The sensational Leo Van Rijn family of B & K Hawes and Lee Fribbins coming to Sarsfield RPC, Lally Road, Ballyfermot, Dublin 10 on Sunday 23rd October at 4.00pm, birds on view from 2.00pm. This will be the first sale of the year for Ireland's Own Pigeon Auctions and queries should be directed to either Homer Tel: 07538 238364 or Adie Tel: 07921 883997. As usual we will take any Commission Bids, the full Sale List will be published shortly. In the meantime see the article on B & K Hawes in the RP dated 30/09/11 and see below the article published in the Pictorial.
AN INTERVIEW WITH LEE FRIBBINS
A hectic lifestyle doesn’t prevent success with pigeons
by Gareth Watkins
Lee Fribbins, as many will know, is the Editor of one of the UK’s most successful and innovative pigeon magazines – the Racing Pigeon. Lee also edits the superbly produced Racing Pigeon Pictorial International, which must rank amongst the finest glossy pigeon magazines in the racing pigeon world. Add to these responsibilities the fact that Lee has developed his own brand of “natural” pigeon health care products and you have a fancier for whom leisure time is definitely in short supply. Nevertheless, Lee has enjoyed great success when racing his pigeons in sprint and middle distance races winning multiple first prizes in recent seasons with his small team of predominantly Leo Van Rijn pigeons. The following article sets out Lee’s methods and theories that have brought him so much success despite the limited time he has available to care for his pigeons.
When did you start in the sport.
I first started keeping pigeons when I was six years old. I had shown an interest in garden birds at an early age being a member of the Young ornithologists club then the RSPB. This was before they actively protected and encouraged birds of prey. For my sixth birthday my grand dad brought me round six pigeons in a small crate. These pigeons were Westcotts from Inspector Ralph Chapman. I kept pigeons as pets, chasing every stray, breeding colourful babies and taking the birds a few miles training and waiting days for them to return. They were kept in our coal bunker, then in our out house then my first loft .My grand dad, Joseph Phillips, had raced pigeons in Bellshill, Glasgow before he moved for work down to Halstead in Essex when my mum was 11 years old.
Lee holding 2nd and 3rd Combine pigeons from Arbroath
Who was your first major influence.
I started racing Pigeons in 1984, I was twelve years old. I had about 10 youngsters which raced reasonably well for me. My first race win was from Wetherby with a hen named '80' she was a blue hen bred by Mrs Pratt of Sible Hedingham in Essex. Maureen bred me a beautiful pair of babies a Blue hen '80' and a silver Mealy '79'. By 1987 I was racing more successfully, I was bred six youngsters by Brent Oakey of Hulme and Curley Busscheart lines which became fantastic racers for me. I won my first Essex Central Race from Wetherby 1507ypm against 4,222 pigeons with my favourite ever pigeon 'The Blue' ... GB87H44261. This cock was a fantastic racer for me and died a few years back of old age. My first major influences in pigeon racing were the fanciers who were top of the tree locally at the time. I lived, breathed and slept pigeons and literally spent my life working out how to beat Peter Lake of Colne Engaine. Peter was an incredible fancier who week in week out was up there in the club, federation and Combine . Another fancier who I was always looking for results for was ironically David Coward-Talbot, Every week David would be top of the Essex Central Federation or Essex Combine .The first time I ever met David, I was literally 'star struck'... unfortunately this is no longer the case and who would have thought 20 years later we would be working and travelling the 'Far East' together!
How long have you raced to your present location.
Moving up to date, I have lived at my current location 7 miles to the East of Colchester and 6 miles to the west of Clacton-on-Sea since 2007. My youngsters that year were bred in December and not let out until May when the loft was ready. I managed to get the youngsters out flying and racing by July, they even went on to win the Fed and Championship club. Three of my best ever pigeons have come from this 2007 crop of babies.
The range of racing lofts
Lee's widowhood loft
The YB loft
Can you give details of your present loft set up i.e. overall dimensions, orientation, number of sections etc.
My present loft is made of white plastic - I have 2 sections for young birds, each measuring 6ft x 6 ft, one stock section 6ft x 6ft, one yearling cock section 8ft x 6ft, one old cock section 8ft x 6ft and a hen section 6ft x 4 ft. The loft faces due south and there are aviaries on the front of all the sections.
Do you use deep litter, grids or clean daily/regularly.
I clean every section TWICE daily every day. I use floor heaters as I firmly believe that it is vitally important to keep the floor bone dry and clean. Optimum health is paramount for success.
GB07K21021: 10 x 1sts, 7 x 2nds, 2 x 3rds, winning the Essex and Suffolk Border federation, Stour Valley federation and Saxon Valley Championship, also many other top ten club positions plus fed positions and combine positions including 7th Essex and Kent Combine Berwick.
How many birds do you keep:- stock. racers, young birds.
My race team consists of 9 - 10 yearling cocks and the best 6 old widowhood cocks and I also race 12 hens. I keep six pairs of stock and normally around 28 - 30 youngsters which are raced on Darkness and separated.
What system do you use to race the birds e.g. widowhood, round about, natural etc.
I race cocks on Widowhood - although they actually race home to their boxes. The cocks do not see their hens on marking night or a Saturday, they only see their hens on a Sunday, or the day after the race for 2 hours .I have found that the cocks race much better being calm, the excitement tends to upset the digestive system and causes undue stress.
Lee's racing view north
When do you mate your stock birds, racers.
I pair my birds up between Christmas and New Year, this works well between the major winter shows for me as these are very busy times in my calendar. I breed mainly from my stock birds but a few youngsters are also taken from my best proven racers.
Do you mate the birds you intend for the longer races at a different time to the other racers.
I pair all my pigeons at the same time. I do not have enough room or enough pigeons to separate distance and sprint pigeons.
What is the preparation of the racers prior to the first old bird race.
When the youngsters are 15 days old I remove the hens... I find the cocks bringing up the youngsters really bonds them well to the nest box. After the Youngsters are weaned I give the cocks and hens Vanrobaeys Super Depurative for 7days plus SportHERB a detoxifying and purifying tea, I find this really cleans the skin up. I DO NOT let the cocks out of the loft until after this period. They tend to sulk a bit so I just leave them quietly alone. The hens meanwhile go out TWICE daily and are fed and watered the same as the cocks. I then let the cocks out once per day. If it is cold in the morning I leave it until the evening for their exercise period. I do this for two weeks after a couple of days they start to go looking for the hens. They only see the hen once per week on a Sunday. Once they are clearing off from the loft for 30 minutes or so I start to train them. They have 5 or 6 tosses from 10 -15 miles and then in to the first race at 85 miles. I always train from the same spot and. never ever deviate from this location.
Yearling cocks
Yearling cocks
Stock cocks
Some hens
Do you force fly your birds during exercise or are they left to do as they please.
None of my pigeons are ever made to fly. In my opinion a pigeon will fly if it wants to. A good example of this was last season, when I sent 14 birds to Retford. It was a South East wind being a north road flyer this was right against them. I am the furthest flying member in the east of our club. The cocks just wanted their boxes on the Thursday evening they didn’t want to fly. On the Saturday I had pigeons to take the first 9 positions.
How often do you exercise the race birds.
The race birds are normally exercised twice daily Monday until Friday morning.
GB07E92038: 5 x 1sts, 3rd Combine Arbroath plus many other club, fed and combine positions & YB of the Year 07.
How often do you train the race birds before and during racing.
I like Hens to have 14 or 15 training tosses before the first race ... the cocks 5 -6.
How far do you usually train .
I only train between 10 and 15 miles NEVER any further.
Is there any specific preparation for the birds before National races.
My race programme is fairly straight forward. It means that all the pigeons can race every week. The system is finely tuned for this.... I do not have to worry about feeding for a two week rest period... they can all race the whole season through.
YB mix
How much racing do your young birds receive and how many training tosses do they have in the year of their birth.
My Youngsters are trained and trained and trained... maybe 50 tosses before the first race. They then as youngster race every week of the programme on the darkness system.
How do you feed the racers, stock birds, young birds – hopper /by hand. How do you gauge how much they need at each feed.
All my pigeon have a small amount of White barley in the feed, as soon as they leave the Barley they have had enough and feeding stops. My pigeons are always fed to appetite. The cocks are fed in their boxes the hens, stock birds and youngsters are hopper fed.
What mixtures do you feed.
I feed Vanrobaeys corns as I really like the mixes although if I see another good quality mix that I like the look of then I will feed this also. I do not have a consistent feeding programme. I understand nutrition and will give the birds what I think they need based on the race distance, the race weather conditions and whether it will be a hard or easy race. I use my instinct to determine what to feed and when to feed it. I also use good vitamins such as Sport V and Sport B regularly plus electrolytes Sport LYTE on return.
Young birds
Do you feed any differently in the build up to National races.
As I said I feed every day and week differently I do not have a set feeding programme. The pigeons get what I think they need, not what a feed company gives me in a bag to feed them.
What are the main bloodlines that you house now and which lines have proved the most successful.
The main bloodlines housed are the Leo Van Rijn Pigeons. This is a relatively new family and I believe I have some fabulous pigeons which will suit me and my business commitments. Running the Racing Pigeon Newspaper does not give me much spare leisure time so I need pigeons which are easy to condition, maintain form, easily recover from a race and can race every week without a fuss. I found that the Van Reet 'Beardsmore' Lines that I have raced since 2003 were possibly just becoming a little tired for me. I needed an injection of new blood and found the Van Rijns a great family.
Do you line breed, in breed outcross when breeding. Which method has been most successful for you.
I just pair my pigeons up using my own judgement of which pigeons I feel will compliment each other and produce a better pigeon than the parents. Nearly every pigeon I have given to local fanciers has gone on to do well for that person.
I like a certain type of pigeon and that’s that. Oh and they have to be Blues or Blue w/f as you will not find a chequer, mealy, red or grizzle in my loft.
Young birds
Is there any fancier who has helped you more than any other.
Brian Hawes has had a lot of time for me. In my opinion he is the best fancier I know. To get some of the performances week in week out from his pigeons is beyond belief - a VERY talented fancier make no mistake - “Simply the Best” and a class guy into the bargain.
Do you have any views on how the sport can be improved and how we can attract new members into the sport.
Unfortunately I have spent many, many hours trying to think of ways to encourage people back into the sport or encourage new people to start up. There are very few hobbies or pass times that are thriving, we are not alone in our plight for new blood. I have come to the sad conclusion that it is the sign of the times in our modern day world of computers, I phones and game consoles Youngsters today are just not interested. One particular area that we should consider I believe is the 50 plus age bracket. Many people do take up new pass times so I think this is certainly an area to target.
Young birds
Number One Stock Pair
Do you have a specific programme of medication.
I regularly test my pigeons’ droppings and so I only treat when necessary.
Do you use any supplements such as vitamins etc.
I manufacture a product range called Pigeon Health, I have invested a lot of time into making good vitamin supplements for pigeons. I therefore tend to use my own privately developed Sport Range of Vitamins and supplements.
GB08T10001: Winner of 5 x 1sts plus 2nd Combine Arbroath.
GB07J63318: Winner of 3 x 1sts.
How does your ideal pigeon look/ handle.
I really like small to medium hens and medium sized cocks. The pigeons must be apple bodied and feel very powerful in the hand. The birds must also have silky feathers, bright eyes and have an intelligent look about them.
If you could only use one product / supplement what would it be.
If I could only use one product it would be wicker, the only way to find out what you have is the basket. Supplements and products help to maintain health and improve fitness but no product makes an average pigeon into a Champion.
There you have it then, the thoughts of one of the leading lights in the new generation of pigeon fanciers. Lee is a young man with a very busy lifestyle who runs a number of businesses and also races his pigeons very successfully thus proving that ability and intelligence, allied to hard work and dedication when applied to pigeons of exceptional quality can overcome most obstacles placed before them in the quest for success in pigeon racing.
Lee Fribbins showing the very best of these racing machines to Dr Henk De Weerd.
