SPENCE
BROS ENTER THEIR 40TH YEAR OF PIGEON RACING
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After
reporting the achievements of the Lisburn partnership of Spence Bros
around this time last year, I never for once thought it would be possible
for them to mirror such list of performances again in any one season,
how wrong I was. The father and son partnership have this year entered
their 40th year in competitive competition and have already notched
up yet another Ulster Federation Open win in the first week of racing
in 2007.
Brian and Roy race with two clubs namely the NIPA affiliated Lisburn
& District HPS (known locally as the big Club) and the Ulster
Federation affiliated Lagan Valley RPC one of the hardest Clubs to
win in the Federation with most prizes filled within seconds. Brian
is the only founder member of the Lagan Valley Club still to be racing
at the age of 75. The partnership also at a time competed in a third
Club that being Lisnagarvey HPS from 1988 until 1995.
Just to give the readers an explanation and exhaust the confusion,
when I write about Spence Bros I am talking about Brian flying along
with son Roy the partnership was formed by Brian for his two sons
back in 1967 but Roy was the only one to catch the pigeon bug and
with the loft being sited in Brian’s back garden it was only
to lead to one thing a formidable racing partnership of father and
son.
What a partnership I must add, last season they were to win the Highest
Prize Winner award with the Lisburn & District HPS and were crowned
Federation Fanciers of the Year with the Ulster Federation having
just been piped to the top spot in the other Club they race with namely
the Lagan Valley RPC, in 2006 they were to reclaim that accolade in
the Lagan Valley and as the heading goes completed the Treble by reclaiming
the previous two honours mentioned. Fanciers from Northern Ireland
will know what magnitude these consistent performances merit, in my
eyes Spence Bros are a very consistent winning partnership at a very
high level and have been for some time and no doubt will continue
to be for many years to come. Remembering that Lisburn is sited approx
10 miles outside of the Ulster Federation’s Heart Beat namely
Belfast with the Lagan Valley Club being the only Club to compete
in the Federation outside of Northern Ireland’s main city.
On arrival at Brian’s home early one Saturday morning on the
basis of catching Roy who works shifts and had just completed night
shift that particular morning and with the sun splitting the slates
I decided to view the loft set up and the birds in question (as the
saying goes make hay when the sun shines) as it very seldom happens
in Ireland. Most years I think we get more sun in the winter than
we do in the summer.
Brian is a joiner by trade and Roy an engineer so its wasn’t
a surprise to see a super loft set up that graces the spacious back
garden. The main racing loft is 12 ft x 6ft raised on top of a 5ft
tall brick built store, with a cemented staircase leading to a side
door. This loft was constructed for widowhood although over the years
Brian and Roy has found more success on Natural. Fresh air has every
opportunity of entering the loft as 1/3 of the complete frontage is
wire meshed with sliding shutters in case of bad weather, no forgetting
at the bottom of the frontage is five sizeable plastic louvers, one
of which slides down into place and is removed when birds require
basketing with brackets installed to allow for the hamper to sit nicely
over where the plastic louver used to be. Roy explained due to his
father and himself working full time it makes things some what quicker
each day when tossing and on Friday’s when basketing for a race,
with the same system deployed in the Young Bird sections the birds
are learnt from kids when they are required to enter the hamper with
no fuss or the annoyance in catching them. Brian explained that this
also keeps the birds calmer and less stressed which is a must for
ultimate health.
The Y/Bird and additional racing loft is again very open and airy
at the front with again shutters made to fit encase of extreme weather,
I state extreme as with the roof over shooting the front of the loft
by about 3ft it is well sheltered unless the rain is swirling with
high winds. The loft measures 21ft x 6xft split into three sections
two of which are for young bird racing. With the shutters already
made to fit these would be used to darken the Y/B sections as the
partnership race the youngsters solely on the darkness system.
Tucked away in the corner between the two main lofts sit’s a
8ft x 6ft loft which holds the cream of this successful partnership.
Fitted with an angled aviary that is not that noticeable from the
front but spacious enough to gain access with a bath.
All the lofts are fitted with sloped roofs from front to back with
about an inch of a cap at the back allowing for stale air to escape,
the partnership ensure all the lofts and nest boxes are scrapped on
a daily basis.
Now for the stock, to have been as successful as Roy and Brian have
been over the years I already new we were into a lengthy debacle as
to what is and has been the most successful they have ever owned.
Brian won’t go any further than Cattrysse for these he says
are the ultimate breed capable of every distance and type of day.
On the other hand Roy has varied views and has bought numerous pigeons
over the years and has encouraged Brain to look further a field than
the Cattrysse Strain. At present in the stock lofts they have Cattrysse,
Verheye, Van Den Bosche from John Kirk and one exceptional pigeon
bred off John‘s superstar ‘Magic Man‘, Van Loons,
Dean Pallet (Van Reet), the late Jim Chambers (Sootjen), Cosworth
Stud, Brownlee Nee Sons and Ward (Van Reet), last but not least Alec
Crawford (Sootjen). Alec Crawford is very well known figure around
the Northern Ireland sale’s and isn’t shy on spending
money to obtain the best from where ever it happens to be, Brian and
Roy have had an unbreakable friendship with Alec for a very long time
and it isn’t a surprise to hear that two of the Spence’s
Federation Open winners this year are bred down from Alec Crawford
birds.
Over the years Brian says they owe credit to a lot of people who have
bred exceptional birds for them, these fanciers include Eddie Malloy
from Portadown, Ron Cross from Rochdale both Cattrysse men, Alan Reid
from Blackwood in Wales with direct Lefabre Dehanens (Alan supplied
them in 1995 with the best racer to date a Blue Cock who on the road
won the partnership over £5,000 he was lost on the road in 2000
from Skibbereen in a strong blow home.) also Kevin Hurst who supplied
the partnership with Busschaerts. They also with the help of Alec
Crawford purchased Busschaerts from the Clearance Sale of Roy Bradley
in Barnsley.
Like so many fanciers who fly in the Lagan Valley RPC the partnership
participate in the annual trip to Lier Market in Belgium, they have
brought super pigeons back for next to nothing so much so that Roy
includes the Lier market young ones each year in his quota of Young
Birds to race normally bringing back around a dozen. Although always
on the look out for Cattrysse pigeons which are hard to find, Harold
(Brian’s brother) who race’s as B & H Spence did spot
some in 2000 and bought the seven that were left and the partnership
have enjoyed a good level of success with them.
Roy would along with most of the membership purchase Y/Birds from
the Natural Breeding Stud run by Colin Surtees on the way home. The
success of the latter is evident as the Lagan Valley Bird of the Year
is bred down from a hen purchased at the Natural Breeding station
when mated to a cock Roy brought back from Lier Market, this Blue
Sootjen won 3 x 1st Clubs.
The Old Bird racers which number around 70 along with the stock birds
approx. 24 are normally mated around the Blackpool weekend, they will
then stay mated until the end of July. I will point out that the partnership
believe in keeping no prisoners and try to buy new stock as babies
so as to have them flying out and in, which gives them a variation
of options when it comes to mating. Feeding is the same all year round
with the exception of about 4 weeks before breeding normal feeding
is Raymond Russells (No Bean) which is supplied by Henry Beattie.
This is hopper fed to the pigeons young and old all year round with
Barley being the only difference for a four week period prior to breeding.
Treatments are the usual Cocci, Canker and Worms normally administered
six weeks before pairing. The partnership would on average treat for
Canker every four weeks when racing commences, and would pay extra
attention to them if there should be a hold over.
Red and Black minerals along with grit are always available, with
the only substitute in the water being Johnston’s Tonic once
per week. The young bird supplements would be a bit extra as they
get Aviform Ultimate in the water a couple of days per week and every
race day they would have electrolytes in the water on return. Old
and young would both get a little Red Band as a tit bit.
Tossing again is the same for old and young, every day bar a Friday.
Roy admits to working them hard this includes out morning and evening
for their usual fly around the loft. After the winter break tossing
would commence around two weeks before the first race same for the
young birds, this would entail them being restarted at 1 mile, then
jumped to 5 mile and then to 10mile continuing up to around 22 miles
as the bird would fly approx. 30 mile by road, they will go no further.
The partnership rear around 60 youngsters and with the Belgium youngsters
added would expect to the start the tossing campaign with around 80,
as mentioned earlier the boys race solely Darkness, something Brian
has noticed over the years, he would lose the most amount of his (Darkies)
the first week he takes them of the Darkness, so this year he has
decided just to fly them at home that week to see if it makes a difference.
They will be on the darkness system from around the 28 day mark up
until the middle of June.
I will now list last years club performances in the Lagan Valley RPC
which won the partnership Top Prize Winner (20 bird limit) and Champions
of the Belfast based Ulster Federation for the second year on the
trot and will also list the Club performances for Lisburn & District
HPS (N.I.P.A.) which crowned them Top Prize-winners again for the
second year on the trot.
Lagan
Valley RPC O/B
Kildare (1) - 3rd & 5th Club, 4th Open 193/3030; Kildare (2)
4th & 8th Club; Thurles (1) 5th & 7th Club; Thurles (2)
2nd Club; Thurles (3) 6th Club; Talbenny 10th Club; Skibbereen 7th
Club; Bude 1st,2nd & 8th Club, 2nd & 12th Open 171/1626;
Sennen Cove 3rd,6th &10th Club, 4th Open 135/799.
Lagan
Valley RPC Y/B
Navan (2) - 6th Club, 19th Open 201/4572; Kildare (2) 9th Club;
Thurles (1) 1st,5th & 7th Club, 4th Open; Thurles (2) 2nd &
10th Club, 19th Open 196/4069; Fermoy (1) 1st, 3rd & 8th Club,
1st, 9th & 15th Open 187/3178; Fermoy (2) 1st,2nd ,3rd &
4th Club, 1st ,3rd & 6th Open 145/2160; Skibbereen 1st &
2nd Club, 3rd & 8th Open 90/794.
Lagan
Valley Ulster Federation Derbies
Sennen Cove Derby 4th Open, £296.35; St Malo Derby 2nd Open,
£471.00 Plus winning the Clock; Fermoy 5/Bird Derby 5th Open
£161.78; Talbenny Y/B Derby 1st Open £682.75 Plus winning
the Clock; Fermoy C/Baraniff 5/Bird 1st & 2nd £493; Skibbereen
Derby 3rd & 8th Open, £276.11.
Lisburn
& District HPS O/B
Mullingar - 1st & 6th Club, 3rd Sec, 36th Open; Tullamore 2nd,
3rd & 6th Club, 12th & 19th Sec, 76th & 157th Open;
Thurles 2nd,5th & 6th Club, 9th Sec, 146th Open; Thurles 1st
& 4th Club, 1st Sec; Rosscarbery 1st & 3rd Club, 1st &
8th Sec; Pilmore Beach 4th & 6th Club; Talbenny (1) 1st &
3rd Club, 1st & 6th Sec, 30th & 61st Open; Talbenny (2)
7th & 10th Club; Thurles C/B 3rd & 10th Club, 29th Sec,
153rd Open; Sennen Cove 8th & 11th Club.
Lisburn
& District HPS Y/B
Mullingar- 8th & 9th Club, 21st & 24th Sec, 37th & 42nd
Open; Tullamore 2nd, 4th, 5th & 7th Club, 3rd, 8th, 5th &
12th Sec, 4th ,9th,28th,37th Open; Thurles 3rd Club; Thurles 6th
Club, 29th Sec, 79th Open; Fermoy 3rd & 6th Club, 5th, 20th
& 31st Sec, 28th,,119th & 151st Open; Pilmore Beach 9th
& 10th Club, 28th & 30th Sec, 136th & 148th Open; Tullamore
C/B 3rd & 8th Club, 14th, 32nd & 35th Sec, 75th, 120th &
123rd Open; Fermoy 1st & 5th Club, 2nd ,31st & 43rd Sec,
4th, 79th & 120th Open; Tullamore C/B 1st & 4th Club; Thurles
4th & 7th Club, 10th, 23rd & 27th Sec, 45th, 112th &
131st Open.
NIPA
& INFC Nationals
Rosscarbery NIPA 4th & 40th Sec, 11th & 237th Open, £639.59;
Sennen Cove NIPA 21st & 25th Sec, 184th & 196th Open, £10.00;
Portland National NIPA 15th & 83rd Sec, 17th & 90th Open,
£191.65; Talbenny Y/B National NIPA 6th & 13th Sec, 68th
& 200th Open, £ 159.48; Fermoy 5/Bird Y/B NIPA, 10th Sec,
23rd Open, £108.68; Rosscarbery Y/B National NIPA 2nd &
17th Sec, 17th & 109th Open , £299.66; Sennen Cove Y/B
O/H National 98th Sec, 117th Open Y/B 41st Sec, 48th Open O/H £38.80;
Skibbereen INFC National 5th, 57th,60th,141st & 170th Sec, 10th,
93rd, 96th, 194th, 227th & 223rd Open, £658.39.
In total I had calculated in my previous report on this monster
of a partnership that they had neared £22,000 in pools and
prize money in the last 5 years of racing, in the 2006 season alone
they topped £6,600 plus two new T3 Clocks. Excellent flying
from a small team back garden loft, no large studs here and birds
for sale are few and far between. This year to list all awards and
averages won would take up more space than the following performances
which I am going to include :-
1981 - I.N.F.C. Kings Cup Les Sables 35th Open, 72nd Open, 81st
Open,
127th Open and 166th Open.
1983 - I.N.F.C. Skibbereen Y/B National 16th Open;
N.I.P.A. Y/B Derby Skibbereen 15th and 38th Open.
1985 - N.I.P.A. Skibbereen O/B Derby 32nd Open,
I.N.F.C. Yearling National 156th Open,
I.N.F.C. Skibbereen Y/B National 39th, 43rd, 63rd, 70th and 161st
Open.
1986 - N.I.P.A. Skibbereen O/B Derby 3rd and 5th Open,
N.I.P.A. Dungarvan 2nd and 5th Open,
I.N.F.C. Kings Cup 6th Open,
N.I.P.A. Guernsey Derby 1st Section 25th Open,
N.I.P.A. Skibbereen Y/B Derby 19th Open.
1987 - I.N.F.C. Penzance Classic 22nd, 38th, 59th and 92nd Open
I.N.F.C. Skibbereen Y/B National 20th Open
I.N.F.C. Yearling National 94th Open
N.I.P.A. Skibbereen O/B Derby 1st Section 1st Open
I.N.F.C. Penzance Friendship National 38th and 40th Open.
1988 N.I.P.A. Y/B Derby Skibbereen 14th Open
I.N.F.C. Skibbereen Y/B National 69th and 155th Open
1989 U.FED Dinard O/B Derby 2nd Open
U.FED Skibbereen Y/B Derby 19th and 20th Open
I.N.F.C. Skibbereen Y/B National 47th Open
N.I.P.A. Skibbereen Y/B Derby 78th Open
1990 N.I.P.A. Skibbereen O/B Derby 8th and 27th Open
U.FED Skibbereen Y/B Derby 5th and 49th Open
N.I.P.A. Dinard O/B Derby 1st Section 1st Open
1991 I.N.F.C. Kings Cup 32nd Open
N.I.P.A. Skibbereen Y/B Derby 18th Open
1992 N.I.P.A. Penzance Classic 21st, 31st and 86th Open
N.I.P.A. Talbenny Y/B Derby 32nd Open
1994 N.I.P.A. Skibbereen O/B Derby 17th, 56th and 71st Open
U.FED Skibbereen O/B Derby 4th Open
N.I.P.A. Penzance O/B Classic 13th, 52nd and 66th Open
N.I.P.A. Skibbereen Y/B Derby 58th Open
1996 N.I.P.A. Rosscarbery O/B Derby 5th and 37th Open
U.FED Skibbereen O/B Derby 9th Open
I.N.F.C. Rennes Kings Cup 80th Open
N.I.P.A. Rosscarbery Y/B National 6th and 17th Open
1999 U.FED Skibbereen O/B Derby 3rd Open
U.FED Penzance Championship 1st Open
I.N.F.C. Redon Kings Cup 68th and 127th Open
2000 I.N.F.C. Sartilly Friendship National 54th Open
2001 N.I.P.A. Lamballe O/B Derby 1st Section 2nd Open
2002 U.FED North Region Classic 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Open
N.I.P.A. O/B Derby Skibbereen 78th, 97th and 145th Open
N.I.P.A. Rosscarbery Y/B Derby 1st & 2nd Section, 3rd &
7th Open
2003 I.N.F.C. Y/B National Penzance 28th Open
U.FED Y/B Derby Mary Bank 3rd Open
2004 N.I.P.A. Rosscarbery O/B National 77th, 118th, 142nd, 154th
and 176th Open
I.N.F.C. Sennen Cove Classic 4th Section, 41st Open
N.I.P.A. Lamballe O/B National 1st Section, 66th Open
N.I.P.A. Skibbereen O/B National 147th Open
I.N.F.C. Yearling National 330th Open
I.N.F.C. Skibbereen Y/B National 87th and 163rd Open.
2005 I.N.F.C. Skibbereen O/B National - 39th, 51st, 137th Section,
39th, 51st and 137th Open
I.N.F.C. Sennen Cove Classic - 18th Section, 199th Open
N.I.P.A. Rosscarbery O/B National - 4th, 7th and 25th Section, 17th,
42nd and 212th Open
U.FED Portland O/B Derby - 4th Open
U.FED Claire Branniff 5 Bird - 1st and 4th Club, 3rd Open
N.I.P.A. Talbenny Y/B National - 3rd Section, 110th Open
U.FED Skibbereen Y/B Derby - 2nd, 3rd and 7th Club, 2nd, 3rd, 7th
and 41st Open
N.I.P.A. Rosscarbey Y/B National - 6th, 7th and 8th Section, 105th,
109th and 112th Open
I.N.F.C. Kings Cup Messac - 46th Section, 54th Open
I.N.F.C. Skibbereen Y/B National - 13th, 112th and 131st Open
I.N.F.C. Yearling National Sennen Cove - 116th Section, 133rd Open.
Excellent racing from the inform partnership at the minute and I
can only wish them continued success in the remainder of the 2007
seasons were I have no doubt they will excel once again. Any views
or enquires with reference to the above article can be made to
Adie
McCormick
Ireland’s Own Pigeon Auctions
25 Knockmore Square
Lisburn, Co.Antrim.
Tele 028 92604778
Or email celestiallofts@aol.com
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| Brian
(L) holding Cheq Cock 1st Club, 1st Section D, 2nd Open
Bude NIPA.
Roy holding Blue Sootjen Cock Lagan Valley Bird of the
Year. |
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| The
main Natural O/B racing loft, orginally built for Widowhood.
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| The
21ft x 6ft racing loft split into 3 x section 1 x for
O/Birds and the other 2 for Y/B Darkness. |
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| The
small but active stock loft of Spence Bros, Lisburn
with a fitted aviary concealed around the back to the
left hand side.
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| Ash
Hen (Cattrysse) winner of 1st Club, 1st Section D, 1st
Open Dinard O/B Derby 1990 Vel.1475
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| Cheq
Cock winner of 1st Club, 1st Section D, 1st Open Skibbereen
O/B Derby 1987.
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