Inter county must be 40 /50 miles east to west though Andy and Brian Hawes gets 20 plus drop most weeks although he would be up the top any where he raced
I guess yours is a lot wider though which would explain it
Breeding for the future.
It’s around 30 miles East to west and 75 miles South to North. 2250 square miles.
Back just enjoying club racing for the time being.
Pigeons that are out in front don't get pulled off line mate
They know where home is and they go - simples
I promised you a lengthy reply Neil so here goes. Feel free to walk away whenever you like
Before starting let me say this - that YB performance of yours was one of the best performances I've seen in a long time
When birds are "right" and I mean properly right they stick together like glue
That's the performance you aspire to
I need to take you back to 1983 I'm afraid because this was where it all started
The best learning curve a young pigeon mad kid could ever wish for
Paramyxo reared it's head and we were all required to vaccinate our birds
Rugeley was still a reasonably big pigeon town back then (35-40 members within a 3/4 mile radius of the Town Hall)
The majority of the birds that were vaccinated was done by Dad and I was holding each pigeon
We also did pigeons from top lofts in Cannock and Hednesford too
It was the first time I'd been around other lofts and other pigeons
Amongst them were some super lofts and super pigeons
I quickly learnt what a good pigeon looked and feels like and it's never left me
In 1988 (aged 18) I started work and earning money. That was the year we started to take things seriously
My brother Ken had a Stock loft erected at his house and he and Mum bought about 12 pairs or so from George Litherland as babies
A local partnership Hodgkiss & Potts split up and I bought about 6 pairs from them.
That was me "buying my way" into the partnership I suppose
The results were instant and we became a real handful in the Worcester Fed against 10,000 birds a week
I was fortunate that "Lith" took me under his wing and treated me as good as gold with any answer to any question I ever had
Throughout the 90's we ran the MNFC and I was the Press Officer. I got to see all the best lofts and best pigeons that the MNFC had to offer
More learning was absorbed every inch of the way.
In 1996 Ken decided he wanted to step away from the birds so the Mrs C.Lycett & Sons partnership became Mrs C Lycett & Son
His part of the deal was to keep the Stock Loft and everything in it.
I kept the racing lofts and everything in it.
As I'd "lost" the Stock I wanted to find pigeons to put my own mark on the lofts
Come a visit to M & D Evans in 1998 the morning after they were 1.2.3 in the MNFC
I went up with Dad. It was the only verification of an MNFC winning loft I asked him to come with me on
I knew I fancied them and I wanted him to see them too
We went into the Stock hens Section and there was a hen on the floor (with many other hens)
I pointed and said "I like that there. She'll do me".
It was the No.1 hen "Carrie" that I'd pointed at
Mark looked at me and said "No one picks Carrie out - ever"
I said "I do".
I ordered 6 pairs of Stock and then some YB's too
The Stock were all 1999 birds and the YB's were 2000 rung
This would see me racing Gaby's for the first time as YB in the year 2000
As we now know they went on to do all sorts and more all over the UK
In the early 2000's I wad travelling to the D & E Armstrong Entire Clearance Sale and I had call out the blue
They were asking me if I was going to the sale and would I look at a particular hen
I said yes of course and I took the number and called them back
The hen had been 5th Open NW Grand National against the wind and was likely to go for good money
When I rang them back I told them she was nice hen - but there was a young hen, same way bred as her that I thought was better
I told them if I were you I'd buy the sister not the National hen
They did just that and paid about £160 for her
The partnership that had called me was Gordon Bros & Sons
That was my first ever dealings with them
The first YB that that hen bred was "Streamline" who won about 18 x 1st
In 2007 Dad became unwell and was unable to help manage the birds with me - so we had to have an Entire Clearance Sale
I worked 12 hr shifts with a 2 hr commute on top. You can't fly pigeons into Rugeley successfully working hours like that without help
You don't rip a team like we'd built up unless you had to so they all went
Come 2010 and Dad was back healthy again and missed the birds. He'd had them all his life
We set him back up with 3-4 Stock pairs and he started again on a smaller scale
When we restarted we were a Stock hen short - so I called Lee Painter
He had hens spare in a Section and told me I could take nmy pick
I never handled any. as soon as the door opened a hen hit my eye
"I'll take her".
He said "I'll have to look what she's off for you actually I'm not 100% sure"
I told him I didn't give a toss what she was off, I wanted her
She's the direct Dam of "Champion Eddy".
I can't tell you how many winners come through that hen but its well into the 3 figures
In November 2023 me and Lee Painter went over to see Gary & Niall Gordon to view their new Stock
Hen after hen came my way. Each one pretty impressive
Then a hen hit me that nearly mde me jump. I said "that's the best yet. She's special"
Gary said "That's the G.Dam of "Supersonic Blizzard"
A few more hens passed my way, then another made me jump. "F^ck this might be better than that other one"
Gary said "That's that other hen's daughter. She's the mother of "Supersonic"
We went into the cocks section. Handling cocks, as we were doing it I was straining my neck into the next Section
He asked me what I was looking at. "That cock there in that box" I pointed
He shook his head at me and said "That's the Dad of "Supersonic"
"Supersonic Blizzard" was the 2024 YB thwt won back to back NIPA's and was crowned 1st British Isles Pinnacle YB Champion 2024"
I judged a show a few years ago. It's rare I do them, I turn down most requests
There was 180 in the class and in there was a cock with 23 x 1st prizes
A 180/1 chance of me crowning him the winner. I got him.
I can't tell you I have a particular "theory". It's a feeling
It's not like I look at the wings or throats. I don't.
I look at the eye but it doesn't sway me.
I like a hen with tusks but it doesn't define me. If I don't like her I don't like her whether she has tusks or not
Visually I find it easier to pick a cock out than a hen
In the hand I find hens easier
That hen you got always gave me the feel of a good hen
She wasn't her mother. Her mother was better. Her mother was a hen to build a loft around and that's what I was doing
But the hen you had always sat well with me hence why I recommended her to you
If I look at a pen of cocks I'm not gonna tell you that if there's a good cock in there and i'll pick it out every time
What I am pretty confident of though is I won't pick a bad one.
But you know Neil, you can't fool me you can pick a good hen too
We both saw the same video recently of a Section of hens and we both chose the same Blue Cheq hen so you're not as half soaked as you like to make out
I'm aware that the way I write is direct. It makes me sound arrogant and big-headed and I have no tolerance for bullshit excuses
I'm not arrogant. I just have confidence in what i'm saying
And what I say I believe in because that opinion has been gained from experience.
There's many threads I don't participate in because I feel I have little to offer
But this is pigeons and I know pigeons. Especially sprinting because that was where my passion lay
Before starting let me say this - that YB performance of yours was one of the best performances I've seen in a long time
When birds are "right" and I mean properly right they stick together like glue
That's the performance you aspire to
I need to take you back to 1983 I'm afraid because this was where it all started
The best learning curve a young pigeon mad kid could ever wish for
Paramyxo reared it's head and we were all required to vaccinate our birds
Rugeley was still a reasonably big pigeon town back then (35-40 members within a 3/4 mile radius of the Town Hall)
The majority of the birds that were vaccinated was done by Dad and I was holding each pigeon
We also did pigeons from top lofts in Cannock and Hednesford too
It was the first time I'd been around other lofts and other pigeons
Amongst them were some super lofts and super pigeons
I quickly learnt what a good pigeon looked and feels like and it's never left me
In 1988 (aged 18) I started work and earning money. That was the year we started to take things seriously
My brother Ken had a Stock loft erected at his house and he and Mum bought about 12 pairs or so from George Litherland as babies
A local partnership Hodgkiss & Potts split up and I bought about 6 pairs from them.
That was me "buying my way" into the partnership I suppose
The results were instant and we became a real handful in the Worcester Fed against 10,000 birds a week
I was fortunate that "Lith" took me under his wing and treated me as good as gold with any answer to any question I ever had
Throughout the 90's we ran the MNFC and I was the Press Officer. I got to see all the best lofts and best pigeons that the MNFC had to offer
More learning was absorbed every inch of the way.
In 1996 Ken decided he wanted to step away from the birds so the Mrs C.Lycett & Sons partnership became Mrs C Lycett & Son
His part of the deal was to keep the Stock Loft and everything in it.
I kept the racing lofts and everything in it.
As I'd "lost" the Stock I wanted to find pigeons to put my own mark on the lofts
Come a visit to M & D Evans in 1998 the morning after they were 1.2.3 in the MNFC
I went up with Dad. It was the only verification of an MNFC winning loft I asked him to come with me on
I knew I fancied them and I wanted him to see them too
We went into the Stock hens Section and there was a hen on the floor (with many other hens)
I pointed and said "I like that there. She'll do me".
It was the No.1 hen "Carrie" that I'd pointed at
Mark looked at me and said "No one picks Carrie out - ever"
I said "I do".
I ordered 6 pairs of Stock and then some YB's too
The Stock were all 1999 birds and the YB's were 2000 rung
This would see me racing Gaby's for the first time as YB in the year 2000
As we now know they went on to do all sorts and more all over the UK
In the early 2000's I wad travelling to the D & E Armstrong Entire Clearance Sale and I had call out the blue
They were asking me if I was going to the sale and would I look at a particular hen
I said yes of course and I took the number and called them back
The hen had been 5th Open NW Grand National against the wind and was likely to go for good money
When I rang them back I told them she was nice hen - but there was a young hen, same way bred as her that I thought was better
I told them if I were you I'd buy the sister not the National hen
They did just that and paid about £160 for her
The partnership that had called me was Gordon Bros & Sons
That was my first ever dealings with them
The first YB that that hen bred was "Streamline" who won about 18 x 1st
In 2007 Dad became unwell and was unable to help manage the birds with me - so we had to have an Entire Clearance Sale
I worked 12 hr shifts with a 2 hr commute on top. You can't fly pigeons into Rugeley successfully working hours like that without help
You don't rip a team like we'd built up unless you had to so they all went
Come 2010 and Dad was back healthy again and missed the birds. He'd had them all his life
We set him back up with 3-4 Stock pairs and he started again on a smaller scale
When we restarted we were a Stock hen short - so I called Lee Painter
He had hens spare in a Section and told me I could take nmy pick
I never handled any. as soon as the door opened a hen hit my eye
"I'll take her".
He said "I'll have to look what she's off for you actually I'm not 100% sure"
I told him I didn't give a toss what she was off, I wanted her
She's the direct Dam of "Champion Eddy".
I can't tell you how many winners come through that hen but its well into the 3 figures
In November 2023 me and Lee Painter went over to see Gary & Niall Gordon to view their new Stock
Hen after hen came my way. Each one pretty impressive
Then a hen hit me that nearly mde me jump. I said "that's the best yet. She's special"
Gary said "That's the G.Dam of "Supersonic Blizzard"
A few more hens passed my way, then another made me jump. "F^ck this might be better than that other one"
Gary said "That's that other hen's daughter. She's the mother of "Supersonic"
We went into the cocks section. Handling cocks, as we were doing it I was straining my neck into the next Section
He asked me what I was looking at. "That cock there in that box" I pointed
He shook his head at me and said "That's the Dad of "Supersonic"
"Supersonic Blizzard" was the 2024 YB thwt won back to back NIPA's and was crowned 1st British Isles Pinnacle YB Champion 2024"
I judged a show a few years ago. It's rare I do them, I turn down most requests
There was 180 in the class and in there was a cock with 23 x 1st prizes
A 180/1 chance of me crowning him the winner. I got him.
I can't tell you I have a particular "theory". It's a feeling
It's not like I look at the wings or throats. I don't.
I look at the eye but it doesn't sway me.
I like a hen with tusks but it doesn't define me. If I don't like her I don't like her whether she has tusks or not
Visually I find it easier to pick a cock out than a hen
In the hand I find hens easier
That hen you got always gave me the feel of a good hen
She wasn't her mother. Her mother was better. Her mother was a hen to build a loft around and that's what I was doing
But the hen you had always sat well with me hence why I recommended her to you
If I look at a pen of cocks I'm not gonna tell you that if there's a good cock in there and i'll pick it out every time
What I am pretty confident of though is I won't pick a bad one.
But you know Neil, you can't fool me you can pick a good hen too
We both saw the same video recently of a Section of hens and we both chose the same Blue Cheq hen so you're not as half soaked as you like to make out
I'm aware that the way I write is direct. It makes me sound arrogant and big-headed and I have no tolerance for bullshit excuses
I'm not arrogant. I just have confidence in what i'm saying
And what I say I believe in because that opinion has been gained from experience.
There's many threads I don't participate in because I feel I have little to offer
But this is pigeons and I know pigeons. Especially sprinting because that was where my passion lay
Great post Mike and very kind words on my yb performance means a lot
It’s definitely a great skill you have to do what you did time and time again without handling is magic . It’s really a gift like a top sportsman has .
To do that at Evans then Gordon brothers is remarkable
Did you ever put photos of Gareth Gates or Houdini on this site I’m sure members would like to see them
I know you put the original VDB on
I can remember reading about them two in particular when I wasn’t racing as still use to pick the bhw up
It’s definitely a great skill you have to do what you did time and time again without handling is magic . It’s really a gift like a top sportsman has .
To do that at Evans then Gordon brothers is remarkable
Did you ever put photos of Gareth Gates or Houdini on this site I’m sure members would like to see them
I know you put the original VDB on
I can remember reading about them two in particular when I wasn’t racing as still use to pick the bhw up
-
CHARLTON34
- Posts: 263
- Joined: Fri Apr 05, 2024 5:34 pm
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Got to be 1 of the most interesting post from all who have posted so far on the topic.
Agree mateCHARLTON34 wrote: ↑Sat Jan 18, 2025 7:24 pm Got to be 1 of the most interesting post from all who have posted so far on the topic.