Joe Murphy Article 31st December 2024

[sapper756]

 

The Joe Murphy Column

While in the process of trying to do articles to cover the Christmas & New Year holiday period, I came across an article written by our late son Kevin, which he sent into the year books in 1983. Which he called ‘A Family Affair’. Needless to say, at this time of the year we are ALL involved with our families and we will never get over the loss of Kevin. We still have a close contact with his 3 children and their families; and as a accolade to Kevin, I would like to add his contribution to this week’s column.

 ‘Firstly, I would like to thank the editor for inviting me to write an article, it is indeed a very great honour. Secondly, I would like to dedicate this article to my partner - my dad Joe. Never have I met anyone who is so dedicated to our sport and to whom I have learned everything from. Thanks Dad.

My dad always says that; ‘If you put enough work into anything it will eventually pay off’. That was our secret - Hard Work! Owing to the fact that both of us were off work due to ill health; we were both 2 fulltime ‘Doo Men’ alas both with different views. I have been interested in the birds since I can remember. My granddad kept them and my dad started in 1970 when he caught a stray and it was put into the garden shed. My mum was caught in the shed feeding and speaking to it. Needless to say, the shed was soon converted into a pigeon loft.

Our most important aspect of pigeon management is hygiene. Our lofts are scrubbed out every Sunday morning one week with Virkon S from Vetrepharm, the next with bleach. We have good ventilation in the loft; therefore, the loft dries very quickly. We hate to see pigeons in dirty conditions. The most important thing I think about national racing is conditioning the birds. It doesn’t matter how well bred it is, or how much it cost, if it isn’t fully conditioned - it will never win. Many people send birds 500 to 600 miles and very few can condition them.

Having made alterations to the loft, a new apex roof, and renewing the outside but trying to keep the inside as unchanged as possible. Improving the ventilation with the help of my friend and dad’s mates during the winter, it was now down to us. Although my dad wasn’t working the birds were still cleaned out at 5am every morning. Every weekend the floor and nest boxes were scrubbed. A pigeon won’t be healthy if it is picking dirt and disease from inside the loft itself.

In previous years I would look after the young birds and dad doing the old birds. This year we decided we would work together as a team. When dad started back to work, the groundwork was all laid. Dad was up at 5am cleaning the old birds before going off to work. I was up at 6-30am flagging the racing team as dad left. At dinner time the hens were given the open bowl as the loft was cleaned out and the water topped up.  At 4pm the race team were flagged as the hut was cleaned out again and the water refreshed using Vetrepharm products (from past two years). The race team were kept going until dad came home from work. (When he left for work, I was standing flagging them and when he came home, he found I was still flagging them ha ha).

Our winner is a four-year-old chequer hen named ‘Mystical Rose’ she was named by my mum. She was bred from a Victor Lough of Dunbar cock and a John Bosworth hen. Previously she’d won 1^st club (only bird on the day) as a yearling winning 8^th open Fife federation Sartilly, being 16 ¾ hours on the wing. As a two-year-old she flew Rennes; as a 3-year-old she won 1^st club (again only bird on the day being 15 hours on the wing) 1^st federation 1^st region C 20^th east section 83^rd open SNFC Sartilly (1) 3180 birds (I have added the birdage JM). Five weeks late she won 144^th east section 236^th open SNFC Sartilly (2) 3673 birds. Then finally this year she won 1^st club 1^st federation 1^st east section 1^st open SNFC Sartilly (1) 3293 birds, also winning the Ogilvie Trophy for best individual performance in the SHU.

‘Mystical Rose’ tells you herself, when she is right. You just have to look at her. She goes a lot darker in colour, the same thing happened at the last SNFC Sartilly (2) race. About 3 weeks prior to winning the national we noticed that Mystical Rose’s cock wasn’t looking too well, so dad took him out of the loft. (He died during the night; we think he had been poisoned.) Mystical Rose was paired to this cock for 2 years and wouldn’t look at another cock. After trying 4 different cocks with her (she attacked all of them) Then one morning a young cock was showing off to her, so at night he was put into her box. She laid right on time sitting her favourite condition, 15 days eggs.

We sent 7 birds to Sartilly (1) race with 3 on the result; winning 1^st open, 141^st open, 127^th east section, and had 6 out of our 7 by the next morning. Next came the Rennes race 4501 birds we sent 6 birds timed in 2 on the day. Our first bird (Rising Star) won 39^th east section 53^rd open being 15 hours on the wing. Our 2^nd bird was ‘Matt’s Mealy’ winning 55^th east section 75^th open being 15 ¼ hours on the wing. We failed to time out of Nantes. The final SNFC race was from Sartilly (2) 2915 birds and we sent 6 birds with 5 returning home. Our first timed was ‘Lady Janet’ who won 1^st club 1^st federation 1^st region C 4^th east section 5^th open. Our 2^nd bird was ‘Nick Faldo’ a young late bred cock who was looking outstanding. This late bred was sent with 2 nest flights to only his 4^th race of his life, and was timed after 12 ½ hours on the wing, from 515 miles to win 18^th east section 36^th open 2915 birds.

I must admit to being totally over the moon on winning the SNFC Sartilly race, and anybody who saw me that night will surely agree. It was more satisfying than winning 100 x 1^st in your local club. The hard work had paid off.

Before I end, I would like to thank the editor for asking me to write this article and also to everyone who congratulated us on our win. It was a lot easier getting up at 6-30am to flag the birds now. But I would personally like to say a special thank you to my mum, Margaret, who puts up with a lot, especially from dad and I on our ‘Different Views’. Also, to dad to him I am deeply indebted, for without his help, dedication and constant nagging I would never have been so proud to be his partner in winning 1^st open Scottish National Sartilly. Finaly wishing all our friends and everyone else in the sport every success for 1993. Kevin J Murphy.

 

 

Please continue to keep the news flowing; to Joe Murphy Mystical Rose Cottage 2 Flutorum Avenue Thornton by Kirkcaldy KY1 4BD or phone 01592 770331 or Email to joejmurphy1@gmail.com REMEMBER THE J IN THE MIDDLE or log onto www.elimarpigeons.com; www.pigeonbasics.com www.thecanadianpigeoninternational.com who wish my weekly contribution portfolio on pigeon topics from Scotland

© Compiled by Joe Murphy