THE RACING PIGEON 27 OCTOBER 2023
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WALTER BOSWELL – INLAND AVERAGE WINNER 2023 A MODEL OF CONSISTENCY IN LANARKSHIRE FEDERATION
trained intensively over the non racing months and kept going into early season and are ready for the early races. He has devel- oped some cracking birds from this source and again it allows him to continue training that keep him motivated when not racing. His birds are up there with the best trained birds in the Federation with possible 15 trainers before the first old bird race. He doesn’t shy away from adverse weather as with regular flights the birds are well aware of their flight path. He said the book 101 methods by Jules Gallez was very insightful and well worth a read about motivation in pigeons. So what about the management of the feeding and water – Beginning of season the birds receive two-thirds Barley one-third Bamfords Widowhood mixture on return from training, feeding only once per day for thirty minutes then removed. Over 200 miles half Barley half Bamfords Widowhood. Last two races 350 and 450 miles three-quarters Bamfords Widowhood quarter Barley. Friday 10am couple of handfuls of conditioning seed and that’s it. In the water he likes the product Quill Boost Tonic. This was developed for poultry and has essential ingredients to keep the birds in great condition. It also lowers the PH level of
they are great one day pigeons. As earlier stated Walter’s National perform- ances were brilliant into the West Section of the National with Silver award winners and Dewar Trophy winner (Best long distance pigeon 2018) in his record to back this up. He has got disillusioned with distance racing and now only enters in the Inland National races. Walter is a great ‘All Rounder’ and remark- ably it’s based on the Natural system of nest cycle and youngsters flying Natural, no Darkness. Walter says he has always flown the Natural way with the birds being trained very hard from around 30 miles most days. He says its a way of life for me to train pigeons its in my DNA. The getting up early, the full routine he loves. Walter trains where most don’t dare to go. He trains the direct line of M74 which is the main road link between Scotland and England. Most will not train because its reported to be the most dense area of Falcons in lower central Scotland. Walter says he has been training there for a number of years and has been getting fantastic training. His assessment is the Hawks are moving with the food source and because most Feds fly east that’s where they are going. Since moving from a more easterly training area he states his results have greatly improved as the birds are finding a better breaking point back into Lanarkshire and also for Inland National racing. Food for thought, not for the Falcons! I said to Walter it was remarkable the amount of pool pigeons he scores with and how he picks them. He says he pools five birds in his club, which has a healthy purse to be won. Their pool is two bets £1 pool and £2 pool winner takes all. The number of times he scopes the lot is remarkable. So what’s the secret. Walter says on Wednesday or Thursday he will select five pigeons to super motivate that week. This can be winding up a cock with another cock in his box or let the cocks hen out loft with another
Walter Boswell is an exceptional pigeon fancier who has a fantastic level of consis- tency that makes him an ‘All round pigeon fancier’. Over the last few seasons he has been concentrating his team on the Lanarkshire Federation programme and Inland National races. Their has been many fantastic National performances over the previous years but lately Walter has turned to the sprint/middle distance events. He has adapted his new team of Performance UK Stud Pigeons over the last few seasons to be
Walter’s trophy cabinet.
cock and sit the pigeon in a basket to watch them. Taking away a partner and make one feed a youngster or sit nest. Add extra eggs to the nest, add a youngster earlier than the hatch day. In its simplicity it’s brilliant! Five poolers each week, super motivation. As stated the youngsters are flown on Natural cycle, early bred with stock being paired end of December early January. Walter has developed a team of 15 pairs of John Short stock to breed from. One reliable pair he calls the McPheat Pair. The McPheat’s partnership are members of Clarkston club and also invested in the best possible lines Performance Pigeons UK. Walter has great friendship with Clarkston members and during his weekly social visits on a Tuesday night to the club hut, he got to talk about a pair of pigeons the McPheat had
one of the best performance lofts in Lanarkshire Federation. Walter can’t talk highly enough of John Short (Performance Pigeons UK) pigeons, these are based on Frans & Gert Rondags, Van den Bulck’s, ‘Kittel’ and John’s own performance pigeons. He says the number of Walter Boswell with his top performance yearling ‘Shorty’.
purchased from John Short and the partnership couldnt get to pair up. Walter offered to take them over as he has a individual pen section for such use. This pair have proved great at stock producing top some really handy pigeons, with youngsters going to both parties. There is always great banter between the lads throughout the winter months on Tuesday nights in the club. Walter has retained three pairs of his performance Louella Jan Aarden birds that have served him very well in the past, something that’s proven at the distance events. These are bred from the cream of all the best lines that proved themselves at 500-600 mile mark into the West Section of the Scottish National. Racing – At the start of the season Walter wants his birds to be fit, to get the birds going he will force them up into the air using anything he thinks will upset them, laughing on his reflection of using a potato in a plastic bag he swings around and throwing it up or using a sling to scare the birds off neigh- bours roofs, although his direction isn’t the best hitting the wrong things he laughed. Walter also loves a team of later bred youngsters that are road
winners that have come out of this Stud in its short existence is phenomenal. Winning for Walter – 14x1st West Section wins in Lanarkshire Federation. Last year alone they won 39 Section prizes in six races, YB racing only. One hen to win three National prizes and £1,000 in pools. This is top performance racing. Winner of OB Inland Averages Lanarkshire Federation 2023; 1st West Section All Old Bird Races Average winner 2023; 2nd Overall in All Old Bird Average Races 2023; 1st West Section Combine Averages All Races 2023; 3rd Overall Combine Average Lanarkshire 2023. Winner of 25 Section prizes in top 15 of West Section 2023; Winner of 3x1st West Section 2023; Winner of 4x2nd West Section 2023; Winner of 3x3rd West Section 2023. 7x1st Club wins in Burnbank club 2023. Blue yearling cock ‘Shorty’ won 1st Club 2nd Section 3rd Open Billericay 343 miles and 10th Section 30th Open Guernsey 440 miles. Showing they are scoring at the longer races on the programme. Walter says he is still analysing what strain are best for what distance, but early signs showing
Inside racing section.
the water killing any germs. Walter introduces only clear water to drinker Thursday evening and Friday as he says the birds don’t like the taste and he likes them to be fully hydrated on going to race. Tip from Walter is to slowly increase the amount of Quill Boost over the first week until birds get the taste. Every three weeks during the season they have a Canker treatment product in the drinkers. The birds receive cod liver oil or peanut oil on the feed but with no great regu- larity. He also uses a multivit (tablet form) you can buy in supermarket every so often. One drop lice control on the neck and vinegar in bath water. Walter has in the past suffered mysterious illness in his flock with apparently healthy youngsters stuck down after returning from races. Since using this product and making sure the birds are vaccinated twice with Colombovac vaccine for Paramxyo their health has been excellent. The season started with 43 racers and 46 youngsters. He had a horrendous training flight from the east (went to let them see that
Walter’s racing loft.
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