeon.co.uk and order online
 This authoritative book by JOHN
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 LOFT REPORT

BOSMANS-LEEKENS
Beverlo, Belgium

by Tony Harte
t was a real pleasure, to business. In 1982 Dirk got the name Bosmans-Geboers in

I
meet two ultra successful married and also started to race the long distance races. However,
pigeon fanciers, who pigeons from his new home. Marc’s partner had to finish the
have a long ‘track partnership, due to time
record’, in the pigeon Dirk raced in partnership with constraints on his restaurant
racing game. Dirk Jan Hermans (Editor of the De business. Whilst attending the
Leekens was born into a Duif) up until 2011 and were very Golden Duif presentation night,
pigeon family, as his successful, (1st National Dirk and Marc were talking and
father and brothers, kept Championship Young Birds 2010, agreed to form a new
racing pigeons. Then at 1st National Brive 2011, 3 partnership, at the loft of Marc.
only ten years of age, he had a European Cup Ace Pigeons, etc), Marc’s long distance pigeons
loft of his own and his love of but had a total auction, as he were replaced with the best of
the sport developed from there. was not able to race from this Dirk’s short/middle distance
In 1981 he moved to As, near Jos address anymore. Marc Bosmans bloodlines, as a round of eggs off
Thone and set up his hairdressing used to race in partnership under Dirk’s best pigeons had been

38 Racing Pigeon Pictorial International — No 569

Racing Pigeon Pictorial International — No 569 39
40 Racing Pigeon Pictorial International — No 569

moved to Marc’s, prior to the
auction in 2011. The only pigeon
not sold was ‘Lucky Luke’, as he
was 15 years old. However, in
2012-2013 he sired about 25
youngsters, which testifies to the
constitution of this family and
many of these are now in the
stock loft.
‘Speedo’, 1st Euro Cup Ace
Pigeon, from Marc’s father, was
added to the breeding loft,
together with ‘Triple Olympiad’
of Etienne Stassen (sire to over
seven different 1st prize winners).
The partnership now concentrate
on specific bloodlines, namely,
the ‘Lucky Luke’ line, Dirk Van
Dijk, ‘Kannibal’ line, Prosper
Roosen and the ‘Olympic Triple
Ace’. These pigeons have been
‘churning out’ winners, including
1st Provincial Ace Pigeon Middle
Distance 2012, 2nd Pigeon,
Belgium Olympiad Yearlings,
2013, a daughter of ‘Triple
Olympiad’, ‘Olympic Triple Nena’,
was 1st Provincial Middle
Distance Belgium KBDB 2015 and
various other children and
grandchildren have consistently,
been achieving top results. Such
is the interest, in the Bosmans-
Leekens pigeons, that during a
visit from some Chinese fanciers,
that had also come to watch the
pigeons return from a race, the
Chinese were streaming the
action ‘Live’ and there were some
Racing Pigeon Pictorial International — No 569
1,300 fanciers in China, watching
everything live and all wanting to
comment or ask questions, whilst
Dirk and Marc, wanted to
concentrate on the return of the
race birds. The pros & cons of
digital technology!
The partnership have about 20
cocks and 70 hens, all flown on
Widowhood. Dirk tells me that
the best results are achieved with
the hens and whose partners are
left on their own. They do have
one loft with cocks and hens, left
together, but these are not as
successful as the others. They
keep around 200 young birds,
which are flown on the Darkness
system, starting on 1st April until
21st June. After this time the
young birds are given extra light
from 6 until 11pm. As soon as
the last race is flown the loft is
closed down and the extra
lighting stopped. The birds are
then rested, closed in the loft, to
allow them to moult unhindered
and all pigeons are locked up
until early the following
February, due to the problems
with birds of prey. In February
the hens are allowed out for
exercise and ‘loft flown’ with the
flag, once a day, beginning with
30 minutes and building up to
around 90 minutes to two hours
per day. The cocks are trained
separately, for one hour, once a
day. The old birds are given four
or five training tosses, pre-
season, up to a maximum of
20km, the young birds a
maximum of ten times up to
20km and all birds have two
training tosses with the club, one
at 70km and then one at 90km.
The pigeons are no longer taken
on, continuous, regular training
tosses, in the car, as if they are
training well, around the loft,
then it is not necessary. During
the race season after the pigeons
reach the 300km stage, they
have two nights in the basket,
being basketted on a Thursday
for a Saturday liberation.
41

The pigeons are fed Vanrobaeys
best racing, in the earlier part of
the week, then the last three
days on Dynamic, plus energy
corn, for the last two days before
and for two days on return.
Depending upon the distance
flown and weather conditions,
the pigeons are given extra fat,
such as peanuts, small seeds, etc.
The peanuts are always put in the
microwave for 30 seconds, to
ensure that any bacteria/toxins
are destroyed. The pigeons are
also given ‘relax’, on return. No
barley is given during the season,
but before the season starts, they
are given barley, for four weeks
in February. During the moult the
pigeons are given vitamins and
oils, etc. The pigeons must be in
42
100% top condition, before the
racing starts and the pigeons are
given a full health check, prior to
the start of the season. They have
and use their own microscope so,
only treat whenever there is a
problem identified. Dirk states
that if one uses antibiotics
regularly, then you will not be
able to keep your birds in top
form, for the full season. The
partnership use supplements
from Vanrobaeys, together with
products from the Vet, Ferdy
Vandersanden and Belgica de
Weerd. The pigeons are given
Belgamagix, every three or four
weeks, against
canker/trichomonas.
During the visit to the lofts, we
Racing Pigeon Pictorial International — No 569
were given the opportunity to
see the young birds return from
the Chateauroux race 540km, and
it was interesting to see that the
young birds had been trained to
trap to the noise of an electric
doorbell. As Marc Bosman is
responsible for the day to day
care and maintenance of the
pigeons, if for some reason Dirk,
has to clock the race birds, then
instead of a different
voice/whistle, the consistent
sound of the electric doorbell,
gives the young birds extra
confidence. It was also pleasing
to see some of the very small,
Maltese Moroccean pigeons, used
as drop birds. However, on this
occasion, the first pigeon to drop,
came like an exorcet missile,
straight from the sky and trapped
in an instant. Amazing to watch
and reflected on the precise
management systems of these
two super fanciers. As it turned
out the first pigeon was 2nd
Provincial, another super result.
The results for 2017 have been
very impressive, including:
1st Provincial Chevrainvillers,
380km from 4,955 pigeons, with
‘Maite’
1st Provincial Chevrainvillers,
380km from 3,353 pigeons, with
‘Betty’
1st Provincial Argenton, 570km
from 2,554 pigeons, with
‘Vanessa’
1st Provincial Chatearoux, 540km
from 2,039 pigeons, with ‘Lesbi‘.
(This hen was paired to another
hen, but the partnership made
use of this, for extra motivation
and it succeeded, so hence the
name, “Lesbi’)
1st Provincial Argenton, 570km
from 1,015 pigeons, with ‘Chalon’
1st Provincial Libourne, 800km
from 464 pigeons, with ‘Luna’.
In addition to these results, there
have been 2nd place Provincials
So the success journey continues
for this ultra successful
partnership, now there are many
other fanciers winning with these
pigeons, including fanciers, from
the little island of Malta. As Dirk
and Marc advise, to improve, we
must look, listen and learn.
Racing Pigeon Pictorial International — No 569 43
 THE
HUMAN FAMILY
OF HAMPSHIRE

Text & Photos by Keith Mott

www.keithmott.com
44 Racing Pigeon Pictorial International — No 569
 everal
S
generations of
the Human
family have raced
pigeons with
outstanding
success in the
Hampshire area
for many years.
My ol’ friend,
Derek Human, must have one of
the best racing records in Classic
and National in the south of
England, including 1st Open
NFC Tarbes. His son, Adrian, has
had brilliant success racing
pigeons at his own address and
of course raced his famous
champion, ‘Ransdean Reliance’,
to his loft in Petersfield.
After winning the 2007 NFC
Tarbes race in such good style,
Derek Human of Petersfield
certainly had some thing to do
in 2008 to equal that wonderful
National win achieved by his
great Champion ‘Any Distance’.
Well if he didn’t equal that
2007 performance he certainly
came close! Derek entered five
Racing Pigeon Pictorial International — No 569
birds in the 2008 NFC Tarbes
race, with over 4,000 birds
competing, and got four home
on the day of liberation,
clocking three of the birds
within 18 minutes of his first
arrival. Brilliant pigeon racing
by any one’s standards. The first
bird on the clock at 16.40hrs to
record 15th Open was Derek’s
good blue cock, ‘Jack’, who is a
very consistent racer in National
events and was sent to Tarbes
sitting 14 day old eggs. ‘Jack’
was mated to his mother, ‘Rose
2’, and she was third birds
home, clocked at 16.58hrs to
record 38th Open in the
National. This wonderful hen is
sheer class, being a brilliant
racer and breeder. Second
pigeon on the clock at 16.50 hrs
was the good blue chequer
cock, ‘Kenny’, and he is a son of
the Tarbes National winner,
‘Any Distance’. ‘Kenny’ recorded
32nd Open and was also sent
sitting two week old eggs.
Derek got a phone call from his
wife while at the clock station
getting his National clock
checked and she said a fourth
pigeon had arrived from Tarbes
at 21.00hrs, and turned out to
be Champion ‘Any Distance’.
The Human’s fifth bird arrived
home early next morning and
had been ripped up by a
Sparrowhawk. That was some
billiant performance.
Derek Human and I go back
many years, starting in the early
1980’s when he had his wins in
the Central Southern Classic
Flying Club and he came to my
home in Claygate to have his
young bird champions
photographed, and I covered his
successes in the fancy press.
Derek is a very likable guy, who
has always got a smile on his
face and along with his pigeon
racing son, Adrian, is always up
for a laugh. I for one was over
the moon to hear the great
news that he had won the
greatest prize in long distance
pigeon racing in the 2007
season, 1st Open NFC Tarbes
Grand National and did it in
fantastic style. His wonderful
45
champion, ‘Any Distance’, won
1st Open Tarbes (540 miles) with
3,477 birds competing and won
the strong Section B. by 133
y.p.m. clear. A brilliant
performance at the highest
level. This game five year old
Cattrysse blue chequer hen was
sent to Tarbes feeding a nine
day old youngster and has won
a NFC Certificate of Merit
Award, previously winning 8th
Section, 70th Open NFC
Bordeaux and 11th Section, 71st
Open NFC Pau. Champion ‘Any
Distance’ has had a brilliant
racing career, winning other
premier positions including 1st
Section, 16th Open NFC Chale,
15th Section, 251st Open NFC
Fougeres and 19th Section,
369th Open NFC Sennon Cove.
A champion racer in the truest
sence of the word, winning at
at the very highest level and as
her name surgesses, at any
distance. Derek says she was
sent to Tarbes in her favourite
nest condition, feeding a baby,
and the squeaker she was
feeding when she won the
National was donated to the
NFC Young Bird Auction and
raised £470 for the club. In the
early part of the season she was
seperated from her mate to
hold her moult and then was
sent to the very hard Central
Southern Classic Flying Club
Cholet race, where she scored in
46
the first few in the open result,
and then was repaired so she
had a youngster for the Tarbes
National.
Derek has lived at his present
address in Petersfield about
eight years and on moving in he
scaled down his pigeon set up
to a wooden 18ft x 6ft Barnsley
loft, which has three sections.
The loft has an aviary running a
long the front and the birds are
trapped through the old fashion
‘bob’ wires. Derek says his loft is
very old fashioned, but it has
the push button belt to clean
out the nest boxes every Sunday
morning. The loft houses all his
racers, as the stock birds are
kept at his son, Adrian’s house
and he only keeps eight pairs
old bird racers, which are mated
up on 14th February. He races
the Natural system with the
long distance Nationals in mind
and when they have reared
their young, they are seperated
to hold their moult, and then
repaired to get them ready for
the race they are required for.
The birds are fed on Willsbridge
‘Irish’ mixture and get very little
training, only getting a few
chucks from Fareham Sports
Centre, 15 miles from the loft.
The birds are not given an open
loft because of the really bad
local Hawk problem, but get
Racing Pigeon Pictorial International — No 569
good exercise around the loft in
the evenings. The basic family
are Davenport/Cattryse, with
some Newman/Cattrysse being
bought in some years ago and
all Norman Bishop’s Cattrysse
pigeons were purchased just
before he passed away.
Other premier racers at Derek’s
Petersfield loft are: ‘Rose 2’ a
wonderful blue Cattrysse hen
and daughter of the Human’s
1996 BBC Nantes National
winner ‘Rose’. Derek is not
much good at keeping records
of his pigeons performances,
but told me ‘Rose 2’ was a
champion racer winning a list of
premier prizes in the Nationals,
including 10th Open BBC San
Sebastian, 10th Open BBC St
Nazaire and 1st Section B
Fougeres NFC, plus a special
ward presented by the BBC This
great hen races well in any nest
condition and has also score
being un-paired. ‘Jack’ a
Cattrysse blue cock and son of
‘Rose 2’. This game cock is only
three years old and has
recorded several premier
positions in British Barcelona
Club races.
Derek and Adrian share the 20
pairs of stock birds, which are
kept at Adrian’s home and
these are nornally paired up at
Christmas. The stock loft is 16ft
x 8ft, with a massive aviary and
the main feeding is Brian Wall’s
‘Breeding’ mixture. Derek sells
the first round of youngsters off
the stock birds each season and
then breeds about 28 babies to
race. Derek loves young bird
racing and has been very
successful through the years,
the best performances being
twice 1st Open CSCFC with
babies. He is trying out the
‘darkness’ system this season
and maintains, these days you
must be on the system to do
well in young bird racing. The
young birds are given lots of
short training tosses and then
five chucks from the New Forest
before going in to the first
races. Derek is not in a Saturday
Federation club and the
youngsters go straight over the
channel with the NFC or BBC,
with them some times getting
five channel crossings, including
Guernsey and Lambelle.
Derek started up with pigeons
at the age of 13 and his first loft
was an old chicken shed. His
first club was the old Alton club
and won his first race from
Guernsey, which he thought was
a good performance because he
beat the great Frank Jarvis of
Selbourne. Derek has been in
the sport of pigeon racing over
50 years and tells me his
ambishion has always been to
win the NFC Grand National.
Many years ago he was a great
friend of the NFC Pau winner,
Les Davenport, and he got
Derek going in pigeons with
advice and six gift young birds.
Those six birds are the base of
the Human loft today! In those
days Derek ran the NFC clock
station at the ‘King’s Head’
Racing Pigeon Pictorial International — No 569
public house in Alton and he
tells me the clock station had
five National winners there
when it was running. Derek’s
son, Adrian, is an outstanding
pigeon racer in his own right
and has won many premier
positions in the British Barcelona
Club in recent seasons.
I visited Derek Human’s loft in
1996 with my YouTube film unit
and at that time he lived in
Alton. The Human family lived
in a converted barn set in the
wonderful Hampshire
countryside and Derek had a
great record in Classic and
National racing, winning many
premier positions, including 1st
Open Central Southern Classic
Flying Club twice in the early
1980’s. The 1996 season saw the
Human loft win 1st & 2nd Open
Nantes British Barcelona Clclub
National and several other good
wins Channel racing. His BBC
National winner was his
Davenport x Cattrysse blue hen
‘Rose’, raced on the Natural
system. Derek had a bad hawk
problem living in the Hampshire
countryside and losed many
pigeons each year to predators.
His champion hen ‘Rose’ was
picked up in the lane outside
the Humans’ home, being badly
injured by a hawk attack. It
took her two years rest to get
over it, then, she came out to
win 1st Open Nantes (BBC) in
1996. Previously to winning
Nantes ‘Rose’ won 6th Open
CSCFC Bergerac and was named
after his little grand daughter
who was pigeon mad, and was
constantly in the loft with him.
Derek lived in Cornwall for a
while, and said that with the
number of birds of prey he saw
there, he would never race his
birds out of the West Country.
The Human pigeons were raced
47
on both Natural and
Widowhood systems, and he
trained the Naturals the most.
His Widowhood method was
very unconventional and both
sets of old bird racers were
hopper fed, on a first class
mixture, with Channel racing in
mind. Derek is a builder by
trade and made his fantastic
brick L-shaped loft, which had a
pantile roof, with Ventaxia
windows for maximunn
ventilation. The 40 foot loft had
a full glass front and bob wire
trapping, which Derek admitted
is old fashioned but suits his
type of racing. He had no stock
birds and the 15 pairs of old
birds were paired up the second
week in February if the weather
is fine, and 30 young birds were
reared each season. The main
families housed were
Davenport/Cattrysse and Vissers,
and they raced with outstanding
success through to 700 miles.
Derek said his biggest thrill in
pigeons at that time was in
1980, when he was 1st & 2nd
Open Avranches Central
Southern Classic Flying Club and
he saw his winning ‘Olympic 80’
on the front page of the pigeon
paper the following week and
then won 1st Open Lambelle
SCCFC the following season. The
Central Southern Classic Flying
Club sent 1,170 birds to
Avranches in 1980 and liberated
on the proposed day at 09.00hrs
in a south west wind. Derek’s
good dark chequer hen,
‘Olympic 80’, recorded 1217ypm
to win first open. Her sire and
dam were perchased at Alex
Reed’s clearance sale in 1979 for
£6 each and produced many
other top racers for the Human
loft including, 2nd Club Nantes,
1st Club Saintes and 1st Club,
6th Solent Federation
Avranches. The second pigeon
on the clock to win 2nd open
was the Danenport/Cattrysse
blue white flight hen,
‘Hampshire Girl’ and she had
previously won 1st Club Seaton.
These two great young hens
won the Avranches classic really
well and were both raced to the
perch. The following season the
48
classic sent 1,256 birds to
Lamballe and Derek recorded a
real ‘banger’, winning the race
well clear with his
Davenport/Cattrysse blue pied
hen, ‘Double Up’. He fancied
this hen, as she had been
coming well in training and
slipped a pair of eggs under her
eight days prior to thr classic.
Her nestmate was the blue pied
hen, ‘Jack’s Girl’, and she
recorded 3rd Section, 18th Open
NFC Lamballe as a young bird
and she was raced to the perch.
What a pair of youngsters!
Their dam was bred by Louella
Pigeon World and was
purchased on a day trip to the
Stud in Leicester.
Derek’s wife is a great help with
the birds and his son, Adrian,
who at that time lived in Bride
in Cornwall, had started up in
pigeon racing several years
previous. Derek’s birds were fed
on a no bean mixture, because
years ago his good friend, Les
Davenport, told him beans are
for horses, and peanuts were
added to the diet for the longer
races. The birds were kept very
natural and picked up their own
nesting twigs from the Humans’
massive garden, and nest bowls
were not used in the nest
boxes. Derek has a lot of
admiration for his good friend
Les Davenport, who gave a lot
Racing Pigeon Pictorial International — No 569
of good help and has given him
some first class stock, which are
now winning Classic and
National races.
Adrian Human is from a very
successful pigeon racing family,
with his father, Derek Human,
being a NFC Tarbes winner and
his grandfather also being a
very good fancier many years
ago. Adrian was born in Alton,
Hampshire and told me, “I have
been around pigeons all my life,
going to various pigeon events
with my father, such as Reading
Cattle Market in the days when
you queued for one to two
hours for NFC race marking. In
1991 I moved to a house next
door to dad, I was working in
Portsmouth so started training
his pigeons every day. At the
time I kept British finches,
which I housed in several
aviaries and a bird room. After
a while working with my dad’s
pigeons, my interest was re-
kindled and I changed to
pigeon racing and built a new
loft. My first pigeons came from
Louella and my dad. I joined
Alton club for young birds in
1992 and won my first race
from Seaton and I went on to
win every young bird race
except one, winning the young
bird average in the club. I
thought pigeon racing was easy,
how wrong I was.”
Adrian is only really interested
in long distance racing and all
the pigeon management is set
up for the Tarbes and Palamos
Nationals. His best pigeon is the
champion blue chequer cock,
‘Ransdean Reliance’, and he is
bred down from the very best
Davenport/Cattrysse bloodlines
of Champion ‘Game Lady’. This
brilliant 600 mile cock was
raced on the natural system,
performing best sitting ten day
old eggs, and won the BBC
‘Spanish Diploma’ winning 19th,
44th, 51st & 108th Open
Palamos (657 miles), and 16th
Open Barcelona (676 miles). He
was recorded in race time from
the longest BBC event five times
and recorded 16th Open
Barcelona as a ten year old. This
wonderful cock has proved to
be a champion in the breeding
loft, producing several premier
long distance racers, including
‘The Bordeaux Cock’, ‘The
Section Hen’ and a ‘Spanish
Diploma’ winner for his father,
Derek Human. A fantastic cock!
Adrian races his birds on
Natural and pairs up the first
sunny weekend in February,
with his race birds choosing
their own mate. Training starts
the second week in April,
usually from Hayling Island,
about 15 miles south of the loft,
moving to the New Forest
about 30 miles down the road
and sometimes the birds are
singled up. His Palamos birds
are usually singled up late in
the evening at around 8pm.
Adrian feeds ‘PLX’ mixture early
in the season changing to ‘Irish’
mixture as the distance moves
up and Peanuts are fed quite
heavily once the distance is over
250 miles. He says, his favourite
nest condition for the long
distance events depends on the
individual bird, as they are all
different. His present race loft is
a 42ft Petron, with Hermes auto
boxes and it was a gift from his
dad when he downsized his
loft, when he moved into a new
house. It is well vented with
sliding ceiling panels so the
airflow can be adjusted and
tells me he has used deep litter
Racing Pigeon Pictorial International — No 569
when time was short, but I like
to scrape out. The main family
keep are Cattrysse, because over
the years these birds have done
well for many different people.
Adrian and Derek share the 20
pairs of stock birds, which are
kept at Adrian’s home and
these are nornally paired up at
Christmas. The stock loft is 16ft
x 8ft, with a massive aviary and
the main feeding is Brian Wall’s
‘Breeding’ mixture.
Adrian and his dad have one
youngster each out of each
nest. New stock birds
introduced only come in from
good long distance lofts who
race small teams of birds, like
Keith Mott and Derek Human.
Adrian. His best breeder in the
stock loft is ‘Ransdean Reliance’,
as he has bred a ‘Spanish
Diploma’ winner for his dad,
and he is the sire of many
premier racers for the Human
lofts. He usually keep 40 young
birds each season and half of
them go on darkness, and once
training starts they are fed on
half ‘PLX’ and half ‘Young Bird’
mixture. They are usually parted
before racing starts and allowed
together on Friday lunch time
of marking day. They must have
at least two Channel races, and
must go to either BBC Lamballe
or the NFC young bird race.
Adrian told me about the early
days and said, “I have always
had an interest in the long
distance races and the first birds
I had in the beginning were the
Cattrysse and black Krauths.
When I first started with young
birds, all those years ago I had a
great start, but it didn’t
continue. It was my lack of
knowledge not the birds. My
first ever training toss was a
disaster, taking 40 young birds
from two miles and I let them
go, and watched them go over
my loft and away towards
London. Three hours later I had
one pigeon back and by the end
of the second day I had them all
back in the loft. My first loft
was brick built, with a tiled roof
out of material I managed to
acquire from various sources.”
Adrian is a builder and always
has been since leaving school.
He says, “My wife will feed the
pigeons while I am away and let
them out if I ask her, and one
time she clocked a hen from San
Sebastian, which ended up 13th
Open from a disastrous race. My
son, Jack, likes to go to pigeon
49
club and has a few young birds
to follow, which I usually loose
for him! My best performances
are 1st Section, 8th Open BBC
Bordeaux, 2nd Section, 5th
Open BBC Bordeaux, 5th
Section, 46th Open NFC
Bordeaux, 8th Section, 47th
Open NFC San Sebastian, 5th
Section, 11th Open BBC
Bordeaux and my best
achievement in pigeons is my
‘Spanish Diploma’ winner
‘Ransdean Reliance’, whom has
gone on to win a Gold Salver
for four times Palamos, and a
Crystal Vase for four times
Palamos at 10 years old. He
holds no offices in the sport,
but likes to help at marking
stations. Adrian maintains, the
management of the sport has
its downsides, but it is in a no-
win situation with most pigeon
people and thinks the sport has
progressed despite there being
fewer members. He thinks
fanciers are more dedicated and
professional these days and tells
me the top fancier in his area
must be his dad, putting up
phenomenal performances with
only a very small team of
pigeons. Two other fancier he
rates very highly is Dave Wells
of Bordon who can get pigeons
from any distance with no fancy
methods and Jimmy Wearn
whose dedication is beyond
belief! Late breds are only
taken from the best racers and
parts his pigeons after the last
young bird race to get the
moult under way.
There you have it, the Human
family of Hampshire, the long
distance specialist.

THE PIGEON
ITS VETERINARY CARE
– MANAGEMENT &
CULTURAL HISTORY
BY DR COLIN WALKER

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50 Racing Pigeon Pictorial International — No 569
 PIGEON HEALTH
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• Telephone: 01206 843456 • Email: pigeon.health@btconnect.com • www.ukanimalproducts.com •

WORMUNE COXEDEX CANKEX

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100 Birds chemical substances that
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Y40
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Y40 can be used to help maintain
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imbalance caused by aggrivation or illness in
this process can seriouskly
100 Birds upset the nutritional uptake
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50 Birds 100 Birds
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100 Birds as the breeding and
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5
NIFRADEX
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helping to keep and maintain the system
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5
SPORT C
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500ml £8.95 1000ml £14.95
WHEATGERM OIL
Natural Vitamin E Oil
Wheat Germ oil is
extracted from the centre of
the wheat, the wheat kernels
known as the ‘germ’ layer. This
is the part that germinates to become
cereal wheat grass. The extraction
from the wheat embryo gives an
unrefined and pure golden
supplement. Wheat is one of the major
nutritional foods available to the pigeon
rich in ‘Tocotrienol’ or Vitamin E. It also
contains multiple B Vitamins, protein
and iron. Additionally it is a great
source of potassium, phosphorus,
riboflavin, lecithin, calcium, zinc,
selenium and
250ml £6.9
5 magnesium.
Dehydration after strenuous exercise results in Vitamin Enriched Liquid Supplement
ion imbalances within a pigeons interstitial Sport V is the all new enhanced and enriched
fluid. Replacing these ions is vital as constant vitamin, mineral, macro mineral and trace
equilibrium is electrolyte concentrations element liquid supplement. Packed full of the
such as sodium and potassium is essential organic and inorganic chemical
essential. SportLYTE is a sports elements and compounds for all your
powder drink specifically formulated pigeons need to maintain growth. Sport V
for pigeons to help rehydrate and is ideal to use as a breeding tonic, young
replace the electrically charged micro- bird tonic, moulting and darkness tonic.
mineral ions quickly and safely.
50 Birds 50 Birds 100 Birds
100 Birds 5 95
200g £5.85 500ml £8.9 1000ml £14.
400g £8.95
SPORT B SPORT HERB
Natural Herbal Infusion
High Energy Micronutrient Supplement During strenuous physical exercise
Sport B is the all new athletic performance the pigeons body will convert energy
micronutreint supplement designed to molecules such as carbohydrates into smaller
compliment and maximise energy impact. This molecules through a series of natural enzyme
powerful Vitamin B supplement will help to processes, cycles and reactions. This energy
readily convert proteins and carbohydrates concersion process can cause a build up of
into accessible energy prior to physical unwanted toxins what the pigeons digestive
excercise and athletic performance during and renal systems will need to remove. Sport
racing or rehabilitation after illness. Sport B is Herb is a specific blend that has a soothing
is belended from vitamins and iron and relaxing effect and helps as a detoxifier
into a special energy packed base and anti-oxidant.
material which is rapidly absorbed
into the bloodstream. 50 Birds 100 Birds
l £ 8 .9 5 10 00ml £14.95
500m
50 Birds
500ml £8.9
100 Birds
1000ml £14.95
5 PEANUT OIL
LINSEED OIL HEMP OIL Natural Nutrient Rich Oil
Peanuts or groundnuts are
Natural Essential Fatty Acid Oil
Rich in essential Omega 3 Hemp Oil is high in protein part of the legume bean
Linseed Oil is rich in family, the seed part of the
containing all the known essential
Omega 3, Omega 6, amino acids. It has been dubbed plant formed in seedpods. Poor storage
Omega 9, essential fatty of peanuts can lead to an infection by
“Nature’s most perfectly balanced
acids, B vitamins, oil”, due to the fact that it contains the mould fungus Aspergillus flavus,
potassium, lecithin, releasing the toxic substance aflatoxin.
the perfectly balanced 3:1 ratio of
magnesium, fibre, protein Omega 6 to Omega 3 essential fatty This makes the use of Peanut Oil an
and zinc. Linseed Oil is advantage over the use of peanuts for
acids. Unlike other Omega-rich
easily digestible and alternatives that are sold mainly as pigeons. Peanuts are nutrient rich,
reports suggest that it providing over 30 essential nutrients
vitamin supplements, hemp oil is
contains up to 50% more easily digestible and has a flavourful and phytonutrients. Peanuts are a good
Omega 3 oils than from "nutty" taste that will create a craving source of niacin, folate, fibre,
fish oils. magnesium, Vitamin
that stimulates and
250ml £6.9 E, manganese and
5 250ml £6.9
5
conditions pigeons.
phosphorus. 250ml £6.95
 www.amazing-wings.com
If you are looking for top pigeons and high quality –
AMAZING-WINGS is the right partner
We can offer every week in our auctions super birds from Belgium and
German fanciers (all original)…

Transport to UK, Kuwait, China and Taiwan and other countries can
be organised.
For more information please contact
Belgium – Markus Bauer – Tel 0032 471 851357
or email markus.bauer@telenet.be