When a fancier has been involved with pigeons for seventy years, he can certainly brag about having seen it all, including having had the privilege of racing against some of the greatest names ever to race pigeons just not into the Portadown area but all over Northern Ireland while competing with the mighty NIPA. Racing along with his late father Arthur, Tommy Ford, has been involved with pigeons since he was a boy at the age four, always a member of the famous Edgarstown HPS a club that has seen some of Northern Ireland’s greatest fliers within its ranks over the years. Till this day Tommy still races under the partnership name of T & A Ford.
I, accompanied with my father Willie Reynolds (NIPA, INFC & RPRA Irish Region Press Officer) had the honour of catching up with Tommy on Wednesday evening after work following his fantastic result from Clonmel, which is likely to see Tommy winning his second 1st Open award racing with the NIPA having previously topped the Open from Talbenny in South Wales during the O/Bird season of 1997, that stat surprised me some what as did discovering that Tommy was an incredible 74 years young, and how well he looks.
"Rock On Tommy" winner of 1st Open NIPA from Clonmel for 74 year old Tommy Ford of Edgarstown, Portadown.
With previously scribing somewhat more over the previous years in comparison to now, due to work constraints, T & A Ford was a name never to far away especially during the O/Bird seasons when typing results for the weekly publications. The surprises continued as one of the first things upon arriving at his home in the Shandon Park area of Portadown was to view the Lofts, which turned out to be Loft, and also to handle the probable NIPA Open Winner, while the light of day was still upon us.
The very small and compact garden allows for one loft which measures 20ft by 6ft comprising of 3 x sections raised around 3 & ½ ft of the ground by blocks allowing for storage underneath, the middle section contains 12 x widowhood cocks, with the Youngsters and Widowhood hens sharing in one of the ends and stock in the other. Now just consider this years performances to date only four races in, from Tullamore (1) 1st and 2nd Club winning velocity 1618ypm; Tullamore (2) 2nd & 4th Club finishing 24th Section E NIPA with 192 members sending 4,557 pigeons; moving onto Roscrea the loft finished 1st, 2nd, 4th & 5th Club winning velocity 1627, then Saturday past with 16 members sending 371 pigeons Tommy finished 1st & 3rd Club the winning velocity was 1584ypm, this looks very good just not to win the NIPA Section E Diploma but the Gilmour & Beattie Cup for 1st Open NIPA Clonmel.
Very intriguing to come across aloft performing so well, but yet so small, Tommy went on to explain that he starts all O/Bird seasons with 12 x Widowhood cocks, this season he is down to 11 and although with one or two others that he could pick a replacement from he has decided to stick with the 11 candidates that are left, and with results like the loft has achieved to date four races in, who can argue? Just to mention it was a toss of 18 miles that resulted in the loss of one of the widowers and what a pigeon to drop the winner of 2nd Section last year from Rosscarbery, it always happens to the good ones. As mentioned Tommy races a team of 12 x widowhood cocks and these will see the programme through to Penzance, accompanied by the hens also, not much attention is placed on the hens, as Tommy admitted there are more than one thousand and one ways to race pigeons, and having been in the sport 70 years he admits to having tried most including racing the big teams, putting the hens in all the boxes before basketing and before the cocks return, he is happy to admit that he considers his current team of widowers are racing to their own individual box simply protecting their space, with the hen more or less the secondary thought, what he does is retains three randy hens at home and the first three cocks home will get one of the hens each, by that time simply the race is over and you will have hens arriving as well as cocks, so far this has proved to have worked. I have to admit that every one of the pigeons I handled where in incredible feather and shape, an easy achievement admitted Tommy when you keep a small team.
Moving onto what is a successful O/Bird system for Tommy, the pigeons are mated up either the weekend prior to Blackpool or the weekend after this is very much depended on the weather. The vast majority of racers will rear one youngster, before being separated, they will receive around four – five tosses prior to the first race to a distance of 18 miles and then no more during the racing programme, trial and error has ratified this theory, following the loss of some very good racers during subsequent O/Bird campaigns. The Cocks are locked out twice a day for one hour morning and evening, no flagging is required when exiting the loft they will disappear for upwards of 20 minutes before returning, they will then come and go as they please clapping of in regular intervals together, Tommy also believes they train together far better as a small team. They will be fed twice per day, one spoonful in the morning and two spoonfuls at night in their own individual boxes, I had no joy on my probing of spoon size. On return from racing they are fed Barley as they are on Sunday morning which will also be the only time during the week that they will see the bath, on Sunday evening they will move onto ½ barley and Byers WU, Monday & Tuesday morning feed will be a ½ & ½ mixture of Red Band and WU with the evening meal for both days full WU, then from Wednesday on it will be pure WU, last feed will be Friday morning at 9am, with each individual pot filled up, these will be removed at noon, regardless whether they have been touched our not, something else to add, each pigeon will be given three peanuts, daily, this after the morning feed. In the water on return from racing and including Sunday they will get Orego Stim in the water, only other water additive would be Honey/Garlic or Cider Vinegar once per week. On the corn only one supplement used that being “Glycoboost” once or twice per week over the corn. Treatments are limited, Tommy opts to use Scullion's Services at the start of each season, sending samples down and if anything is discovered not right it is rectified without delay. They are vaccinated at the beginning of the year prior to pairing up, also when racing starts they will each receive one BS De Weerd tablet every three weeks to comprehend any traces of Canker, no treatment is given for respiratory.
Just to this point I would like to thank Tommy for his openness while conducting this report and it was great to hear the stories of old, when you put two fanciers who have been around so long together (Tommy & Homer). When you listen and hear of all the great families and fanciers of old, friendships and sportsmanship, what a sport it must have been some years ago when numbers fanciers wise, were far greater than they are today, I listen to many fanciers locally who still race to this day and talk about the “Big Club” Lisburn & District with 120 members, what craic and fun that must have been on basketing night.
The fanciers of old are becoming very few and far between, regardless of who you mention, gentlemen I have always found them to be, very knowledgeable with regards systems, preparation methods etc that are still used to this day, including looking for form etc, I have a few articles penned in to complete, especially with the qualified fancier in my eyes, like Tommy for instance, when you are in pigeons for that length of time, you have tried most things in relation to racing pigeons, their views on everything encountered with reference racing pigeons is priceless, of course in my opinion.
One of the Ace Willy Jacobs family of pigeons housed at the lofts of T & A Ford, Tommy can not rate them highly enough.
Now before I go onto the Y/Birds, I will mention the Stock Pigeons, which number 4 pair, yes 4 pair, this I think just characterises the quality of the loft that Tommy Ford has put together. Now for some of the fanciers who have been around a while will know that Tommy Ford and indeed his son Trevor who ran a very successful corn store in Portadown raced between them a very good Soontjen family, they had the best from Frank Sheader, all the old originals, including the lines of Silver & Gold, Valerie and the famous Doherty Cock, now Tommy still has a direct son of the Doherty Cock one of the last from him he is now 10 year old and still producing exceptional winning pigeons, these lines of Soontjens where a complete dynasty without any doubt, getting Soontjens at that same time was I believe John Patterson need I say more, John is a living legend without any doubt and one that will be covered over recent weeks. Over recent years as the Soontjen line started to diminish, Tommy searched and looked and of course followed the press to find at least in his words something good enough to add in to what was an extraordinarily line of winning pigeons. Who did he come up with, non other than Gerald Delaney of O’Roory Hill Stud, Dromore known locally as Mr Willy Jacobs. Gerald I know from visiting and working at putting a website together for him http://www.orooryhillstud.com , has an awesome set-up selling without doubt hundreds of pigeons every year, he has the extreme best of the Willy Jacobs and an awesome collection of the original Grondelaers including a number of other winning families, that I can tell through talking to many fanciers just not in Ireland and England but further afield, they are all looking for a family as good as these. The Gerald Delaney Bloodlines where sold to Martin Graham in Ballymena, who would stand over all of my claims to follow, they have been the best birds he has purchased, as far as team performances are concerned when they come they all come together, winner after winner. Martin I approached to breed me a couple for the Galway One Loft Race following purchasing a couple of intelligent ones from him before when racing with the Largymore HPS, and as you have all read, Martin and Myself were 25,000 Euro richer following my agreement with him, I am as many will know a man of my word, I told Martin I can pay him for the two youngsters or we will split all they win, I can not add anything further other than nobody has won the amount of money I have from the Gerald Delaney family but many have won many, many more prizes and Tommy Ford is just one more fancier in a very recent line to recommend the same. Simply Tommy Ford can not thank Gerald enough for the small but ultra performing pigeons his has at stock. In his own words he wrote the following “Having obtained the Willy Jacobs from Gerald Delaney three years ago, to put into my already winning family of Soontjens, which I obtained from Frank Sheader, these birds both pure & crossed put in some fantastic performances. My Blue Pied Willy Jacobs hen the first bird I obtained from Gerald went on to breed me 6 x 1st prize winners, plus not forgetting many prize winners within the Club. Then I obtained a few Grondelaers from Gerald which he was not to keen in parting with, (I have photographed some of Geralds Grondelaers these can be seen on his website, more of the families will follow in the coming weeks) one daughter of the ‘Eye Sign Cock’ when paired to a son of the ‘Doherty Cock’ which I own bred me a Blue Cock that won 1st Open this hen also split and paired to another Blue W/F Cock a “Grondelaer” this being a ½ brother to Malachy Maguire’s “Money Bags” see once again my report of http://www.pigeonnetwork.com to get the info on Malachy’s exceptional pigeon bred by Gerald Delaney, back to Tommy’s pigeons well as you seen the hen split and paired to another Grondelaer and this related to Malachy’s Ace “Money Bags” also it is related to Willie Neil’s of Annaghmore NIPA Open winner from Talbenny. In all they bred Tommy an Ace Blue Cock that has won twice already this season. Simple the Blood will always tell.
T & A Ford have been top prize winners in the Edgarstown Club for the last couple of seasons including with the above Bird Of The Year in 2008 and 2009.
Now to the Y/Birds which Tommy takes great care off, remembering that space is limited only 30 or slightly over are reared at stages remember only four pair, they go on the darkness in stages until the 21st of June, from the hours of 5.00pm until 9.00am in the morning. They will get all the food they can take, food is not restricted when growing, the feed will mainly me maple peas from the nest until the end of the darkness conditions, they will then move onto a Y/Bird mixture and it is a case of what is best value for money but keeping the standard of good corn. They are released from the loft once per day at tea-time, along with the old hens, they will be expected to fly for a good amount of that time, as for the water and corn treatments simply just the same as the O/Birds and they are vaccinated around four weeks before the start of the racing campaign. It is a very tentative approach with regards the youngsters for Tommy with the guidelines of education more so than results, which has enabled the loft to be sickness/stress free, Tommy puts this down to not ever putting the youngsters under any added stress, they will as well as getting their freedom once per day around the loft be took up the road twice per week, no further than the 18 mile mark. They will be started from 11 miles and kept at it until they are returning well, but it must be took into consideration that birds must be ranging well before they are took to that distance. Feeding will be once per day and done by hand, this will stop when the first two or three go to the drinker. (Not the first successful fancier interviewed to follow this lead). Now to finish I must add that the loft has on supply at all times within the loft a superb Pink Minerals made by Frazer Feeds, at just under the £5 for a large tub it is great value one of the best I have seen.
On finishing I must compliment Tommy on an excellent and no holes barred interview, I have a tendency as I have at paid employment to go back to certain questions, in seek of the same answer, Tommy is a superb fancier with a wealth of knowledge and I would recommend who has not yet had the privilege of his company to jump in there ASAP, an exceptional fancier who I consider it an honour to have complied this report on. Tommy I wish you continued success in the seasons to come.
The Section and NIPA Open results achieved by T & A Ford for the last three seasons are listed below.
2009 O/Birds – Tullamore (1) 27th & 29th Section E 125 members sent 2,446 pigeons in the Open these couple of good arrivals finished 45th & 50th Open NIPA 823 members sending 15,013 pigeons winning velocity 1921ypm; Tullamore (2) – 37th & 44th Section E 187 sent 4,510 pigeons finishing 151st Open NIPA 1,133 members sending 24,924 pigeons winning velocity 1380ypm; Roscrea – 33rd Section E 198 members sent 4,964 pigeons; Clonmel (2) – 10th, 18th, 41st & 43rd Section E 193 members sent 5,239 pigeons in the NIPA Open the loft finished 116th & 148th Open velocity 1,164 members sent 26,870; Rosscarbery O/B National – 2nd & 13th Section E 139 members sent 1,269 pigeons finishing 22nd & 80th Open in the National result 907 members sent 7,602 pigeons winning velocity for the loft 1882ypm; Fermoy – 17th & 25th Section E 163 members sent 3,605 pigeons finishing 121st Open NIPA 848 members sent 17,067 pigeons winning velocity 1940ypm; Talbenny (1) – 85th Section E 192 members sent 3,179 pigeons in the Open result the loft finished 130th with 1,038 members sending 14,464 pigeons winning velocity 1254ypm; Fermoy 5 Bird – 31st Section E 100 members sending 460 pigeons the loft went on to finish 102nd Open NIPA with 518 members sending 2,362 pigeons, winning velocity for the loft 1739ypm; Penzance – 22nd Section E 144 members sent 1,885 pigeons in the Open result the loft finished 55th with 9,054 pigeons competing winning velocity 974ypm. In the Corresponding Classic result from Penzance the loft finished 18th Section and 41st Open NIPA; The Yearling Cocks National – 27th Section E finishing 57th Open NIPA. In the Y/Birds 2009 – Fermoy – 23rd Section E 184 members sent 5,142 pigeons finishing 103rd Open NIPA.
2008 O/Birds – Tullamore 8th Section E finishing 31st Open NIPA 1,015 members sent 19,496 pigeons winning velocity for the loft 1061ypm; Roscrea – 30th Section E finishing 134th Open NIPA 1,184 members sent 23,557 pigeons, velocity 1755ypm; Clonmel – 5th, 6th, 26th & 36th Section E finishing 33rd, 38th & 161st Open NIPA 1,191 members sent 26,149 pigeons velocity 1870ypm; Pilmore Beach (2) – 25th & 49th Section E finishing 36th & 89th Open NIPA 1,232 members sent 27,039 winning velocity for the loft 1396ypm; Rosscarbery O/Bird National – 32nd & 33rd Section E, finishing 122nd & 127th Open NIPA 796 members sending 6,900 pigeons velocity 1493ypm; Talbenny (1) – 88th Section E finishing 104th Open NIPA 1059 members sending 13,774 pigeons velocity 1224ypm; Talbenny (2) – 7th, 50th & 51st Section E, in the Open result 17th, 104th & 106th against 11,333 competing pigeons winning velocity 1378ypm; Mallow 5 Bird – 23rd Section E finishing 105th Open NIPA 561 members sending 2,411 pigeons; Y/Birds 2008 – Mullingar – 9th & 29th Section E finishing 22nd & 62nd Open NIPA winning velocity 1466ypm; Fermoy 5 Bird – 22nd Section E finishing 50th Open 322 members sending 1,446 pigeons.
2007 O/Birds – Tullamore – 11th Section E finishing 26th Open NIPA 1,192 members sending 25,350 pigeons winning velocity 2082ypm; Clonmel – 29th Section E finishing 105th Open NIPA 1277 members sending 28,928 pigeons; Rosscarbery O/Bird National – 3rd Section E and 59th Open NIPA 860 members sending 6,762 pigeons winning velocity for the Ford loft 1683ypm; Talbenny (1) – 30th Section E in the Open the loft finished 64th against 13,659 pigeons sent by 1,031 competing lofts on a velocity of 998ypm; 2007 Y/Birds – Tullamore – 31st Section E finishing 31st Open NIPA Velocity 1586ypm; Roscrea – 30th Section E with 205 competing members sending 5,948 pigeons; Clonmel – 61st & 82nd Section E NIPA finishing 118th & 152nd Open NIPA with 23,014 pigeons competing velocity 1231ypm and finally Fermoy – 41st & 58th Section E finishing 113th & 154th Open against 11,440 pigeons.
Adie McCormick
Ireland’s Own Pigeon Auctions
http://www.pigeonnetwork.com
email celestiallofts@aol.com
Tel (028) 92 604778.