Greatest(One Of)

[Rooster J. Cogburn]

When I was a boy of 15 my father and I laid a rose bed for an old fancier friend,Alex Mitchell of Falkirk. The year prior we had just timed our first ever pigeon from the SNFC Gold Cup-La Ferte Bernard 2004, the year of Reekie. We clocked at 2159 to finish 33rd open, but that’s another story.

 

Alex was a man who had finished 8th Open Rennes with a pigeon bred by his good friend Jake Burrell. I spent the afternoon with Alex and he told me to the day how Jake set down his pigeons for Rennes( I Still have the notes I made to this day )and he was adamant Jake was the greatest fancier bar none to fly pigeons from France into Scotland.

 

I have come by an old book from one of my great friends in the sport, Davie Young, and in it there is a small feature on the Burrells of Douglas Water.

 

“This is the loft “up a wee glenâ€, it is one of the many small teams scattered throughout the Scottish lowlands which regularly appear, year after year, in the Scottish Nationals and other cross channel classics. One of their best wins was in 1948 in Combine 2- bird limit race from Guernsey, When their ‘Glen Rose’ was 1st and only bird on day of toss. Her pedigree reveals the basis of the team. Glen Rose 2, D Ch hen 2041, bred 1946.

 

Sire-Glen Hero, 7084/36 24th Open Rennes National 1939 and many other wins, from 8750 X 11511. 8750 bred by O. W Wells from an E. J Spare pair 8659 ( Son of White Knight) x 9985 flown Bordeaux goes back to ‘Old 19’ Pae and Pattern- N Barkers. 11511 from 1277 x 105 bred by D W. Hall. 1277 D ch pied, bred and flown Rennes twice, from a J. O Allen pair (N. Barker) 105 Eardley; Putman and R Dunn’s Toft, J. O Allen and the Hansenne cock Wonwell.

 

Dam- Glen Rose, Red Grizzle, 7054, winner of 3rd open Rennes National 1030 and 15th Lanarks Fedn. Open Guernsey 1938. Bred 1936 from the stock pair 5483 and 10315 ( 3 times Rennes and Nantes, 600 miles) parents of 3 birds to win a total of £400 in Scottish National. 5483 from 7532 x Glen lass, winner of 108th open Rennes National 1930. 7532 bred by Dr Hall from a son of his A and B refs. Pair bred by S. P Griffiths ( g’son of the 500 mile champions 6979 and 459) out of a Logan-Osman hen. Glen lass fron 1277 x Red Fril 1736 bred by J. Bone, strain N. Barker. If Carried carried further back this family traces from J. O Allen on almost every line. “

 

More to come, as this book also feature champions from; Stenhousemuir,Stirling,Avonbridge, Slammannan and various Solway,Lanarkshire, North and East of Scotland greats.

[Rebus]

"Glen Hero"

[Rebus]

Burrell bro's Jake on the left & Andrew right.

[Rebus]

"Glen Queen 1"

[Delboy]

cracking looking doos

[Guest chad3646]

"Glen Hero"

 

 

jock i was just going say you must have some cracking photos and lo and behold the came up great photos have you any of the mitchel,s or sash

 

When I was a boy of 15 my father and I laid a rose bed for an old fancier friend,Alex Mitchell of Falkirk. The year prior we had just timed our first ever pigeon from the SNFC Gold Cup-La Ferte Bernard 2004, the year of Reekie. We clocked at 2159 to finish 33rd open, but that’s another story.

 

Alex was a man who had finished 8th Open Rennes with a pigeon bred by his good friend Jake Burrell. I spent the afternoon with Alex and he told me to the day how Jake set down his pigeons for Rennes( I Still have the notes I made to this day )and he was adamant Jake was the greatest fancier bar none to fly pigeons from France into Scotland.

 

I have come by an old book from one of my great friends in the sport, Davie Young, and in it there is a small feature on the Burrells of Douglas Water.

 

“This is the loft “up a wee glenâ€, it is one of the many small teams scattered throughout the Scottish lowlands which regularly appear, year after year, in the Scottish Nationals and other cross channel classics. One of their best wins was in 1948 in Combine 2- bird limit race from Guernsey, When their ‘Glen Rose’ was 1st and only bird on day of toss. Her pedigree reveals the basis of the team. Glen Rose 2, D Ch hen 2041, bred 1946.

 

Sire-Glen Hero, 7084/36 24th Open Rennes National 1939 and many other wins, from 8750 X 11511. 8750 bred by O. W Wells from an E. J Spare pair 8659 ( Son of White Knight) x 9985 flown Bordeaux goes back to ‘Old 19’ Pae and Pattern- N Barkers. 11511 from 1277 x 105 bred by D W. Hall. 1277 D ch pied, bred and flown Rennes twice, from a J. O Allen pair (N. Barker) 105 Eardley; Putman and R Dunn’s Toft, J. O Allen and the Hansenne cock Wonwell.

 

Dam- Glen Rose, Red Grizzle, 7054, winner of 3rd open Rennes National 1030 and 15th Lanarks Fedn. Open Guernsey 1938. Bred 1936 from the stock pair 5483 and 10315 ( 3 times Rennes and Nantes, 600 miles) parents of 3 birds to win a total of £400 in Scottish National. 5483 from 7532 x Glen lass, winner of 108th open Rennes National 1930. 7532 bred by Dr Hall from a son of his A and B refs. Pair bred by S. P Griffiths ( g’son of the 500 mile champions 6979 and 459) out of a Logan-Osman hen. Glen lass fron 1277 x Red Fril 1736 bred by J. Bone, strain N. Barker. If Carried carried further back this family traces from J. O Allen on almost every line. “

 

More to come, as this book also feature champions from; Stenhousemuir,Stirling,Avonbridge, Slammannan and various Solway,Lanarkshire, North and East of Scotland greats.

doll was another cracking race point

[dava]

"Glen Hero"

great photo jock glen hero was some specimen real class doo

[Rebus]

Jake Burrell was the most dedicated and meticulous fancier I ever knew,he removed his shoes and put on a pair of gutty's before going in the loft and moved about inside like a ghost after basketing the birds for a toss or race he carried one of the old type panniers on his head down stepping stones to the bottom of the glen no mean feat as it was very steep and he was not a big man,I went to school with his son Keith who started the doos the same time as me so I served my apprenticeship in Doglas Water and many fond memories of all the great pigeon men it produced.

[Rooster J. Cogburn]

Real doos these ones Cracking photos, thank you for sharing them.

 

I've a wee bit here on the Leishman family of Douglas Water as well. It's a bit on the lengthy side, but I'll have a go at posting it later. Superb fanciers

[walterboswell59]

Real doos these ones Cracking photos, thank you for sharing them.

 

I've a wee bit here on the Leishman family of Douglas Water as well. It's a bit on the lengthy side, but I'll have a go at posting it later. Superb fanciers

keep it coming rooster good read m8

[lanarkshire lad]

Some super doos they don't seem to make them like that anymore.

[dal2]

Some super doos they don't seem to make them like that anymore.

They do ye just have to look harder?

[andy Burgess]

Real doos these ones Cracking photos, thank you for sharing them.I've a wee bit here on the Leishman family of Douglas Water as well. It's a bit on the lengthy side, but I'll have a go at posting it later. Superb fanciers

still waiting ?

 

They do ye just have to look harder?

[Rooster J. Cogburn]

R. Leishman and sons,Douglas Water, Lanarkshire

 

They founded their loft during the war years almost entirely upon three birds purchased from the late H. R Keer of Ipswich, two of them direct, prior to his death, and a further cock at the dispersal sale after his death.

 

During the war they built up a family almost entirely from these three pigeons, as the pedigree of one of their champions will show. As soon as channel racing resumed after the war they were out to the test in the Scottish National from Rennes St. Jacques. There were only four birds of the family old enough- three years- and they were all sent. All four birds were in the prize list. Since then Leishman and sons have never been out the Scottish National prizes.

 

Their biggest winner is the red cheq hen 4323, bred in 1949. She has wn in Scottish national races alone, in prizes and pools a total of £813. In 1952 she was 25th Section, 37th open Rennes; 1953-41st Section, 50th Open Rennes;1954- 3rd section, 25th Open Rennes.

 

The three Keer pigeons were:-

A- N.U.H.W 42 N 969,cock

B- N.U.H.W 43 V 1174, hen, from 8778 x 8756. 8788 from 66 x 55. 8756 from 7 x 53. 66 from 281 x 266. 55 from 17325 x 7115, both Delmottes from J.G. Galway, Belfast.

281 from 3882 x 291, both bred from LIVE WIRE, the mealy hen at the base of Keer’s LIVE WIRE family-dam of SURE THING( Lerwick and San Sebastian in the same season) etc. LIVE WIRE was hatched from a Lulham egg and founded a remarkable family of long distance pigeons.

C- (purchased at the dispersal sale) NUHW 42 N 4373, cock from 7834 x 887. 7834 sib if 352 “ GOOD THING†winner if the Aberdeen youngbird smash for Keer.

 

As well as the LIVE WIRE and Delmotte family, Keer also had a famous Osman Pair responsible for four N.H.U Gold medal winners and a share in the breeding of Hardcastle’s National winner Coronation Queen.

 

The pedigree of Leishman’s 4323, already referred to is interesting as showing how they founded a winning family upon the three birds A,B and C reference.

4323 from 2080/48 x 2082/48

2080 57th Section, 123rd Open SNFC Rennes

1951 from 6070/47 x 6075/ 47 2082 14th Section, 28th open SNFC Rennes and 8th section,14th open SNFC Rennes 1952; from Ref C x ref B

6070, 32nd open SNFC Nantes 1951, 3rd Section 14th Open SNFC Nantes 1952 and 12th section, 39th open SNFC Nantes 1953; from 37093/44 x 6741/45

6075 from 6742/45 x 6731/45 daughter of A and B reference.

6742 5th Section, 8th open SNFC Guernsey 1948

37093 from A and B reference, 6741 from 8295/44 son of A and B reference.

 

How the late Harold Keer would have rejoiced in the success of this closely bred family of his founding.

[Rooster J. Cogburn]

Interesting looking back these old lofts the number of times it crops up that birds have scored on the North and South road.

 

Another thing that stands out is the number of foundation birds that have multiple 500-600+ mile performances under their belt and in the case of the Belfast loft mentioned in this extract, there's an interesting story here.

 

A lot of the old 'foundation' pigeons in Ireland were Belgian birds brought into the ports in Belfast when it was at the helm of the linen trade.

 

The Ulster fanciers who worked in the area would gather and view the birds as you would a sale today. If they showed an interest in a bird their name was put to it and the bird released. If the bird returned to its home in Belgium it was brought over again on another ship and the fancier that fancied it paid his guineas for it

 

Essentially a lot of the old Irish 'strains' were built on birds that could fly 500-600miles on their own across two stretches of sea.