THE RACING PIGEON 27 OCTOBER 2023
6
he was gifted six youngsters by friend and work colleague Ralston Graham, one of which became known as ‘Becksburn Producer’ and was bred direct from Ralston’s mealy cock ‘Esk Valley Traveller’ when paired to a noted black hen. ‘Esk Valley Traveller’ was 1st Section 13th Open Nantes, 27th Section 57th Open Avranches and 5th Section 115th Open Rennes’ whilst the black hen was 1st Section 3rd Open Avranches. Having obtained the pigeons from Ralston, Derik then went to Jimmy Irving at Annan who was co-breeder of ‘Solway King’ and purchased a blue chequer cock, which was bred from a grand daughter of ‘Solway King’. Derik then made arrange- ments to visit Frank and Tommy Gilbertson at Carlisle, with the intention of purchasing a cock. On telling Ralston Graham that he was going to Carlisle, he was advised that if there were any young mealy pigeons available to buy one of them as there was a chance it might have been bred from the partners good pigeon ‘The Quiet Man’, which was incidentally, also a mealy. Lo and behold there was a mealy in the batch of youngsters, Derik purchased it and subsequently learned that it was indeed bred from ‘The Quiet Man’. Derik paired ‘Becksburn Producer’ to the chequer cock obtained from Jimmy Irving and produced a hen that was named ‘Becksburn Nica Nora’ which was in turn paired to the mealy cock obtained from Frank and Tommy Gilbertson, that was named ‘Becksburn Gilbo’ and this pair of pigeons bred ‘Becksburn Courage’ and ‘Becksburn Cathella’, that both gained SNFC Gold Awards. Importantly these two pigeons formed a dynasty with a succes- sion of winners coming through the loft over several decades. In subsequent years the Gold Award winners were mentioned in the breeding details of many of Derik’s winners but as our readers must understand, behind the Gold Award winners was their sire, the mealy cock that was obtained from Tommy Gilbertson. David & Rosemary Osborne from Locharbriggs, Dumfries, have shared a long-time friendship with Tommy
pigeons. It was said locally that the three friends met in Annan each Saturday night and if, as there often was, a Quoiting Tournament in progress they stood and watched the play, otherwise they walked along Annan High Street with the conver- sation being totally ‘pigeons’. It was Frank Gilbertson who arranged the Dispersal Sale of the Will Robertson pigeons following the Annan fancier’s death. The most prominent individual pigeon owned by Will Robertson was the great Kirkpatrick cock ‘Johnny’ that was 3rd Open Rennes and was nestmate of ‘Galabank Duke’, which was 2nd Open
SOLWAY SOUNDS with Billy Wortley
News, views and results to 37 Hospital Road, Annan, Dumfriesshire, DG12 5JF Email address: wpwortley@btinternet.com
from his father, the late Frank Gilbertson, who is recognised as one of the finest fanciers ever to compete into the North of England and South of Scotland. To form their family Frank and Tommy introduced pigeons from several successful individual lofts. Importantly, during the War years, Frank Gilbertson was working local to the loft of the legendary Doctor Buckley and visited the Doctor’s home in an endeavour to see the pigeons. He was initially afforded a frosty welcome. Not to be deterred, he stood on the loft platform and viewed the pigeons through the spars and identified the principal pigeons on the perch, which more than impressed the Doctor. Bottom line was that examples of the Buckley family made their way to Carlisle and through skilled selection and gifted breeding, pigeons descended from the original introductions remain in the loft today. Jack Curtis was a great admirer of the Buckley family and in his book ‘Breeder’s Digest’ he states “Today the best of the Buckley’s are in Carlisle” and added “in 1991 Tom Gilbertson won 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th & 9th East Cumbria Fed Niort, distance 604 miles” and on expanding on the composition and quality of the pigeons housed continued, “When you can produce pigeons like their ‘Pencil
In recent weeks Rodgers and Benn from Cleator Moor, West Cumbria won the NW National from Weymouth with a tremen- dous pigeon on the day. The convoy was liberated at Weymouth at 10.15am and on a very difficult day the partnership, which comprises Danny Rodgers, Ken Benn and Wes Benn timed at 6.57pm from 272 miles to win the Classic. The winning pigeon was blue hen ‘Mary’, which was the only arrival into Cumbria on the day. It recorded a velocity of 920ypm, 19ypm ahead of the bird that was second, which
Nantes. ‘Johnny’ proved to be a superb breeder, leaving a dynasty of winners and Frank Gilbertson had these lines in his loft. He also introduced J L Roberts’ Bricioux through Eric Edwards from Keswick. Eric bought a pair known as ‘King’ and ‘Queen’ and Frank & Tommy received a cock from the pair, which when paired to a Buckley hen, proved to be a magical cross. ‘Queen’ was a daughter of Jack Roberts’ ‘No 8 Cock’, which was 3rd Open Pau from 696 miles. There is no doubt that Frank Gilbertson was a very talented fancier but I must nevertheless make the point that when Tommy took David & Rosemary Osborne’s ‘Doonhamer Lynne’.
Gilbertson and over the years have obtained quality bloodlines from him, which have won out of turn in Scottish National compe- tition. I am not going to write about all of their winners but mention the following to provide a flavour of the lines obtained from Tommy Gilbertson and successes achieved. I first visited David and Rosemary in in 1979, following the Nantes National after they had timed two pigeons in quick succession to be 3rd & 5th Section, 5th & 9th Open with these two pigeon gaining the E R Williamson Trophy with the SNFC for the 2- Bird Nom from the extreme distance race. In 1981 I was writing about the partners again when they won an SNFC Gold
Blue Cock’ then the quality has to be right. This brilliant producer of winners at all distances bred class Channel winners at over 500 miles with not one hen, or two but with three different hens”. He added “his breeding makes your mouth water” and referred his readers to a pedigree included in the book. Prominent in the pedigree was blue cock ‘7877’, which in the third generation features across the pedigree on three occasions with his four grandparents being direct Dr Buckley. In the Buckley Sale List we learn that the Buckley family comprised a blend of Barker, Delmotte, Grooter, Toft, J L Baker, Gits, Logan and Osman with the principal
Derik Nordon’s ‘Becksburn Courage’.
was flying fifty miles less than the race winner. Not only did the blue hen win the Classic but also won a Specialist race into West Cumbria, with the competitors flying for BIG prize money. Having explained that the blue hen was the only bird into Cumbria on the day, the next four arrivals into West Cumbria from the Specialist Race, which all homed on the second day, were to Ian & Denise Wood from Harrington Central, Sandra & David Wood from Lowca, Joe & Brian Fitzsimmons from Cleator Moor and Nolan, Hetherington, Coultas & Easdon again from Cleator Moor. Blue hen ‘Mary’, which won the race, was bred by Tommy Gilbertson from Carlisle, sire is a mealy cock, which is a grandson of a chequer pied hen that won Cumbria Combine from Sartilly, Dam is a blue hen that was line- bred to Tom Gilbertson’s noted ‘Jay Bee’ that was 1st Club, 1st Federation, 1st Cumbria Combine from Niort, 604 miles, on the day of liberation. ‘Jay Bee’ proved to be an exceptional breeder and left a host of winners over successive genera- tions, it was for example the dam of ‘Hollie’ that was 2nd Combine Nantes, grand dam of ‘Jackie’ that was also 2nd Combine Nantes and great grand dam of ‘Emergency Whinona’, which won the Combine in 1998 and was the product of a half-brother and sister pairing. Tommy Gilbertson learned his pigeons
David & Rosemary Osborne’s 3rd Section Ancenis 2017.
Award. To gain her fifth National position and secure the Gold Award the partners’ pied hen was 1st Section 52nd Open from Sartilly. On that occasion the birds were racing into a strong west wind, which pushed the convoy up the east of the country with indeed all of the pigeons that beat her, flying into the East Section of the National. Considering that David and Rosemary compete into the West Section of the Solway Fed, the achievement of the pigeon on the day was extra special. The hens previous positions with the SNFC, to enable her to gain her Gold Award were 30th Section 256th Open Avranches, 13th
over the reins of management following his father’s death, the performances in no way diminished. A number of Scottish fanciers have successfully used Gilbertson bloodlines, including Derik Nordon from Langholm, David & Rosemary Osborne from Dumfries, Graham & Steven Dalgliesh from Ecclefechan and Gordon Grant from Gretna. Within the next few paragraphs I provide details of several of the more prominent pigeons owned and raced by these fanciers to illustrate the quality of the Gilbertson family of pigeons. When Derik Nordon entered the fancy
producer being dark chequer cock ‘Bendigo’. When Doctor Buckley’s pigeons were finally sold in London they made record prices, the Sale Room was packed tight, with fanciers standing on the stairway and out onto the street. It should also be understood that at the retirement sale of the great J W Logan, a large number of the birds sold contained the blood of a single hen that was bred by Doctor Buckley. It should be further noted, however that Frank Gilbertson was very friendly with the great Annan fanciers, John Kirkpatrick and Will Robertson, with the three of them regularly exchanging
Made with FlippingBook interactive PDF creator