THE RACING PIGEON 27 OCTOBER 2023
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Single breeding pens at Chevington.
doesn’t plan to get involved with the team as such, and new partner Jimmy Stephenson lives elsewhere, so in all proba- bility will visit the loft just the once a day, so John doesn’t want to overload the work load for himself or Jim. John wasn’t even to sure just what John Mowbray will want to do, as he lives quite some distance away, and he to his regularly on the move away with work commitments, but he will always be welcome. Pairing up is being looked at, at about being the Christmas holiday’s, with any health matters being addressed prior to
The race loft at Alnwick.
57th UNC 1,268 birds and 66th NEHU Open 1,566 birds; at Auxerre he was 3rd Fed 29 birds, 4th Section 47 birds,16th UNC 324 birds and 17th NEHU 417 birds; Arras (2) and he was 15th Fed 72 birds, 30th Section 199 birds and 114th UNC 819 birds, and all races flown are well over 350 miles. The hens record is as follows: Arras (1) and she was 3rd Fed 115 birds, 45th Section 326 birds, 68th UNC 324 birds and 78th NEHU; at Roye she was 2nd Fed 80 birds, 4th Section 207 birds and 59th UNC 913 birds; Auxerre 4th Fed 29 birds, 6th Section 47 birds, 26th UNC 324 birds and 28th NEHU 412 birds; Roye (2) and it was more of the same with 4th Fed 116 birds, 12th Section 233 birds, 36th UNC 723 birds and 69th NEHU 1,049 birds and finally Arras (2) 5th Fed, 12th Section 199 birds and 49th UNC 819 birds. Now what two very impressive set of figures for two exceptional pigeons, and all, as stated flown in races of well over 350 miles.
Mallan, changed his name by deed poll years ago from Mallaburn, then went into partnership with John Mowbray who was thinking about packing it all in, as John Mallan also was after his brother Martin was leaving the partnership. John then would be struggling to keep the birds going due to work commitments, so most were then sold. The two John’s being good friends, then decided to see how it went by relo- cating to Shilbottle which is where John Mowbray lives, and
pairing up, and John usually manges that himself. The usual, canker etc, being sorted well before the pairs are put together, some of the top pairs that have bred well before, they obviously stay together. Individual pens for breeding were used at Chevington, and they will be the same here, as John already as them in place at Alnwick, and all they need is a bit of TLC to get them back into shape for 2024. If you have any doubt about the quality within the walls of these stock lofts, let me just say again. John and Martin were a formidable team when they flew together at Alnwick on the site they are now. Club wins, Fed wins, Section wins, and UNC turns were taken each and every season, and again, take on board this Fed is only one place down from being the longest flying Fed in the whole of the UNC radius. John The two John’s with the NEHU/UNC YBOY in 2022, its nest mate top sprint cock this year, both Jackson & Son lines.
The sire of ‘The 12 Hen’.
they went well with the Fed YB Averages being won there, and with some panache. A young blue hen being crowned YBOY with both the NEHU and the UNC, this being from Jackson & Son, and more about them later. The then chance to take over Gary Douglas’s lofts etc’ at Chevington Drift came up, a absolutely great set up that the two John’s further extended with solar panels and other modern gadgets being fitted, the sitting cabin was fitted out like something out of a furniture shop, all mod cons, absolute class. And so with everything more or less the way the lads would want it, away the 2023 season began, as we all now should know, the rest is history. Top loft in the Fed, 15 or so 1st Feds, top and third best middle distance birds in the whole of the NEHU, four firms, with a co-efficient of 8.105 for the winner, and this yearling is the nestmate to the YBOY from the 2022. Bred by Clive & John Jackson from ‘Diamond Geezer’ x ‘Moneypenny’, these lines are hard to come by as JJ rates this line very highly and very few leave them, if any at all. As well as the 1st and 3rd in the middle distance category, they also had two in the top six of the YB category, and also with a yearling and a 2yo hen, plus others a bit of Channel flying has been undertaken, to quite some effect. The yearling cock has took three UNC turns, but the hen has taken five UNC turns and John Mallan says they slipped up by not entering into BOY categories with both the NEHU and the UNC, which they surely will have been a contender for both categories. The cocks record is as follows: At Arras (1) he began with 1st Fed 115 birds, 6th Section 326 birds,
The sprint cock winner.
Don’t think for one moment there’s anything secret about the way they feed, or anything else for that matter. People working full time have to make it as simple as possible, and VL being the preferred feed, fed accordingly to what was coming, and what time of the year it was. So now a moulting mix, leading up to a stronger breeding mix towards pairing up about Christmas time, with John making sure all is well health wise. I unfortunately didn’t get to handle the UNC winner, for such is the friendship between John and the Jackson’s she has been sent back to the people that bred her, where I’m sure Clive and John will run her with some class cocks. So the clock has gone full circle, and they are now back at Alnwick, and with what I saw and handled at this visit, I know success will return to this set up. I wish John and the lads all the very best, it wasn’t a good morning weather wise, but a bacon butty, a nice cuppa, and then to see and to handle such a team, well what more could be asked for. Thanks John, all the best for 2024. BP
YB race loft at Chevington.
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