| The
Fear Brothers
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There is no doubt in the minds of knowledgeable
pigeon racers that the Fear family of
racing pigeons was one of the best since
the coming of the sport to the shores
of Britain. In fact they were participants
in a sport in which it would appear that
all came natural to them. Their achievements
over the years are outstanding and I have
no hesitation in stating that when the
history of the sport of pigeon racing
in Britain comes to be written that the
names of Sam and Roly Fear will be amongst
the leading lights.
Although
a family of long distance bloodlines the
Fear Brothers raced their birds from about
50 miles to 550 miles with frequent successes.
The latter fact arose from the initial
decision to ensure the best of foundation
stock. Their base came from another good
English fancier, Bert Thatcher, who bred
the brothers a half a dozen youngsters,
one of which became a great stock bird
after winning 4th Section, 6th Open NFC
Nantes. The Thatcher bloodlines also produced
a 37th Open British Barcelona Club for
the Fears, thus ensuring 700 mile racing
potential.
The Barcelona success was in the early
1960s but eventually the brothers got
to know another English fancier by the
name of Bob Legg who accommodated them
by providing some of his own birds to
be mated with the Thatcher bloodlines
at Leggs farm. This proved a profitable
arrangement for the Fears for from one
of the matings there came a bird '633'
who accomplished 9th Section, 27th Open;
2nd Section, 5th Open Palamos; followed
by 1st Section British International Championship
Club Barcelona at a distance of 718 miles.
Some flying from Spain across the English
channel. Of course the brothers accomplished
many successes during the 1970s including
winning the NFC 1st Section F, 1st Open
Pau 1979 at a distance of 536 miles.
The
winner being Clandown, a great mealy cock
of the partnership. The important lesson
of patience can be learned from the Fears
management for the great 633 (above) failed
to arrive from a 97 mile race from Plymouth
until 4 days after race closure but the
brothers rested the blue bar hen for a
year (1978) and in 1979 their patience
was awarded. Many others I think would
have placed her in the rubbish bin, instead.
The
Fears fed a diet of beans early in each
year supplemented with Hormoform as well
as some Homon for the youngsters. Linseed
would also have been provided but beans,
peas and tares would have been the diet
basis for the majority of months. Although
for the youngsters maize would also have
been provided. They were great advocates
of dry and well ventilated accommodation
for racing pigeons and always strove to
ensure the optimal environmental conditions.
Thus with proper accommodation and diet
Roly and Sam Fear would ensure an appropriate
regime of training for all their racers
which included 40 to 50 miles tosses for
their national candidates if they thought
it was required after normal stage by
stage training. As for the youngsters
they were trained as soon as they began
to roam the countryside up to 20 miles
where upon they were stopped for a period
and then given a few tosses at 20-30 miles
prior to the first race. Yes, a well thought
out regime but a flexible one at that.
Sam and Roly Fear were fanciers of great
common sense which alas many of us fail
to to possess which ensured the brothers
confidence of detecting the pigeon in
form and that or they were the the only
participants in a particular race in a
particular week. No mob flying here or
sending for the mere sake of sending hoping
for a win.
They
were pigeon racers of the highest calibre
and of such is history made.
by: Liam O Comain
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