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Copied from Facebook 23rd March

Good morning folks

Morning folks

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Copied from Facebook 22nd March 2026

Fife Fed Breeder/Buyer sale will start on Monday 23rd March at 8am and run until Monday 3oth March 8pm. There will be NO 10 minute rule. All birds will start at £30 and go up in bids of £5. If the bird reaches a bid of £100 then the bids will go up in bids of £10. The Breeder/Buyer will go to the best performance by a young bird in any Club, Federation or National. Claims to be in by letter to the Fife Fed Secretary NO later than the 30th Sept. Buyer of each lot to arrange carriage or alternative arrangements with the donor. Good Luck for 2026 LOT 1...Brian Chalmers LOT 2..Davie Russell LOT 3...Colin Buchanan LOT 4..Ian Hynd LOT 5...Dyke Armour LOT 6...J & G Peggie LOT 7...John Harcus LOT 8...Danny Henderson LOT 9..Ali McLean LOT 10..Davie Glen LOT 11..Davie Liddle LOT 12..Mark Young LOT 13...Cammy Heaps LOT 14..Scott Russel LOT 15..Dale Renwick LOT 16..Jones & Son LOT 17..John Hadfield LOT 18..Dennis Anderson LOT 19...Tam Laing LOT 20..Brian Kinnaird LOT 21..Andy Miller LOT 22..Jock Scott LOT 23..A Orr & Son LOT 24..Stuart Donaldson LOT 25..John Pryde LOT 26..Andrew Suckle LOT 27...Brian Chalmers LOT 28..Davie Russell LOT 29...Colin Buchanan LOT 30..Ian Hynd LOT 31..Dyke Armour LOT 32..J & G Peggie

Copied from Facebook 20th March 2026 Said goodbye to another pigeon racing legend today George Harris of dunipace.George won the SNFC frome race in Scotland’s fastest ever national race,he had a great send off today and his daughter had the congregation in stitches with tales of her father!! The excellent picture on the order of service is of geo and his good red cock which won handsomely from Rennes and story has it George spent the winnings on a sports car!! RIP George.

R.I.P condolences to the family

Copied from Facebook 12th March 2026 With kind permission from the Smith family: SMITH (Turriff) It is with great sadness, after a short illness, that we announce the passing of William J C Smith (Willie), at home on March 16, 2026, aged 82 yrs. Dearly beloved husband of Eileen, dearly loved dad to Andrew, Angela and Yvonne. A dear granda to Jack, Gregor and the late Austen, father in law to Nicola, and a loving brother and uncle. Funeral service to be held at St Andrew’s Parish Church Turriff, on Friday March 27 at 11am, thereafter to Turriff Cemetery. All family and friends respectfully invited. Donations if so desired may be given at the church in lieu of Friends of Turriff Hospital.

Dave ‘Topper’ Taylor of Sutton. On hearing that Dave ‘Topper’ Taylor had won the 1988 Young Bird National from Guernsey, I was highly chuffed, but not really surprised. I flew in the very strong Kingston club in the mid-1970 with ‘Topper’ and he has always been an ‘ace’ at young bird racing. When I cast my mind back to those days when ‘Topper’ and I were both young, foot loose and fancy free, I can remember him winning the Surrey Federation from the inland race points and winning the Kingston’s longest old bird race from Bergerac. Dave brought his Bergerac winner around my house to have its photo taken and he named the blue chequer hen, ‘Jackie’, after his then girl friend. Now Dave and Jackie are a long time married, with a family and live in Sutton. Jackie was very interested in the pigeons and she got them in from training, changed the drinking water three times a day and let the old birds fly out in the mornings. David’s father was a pigeon fancier, racing in the Kingston club with outstanding success from 1963. Dave started to take an interest at the age of seven and remembered his dad’s original stock birds cost £2-50p each from a fancier in Chicklewood. At that time he had been in the sport over 25 years when he won the Young Bird National and said at that time that he could still remember the fantastic performances being put up by the C. H. Besant & sons partnership in the strong Kingston club. His dad’s loft was 18ft. with bays and bucket traps, and says his ‘Heinz 57’ strain raced well. Dave clocked his first pigeon in for his dad in 1967, a grizzle he recalls, and won the Surrey Federation. The Taylor’s present loft is a very neat affair, with ‘Sputnik’ traps and a flight for the stock birds. The loft is well ventilated and dry, with no litter on the floors, but scraped out every day. The main family housed was Maurice Verheye, with some Busschaerts and Van Wildemeersch pigeons. At that time nearly all Dave’s stock came from his friend, Peter O’Connor of Kingston, who was an outstanding fancier in his own right. Peter had several good National positions, including 17th open NFC Guernsey in 1988 and his dad, the late John O’Connor, won 1st open SMT Combine from Plymouth in the late 1970’s. The sire and dam of Dave Taylor’s National winner, ‘Whitby Girl’, were both bred by Peter O’Connor and they were a Verheye brother and sister mating. In my 45 years as a pigeon writer and photographer I have handled countless National and Combine winners, but Dave’s, ‘Whitby Girl’, was something special. Her eye, feather and balance in the hand were very outstanding and would win in the show pen. On her build up to the Guernsey National she had one race from Blandford and then into the National feeding an eight day old youngster. She won the National by 23 ypm clear, with 10,416 birds taking part, lifting several trophies and £1,014. A fantastic performance! The second bird on the clock from the Guernsey National was the Verheye / Busschaert dark hen, ‘Whitby Wonder’, and she chalked up 93rd open. This game hen was really badly injured when very young and the National was her first race of her life. The Taylor loft was paired up in early March and all racing was done on the natural system. The birds were trained between 20 and 50 miles whenever ‘Topper’ thought they needed it and he told me the Verheye pigeons are good up to about 350 miles. The loft housed eight pairs of stock birds, 12 pairs of racers and about 30 babies are bred each season to race. Although Dave flew natural he fed like a widowhood racer, with depurative Saturday, Sunday, Monday and the mixture got heavier as the week progressed. He never fed beans, but a lot of maize at the end of the week. He said he liked his old birds to go to races sitting six to ten day old youngster and this nest condition was ideal for the longer distance races. ‘Topper’ never showed his pigeons and maintained that the hot and smokey conditions in most show halls are very bad for the birds. He never bred late breds and tells new starters in the sport to purchase quality and not quantity. Dave and Jackie had won the Federation several times and were premier prize winners in the very strong Sutton & Cheam club. Some say that the Taylor’s performance from the Sartilly National in 1990 was even better than when they won 1st open NFC Guernsey with ‘Whitby Girl’ in 1988. A total of 9,341 birds were entered in the race which were liberated at 07.30 hrs in a 10 mile an hour head wind from the north. Needless to say, the race turned out very hard with many fanciers returning their clocks empty. ‘Topper’ entered a well prepared team of 30 birds and got seven on the day of liberation, recording six on the clock, winning 6th, 7th, 15th, 49th, 75th, 285th open NFC Sartilly. A fantastic performance, by a brilliant young bird racer! The Taylor’s also recorded their good blue chequer white flight cock, ‘Whitby Prince’, to win 77th open NFC Nantes (11, 306 birds) and lifted £565. ‘Topper’ won over £2,000 in National Flying Club races in the 1990 season. As I’ve previously stated, I’ve known Dave a long time and he is a great guy, and a brilliant pigeon fancier! Text & Photos by Keith Mott (March 2026)

Copied from Facebook 16th March 2026 What Makes a Pigeon Mentally Tough During Hard Races Deep Explanation Mental toughness in pigeons is the ability to maintain direction, effort, and composure under prolonged stress. It is the difference between a pigeon that keeps flying toward home and one that hesitates, drifts, or gives up. 1️⃣ Nervous System Stability Hard races push the pigeon’s nervous system to its limits. A mentally tough pigeon has: Stable neural signaling Controlled stress response Efficient coordination under fatigue When stress hormones rise during a race, weaker pigeons: Panic Waste energy Make poor directional decisions Mentally stable pigeons stay focused on the homing task. 👉 Calm brain = efficient flight. 2️⃣ Strong Homing Confidence Mentally strong pigeons trust their orientation. They: Commit to direction Avoid unnecessary circling Resist following confused flocks Weak-minded pigeons often: Drift with other birds Change direction frequently Lose valuable time and energy. Confidence reduces hesitation. 3️⃣ Stress Tolerance Hard races create multiple stress factors: Isolation from the flock Weather pressure Fatigue Lack of landmarks (especially over sea) Mentally tough pigeons tolerate stress without panic. They keep flying even when conditions deteriorate. 4️⃣ Energy Discipline Mental weakness often causes energy waste. Examples: Erratic flight patterns Excessive wing flapping Climbing and descending repeatedly Mentally strong pigeons maintain: Smooth wing rhythm Efficient flight line Controlled pace. This conserves energy for the final kilometers. 5️⃣ Experience and Learning Mental resilience improves through: Progressive training distances Exposure to difficult conditions Successful returns from challenging races Each difficult return strengthens homing confidence. However, excessive pressure too early can break confidence. 👉 Mental toughness must be built gradually. 6️⃣ Genetic Influence Some families naturally produce pigeons with: High stress tolerance Strong homing instinct Determined flight behavior These pigeons show: Calm eyes Quick trapping Consistent returns under difficult conditions. Mental strength is partly inherited. 7️⃣ Loft Environment and Handling The loft environment strongly affects mental stability. Good loft management includes: Calm trapping routine Minimal stress handling Stable daily schedule Constant disturbance or rough handling creates nervous pigeons that panic under pressure. 8️⃣ Motivation to Return Home Mentally tough pigeons possess strong home attachment. Motivation can come from: Nest position Mate bond Territorial instinct This emotional drive pushes them to continue flying even when exhausted. CORE TRUTH Hard races are not won by the strongest wings. They are won by the calmest minds. Final Reality When conditions are easy, many pigeons can fly fast. But when races become difficult, three things decide the result: mental stability recovery ability efficient energy use. The pigeon that stays calm, committed, and efficient will reach home. - Calihan Loft TV Official

Copied from Facebook 15th March 2026 Aberdeen & Dist RPC YB Breeder/Buyer sale Sunday 26th April 2026 612 club Gt. Northern Rd Penning 1pm Sale 2pm Payout 1/3 club 1/3 breeder 1/3 buyer Race to be flown from Swallwell 29th Aug (If no race then Swallwell 5th Sep) Terms a) if no pigeon in pen,ring numbers by Sunday 8th May b) payment by 28th June c) transfers if necessary according to SHU rules d) NO limit on entries All claims to J Cowie sec within 48 hrs Queries to J Cowie 07724148830 or Colin Rae 07979321384 Raffle in aid of funds,donations gratefully accepted. James Cowie Sec.

M.A.C. LOFTS – PRE-ORDERS NOW OPEN We’re moving forward — fast. As M.A.C. Lofts continues to grow from strength to strength, we have now started building our Supplement Section on the website, and this is only the beginning of what were hoping to bring to the table. Our first Aviform order will be placed on the 16th March, with delivery expected to reach you the following week. (give us time to wrap & send after receiving everything! But here’s the important part WE ARE TAKING PRE-ORDERS FOR THESE NOW. If you want your products as soon as they land, now is the time to secure them. This first order will be based on demand, so we need to know exactly what you want 15% OFF ALL PRE-ORDERS (available to everyone who orders before we place our first order!) Please support us as we take these first steps expanding M.A.C. Lofts. Message us or order through the website. www.maclofts.co.uk/pigeon-supplements You asked. We listened. Now we’re making it happen. Step by Step. — M.A.C. Lofts

Well done all

Congratulations all

Copied from Facebook 6th March 2026

The late Vic Johnson of Kingston. Vic was one of the sport's gentlemen and he won 1st Three Borders Federation Kingsdown (1952 birds) in the 2005 season, lifting the Inland O.B. Average, O.B. Average, Combined O.B. / Y.B. Inland Average and Combined Average in the Federation. He won 31 positions in the Three Borders Federation in the 2002 season including four times 1st open Federation, twice 2nd, twice 3rd, twice 4th, twice 5th and once 6th and was also runner up for the Federation Individual Points Trophy. Brilliant pigeon racing! One of his 2002 Three Borders Federation winners, his good blue pied widowhood cock, 'Slippery', had to his credit nine times 1st club, twice 1st Federation plus 2nd and 3rd open Federation. This game cock was half-brother to one of Vic's SMT Combine winners ‘Diesel’, both having the same sire. ‘Diesel’ won the SMT Combine from La Ferte Bernard (3,795 birds) and also won the Federation Inland. Vic won the first Three Borders Federation race of the 2002 season from Lulworth with a yearling Janssen blue chequer widowhood cock, '26820', which had been on the darkness system and flew the full young bird programme the season prior. His sire was the Johnson loft's other SMT Combine winner, the outstanding blue chequer pied De Klak cock, ‘Denny's Boy’, winner of 1st Federation (twice) and 1st SMT Combine Sennen Cove. This wonderful pigeon was bred by Dennis Sheppard, the old Kingston club secretary, through the Terry Hudson / De Klak bloodlines. Vic told me at that time that he raced in the very strong Kingston & District HS and won ten times 1st club in 2001, mirroring the same performance in the 2002 season when he won ten times 1st club again. Vic had been in the sport for over 60 years having become interested as a six year old in his home town of Putney in South London. As a lad he used to see flying round the houses a local flock of pigeons which belonged to Ted Townsend. He said that the man to beat then was the late, great Freddie Meale of Houns1ow, who won the SMT Combine several times. Vic was very keen on fishing and, on starting up in pigeons, had a lot of help from Ted. His first stock were obtained from here, there and everywhere, and he didn't do very well racing in his first club, the old Barnes & Mortlake Flying Club. His first loft was built from old doors and floorboards salvaged from demolition sites and his first successful birds were obtained from Freddie Meale. His families were Barry Goodhand of Wakefield, Janssens and Van Loons via Plant Brothers, Terry Hudson De Klak and the old Micky Walker lines for Channel racing. He raced mainly widowhood with 24 cocks, with a few pairs on natural for racing from France, all the racers being paired up in mid-January. The widowhood pigeons reared a pair of youngsters and the hens were taken away when the squeakers were about 16 days old and the cocks were on the system. They got 12 training tosses up to 25 miles before the first Federation race and were not trained during the season, just exercised around the loft twice a day. The widowhood racers only raced inland and the natural team went through to Pau. Vic was very proud when he told me that his best long-distance pigeon was a Micky Walker natural blue chequer cock and he had been clocked on the winning day with the London & South-East Classic Club from Pau, recording 28th and 31st open, flying556 miles to the New Malden loft. A real quality pigeon! Vic's main racing loft was 24ft long with trapping through windows off landing boards; his small widowhood loft was very old and ramshackle, but he said he would not change it because the pigeons loved it and race well to it. He was retired from work and said he was really enjoying himself, giving most of his time to the pigeons. He was a 365 days a year pigeon man and derived his greatest pleasure when he clocked from Pau. He maintained that to keep a successful trend in the pigeon loft, you have to give the birds the best care and feeding. And don't sit on the fence; always be prepared to try something different. He fed a varied diet, according to the work being done, and makes up his own mixtures, using all the high fat seeds, groats and pearl barley, which had been soaked in peanut oil. Vic liked plenty of natural garlic and used multivitamins twice a week. He kept 12 pairs of stock birds and his 50 youngsters were put on the darkness system. Although raced to the perch, they were allowed to pair up if they want to. If a fancier is refused membership of a club, Vic believed that the club concerned should be made to put in writing the reason why and the letter sent to the RPRA; he said no one who lives in a club's radius should be refused membership unless they are a known troublemaker. Another thing that got on Vic's nerves was fanciers who don't wing stamp their birds. In the 2002 season he had about 20 freshly race rubbered stray birds in and only seven of them were wing stamped! A good, dry and well-ventilated loft was very important for success with racing pigeons, said Vic, and he rates Khan Brothers of Kingston as the best local fanciers because they were highly successful in National and Classic races. He thought the moult was a natural function and liked to see the birds falling to pieces, as it showed things are going well and they are in good health. During the moult he parted the hens and cocks and fed plenty of protein and seed. Vic tried deep litter on the loft floor many years ago, but thought it's detrimental to the fancier's health when breathing in the dust. When picking out new breeders, he liked good winning bloodlines, good eyesign, soft feathering, but said most of his stock team were his retired outstanding racers. Text & Photos by Keith Mott (March 2026)

Copied from Facebook 5th March 2026

Copied from Facebook 3rd March 2026

Two Unicon pads for sale throw in a brand new 2 metre cable central belt only reason selling moved to Benzing