Three Borders Federation Wincanton Race 3

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Three Borders Federation: Season News 2025 (Wincanton Race 3).

The Three Borders Federation were at Wincanton for the race number seven of the old bird season and the Federation secretary, Stuart Emans recorded his second Federation winner of the year in great style. The race day weather started off with an over cast sky and light rain, but soon turned out to be perfect, with the winners banging home at nearly 80 mph in a strong tail wind, The Federation convoyer, Dom McCoy liberated with sun on the baskets at 11.30hrs into an west / south west wind situation and the members enjoyed a brilliant race. The new Federation secretary, Stuart Emans races in the Mitcham & Merton club and has a great season racing, recording many good positions in all the previous six races, including 1st Federation twice. After the Wincanton we had a chat on the phone and Stuart said, ‘After a very hard race from Bodmin, it was decided by the Federation committee, to change this race from Honiton to Wincanton. With all the changeable weather leading up to the race a decision was made between me and the conveyer to go for a Saturday race. This turned out to be a great decision, with the velocities in the high 2200 and from reports, with great returns. My Federation winning pigeon arrived at the loft flying very high in the sky folded up and hit the landing board in the time of 1hour 16 minutes, flying 99 miles. The Federation winner was a blue pied widowhood cock, bred Gerald Delaney and we have named him, ‘Remy 270’, after our grandson. I would like to take this opportunity to pass on my sincere condolences to the Tony Dye family after his sudden recent passing. Over the years I have had some great pigeon trips with Tony to Belgium and Blackpool and he will be sadly missed’. Stuart previously won the Federation this season from Okehampton, winning 1st, 5th, 17th Federation. The Federation winner was his good Raymond Ceulemans yearling roundabout blue cock, ‘Harry 048’ and has had every race this year, being bred by Stuart’s good friend Gary Young. ‘Harry 148’ came really well on the day and he seems to like Okehampton! He won the Three Borders Federation at the same race point in 2024 and has also won 2nd club, 9th Federation Wincanton. He is named, ‘Harry 048’ after Stuart’s young son Harry and is raced on the Widowhood system. He is a bit special!’ Stuart was the 2024 Three Borders Federation points champion and won many premier positions, including four times 1st Federation to win that title. Well done Stuart! Our Federation secretary won the race, but was also very much the Ashridge RPC’s day, with their club member taking 21 positions in first 25 on the Federation result. Leading the Ashridge charge was ‘The Master’, Terry Goodsell, winning a brilliant: 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 20th, 21st, 23rd, 25th Federation. Congratulations to all the winners!

The first ten in the Wincanton Federation result were: 1) Stuart Emans 2291: 2) Terry Goodsell 2290: 3) Terry Goodsell 2283: 4) Terry Goodsell 2282: 5) Terry Goodsell 2282: 6) Terry Goodsell 2282: 7) Terry Goodsell 2281: 😎 Frank & Sue Carson 2270: 9) Frank & Sue Carson 2268: 10) Eric Fry 2258. This was race number seven of the season and at this point the Ashridge RPC and Mitch & Merton RPC are joint leaders for the ‘Federation Points Trophy’ with 27 points each. Thanks to ‘Hire and Higher Bouncy Castles Sweets and Treats’ who are now sponsoring the Three Borders Federation.

The Frank and Sue Carson loft of the Ashridge club have hit good form in recent weeks and took four good positions from Wincanton. Frank sadly passed away in October, just after enjoying a great 2024 racing season and his wife and son, Sue and John are caring on with racing the pigeons. I have known Frank and his wife, Sue, since the late 1970’s and have never met two nicer people. Frank is a legend in the Surrey pigeon racing fraternity and has won it all at the top level over his many years in the sport. Frank had suffered some bad heath in recent months and his son, John had helped his mum and dad race their pigeons, resulting in them having a wonderful 2024 season, which included them winning the Three Borders Federation three times. Frank was born in Battersea, South London, and his grandfather was a fancier flying as J. Carson & son in the Chelsea & South Lambeth club. Frank spent a lot of time with his grandfather and as a result became interested in racing pigeons. When his grandfather died in 1978 he moved in with his grandmother and took the pigeons over. Penning several articles on Frank and Susan over many years, I can remember in 1984 the partners had the season of a lifetime winning twenty ¬seven 1st, nineteen 2nd,  twelve 3rd and twelve 4th, flying in two Saturday clubs and a midweek now and again. The Carson’s raced the Widowhood system and in 1984 the eighteen cocks won twenty three firsts, the other four winners were young birds. Frank once told me the high points in his time as a pigeon fancier were winning the Old Comrades eye sign class and the first time he won the Federation. Frank Carson was a born pigeon racer and has always been successful! Frank told me many years ago, ‘Susan is a major worker with our pigeons and must take a share of the credit for our success over the years’. Frank has passed away, but he is in our thoughts and will never be forgotten. With the passing Frank Carson, the sport of pigeon racing has lost one of its greatest champions!

The star pigeon of the Carson loft in recent seasons has been the yearling blue pied cock, ‘Mr. Stoner’, and he recorded 1st open London & South East Classic Club Guernsey (800 birds), and 1st club, 1st Three Borders Federation, 1st SMT Combine Yelverton (1596 birds), being raced on the widowhood system. A nice little extra to ‘Mr. Stoner’s’ success story is the fact that his nest brother, ‘Alan’, was with him on the very same velocity from Yelverton (179 miles) and is joint 1st open SMT Combine! This wonderful cock had won other premier positions in the 2013 season including 13th Federation Honiton (1172 birds), being beaten by a loft mate. The widowhood blue cock, ‘Alan’, has a brilliant racing record in his own right, winning: 1st Federation, 1st SMT Combine Yelverton (1596 birds), 1st Federation Exeter (938 birds), 2nd Federation Honiton (1149 birds), beaten by a loft mate, 3rd Federation Newton Abbot (985 birds), beaten by loft mate, 8th Federation Wincanton (1149 birds), 14th Federation Yeovil (1106 birds) plus several other premier positions including 1st club Taunton. This fantastic nest pair of cocks were bred by Frank’s good friend, John Stoner of Mitcham, from the very best Willie Jacobs and Gaby Vandenabeele bloodlines. Another top racer that season had been the Willie Jacobs blue chequer cock, ‘The 15 Cock’, and he had beaten ‘Alan’ twice in the 2013 season for top honors in the Federation results. The brilliant widowhood cock had won seven times first club and 1st Federation Wincanton (1995 birds), 1st Federation Honiton (1149 birds), 2nd Federation Newton Abbot (985 birds), 3rd Federation Wincanton (1701 birds), 3rd Federation Yeovil (1506 birds), 4th Federation Honiton (1172 birds), 6th Federation Yeovil (1106 birds). The Carson loft has bred several premier racer for other fanciers and the Esher partnership of Crook & Iddenden, had a brilliant race from Yeovil (1) in 2013, recorded 1st, 3rd, 24th Federation, winning with their champion blue cock ‘Frank’, and then this brilliant cock went on to win 1st Federation Yeovil (2) at the end of the season. Colin Crook and Andy Iddenden won the Three Borders Federation ‘Ken Besant Memorial Trophy’ in the 2011 season for ‘best pigeon of the year’ with their good blue cock, ‘Frank’ and this wonderful cock recorded: 2nd Federation Kingsdown, 2nd Federation Yeovil (twice beaten by loft mates), 7th Federation Wincanton, 14th Federation Wincanton, 16th Federation Kingsdown, 23rd Federation Newton Abbot. Champion ‘Frank’ won a long list of premier positions in those three seasons including another 1st Three Borders Federation Kingsdown. Frank and Susan Carson bred Colin and Andy’s champion Gaby Vandenbeele blue widowhood cock, ‘Frank’. The list of ‘world class’ racing pigeons that the late, great Frank Carson bred and raced over his many year in the sport is endless. He was ‘simply the best’! Well done to the Stuart Emans for his ‘banging’ Federation winner from Wincanton! Full article to appear in the BHW shortly.

Text & Photos by Keith Mott.