Jeff Greenaway - Champion Year 2009

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willie reynolds
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Joined: Sun Nov 09, 2008 4:44 pm

Jeff Greenaway - Champion Year 2009

Post by willie reynolds »

** The Master Craftsman **

One of the first loft reports I put together when reporting on Section D of the Mighty NIPA was that of Jeff Greenway from Dromore, County Down which was around this same time in 2005. The reason for my visit was to report on his success that year which accumulated on him being crowned Section D Fancier of the Year the previous season for the fourth time. How fitting that my second loft report on Jeff coincides once again with him being crowned NIPA Section D Fancier of the Year for 2009. As many will know Section D of the NIPA is without any doubt one of the most competitive of them all, and boasts some of the top outstanding names within the sport to day.

Jeff is no stranger to pigeon racing and has been actively involved in some form since he was a kid racing in partnership with his father when living in Banbridge under the partnership name of W Greenaway & Son they had many excellent results including topping the Old Bird Derby from France. Jeff's dad Billy plays a pivotal role now in Jeff's success with the majority of the Universal Loft (North) stock housed at his spacious lofts in Banbridge, this allows maximum space for Jeff to race his many systems with ease at his own lofts on the Lower Quilly Road without the space and hassle of Stock Pigeons taking up his time, fortunately for Jeff, Billy's unrelenting enjoyment with pigeons just doesn't stop with Jeff & Sheldon's stock pigeons but also includes Billy attending his sons lofts in Dromore to give a helping hand if and when required which is more times than not during especially the Y/Bird Campaign. Jeff over recent times has forged a solid friendship into a partnership with Sheldon Leonard from Arklow in the South of Ireland and together they now own Universal Lofts, with pigeons both in the North and many housed at the state of the art lofts of Sheldon's in the South, together Jeff & Sheldon visit the continent on a regular basis and have purchased the best that money can buy, a money no object approach to obtain what they want is some what of the norm.

A family man Jeff has two lovely daughters namely 15 year old Shannon and 13 year old Chloe who are a true credit to him and the lady of the house Jeff's hard working wife Lisa who also works part-time at a local opticians in Lisburn. Jeff himself works long hours at his family run Steel business in Lurgan which can most days see him away from the lofts for up to 12 hours at a time, I have full praise for the successful fancier who can still win week in week out while holding down a commanding work schedule. But for Jeff work must now be a welcome enjoyment, as over recent months he has found a niche in the pigeon market which he has, to be fair took full advantage of, and that is supplying pigeons organizations and fanciers with a full range of aluminium pigeon products under the name of Universal Pigeon Products, these include crates for transporters, drinkers, feeders, traps, aviaries, breeding pens with many top approvals and recommendations coming forward from some of the top Stud's and Fanciers in Ireland, England and the Continent. Following successful displays at a few of the pigeons shows including the most recent of these being Blackpool 2010 the orders continue to flow in with a high volume coming from Europe obviously with the Euro now being so competitive against the Stirling pound. On top of this Jeff and his staff successfully completed a total re-fit of a couple of Transports for the largest Federation in Ireland in 2009 that being the Irish South Road Federation and this following a refurbishment of the South Leinster Federation Transport in 2008, this has helped also in securing a number of jobs for 2010 which starts with work on a transporter for the Cork fancy. Having seen his work first hand at a number of locations over recent months I can only recommend him without hesitation, personally I feel this is the way for the future, especially in regards to sanitation and disease control, basically everything for the fancy that was available in wood or plastic can now be made in stainless steel which allows for safe, clean, life long durability.

Following many successful years of flying with the Hills & Maze HPS, Jeff recently joined the powerful Dromore HPS and competed with this Club in 2009 lifting a total of 10 x 1st Club's and 4 x 1st NIPA Section D Diplomas. The club like the Section boasts some of the elite fanciers flying into Northern Ireland and with a 20 bird limit, its a tough Club to win, you can send as many per week as you like but you must nominate 20 when hampering, competition is hard with most weeks some 700 – 900 pigeons competing at Club level. I will list NIPA Section and Open positions achieved by the loft in both 2008 and 2009 including INFC performances when and where they appear at the tail of this report. Jeff's performances are immense to say the least and when re-asking the same question put to Jeff during my last visit and noticed some changes to his racing system which have been introduced during the last couple of years reference my listing of the corresponding results for that said period.

I will start by mentioning the stock pigeons which number around the 100 mark in the North, these include mainly Staf Van Reets, Soontjens and Janssens. Some exceptional pigeons have been sourced from many exceptional fanciers including Lou Wouters, Van De Poel, Marcel Sangers, and of course their good friend and Emperor of Belgium Andre Roodhooft. Many of these pigeons have made their mark and continue to season after season, but one pigeon that has proved its might within the Jeff Greenaway set up is the famous 2001 bred 'Back to Back' without any doubt one of the best around, he simply is involved in everything positive around the recent surge of success enjoyed by Jeff during recent times, his bloodlines now four generations on are still producing the goods and competing and beating the best. I did cover this pigeon in my 2005 report on Jeff, although at that time it was with reference to its racing in 2004, just let me go back to my paper work and pick up what he achieved that year, he was a winner of 1st Club, 1st Section D and 12th Open from Bude, flew on a Monday, he was sent to Sennen Cove on the Thursday of the same week and released on Saturday finishing 1st Club, 1st Section D and 2nd Open beat for 1st Open by .3 of a yard by a pigeon further down the country 2nd Open is nothing new for Jeff, up till now he has finished runner-up for major Open & National success 11 times. If you thought that small spell of racing was impressive, his pedigree at stock would fill quite literally a full page, if all investigated and recorded, what I can tell you is his more recent prodigy, he is G/Sire to a couple of Ulster Federation Derby winners both in 2008 and 2009, for Gerry O'Boyle and Joe Smyth respectively these success's both coming from a batch of six youngsters ordered by both lofts. He is G/Sire to the NIPA O/Bird of the Year in 2009 'Blue Savannah' this same pigeon won 1st Section D & 2nd Open NIPA Clonmel 30,201 Birds, 1st Section D & 7th Open NIPA Fermoy 2,362 Birds, 1st Section D & 9th Open NIPA Rosscarbery 1,141 Birds, 7th Section D & 43rd Open NIPA Clonmel 26,870 Birds, RPRA Irish Region 0 – 250 Mileage Award Winner 2009, RPRA Runner-Up Adult Short Distance 2009, also McGimpsey Bros of Newtownards have enjoyed success 'Back to Back' is G/Sire to their Meritorious Award Winner and responsible for no less than 10 x 1st prize winners for the same loft. I think you can say 'Back to Back' is one of those pigeons that we all dream of owning, a true 'Super Star'. (When I called at Jeff's around tea-time on Monday, he had just discovered when attending to the birds following a day at work that 'Back to Back' and the cock in the next box had done battle all day with both sets of youngsters killed, hence no photograph of the battered cock. (Ever notice it’s always the top pairs that fight and damage eggs and young ones and the good racers that the Hawks lift). But 'Back to Back' is one that will be followed up on with hopefully a detailed pedigree and list of breeding achievements with of course a photo of the true super star that he is.

In all Jeff took on the 2009 O/Bird racing season with a total of 17 hens and 44 cocks all raced on the Widowhood, the total of 61 pigeons are spread over a total of five sections all measuring 8' x 6', they are mated during the 1st week of January and will rear the 1st round before being separated around the 10 day mark of the second eggs being laid. Something to note that they birds are never out of the lofts after the final race and are wintered in aviaries which has resulted in an excellent moult, (have to say of all the pigeons I handled where of excellent feather, some of the best I have handled in recent years). When separated theoretically the Widowhood has started they will move onto a diet of depurative this being Vanrobaeys sourced from Ian Gibb of the Gibb & Byrne Stud in Lisburn, other feeding sourced from Ian is Byers Widowhood and Y/Bird mixtures. In all three different widowhood mixtures are used these being mixed including Versa Laga from Beattie's and Byers and Van Robaeys from Ian Gibb. The Widowhood Cocks will exit their sections at 6.00am daily, unless the weather is bad, ie. raining or very cold, Jeff just doesn't see the point in having wet pigeons sitting about the loft, if it isn't enjoyable for us, it can't be for the birds, especially when it is cold also. I asked Jeff when the racing programme had commenced was this still the case, to which he replied yes, he went onto to say that during the O/Bird programme he has had the situation on more than one occasion when the birds have not been out for up to four days and they still went out and won on a Saturday.

If the birds are prepared right for the season ahead and fed the right diet they won't become not fit over the course of a few days without exercise. Sometimes a rest is as good as exercise, only experience of your own family of birds can teach you this as there is no set guaranteed formula. The cocks will be expected to fly for one hour, if they seem to be shrinking in their desire to exercise the flags will go out, but thankfully for Jeff this is not very often the case. The Widowhood hens will then go out at 5.00pm daily and again they will be expected to attack the skies for an hour with the same consequence applied should they lack desire. They are fed twice per day, communally on the floor, this Jeff has only started over the last couple of years and has found the pigeons to be far more content as an over-all team.

Previously it was the case that they were fed individually in their own boxes, Jeff personally thinks it is wasted time, for by the time it took him to go from box to box measuring out the feeding, it now takes the same time to put the feeding onto the floor and sit with them until they move from feeding to searching through the corn then it is removed. This system especially with regards feeding seems to have proved a wise move, for Jeff has a greater understanding of certain pigeons, also he has found that there is a lot less fighting in the sections between the pigeons, this particularly noticed especially when transporting the cocks in hampers together, when you have them trained to eating, drinking in one certain area of the loft on their own they seem to control and like their own space which leads to some fitting when placed in a confined space with other Cocks, whether that be a hamper or on the transporter. Feeding is generally measured out at 1 & ½ ounces per pigeon per day, but again if not out due to weather conditions this would be reduced, vice versa if the task ahead was forecast head wind etc they would be fed more, this in no way means that they will eat everything for once searching begins the feed is lifted, as many will know not all birds require the same, for instance one exceptional racer for Jeff a winner 1st, 3rd, 9th, 12th and 18th Open you could not have got him to eat a spoonful of corn daily when at that time they were all fed in their boxes.

The Widowhood pigeons will be fed depurative at the start of the week with the combination of widowhood mixtures introduced from a Tuesday onwards, the last feed will be the morning of basketing for any said race this taking place at 6.30am, the Feeding will be left with them until 7am before Jeff heads to work, but very little is ever consumed, if it where the case Jeff would know before sending where he was going to finish in the result. Electrolytes are added to the water on the return from a race, the only other additional extras added to the water are Naturalline Tea, Gervit W and Garlic Juice. On the corn Jeff admits to using a lot of Brewers Yeast in fact most days during racing, this will be mixed into the corn with 'Fine Oil' sourced from the Continent. On a Saturday and Sunday the Widowers will get a little condition seed, also a combination of pick stones are purchased and broken up and mixed together, this mixture is given fresh to the pigeons daily. They are bathed once per week (day after race) and this is done within the Aviaries.

Tossing will start around a couple of weeks before the first O/Bird race and they will re-start always at the point they started from as youngsters a distance of five miles this will increase in distance to a maximum of 17 miles, they will go no further and will have had about 7- 8 trips up the road prior to racing. After racing starts they will not be trained up the road unless form around the loft dictates differently. I asked Jeff, like I ask every fancier, any secret formula, or substance? If so says Jeff he is still looking forward, personally he doesn't reckon one exists, other than hard work, when younger he admits that frankly their wasn't enough days in the week to try all these supposed super potions that allegedly make your birds come faster he has tried many, but a lot of money and more importantly wasted time has learned him the only tonic that will win you races is hard work, and hard work alone, in this day and age there is exceptional sums of money spent on pigeons, so to start with there are a vast amount of fanciers out their with very good pigeons but sadly good pigeons can not win races on their own, and simply there is no magic potion to replace hard work. Jeff and Sheldons many friendships on the Continent see’s them being able to get the best possible medicines and more importantly preventative medicines going. Jeff admits to no longer blind treating. Around four weeks before racing commences he takes a swab and dropping samples from each section and has them tested on the Continent, thankfully through a new preventative programme, not one problem has arose during the last couple of years using the new preventative products, especially for Canker and Respiratory, these will be given in the water or on the corn, the one for respiratory they get once per week normally on a Tuesday and the Canker one they get on a return from any said race per fortnight.

While on the subject of medicines, Jeff and some of his close friends have also had the privilege of using a new Y/Bird Sickness preventative coming from the same reliable source with 100% success so far, indeed when conducting this report he had a couple of phone calls reference the same thing, so word must be getting around. Y/Bird sickness is one of the biggest problems faced by the fancy yearly, having had first hand experience of it myself I know only two well how sole destroying it can be. And once you have it in the loft, you would go to the ends of the earth to get shot of it. In reference to the O/Bird Jeff no longer treats for Paratyphoid again this only over the last couple of years, unless regular test prove differently, previously it was something he did every year. Now the widowhood Cocks and Hens remembering that Jeff has theoretically 5 teams spread over five sections these would be re mated at different spells during the O/Bird programme to catch the main National races both with the NIPA and INFC with a variation of sitting 10 days, chipping eggs or 2 or 3 days youngsters the preferred options for the individual sections of racers, before this the Widowhood pigeons are raced on the normal system cock seeing hen vice versa, the hens are mated to retired racers and stock cocks, rather than being paired to widowhood cocks especially when cocks and hens are both competing each week, this is something Jeff hopes to rotate this year with a bigger team of hens, after records have proven during the last couple of years that the hens vastly out stripe the Cocks on racing performances, something Jeff did add, was that as for speed in Widowhood pigeons they are at their height as yearling's and will gradually get slower as time goes on, so he is hoping that he can now compete with a full squad of Yearling's and Two Year Olds and if they have proved their worth on the road, after their second season on Widowhood they will make the stock loft, if not they will be disposed off. The Sections to which the cocks and hens race to are of wooden structure, grilled floors & boxes with tiled roofs with Extraction Fans and Heating in all, with the Sections always being at 60 Degrees, with thermostats controlling the temperature and air flow should the temp drop the heating will come on, and should the temp rise to 63 degrees the Fans automatically come on, the thermostats check the loft conditions automatically every 15 minutes 24 hours per day. Jeff admits that this has always been the case within the Sections, is it making a difference he is unsure but why change something that is obviously part of the success story to date.

Y/Bird racing is as difficult for Jeff as it is for the vast majority of fanciers, testing to say the least. Like so many now Jeff also puts the full team (70) onto Darkness. They are weaned and vaccinated on the day of weaning around the 21 day mark. The 70 youngsters are spread over 3 x Sections and an aviary. They are placed on the Darkness system at the end of March from the hours of 6.30pm until 8.30am, this is where Jeff’s dad comes into the fold on a more prominent basis. They will remain on the Darkness until the end of June, with tossing commencing before the end the darkness. But not before they have made a very positive approach when out of the loft which is only Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday & Sunday for their two hour fly when on Darkness. Once the Darkness system has ended they will be out once per day for 1 hour and they are only fed once per day in the evening as much as they want. Tossing starts around four weeks before the 1st race which for Jeff is normally the 3rd or 4th of the NIPA Y/Bird programme. When leaving the nest they will continue on breeding mixture for approx 4 weeks before the moulting mixture of Versa Laga is introduced they will stay on this until the Darkness finishes. Then it will be a combination of Y/Bird mixtures together, same as the O/Birds, Van Robaeys & Byers from Ian Gibb of Lisburn & Versa Laga from Cyril Beattie of Tandragee. Every thing in the water remains the same as the O/Birds are given only difference being that the Y/Birds are treated with a Y/Bird Anti Virus treatment on return from racing every Saturday or Sunday pending on release for 24 hours.

The Y/Birds are always kept on the same deep litter for the full season, with the section sprayed before youngsters are put in on a large bed of Pea Straw, again a great job from personal experience having obtained mine from Ian Gibb when racing. The Y/Birds before racing are split into three teams, cocks, hens and a mixture, with records showing that the mixed Section best perform with the Hens once again out stripping the Cocks week in week out. Again all sections have a mixture of perches, breeding boxes and pipa boxes. Going back to the training as mentioned above starts around four weeks before the first race for Jeff, starting at 5 miles, they will stay here until demonstrating that they have mastered the homing ability, and are heading in the right direction immediately from departing the hampers. They will then move to 10 miles, 17 miles before a couple of Ardee’s before the first race this is a must before the transporter, for Jeff they must have had the 40 miles toss at least twice coming through the mountains to know their path home before the official racing commences. Up until the first race weather permitting they will be up the road daily, but once racing commences that is the training knocked on the head but should they show laziness about the loft for the hour that they are out they will see the Hamper before the Transporter.

All in all a true testament of what Jeff Greenaway is all about, exceptionally good pigeons managed by a hard working exceptionally talented pigeon man, and I have no doubt he will continue to prove his wonderful ability of winning with pigeons in the many years that lie ahead for him and with the extra involvement now in producing just not winning pigeons to fanciers around Ireland and the UK but also now stainless steel pigeon equipment I am sure we will be hearing much more about Jeff Greenaway and Sheldon Leonard of Universal Lofts and of course not forgetting Universal Pigeon Supplies for many years to come. I will close by wishing Jeff Greenaway and family every success in 2010, both with the pigeons and pigeon products.

Race results for 2008 O/Birds – Pilmore Beach 11th May 3rd, 15th, 16th, 24th, 39th & 40th Section D NIPA 139 members sending 3,241 pigeons the loft finished 17th, 133rd & 137th Open with 1,232 lofts sending 27,039 pigeons Velocity 1400ypm; Pilmore Beach (2) 24th May 13th, 15th & 44th Section D 126/3,691 pigeons finishing 117th & 124th Open 1168 members sent 21,745 pigeons Velocity 1160ypm; Rosscarbery O/Bird National 18th May 7th Section 77 members sent 654 pigeons, finishing 54th Open NIPA Velocity 1509ypm; Tullamore 7th June - 8th & 16th Section D 35 members sent 449 birds, finishing 97th & 159th Open on Velocity 1487ypm; Mallow 5 Bird 14th June – 11th Section D finishing 41st Open NIPA 561 members sent 2,411 pigeons winning velocity 1424ypm; Sennen Cove 23rd June – 27th Section D Velocity 1297ypm; Sennen Cove Classic – 13th Section D and 141st Open Velocity 1297ypm; Y/Birds – Roscrea 8th August – 5th, 6th, 9th, 10th, 25th, 28th & 29th Section D 107 members sent 2,853 pigeons, in the Open result the loft finished 23rd, 24th, 34th, 36th, 82nd, 93rd & 96th Open 1,043 members sent 26,568 pigeons on a velocity of 1463ypm; Pilmore Beach 22nd August – 2nd, 3rd, 6th, 18th, 29th, 30th & 33rd Section D 95 members sent 2,462 pigeons in the NIPA Open result the loft finished 14th, 15th, 29th & 144th with 962 members sent 23,203 pigeons with a winning velocity of 1313ypm; Tullamore 29th June – 6th Section D finishing 110th Open NIPA with 515 members sent 10,476 pigeons Velocity 1230ypm; Talbenny Y/Bird National moved back to Mullingar 31st August – 2nd Section D finishing 13th Open with 623 members sending 4,175 pigeons Velocity 1473ypm; Fermoy 7th September – 4th Section D 40 members sending 178 pigeons in the Open the loft finished 29th with 322 members sending 1,446 pigeons Velocity 1247ypm; Rosscarbery Y/Bird National 12th September – 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 9th, 11th & 12th Section D finishing 8th, 15th, 24th, 64th, 76th & 83rd Open on a Velocity of 1337ypm. INFC 2008 - Y/Bird Skibbereen 2nd & 5th Open 1624ypm 415 members sent 3489 pigeons.

2009 O/Birds – Tullamore (2) 18th April – 15th, 37th & 44th Section D Velocity 1375; Clonmel (1) 2nd May – 1st, 3rd, 36th, 38th, 41st & 42nd Section D finishing 2nd, 22nd & 156th Open with 1250 members sending 30,201 pigeons on a Velocity of 1799ypm; Clonmel (2) 10th May – 7th, 14th, 24th & 25th Section D 140 members sent 3,439 pigeons in the Open 43rd, 66th, 104th & 107th Open Velocity 1401ypm; Fermoy 24th May – 19th, 22nd & 23rd Section D with 108 members sending 2,375 pigeons in the Open the loft finished 108th, 113th & 114th Open Velocity 1942ypm; Talbenny (1) 30th May – 37th Section D Velocity 1603ypm; Fermoy 06th June – 2nd, 8th & 13th Section D 33 members sent 486 pigeons in the Open result 31st & 69th Open 377 members sent 4,768 pigeons Vel 1131ypm; Talbenny (2) 8th August – 23rd & 35th Section D with 113 members sent 1675 pigeons; Mallow 5 Bird 13th June – 1st & 13th Section D 69 members sent 314 birds in the Open 7th & 68th with 518 members sending 2,362 pigeons Velocity 1826ypm; Bude 13th June – 35th & 36th Section 88 members sent 885 pigeons Velocity 1500ypm; Penzance 20th June – 5th Section D 109 members sent 1,215 pigeons finishing 31st Open 866 members sent 9,054 Birds Velocity 991ypm; Yearling Cocks National Rosscarbery 1st, 2nd, 11th & 16th Section D finishing 13th & 16th Open Velocity 1364; Yearling Hens National Rosscarbery 27th June – 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 8th, 10th, 12th, 15th & 19th Section D finishing 9th, 12th, 23rd, 55th & 67th Open Velocity 1374ypm. Y/Birds – Roscrea 8th August – 34th & 36th Section D 124 members sent 3,510 pigeons; Clonmel 15th August – 3rd, 5th & 44th 120 members sent 2,858 pigeons in the Open result the loft finished 41st & 52nd Open with 973 members sending 22,372 pigeons Velocity 1685ypm; Fermoy 22nd August – 6th, 17th, 19th, 31st, 32nd, 33rd, 37th, 39th Section D 118 members sent 2,698 pigeons finishing 45th, 100th & 108th Open NIPA 955 sending 21,309 pigeons Velocity 1637; Tullamore 29th August – 5th Section D and 9th Open NIPA 475 lofts sent 8,822 pigeons with a winning velocity of 1826ypm; Talbenny Y/Bird National 29th August – 4th, 5th & 10th Section D 55 members sent 304 pigeons in the Open the loft finished 48th, 49th & 104th Open Velocity 1144ypm; Fermoy 5th September – 3rd, 4th, 5th, 15th, 16th, 17th, 18th & 19th Section D 78 members sent 1603 pigeons in the Open another good performance 11th, 12th, 13th, 46th, 47th & 48th Open 693 competing lofts sent 11,797 pigeons Velocity 1808ypm; Fermoy 5 Bird 5th September – 6th Section D and 15th Open NIPA 347 sending 1582 pigeons velocity 1793ypm; Rosscarbery Y/Bird National 12th September – 2nd, 6th, 10th, 18th, 19th, 20th, 27th & 30th Section D finishing 6th, 21st, 55th, 89th, 91st, 92nd, 118th & 136th Open NIPA Velocity 1281ypm. INFC Results 2009 – Skibbereen O/Bird National 77th & 128th Open 492 members sent 3,755 pigeons Velocity 1518; Yearling National 141st & 234th Open 786 members sent 4,134 pigeons velocity 1091ypm; Skibbereen Y/Bird National 3rd, 125th & 132nd Open 411 members sent 3,118 pigeons Velocity 1547ypm winning £646.

Adie McCormick
Ireland's Own Pigeon Auctions.
http://www.pigeonnetwork.com
E-mail: celestiallofts@aol.com.






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