Grit and Minerals

Murray · Thu Sep 17, 2026 9:37 am

Down here in Oz, they fly 600, 700 miles a lot. And you have to take your hat off to blokes who can develop a family of pigeons that can do that.
But it's all over land. I have the greatest respect for pigeons that can fly those sorts of distances with a sea crossing in the middle.
Seriously good flyers with seriously good pigeons.

goose1 · Thu Sep 17, 2026 11:07 am

Diamond Dave wrote: Thu Sep 17, 2026 9:20 am
goose1 wrote: Thu Sep 17, 2026 9:02 am
Diamond Dave wrote: Wed Sep 16, 2026 6:24 pm Wow Awesome Goose. Pau to Cumbria is a hell of a race - Much respect to you.
As a "southern softy" I only fly 743 to Barcelona.
Do you know any of the lads from the N East that fly with thr NFC and the Bicc. They often come down to our marking station in Northampton (4 +hour journey down and the same back again)
These are the likes of John Rumney, The Anderson family, Brian Hicks. Total dedication to their sport.
I do know of them and used to exchange a few messages with John Rumney on the old pigeon chat. I know Bob Mckie and a few of the sportsman lads we used to donate a youngster when they were getting that club up and running. Nothing but admiration.
Did you know Dave Mc Sween (Lionheart) and Jim Sexton from the Sportsman's Club.
That's where most of my birds come from.

Yes I knew of them lads. They flew particularly well with their youngsters from the NFC race. Did they have a good pigeon called seagull?

CHARLTON34 · Thu Sep 17, 2026 12:14 pm

Yes Goose they did, interesting that Tom Williams from Orpington had stock from Dave Mcsween & Jim Sexton all based around Seagull, he flew some good races from Tarbes a few years ago to a very small set-up.

Diamond Dave · Thu Sep 17, 2026 12:16 pm

Yes they used to get get babies from over the channel at 400 + with the NFC.
They have both finished now sadly.
I don't know about a "seagull" but I know Dave bred a bird called "Lionheart" and I think I'm right in saying they had birds directly out of "Wearside Lass" but that must've been 20 + years ago.

king · Thu Sep 17, 2026 2:01 pm

Diamond Dave wrote: Thu Sep 17, 2026 12:16 pm Yes they used to get get babies from over the channel at 400 + with the NFC.
They have both finished now sadly.
I don't know about a "seagull" but I know Dave bred a bird called "Lionheart" and I think I'm right in saying they had birds directly out of "Wearside Lass" but that must've been 20 + years ago.

Good flyers, another great up fancier up North is Jimmy Nicolson of South Shields (twice winner of the UNC) he was the first fancier up North to race YBs with the NFC When the lads flew the the North East Greater Distance Club which was the club they all flew in before the sportsman's. Jim holds the record in the NFC for the longest flying YB on the day 458 miles & the NFC record for a yearling in race time 800 miles. Jimmy used to send a team of YBs to the last UNC Old bird channel race some years around 350 miles. One year he sent and had none home when he took the clock in after clocking the old birds, when he arrive back home half the YBs had returned. many flying over 11 hrs. Another year he sent a YB team to 3 channel races 300 to 400 miles. 3 birds flew all 3 on the day. I've a write up of this somewhere.
I got birds from him in the early 90s which helped me clock from the NFC YB channel races 10 years running At 300 to 368 miles.
2 of the cocks I got were a cheq that flew Pau 800 miles as a yearling and a grizzle that flew 370 as a YB and 4 channel races as a yearling. All good hard day birds.

Diamond Dave · Thu Sep 17, 2026 2:22 pm

Awesome birds and fanciers alike. Much respect to all of them guys. Including you and Goose King.
I'd love to emulate you guys one day from Barcelona and would love to know how you prepare a birdfor that sort of distance.
Would love to have more distance topics on here.

Thu Sep 17, 2026 8:34 pm

Diamond Dave wrote: Thu Sep 17, 2026 2:22 pm Awesome birds and fanciers alike. Much respect to all of them guys. Including you and Goose King.
I'd love to emulate you guys one day from Barcelona and would love to know how you prepare a birdfor that sort of distance.
Would love to have more distance topics on here.

Dave you could always start a topic on aspects of distance racing you wish to see and see what responses come along

Diamond Dave · Fri Sep 18, 2026 9:06 am

Thanks Buster, yes I can. I have tried previously when Mike n co were on board but just got shot down, so didn't pursue anything further.

Murray · Fri Sep 18, 2026 9:26 am

That would be an interesting topic, even for someone like me who has never given much thought to distance racing.
What sort of distance would you consider "distance racing"?