Colin McRae Article by Sandy Milne

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Earley days on the farm.
Colin as many folk with doo blood in their veins, started keeping pigeons
as a loon (a boy). He stayed on a farm and it was Colin’s mission to catch the pretty looking feral pigeons and had a good few that stayed in the loft he had built on the back of his dad’s peat shed. Back in the day for Colin, mealies were called turtle, and any pied was called a mottled doo.
Fancy Doo Period
A new neighbour moved in nearby who kept fancy pigeons and gained a new admirer as Colin was never away from his place and so started a new chapter of keeping and showing fancy pigeons, this fulfilled the next ten years of his life which was enjoyed immensely
Racing Pigeons
In 1986 it all started and Colin participated in his first season racing Young Birds, having joined the New Pitsligo Racing Pigeon Club which at the time had eight or possible nine members.
Looking back he can well remember his first ever race and armed with a third hand Le Continental clock was eager to participle in the race and I am sure like us all thought he would do extremely well. First things first a demonstration for his wife and father had to be undertaken, i.e. how the clocked functioned and the method by which the race rubber was insert into a thimble then the said thimble inserted into the clock then finally the clock struck.
On race day a grizzle young Bird arrived well in front of the rest of the team and subsequently timed. Later at the club it was discovered that the grizzle would have been third club if it was not for all the puncture marks in the dial as a result of his various demonstrations to others on the functioning of the clock. The outcome being the grizzle was disqualified thus ended his first race.
Colin went on to race with the Pitsligo club for 10 years recording various levels of success including his first two North Federation wins in 1993 these two red cards being recorded with the same pigeon.
Final Move to the Broch (Fraserburgh)
In 1995 Colin had a change of life styles having met a spare hen and subsequently relocating nearer to the Broch and joined the Fraserburgh & District club. At this time this was a very famous club with a reputation for top pigeons and fanciers participating from short races to the French races and very successful at all these distances. With the knowledge that is he continued with his previous approach to pigeon racing which would leave him propping up the results and that was not where he wanted to be. Any introduction of some new blood was required, and after careful consideration he decided to introduce some of the Jansen/Van Loon pigeons and applied himself with great vigour to the task. Results were for all to see, within a couple of seasons he was amongst the prize winners on a regular basis and by the millennium achieved the top prize winner in Club and the Federation, that not being an easy position to achieve.
Over the last twenty years Colin has been very consistent and has always been in the top part of the Federation and thus has been considered as one of the top racers of the North Federation.
As always there have been occasions where success has evaded him and in Colins words “there have been the odd season when I’ve not had it so easy. You get complacent, and just think that the good birds from last year will win again but if your competition are prepared to up their game and you’ve sat on your laurels, then you’re no longer the guy at the top”. For example, season 2022, I was behind the club leaders in an estimated eight out of ten races. After consideration he thought that too much time was spent looking after a pheasant shoot which, as we all know is a considerable involvement and very time consuming if it is to be a success. A cross roads had been reached and Colin decided that his first priority must be his racing pigeons with the pheasants second and we can all see the result of that decision with his club and Federation results.
The Loft
Colins loft is 48 feet in length with aviaries in each section for all birds to access. A large team is flown in the federation with some sixty plus old birds and seventy plus young birds but as Colin states “I’m a believer that there is more cream in a gallon than a pint so I’ll stick by it” and these methods have proved very successful to date.
Conditioning
Colins ethos being :-
a) The birds health come first a fancier must make sure the birds are in good health
b) The fitness of the pigeons must built to ensure they are ready for the season
c) A good feeding regime must be installed and adhered to
d) Motivation
If the above are all in place then in Colins words you’re in with a chance, continuing by saying if any of these 4 are not in place, you will be congratulating the winner most weeks.
Routine is also very important as the birds know what to expect.
Racing method
All birds are flown on the celibate/chaos system.
Preparation begins late March when all birds to be raced are treated with two Respiratory treatments. Early April, a worm treatment is applied after which the birds are treated with a 3 in one. Exercise
The birds are exercised twice a day around the to build fitness.
On basketing night prior to being dispatched to a Federation race, Cocks and Hens are allowed to mix together for 30 mins approximately and chaos is ensued, also the volume of the noise with the loft is exceptional.
On return from a race, and subsequently the second feed after return, the birds are duly provided with a mix of every food type present in the loft. This way Colin believes his pigeons can eat whichever their brain/body tells them they need before being split until the following week where they will undertake the same process before being dispatched to compete in the next race on the programme.
Also, during the racing season, a three-week cycle is adopted where the birds are treated with 3 in 1, also treated for respiratory, then a week off.
Feeding is a mix of everything that is in the trough for the returning birds and the first feed thereafter. The birds then go onto a light feed for the next few days moving to fats then carbs towards end of the week to ensure the birds are ready for the next challenge.
Most of the water-based treatments have been stopped with any products being deployed being administered via the grain. The above system has proved its worth with his team of birds going on to win: -
1)Nine of the ten club old bird races
Which incumbered three first Federation prizes
2) Four second Federation positions
3) Three third Federation positions
4) Also a further twenty-three places in the top 10 of the Federation
And to top a very successful season went on to win the highly rated “East Section Champion Cup” and was also awarded “Top prize winner in the North of Scotland Federation”.
Colin is absolutely in no doubt that top pigeon men are at the top because of the sheer effort they are prepared to put in.
Loft Additions for 2024
A family of very successful Gabby Vandenabeele pigeons have been housed 2008 and during this time Colin is sure that this family have at some point topped the Fed from every race point. But he does not rest on his laurels and is always on the lookout for additions to his family with additions being purchased every year.
The Gabbys have proved hard to beat with most of the above prizes attributed to this family. However, for 2024 two additional families have been purchased these are Willem De Bruijn and Dirk Van den Bulk, so hopefully some “fresh cream” can be found.