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Grasshopper Goes Hopping Down In Kent, Back To 2014


Wiley
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Grasshopper Goes Hopping Down In Kent, In 2014.

“There are men in the village of Erith that nobody seeth or heareth, And there looms on the marge of the river barge, that nobody roweth or steerethâ€. This extract is from the famous poem 'Erith on Thames', and its subject is a district of South East London, with a Kent Post Code, called Erith, which is situated between Bexelyheath and Dartford. However, the racing fraternity in the East London Federation, and New Eltham Social Flying Club, both 'seeth and heareth' about one man's results with his family of pigeons. It would have been extremely difficult for anyone not to notice someone clocking up seven first prizes in his club, and four federations wins. To add to these achievements he was also crowned premier prize winner of his club, and the prestigious title of 'Sprint Champion of the East London'' Federation'. Hopefully by now, the hints just like the river Thames has directed you to one source, Anthony Webster.

Anthony’s family have always been involved in some shape or form with racing pigeons. His fathers uncle, was a very keen pigeon fancier who raced out of West Kingstown in Kent. His mothers, parents were butchers, and they raced their birds behind their shop, which they owned and worked at. Anthony grandfather was a successful loft manager for Harry Derbyshire, of Bexleyheath. So, as you can see Anthony, had many fanciers in his close family that if he wished, he could rely on for help and advice.

However it was not until 2004, that his parents decided that they would obtain some pigeons for themselves. The pigeons they first started with originated from Louis Massarrella's Kirkpatricks, and gift birds from Kathy and Ray Woodley. To put it bluntly success did not happen overnight. On the other hand, when Anthony’s parents had started, young Anthony had no interest at all. It was not until 2006, that Anthony piped up with a quote to his father “Even I can beat youâ€.This sparked the competitive flame, in his fathers heart. Anthony was duly gifted a compartment, to obtain his own birds and to back up his own claim, however they would still race under the family name.

Anthony approached two fanciers Kipper Taylor of Rochdale, and Steve Surrey of Wisbech. From Kipper, Anthony purchased the family of Stef Van Reets, and from Steve, he bought the family of Van Loons. Results changed instantly with Anthonys interest, and his fathers new found competitive flame. In-fact, in Anthony’s first race he competed in, he finished second to his father, but that may have been something to do with the clock, positioned in his fathers compartment.

At around this time, Anthony's best pigeon was actually bred by Steve Surrey, and was named the 'P ring cock'. Anthony was extremely pleased on how this cock performed for him in the early years, as out of the thirty one races he was sent to, this game pigeon won twenty six prize cards. Including winning all pools in the Orpington and Footcray club, consecutively for six weeks running.

Kipper Taylor’s favourite saying in the early years to Anthony was “If you lay in bed, you wont top the fedâ€. This is something that has stuck in Anthony's head, and he swears by this quote today. One thing he also picked up from Kipper's regime, was how important training pigeons is. Kipper in Anthony’s own words was one of, if not the hardest trainer of pigeons he has ever known. Consequently, Anthony is an extremely hard working young man, working from six to seven days most weeks. However, with Kipper's words stuck in the back of his mind, he rises every morning much earlier then need be, to attend to his birds and to try and get the best from them.

Anthony's performances year after year, improved steadily. 2013, was a golden year for him as described earlier in the article. Anthony's family of birds have changed somewhat, from the families he first started in the sport with. When obtaining his modern day family of birds, the main thing he took into consideration was how little patience he has, so he decided long distance racing would not be the best route to go down. His main priority, when purchasing the birds was if he could not buy the champion, he would only obtain direct children, if they was not available he would leave his interest behind. The family of birds he built up, were from some of the top sprint names, from the region of Berlaar, in Belgium, such as Carl & Cyriel Lambrechts, Vandenbrande Brothers, Gert Heylen, Frans De Mayer of Kessell, and Frans Laeremans of Putte.

Like all of Anthony's birds, his breeders receive no medical treatment until after the moult has been complete. Around the time of the end of October, beginning of November, Anthony will give his breeders a ten to fourteen day treatment for paratyphus, with a medication of either Parastop or Baytril. He is a keen believer, when pigeons are treated, they are not treated with the same product everytime, as he does not want the birds to become immune to its ingredients. After the paratyphus treatment, his breeders then receive one days of clear and clean water, then three days of multi-vitamins and extra minerals. They will then be left, with no treatments, until the birds are sitting eggs, were Anthony feels it is important to treat for canker. The breeders will then not receive any treatments, until after the next moult, and are on clean water for the rest of the year. Anthony is a big believer in natural resistance especially for his breeders. Interesting Anthony, never cleans his drinker, the water is just topped up with a jug. His breeders are fed during the whole year Versa Laga Best All-rounder, apart from when rearing young birds were they are fed Countrywide No.1 mixture, which consists of Beans, Peas and Tares. Anthony changes his feed, while rearing as he believes this mixture helps to bring his young birds on, to grow big, strong and healthy. Anthony stated, that any of his breeders that fail to cope with breeding and rearing four rounds are removed completely from his lofts.

Anthony races his old birds on his own adaptation of the roundabout system. His old birds are never exercised during the winter period. While moulting his racers are fed the same as his breeders, Versa Laga Best all-round. However he uses some supplementation to help and assist with the moult namely, garlic oil, ground nut oil and poultry spice.

Anthony’s race birds, are not mated until the first of march. But what should be noted there is no treatments prior to pairing. The first treatment the birds receive is while they are on eggs, which will be with a four in one, to ensure that the parents are one hundred percent healthy before the eggs hatch. The birds as stated earlier are not flown at all during the winter, and their first exercise starts once the majority of the hens have laid. However, it should be stated that the birds are only let out on nice, clear days and they are never forced to fly.

Once flying good and strong around home for roughly fourteen days, Anthony will then basket the birds for road training, always remembering his friends Kipper's words. The birds are kept slightly hungry, for the first two days of training tosses. The racers are taken two miles, ten times a day, for two consecutive days. Which sounds extreme but is done for to install into the birds heads that they must trap quickly and effectively. After the first two days of training tosses, the cocks and hens are trained separately at the breaking point of 16 miles, cocks in the morning, and the hens of a night. Once the young are weaned, and the cocks are on the drive again, the birds are trained in pairs, with the cocks chasing his hen home. The birds will then be separated before the hen has laid. Anthony does not like the cock to see a hen lay her second round of eggs.

All of Anthony's race birds are fed at three periods during the day, first at six in the morning, four in the afternoon and, at eight of a night. Each period of feed is generally of a half ounce measure. Anthony also feeds on a feed table, which is at chest height, positioned behind his speed traps, which also encourages quick trapping. Starting with return from a race on a Saturday, the birds are not fed on immediate return, they will be fed on return from the club, and are fed D-200 from Versa Laga, which is a diat mixture of roughly one ounce of corn. On the grain Anthony uses, protein powder of the whey and casein type, which are fast and slow reacting proteins. Anthony would also put in the drinker a product called Gerdon I which provides the birds with essential trace minerals and elements. No birds will be let out or trained until Tuesday evening, another thing Anthony, believes in is complete rest.

On a Sunday, and a Monday, the three feeds the birds receive is with the same diat formula from Versa Laga, with protein powder added again to the grain, however nothing is added to the drinker. On a Tuesday morning, the birds yet again receive D-200, it is not until the afternoon when the composition of grain is altered. At the times of four in the afternoon, and eight of a night, twenty percent of Cribbs maize will be added to the D-200. On a Wednesday the percentage of Cribbs maize is increased again, this time to thirty percent, yet again plain water. On a Thursday, the Cribbs maize is upped to forty percent, again fed alongside the D-200. However on the last feed at eight, if the birds eat all the grain put in front of them the birds are offered only Cribbs maize, and can eat as much as they like or until they have had their fill. Yet again they receive plain water, Friday the birds receive no feed and in the drinker is plain water. The only time the feeding system is adjusted, would be due to the distance of the race point exceeding one hundred and sixty miles. In this case, Anthony adds palm oil, garlic oil, and ground nut oil to the last four to five feeds, to increase the fat storage levels of the birds.

As stated in Anthony's system, the birds receive no feed on a Friday, genuinely Anthony does not even go to the lofts until returning home from work at roughly three in the afternoon. Anthony attaches weight on basketing his race birds as early as possible, as he is of the opinion, the earlier you basket, the better the birds trap on race day. His basketing routine, would be to give the cocks the bowl, for up to one hour, while he takes his time to basket his hens. The cock birds are never locked in with the bowls, but once the hens are basketed, the basket is placed in front of the lofts wire doors, so the hens can see the cocks, going backwards and forwards to their bowls and calling their hens. Their roles can sometimes be reversed, with the cocks seeing into the hens, but it is truly dependant on the race point. Once both sexes are basketed, they will then be placed into the car or van, with a blanket over them for around one and a half hours, so they go calm to the club. Their is nothing Anthony, dislikes more then overexcited cock birds.

Anthony's watering system, is very basic and natural, with receiving only one supplement in the drinking water all week, on return. However Anthony will use medication a week before an important race, whether that be an Essex and Kent Amalgamation or a London North Road Combine race. These treatments will be rotated, whether it be a wormer, 4-1 treatment or treatment for canker.

A motivational trick, Anthony likes to use for good results, is placing a bird in a strange environment for three days. Ideally he likes to place them in a position where they can see their lofts but cannot get to it. When in this position the said bird, is never allowed access to their lofts, they are under lock and key with complete rest. Anthony likes them to see their loft mates out, and about and enjoying themselves. As well as being removed from the lofts, they can see the fun their friends are having, Anthony believes this helps fuel the motivation. Anthony prefers a good racing hen over a racing cock. He believes the hens are not easily lead like cock birds, they are always focused on the task at hand and the recover rate is phenomenal.

Anthony’s feeding system for his sixteen pair of cocks, hens and forty young birds is exactly the same, though their training methods differ slightly. Anthony’s mindset is that youngsters must be trained at nine weeks of age. They start of at two miles, to which they go a period of six times. They will then be moved on to five miles, but interestingly at this stage they are taken five miles at every point of the campus, approximately two times each. Afterwards, they are taken back onto the line of flight, at eight miles, twelve miles and then sixteen miles, twice a day. However at these stages, they are only pushed on once they leave the baskets straight away without any circling.

When quizzed on what piece of advice he would give a novice looking for success, Anthony stated what he was about to say was harsh but, he swears the worst mistake a novice can do is accepting gift birds of club members. Although it would be the cheaper option to get started in the sport, he insists it will put the fancier back for years. He suggests the best option would be to save your pennies, do some research and invest in late breds of multiple federation winners, and breed of them.

There are three fanciers that Anthony, really admires in the sport today. Those being Ken Salt of Derby, Arthur Farrar from the West Midlands, and Colin Fagg Of Kent. Anthony swears that his success is down to the help and advice that Ken, has offered him. Anthony says that Ken, transformed his results in only one season, transforming him to an average flyer to premier prize winner He is also very thankful to Arthur, as it is through Arthur’s birds, that Anthony bred 'Best young bird of the East London Federation. Anthony is also truly grateful to his very good friend Colin for his help and advice for races over two hundred miles.

In conclusion, I would like to thank Anthony, and his family for their hospitality while I was at their home and lofts, and I would like to wish them the best of luck and good health with their expanding family, and wish them all the luck for the forthcoming racing season.

 

The above was written in 2014 and myself and Tony continue to be good friends, he has moved further up north now and has continued his success in club, fed and midlands national.

Grasshopper

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