In
most peoples lives an ambition starts with some
kind of disappointment and there is no exception
where Leslie Woodside is concerned. The early
years of his life were spent on the home farm
where his father and brother raced a few pigeons
and this probably started his love of pigeons
and pigeon racing, so when he moved to their
present home in Ballyclare he started to race
in partnership with his brother Colin, but when
Colin got married and moved away Leslie continued
to race on his own, never changing the name.
Like most fanciers of that era a few pigeons
were purchased and some gifted to him, and although
some success was achieved he always had an interest
in long distance racing and with this in mind
he decided to approach the fanciers who where
clocking most years in the kings cup Races,
these being Smyth Bros. Of Ballymena. A few
late breds of the old Kenyon Strain were purchased
and this started a great friendship which has
lasted through the years with Leslie keen to
give Bobby credit and thanks for all the help,
advice and pigeons he has given him. One of
the first late breds was a sister of Smyth Bros.
14th Open hen and for those interested in breeding
she was from a brother to the 26th Open Kings
Cup from Les Sables when paired to their hall
of fame hen “Highfield Consistent”
and her dame was a daughter of the Eastbourne
Cock.
This
hen and another youngster known as the “Unrung
Cock” were to become the foundation of
Leslies loft, being Sire and dam to many French
Prize winners over the years. The Unrung Cock’s
sire was a double Grandson of the great cock
“Silverwings” and his dame was the
66th Open Rennes hen. The loft finished 5th
Open Skibereen National of 1986 and 7th Open
in the Penzance young bird National, 1987 but
the ambition which was mentioned earlier was
formed in 1990 when the birds races very well
and a daughter of the “Smyth Bros.”
He was 4th
Open
in the Kings cup race from Rennes, A half sister
was clocled to win 86th Open in this race. He
had been 39th in the Friendship Irish National
Flying Club” and started to think about
the National Averages but unfortunately was
disappointed as he failed to time in the Young
Bird National from Penzance but at least the
birds had started to get into the results from
France.
Then
next two years brought more good positions,
winning 79th Open O/B national from Rennes and
88th Open from Penzance Y/B national in 1991
and 18th Open Kings Cup in 1992 with a grand
daughter of the old Kenyon hen.
In 1993 the loft was 75th and 185th in the Y/b
Nat from Penzance. It was while in Blackpool
at the Charity Show in 1992 he fancied and purchased
three young birds from the stand of Geoff Hunt
with the idea to line breed them and the Kenyon’s
and then cross them at a later date and this
turned out to be a mater stroke as they say
clicked right away with one of the first cocks
from the Hunt pair being timed to win 44th Open
in the 1994 NIPA Derby, 62nd and 83rd Open positions
were also won in this race with two Kenyon birds.
In 1995 the Hunt cock went to the Friendship
Nat where he was 34th Open and 47th O/B National,
56th and 80th Y/B Nat Penzance it was another
very successful year.
The
form continued into 1996 when another Grandson
of the old Kenyon hen was 21st Kings Cup from
Rennes, with a loft mate 125th Open, 22nd Friendship
Nat. A year later the Hunt cock was again 30th
Penzance Y/B Nat. A year later the Hunt cock
was prepared for the Kings Cup race from St
Nazaire and clocked to finish 102nd Open, four
times in France, four tiems in the Prizes, some
pigeon! A dark cheq cock, which was the first
of the two families crossed to fly France, was
also clocked to be 100th Open. The O/B National
of 1999 was Redron and again in the prizes winning
98th Open, 62nd and 153rd Open positions in
the Yearling National were also recorded that
year.
As
the year 2000 was the Millennium year a special
race organized by The Irish National Flying
Club from Penzance and 17th and 86th open resulted.
With 20th, 29th, 130th and 144th in the Yearling
National, 157th Lamballe Derby and 64th in the
Kings Cup which was again from Redron it was
a very satisfying years racing. The 20th Open
Yearling National pigeon was clocked 17th in
the Millennium National and was now known as
the Millennium Cock being bred in the Purple,
from a son of Jackie Patience’s Kings
Cup and Derby winner when mated to Smyth Bros.
Friendship National winner. As we had no Kings
Cup race in 2001 the birds were made ready for
the NIPA Derby winning 23re, 62, 91st Open and
two Bronze Diplomas.
The year 2002 brought a mixture of
delight and despair to Leslie as the birds flew
brilliantly timing 9th Open Kings Cup with the
hen that had been 29th Open in the Yearling
Nat. 2002, 25th Friendship National with the
Millennium Cock 22nd Yearling Nat, 54th, 89th
and 95th Open Penzance Y/B Nat. winning the
Irvine Trophy for the second time.
He
had to clock the Inland National from Skibbereen
to achieve his ambition as he was the only fancier
to time in all the Nationals up to the last
race but as most of the readers know it was
another disappointment and this time he felt
he would never achieve this ambition that it
just wasn’t meant to be.
The year 2003 began very badly for Leslie with
a family bereavement and not being able to get
an interest, the pigeons were not mated until
the end of March. As the season progressed the
birds came into form and in the Yearling National
he was 90th Open, the Friendship National brought
11th Open.
The
kings Cup from Messac was next and when the
Blue W/F hen returned to finish 9th Open the
dream was on again. The NIPA National from Lamballe
was very fast race but the birds were 111th,
115th and 122nd Open, so the old bird season
finished in style.
The
young birds were looking well but by mating
at the end of March there was the fear that
they might be too immature for the channel race
from Penzance, but he needn’t have worried
as 108th Open was recorded. Only one race left
and with two other fanciers still in with a
chance of winning the National Averages there
was little sleep in the final week. The Young
Bird that had been clocked in Penzance was timed
again in Skibbereen and although not in the
prizes, meant that he had timed in all the National
races and was in with a good chance, but the
pressure was still on until Trevor Topping the
Secretary of “The Irish National Flying
Club informed him he had won the averages and
was now National Champion for 2003.
His
ambition achieved. Most of the pigeons clocked
in France over the years have been from the
Smyth Kenyons with a few from Geoff Hunt pair
and some from the cross of the two families.
A few birds have been tried over the years but
these were mostly raced and not introduced into
his family of pigeons. The Young brd clocked
in the two Y/B Nationals of 2003 was from the
Janssen x Kenyon cross, the Janssen being a
gift from his good friend Billy Matthews of
Dublin.
As
most of the Pigeon Fanciers in Northern Ireland
know, Leslie Woodside is a very quiet, honest
man who lives for his pigeons and is a credit
to the sport. He would do anyone a good turn
and the Fancy in general would be pleased but
surprised if he was to win a National in the
not so distant future.
Article by:
Maurice
Alexander.
