On arrival to the lofts of G&C Simmons on a very damp and cold easterly wind greeting both myself and my daughter Scarlet, as we stepped out of the car we were greeted by the main man himself Gary (simmo). The weather was depressing but yet the spirits were high and smiles were plentiful for our arrival. After a quick catch up with each other we made our way down to the numerous lofts to have a look around and handle some of the winning bloodline that's doing the damage within the Edgarstown club and NIPA. Racing in such a strong club with the NIPA against some of the finest and experienced fanciers of section E is never an easy task or for the faint hearted but yet a challenge the father and son partnership was well up for.
My friendship with Gary goes back to our childhood with playing football together in both school and playing along beside each other within the Mid Ulster league as well as growing up together in the same area. Gary tells me he first got involved with pigeon racing at the tender age of 13, racing as G Simmons in Drummanon HPS winning his first race from Penzance with a chequer hen known as the "Penzance hen" she went on to win from this race point 3 times as well as breeding winners in the stock loft. The Penzance hen was down of a pair of pigeons Gary got off the late Benny beattie, he was the first man to ever gift Gary racing pigeons. Three years later the racing name changed to G & C simmons (Colin) who is Gary's Dad, also took an interest with Racing pigeons. Since then the lofts changed from the small set up of 10 x 6 feet that Gary first started out with till a 24 x 6ft loft and since then the lofts have been extended again to home the new stock birds to which this partnership were to bring in for them to be successful from the first race to the last. After a lot of research they approached the lofts of Frank sheader and Derek parr (lakeside lofts) to obtain some of their best stock pigeons and still to this day they are one of the main bloodlines that can still be found in their lofts. Gary referred to a certain pair of the sheader bloodline as a "gold mine" after they have bred over 30 1st prize winners for them and other fanciers who obtained these from the partnership. This partnership never sits still and is always looking out for the next winning bloodline, the next fancier they approached to obtain new blood from is the late Frank tasker, Gary described him to me as a true gentleman who helped him get on the map in pigeon racing and when Gary had any sort of problem in the loft with the birds Frank was always only a phone call away. Obtaining bloodlines from Frank's best such as film star Halterman's, and the De raw sablons, these birds have bred winners out to Penzance 300+ miles. A tasker cock bred them a 3rd open YB national and 7th open Yearling national as well as 3 Breeder buyer winners paired to two different hens. Recently this partnership has turned their interest towards the longer distance racing and brought in stock from some of the best such as N black & sons, John Halstead, Billy Graham (close friend from Scotland) and most recent from One of Ireland's finest long distance flyers and stock man Sid collins.
Racing systems to which this partnership races is roundabout and the natural system, young birds are mostly raced on the darkness system with always around 50 - 60 weaned into the darkness young bird section and a further 25 put into a separate loft to race them on natural for the following season. Gary told me he has never found a problem with young birds on darkness performing as yearlings but just always likes to have his young birds at different level of the moult so he can compete in the full young bird season.
Gary was telling me all of his feeding and products come from Cyril and Hilary Beattie who not only sell the best of feeding and products to the fancier but Gary is always impressed with the quality of the corn to which is bought from Beatties. Gary is a big believer in knowing each pigeons personality and knowing what makes them tick, while feeding them he oftens sits with them and monitors which pigeon needs that little extra for that chosen race. He was telling me when the wind is on the tail of the pigeons on race day for some reason he never really counts in the club, but yet with the wind being on their nose (head wind) that's when his pigeons perform the best for them. Although Gary measures the feeding for the pigeon everyday he is also watching the weather for race day to which he can add to the feeding to give them the extra fuel they will need for the weekends race, and build them up when needed.
As always on a visit to a fancier's loft I like to have a look at the old bird race team and pick one pigeon out on my own pigeon knowledge, this weeks "scribes choice" lived in box 6 and was a lovely cheq w\f Sootjen cock down off their number 1 pair, he is a 3 year old roundabout cock and so far he has scored 1x1st 4 x 2nds 2 x 3rds plus a few lower prize's so I reckon he will score plenty more this year.
Gary would like to thank the members of Edgarstown HPS for their hard work every year and wishes each fancier all the best for the rest of the season, Ronnie Williamson for his fantastic training facilities to which this partnership uses on a daily basis due to both of them working full time, last but not least his father Colin who he can't thank enough for his hard work and support around the lofts and without him involved it would not be possible to manage and race such a successful loft on a daily basis.
I would like to thank both Gary and Colin for their fantastic hospitality and generosity both myself and my precious daughter Scarlet received when we arrived to do this loft report, I wish both you the best of luck for the rest of the racing season.
"Flying start with Ross Kelly"
