THE EVANS CHALLENGE
As many readers already know, I have accepted a North American partnership with Mark and Dick Evans of Great Britain. I take this partnership very seriously as there are, respected reputations at stake on both sides of the big pond. I met Mark and Dick in 2002 when I went to England to purchase some of their birds. I had read about the phenomenal success of these birds, but wanted to see their operation first hand and to choose youngsters from specific pairings. The three of us struck an immediate chord and a solid friendship has emerged.
In 2004/2005, with the Evans birds settled and breeding in Scarborough, Ontario, I knew that the time had come to see what mettle these birds possessed and whether they could perform in this country as well as their ancestors did in Europe. If there is any potential to be seen, then in the year of birth you should see something that would inspire you to continue with that family line. I personally believe that if the family of birds you are working with are potent you will see results right from the very start. I don’t believe that it takes two or three years to acclimatize etc. I decided to place some youngsters in selected lofts in the Toronto area as well as in another province plus a group of six in Spring Hill, Florida the hot bed of racing in North America. The recipients were asked to fly them as they would the rest of their young bird teams. At the end of both young bird seasons, it was more than obvious that the M & D Evans birds had made their mark on the winning pages.
Joe Ferriera has been a successful flier in the Up North Combine (140 active young bird fliers) for many years and as such is always looking for ways to improve his stock and take his racing level up a notch. Joe, is a very small team flier by today’s standards racing approximately twenty-two old birds and maybe thirty-five young birds. In 2004, he had thirty-seven young birds of which five were bred from Mark and Dick Evans’ stock. Four of the five were bred from a pair which carried the lines of Ebony, Benetton, Victor Reid, Jester, Carrie, Rolls Royce and Love Bird, all top producers for Mark and Dick. The young bird season consisted of eight races ranging from 180 kilometers to 530 kilometers (approx. 110 – 325 miles). The Evans birds beat his in seven out of the eight races. With these birds, Joe won five club races out of the eight. One bird, banded CU 2004 YR 1833, won two club races and finished four times in the top of the combine, earning her Ace Young bird in the club and Ace Young bird in the Combine. An example of her positions includes 2nd Combine, 450km, 74 lofts, 911 birds. Another is 4th Combine 520km, 92 lofts, 798 birds. She was also 16th Combine, 370km, 90 lofts, 1333 birds. After such an exceptional year we decided to put her in stock for one year to see if she could breed as well as she flew. Of her six offspring, Joe flew three and I flew three in 2005. Five of these youngsters scored throughout the season. One of Joe’s achieved 1st Ace bird in his club and I had both 1st and 2nd Ace birds in my club. At the end of the 2004 season, Joe was hooked on the Evans/Vandenabeeles. Now in 2006, almost all of his stock/racers carry the Evans bloodlines.
In the spring of 2005, I received a call from John Stevenson of Calgary, Alberta, wanting to purchase some Evans birds so that he could race them that year. To sweeten the deal I sent some extras free of charge and told him that I would replace all of them if they were not successful. They were indeed successful. Five of the six scored in club races. Four were club winners or equal firsts when John had multiple drops. John flies in a club of 20–25 members and they ship 350-450 birds per week. Here are just some of the winnings. 2005 Sylvan Lofts 354, won two club races and was 3rd and 12th on two other occasions which won him Ace Young bird in the three bird club. 2005 Sylvan Lofts 360, was twice 6th and once 9th with an average of 450 birds. On one of these occasions, this bird was equal first on the drop. John was so pleased with the performance of these birds that he has not asked to have any of them replaced.
Patrick Kleyn flies with the North Wings club in Toronto, which is the same club that I belong to. Actually, Pat has been looking after my birds for the past few years when my wife and I go to Spring Hill during the winter. His passion for racing pigeons originated in South Africa and has continued to challenge him here in Canada. Like Joe Ferreira, Patrick keeps a smaller team of old and young birds. He races both widowhood and natural systems. Although a good flyer, his results have not met his expectations for a few years now. I suggested that Pat try some of the offspring from my new M & D birds for the 2005 Young Bird series. Pat trained them, along with his, and flew them in all the young bird races. At the end of the series, he had won five races, was second four times and third four times at club level, to give him first average speed in the club and more importantly, second average speed in the Up North Combine racing over 65 miles further than the short end. This combine consists of 140 members who paid their racing fees for young birds. Now, this has lit a fresh desire in him for racing in 2006.
The next fancier is Jeff Wilbur from Chatham, Ontario. This young flyer had made several investments in a variety of pigeons and was extremely disenchanted with the lack of results. He was actually contemplating leaving the sport at one point. Over the years, I had spoken with Jeff about pigeon health and loft management. During one of these phone calls, I mentioned my intent to bring in some birds from Mrytle Lofts and asked if he would be interested in being involved. I assured him that I was very confident about these birds because I had done my homework on them and everything I had read about them was impressive. My discussions with Mark and Dick left me with the sense that I was dealing with honest, respectable fanciers. In the first year of racing these birds, Jeff won five club races; something that he had never experienced before. In the second year he won six of the nine old bird races. That same year, his club hosted three open money races for young birds. He won two of the three and was third in the other. In the third open race he was 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 7th. He also won two other young bird races. Jeff speaks very highly of the M & D Evans birds and their bloodlines now run through most of his birds.
The most competitive of the testing grounds for the Evans birds was in Spring Hill, Florida. In late April of 2005, I sent six youngsters to Rick Van Veldhuisen. Rick has become a very good friend of mine over the last four years. Rick is a most respected fancier who flies in the GHC and Unit 10. I suggested that he ship these birds to every race possible because I needed to find out if they were made of the right stuff. Of the six shipped, three scored in the GHC results. One bird, CU 05 SYLVAN 351, has been Rick’s first bird on seven separate races and in the results on six of them. At 100 miles, she was 58th from 112 lofts and 1951 birds. She was also 4th in the Combine at 300 miles with 108 lofts and 1687 birds. She ended up 26th overall in Champion birds. As a yearling she continued her winning streak being Rick’s first bird and scoring 107th from 138 lofts and 2358 birds. Rick has now decided to put her in the stock loft to see if she can breed as well as she flies. The two other birds which flew well for Rick were 352 and 344. At the 250 mile station, 344 was Rick’s first bird and 71st from 1926 birds. 352 was 47th at the 150 mile race and 100th at the 300. These performances have convinced both Rick and I that the M & D Evans birds can, not only fly with the best of them, but can make their mark in the winning sheets.
Thus, after just two years of flying the Evans birds in North America, I am extremely confident that this is the next wave of pigeons to refresh and enhance the quality of the existing gene pool. As the Janssens, Van Loons and Husyken Van Riel did in the past, the Evans Vandenabeeles are going to perform in North America as their ancestors are doing in the United Kingdom and Europe. What other breeders can say that their bloodlines have won over twenty-one First Nationals? Mark and Dick Evans hold this unsurpassed title and it is their dream for the same bloodlines to race at the top in North America.
John Marles
Sylvan Lofts