Jock Reid, Stenhousemuir

[Rooster J. Cogburn]

"J. Reid, Stenhousemuir, Stirlingshire

 

John Reid has developed one of the most consistent winning families

 

What we are concerned with is the breeding lines behind all these successes. It mainly derives from three stock pairs, 3766 and 3581; the Marien pair, 2109 and 644; and a pair bred by J. Gillespie of Airdrie, 8321 and 8217. It will be seen from the pedigrees that follow that these three pairs, each inbred and linebred in themselves, were totally unrelated.

 

Every mating between the respective progeny therefore would be the result of a first outcross which as we have seen repeated, usually described the parentage of outstanding champions-when successful at all, which obviously can be but seldom or our lofts would be full of ‘champions’ and therefore not ‘outstanding.

 

No.1 pair (mated by John Reid in 1937)

Cock-3766, black ch. Bred by McIntyre Bros of Meikle-drumgray, Airidrie, perhaps the most consistent prize winner in pre-war Scottish Nationals.

Sire:5101 B ch, 20th SNFC Rennes 1935 on day of toss, 548 miles, from a Nantes prize-winner x a daughter of the McIntyre’s Berry (Macclesfield) pair, the Osman family with which Berry won the Manchester F.C Gold Cup etc. 5101, with two other similarly bred cocks won about £200 in 1935 from Dol, Rennes and Nantes..

Dam: a B ch hen lost in the 1936 Rennes disaster: from a Moss cock flown Nantes x 4743 B Ch Hen five times over 500 miles winner of 8th SNFC Rennes in 1937

Hen of No.1 pair – 3581 B. Ch flown Rennes three times and winner of prizes at all stages. Dam and granddam of numerous winners

Sire: 5707, from 5531 x 2152, the champion hen, five times 530 miles, winner of over £300, bred by Cope of Congleton.5531froma mother and son mating, 1980 x 2339. This pair descends from birds bred by the late Col. A. H Osman and feature 73 x 2569; it was claimed that this pair was the best stock pair in Britain. However that may be it is undeniable that they bred an extraordinary number of winners from 500 miles in Manchester F.C competitions and in the classics: their fame being such that their descendants went into many of the leading lofts in various parts of the country.

Dam: 4167/33 red, prize-winner to 375miles from 2797 x 829. 2797 bred by Dr W. E Barker, winner of several prizes as were his brothers and sisters, and also sire of winners including Dr Barkers 5th Federation Nantes: from 3497 x 2657. 3497 bred by F.W Marriot from 619 x Repetition, 1st National San Sebastian 1936. 619 from ‘Triumph’ 1st National San Sebastian 1925 x W. M Gaze’s Logan hen 103, sent to Marriot for this mating, she was sister to J.W Logan’s 69, 19th NFC San Sebastian and the mother of Billy Gaze’s famous ‘Shiek’ family of winners in the east Anglian Championship club.

2657, flown Nantes from 6257 x 1758. 6257 from Osman’s 1892 x 1864. 1758 from 1s0 x 1694 (both Osman) was described by Dr Barker as the most successful stock hen he had ever possessed. 829 from 2016 x 2339 the Osman stock hen in the pedigree of the sire of 3581 above. 2016 a great winner, three times 55miles winning £150

 

No.2 pair: The Marien, 2109 and 644

2109/38, White Cock, bred by Buckley of Radcliffe from 6269532/28 B. Ch pied, and a daughter of 6269532 when mated to A. Hitchen’s Marien hen. Another close mating producing a successful stock pigeon- this time father to daughter. 644/42 blue hen bred by J. Mansfield of Stockport from 328 x 318.

328 from 1044401 x 6104649 both bred by Marien. 318 from 6333106 x 6345066, both bred by Marien.

644 had produced winners in the Manchester F.C for her breeder before John Reid purchased her.

The Marien pair have bred winners every year of their breeding for John Reid and others. They are grandparents of 1278, 1279 and 1275 three of the birds clocked by Reid in the 1950 Rennes national and two other Rennes arrival also descend from them. Duncan Ogilvie of Stirling is one of several fanciers with good wins by descendants of this pair as his 18th open Wigan Young winner of £40 and also his winner of £116 in the Scottish national Rennes.

 

No.3 Pair: The Gillespies-8321 and 8217. 8321/ 48, the red cock bred by J. Gillespie of Airdrie from 1914 x 7609. 1914, 1st Open Penrith, 1st Open Dorchester and twice Guernsey and Rennes: from 746 x 2746 Bricoux. 7609 sister to 12602 11th Open Rennes 1947, 88th Open Guernsey 1948 etc, from 1264 x 2022. 746 from 923 x 580. 2746 wond 2nd Worchester, 1st Cheltenham and and 2nd Norton Fitzwarren 1942: 13th open Cheltenham 1943 and 1st open all pools and nomination SHU charity race, Stoke Cannon 1944. 1264 bred by Dr. Anderson, son of champion Le Fynen. 2022 from 1045 x 2502. 923, 5th Open Weymouth: 12th Dol SCC, all pools and nomination 1938 and 22nd Open Rennes national 1939. 580 127th open SNFC Rennes 1939; 1045. Three times Rennes and twice Nantes x 503 9th and 1st Open SNFC Nantes 1932,1933. 2502, sister to H. Scott’s (Markinch) 4th national Rennes 1939.

8217, the hen of the No.3 pair, B. Ch bred by J. Gillespie from 1573 x 25

1573, stock from 1045(which occurs twice in eh pedigree of the cock of the pair x 16

25, B Ch bred by Dr Anderson from Champion Le Fynen x 76.

They are the parents of John Reid’s 166/48 Red Cheq hen winner of 1st Section, 2nd Open SNFC Rennes 1950 and £243.

 

The Gillespie pair have produced many other good ones, including fifteen parents of 1st prize-winners, when mated with descendants of the other two pairs or a daughter of F. W Marriot’s 1951 Lerwick winners.

Incidentally A. Grassam 4th Section,11th Open Rennes National and £324 is a half-brother to 8321 the cock of the No.3 pair, whilst W. Turner’s (Camelon) 1st Section 4th Rennes national and £230 is a grandson of the No.2 pair.

But John Reid regards the best son of the No.1 pair as the most successful stock cock he has ever had. This was 7712, a prize-winner in the 1939 Rennes National. The cessation of continental racing during the war may have been a blessing in disguise, for 7712, kept at home as a breeder was the biggest single factor in the post-war success of the John Reid team and several other lofts.

2234 a grandson of 7712, flew in five national and won prizes in four of them, including three times Nantes 618miles. The nest mate to 2234 was clocked on the day from Charleroi, winning 2nd National.

 

It is easy to realise why the name of John Reid of Stenhousemuir stands so high in Scotland and elsewhere and it will be noted that his team is built upon two other great Scottish National names-McIntyre and Gillespie. Then of course the Marien pair

 

It is instructive to note too that each of these pairs had to justify itself independently by the performances of its progeny before being cross in with other to become part of the strain John Reid has developed.

 

This naturally is the tale of the successes. How many other pairs were tried and failed to ‘qualify’ we can only guess. Selection is the essence of breeding success and John Reid is one of the masters of the art."