The Best of Brotton – Billy Heslop

 

By John Marles, Sylvan Lofts

 

 

I initially contacted Mark Evans in the fall of 2002 to let him know that I was planning a trip to England and asked if he would set up some loft visits for me. We discussed several possibilities and came up with a prospective list. Bill Heslop was at the very top of this list. This was an easy choice because Bill has always had an excellent reputation for being an ace flyer and a committed member of the sport. I was indeed fortunate this day because I would be accompanied by Dick Evans who is truly a Legend in this sport.

 

Like many successful fanciers, Bill’s involvement with racing pigeons began at an early age and once that bug gets in your blood it is there for life. Right from his early days he demonstrated a keenness for the sport and a talent for producing winners. As a young teenager in 1961, he helped Bill Ripley win first North York’s  Fed from Cormeilles with  a hen that also won first North York Fed from Beauvais in 1962. After getting married he settled in Brotton and is still living there today. A great example of how much the pigeons have impacted on his life is illustrated by the events surrounding the purchase of his new vehicle. Bill brought a measuring tape with him to ensure that the baskets would fit inside before he agreed to buy it.

 

In the earlier days he had good success with Vandeveldes and Janssens. In 1981 he obtained the Herman pigeons from the Ward brothers. These had an immediate impact on his results. To further strengthen his stock, he obtained some Hermans from Tom and Colin Dorman who had obtained theirs from M. and D. Evans of Whitley Bridge. Realizing that he could get birds directly from the Evanses, in 1990 Bill began a relationship with them that has grown and flourished over the years. As we sat discussing pigeons in Bill’s home, the respect that he has for Dick Evans permeated our conversations. . Little did anyone know that this thirteen year relationship would culminate in a flying partnership in 2003 of Heslop and Evans.

 

For the fanciers outside the United Kingdom reading this article, you should know that Bill is a member of the Up North Combine which consists of twenty-one Federations. The geographical area of the Up North Combine begins at Staithes and continues approximately one hundred miles north to the Scottish border. It is around ten miles in width. They send an average of twenty-seven thousand birds per week while some races top sixty thousand. Bill flies in the East Cleveland Federation and Section Seven of the Up North Combine. Just in the Cleveland Federation alone there are ten clubs and they ship up to thirty-five hundred birds per week. When you consider that Bill has been the champion of Section Seven, which includes the East Cleveland Federation as well as the North Yorks Federation, you begin to get an idea of the calibre of this flyer and the intensity of the competition here.

 

His many achievements include winning over sixty-five first club prizes in seven years, first sprint nom championship, first mid-distance nom championship, combined old bird average and total combined average in Section Seven of the Up North Combine. In 2000, 2001 and 2002 his results have been nothing short of phenomenal. Last year Bill Heslop broke every record held in the club since it was formed.

 

Bill’s two main lofts are both eight feet by eight feet with sliding doors in the front which open to expose wire mesh doors for excellent ventilation (see picture). There is also wire mesh on top of the nest boxes which allows the air to escape at the back of the loft. The nest boxes are roomy with a perch space in front of the dowelled boxes (see picture). Here he maintains twenty-four old widowhood cocks. The young bird loft is sixteen feet by eight feet and is divided into two equal sections. The inside of this loft is painted dark red to assist with the dark system. The widowhood lofts and the young bird loft all face south.  Bill also has a loft with eight boxes for his natural team which are used for the Channel races and there are twelve nest boxes in another loft for yearling widowhood cocks.

 

When he is racing, Bill’s day begins between 5:15 – 5:30 every morning. During this time the twenty-four widowhood cocks are let out for forty minutes of exercise. The lofts are cleaned and a fine layer of sand is spread on the floor and on the nest boxes. All this has to be done so that Bill can leave for work by 7:00 AM. If he did not have to work he would let the birds out later when the temperature would be a bit warmer. Fran, a fellow fancier who helps Bill, lets the hens out during the day. In the evening the birds are once again let out for a forty minute fly. Bill feels that this is the maximum they should fly in order to keep them sharp. Three times a week at the same time each day, the birds are trained to the same spot at a distance of about fifteen miles. This training continues throughout the racing season. Bill elaborated that he has tried not doing this extensive training after the first race, but he feels that without the training the birds are dragged in all directions. On Friday the birds are allowed to rest unless the weather has been poor that week and then they would be exercised.

 

All the birds are paired up around the end of January and the first round of eggs from the stock birds are put under the widowhood team which allows the stock birds to go down on their second round. The young birds are brought up on a high protein mix with plenty of maple peas. Once the widowers are on their second round of eggs their road training begins. After the hens have been sitting for eight days, the cocks are now put on the widowhood system thus the hens, the eggs and the bowls are all removed. Prior to every race the widowhood cocks are always shown the hens. Bill mentioned that a New Championship Club was formed and he wants to try some of his three year old hens in channel racing. The hens will be exercised and trained and then locked up in nest boxes when in the loft. These hens have not flown since they were youngsters. They are club and Fed winners and now will get another chance to shine.  On arrival the birds receive the young bird mix with Gerry plus. Bill said “I don’t break pigeons down on barley like some others do; I just feed a lighter mixture”. On Sunday, again they are fed this mix. From Monday to Friday the percentage of young bird mix decreases and the Versele-Laga Prestige is increased until it is totally Versele-Laga by Friday. He really made a point that for him the Versele-Laga corn is by far a superior product. On Friday he also provides them with a small amount of Red Band. If the pigeons are fit on Friday they will hardly eat anything. Bill reinforced that fit birds just like to “pick and poke” at their feed and that these birds will race just like “crackers”.

 

Bill discussed with me his extensive use of the Gem products. “I use all the Gem products. Everything Gem makes I’ve used since day one, absolutely fantastic. People say they are expensive, but if they’re winning they ‘re not expensive are they?”. On Sunday morning they receive Strike in their water. For Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday Flight Fuel and Gem Pack is added to the corn. They are fed from the trough and given as much as they want. Bill does not measure the amount of corn.  

 

Bill has used the Darkening System with his young birds for the last seven years and has had great success with these birds in later life. As soon as the young birds are weaned they go straight on the system, being darkened from 5PM till 7:30AM. The birds are fed on a mix with 70% maple peas and a small seed mix. The birds are taken off the system on the longest day of the year. At this time the young birds are fed on a mixture of 50% Junior UK and 50% Versele-Laga Prestige. This is the feed they will continue on until the end of the racing season. He begins the training of young birds two weeks prior to the first race up to a distance of twenty miles. For motivation nest bowls with pot eggs are placed in boxes one week before the first race. Generally, Bill will leave these in for three to four weeks at which time he will take everything out. Once again, before the end of the year, Bill will again introduce the nest bowls with the pot eggs. Gem products are used similarly to old birds. At the conclusion of the race season, the young birds are kept in to complete their moult and are given an assortment of small seeds to enhance their feather quality.

 

The highlight of the visit of course was when Dick Evans and I got to handle the team of widowers. Although this was October, the birds were in excellent form. The group as a whole were larger than medium in size with strong skeletal structures, superior feather quality and deep, rich coloured eyes. I have handled many birds in my time, but “Lewis” 2000 EC 6481, named after his grandson, is in a class of its own. Twice this bird has been among a handful of pigeons in the Up North Combine vying for victory. In the Eastbourne National 2002, Lewis was sixth Up North Combine competing against 26,854 birds. At the Maidstone National of 2002, Lewis was fourth with 21,338 birds competing.

 

Bill has always taken an active role in the sport and has been chairman of his Federation for the last twenty years. Annually, Bill is called upon to donate youngsters for charitable functions. Sometimes the number exceeds thirty-two young birds a year which constitutes a full round from the breeders. Bill not only generously agrees to the worthy ones, but is often asked to auctioneer. If there is one thing that both Bill Heslop and Dick Evans regard as the Achilles heel of the sport it is the petty jealousies that smoulder within our clubs. Having traveled to many countries I can add that unfortunately this statement is very true worldwide.

 

In closing, I would like to thank Dick Evans for introducing me to Bill and for taking the time to make this visit such a memorable one. Thanks also to Bill’s wife for the meal she prepared which included my first ever sampling of REAL Yorkshire pudding – definitely nothing like it in Canada. Of course, this interview would not have taken place without the generous consent of Bill himself. Thank you!