Profile on Pete Holland - May 1997

Pete Holland

7 Furze Park Road

Bratton Fleming

Barnstable

North Devon

 EX31 4TA

Tel No. 01598 710744

Catering For West of England Tumblers,

Exhibition and Flying Tipplers,

Exhibition  and Flying Rollers

National Federation

 THE FEDERATION WESTERLY PROFILE

Fancier – Pete Holland

Location – Barnstable, North Devon

Peter and his wife Christine have recently moved into the small village of Bratton Fleming, near Barnstaple. Previously Peter was a 'moor's man'; I have spent many hours in his old moorland back garden, freezing cold, Exmoor in one direction, Dartmoor in the other and only the pigeon lofts to shelter from the cutting winds. Don't be fooled, under that soft‑spoken genteel outer shell hides a rufty, tufty 'moor's man' and a very serious showman. Now he is changing his image, smart haircut and worrying what the neighbours think about the birds. He's changing into a townie; who knows, he might even start replying to letters! But that may take a while yet. Seriously though, Peter and Christine do a lot for the Fancy down in Devon. Peter is always willing to help, not only the novice but experienced fanciers as well. He has been a legend in show circles with his spangle, red and yellow West’s for many years and is still doing the business. He is a respected judge for all the flying breeds as well as many fancy breeds.

Q. How long have you kept pigeons?

A. Twenty‑six years; I started in I97I with my first pair of West’s which I bought from John Johnson in Scunthorpe, one of the top men in West’s at that time.

Q. What breeds did ou start with?

A. West of England Tumblers and Exhibition Fantails.

Q. Have you kept any other breeds through the years?

A. I have kept quite a variation of breeds in my time, Fantails, Helmets, Short Face Tumblers, Dutch Frills, Rollers, Krymkas and Tipplers, but my West’s have always been my main breed.

Q. What breeds do you keep at present, how many birds and in what colours?

A. Forty birds in total, all West of England, bald marked in red, yellow and dun spangle West's in various colours.

Q. What do you look for in your stud?

A. Cleanliness and condition are a must with all flying breeds, after that I look for four main points, not necessarily in order of importance, as they are all contributing factors which are parts of the complete flying breed ideal:

            (1)       The flyer must carry good feather in wings, tail and body;

(2)       They must carry a good eye, pearl or white red eyes should be avoided, but bear in mind red strawberries' ash red eyes normally improve after the first year;

            (3)       The type and size should be correct for the breed;

(4)       The balance must be correct, the bird should sit comfortably in the hand, not failing forward or feeling awkward. Recognising this will come with experience of the flying breeds.

Q. What size is your present loft?

A. 14 ft x 5 ft split into two compartments; this is not ideal, three compartments would made management easier.

Q. How many breeding pairs do you have?

A. I am breeding from twelve pairs of West’s this year, a few less than normal.

Q. How many youngsters do you intend to breed this year?

A. Hopefully I should breed about thirty youngsters after the early selections have gone.

Q. What are your future aims?

A. I intend to extend my loft in the not too distant future and I would like to stay competitive with the West’s.

Q. Have you any tips for beginners/novices on the flying breeds?

A. Do not start with too many birds and buy your birds from two established studs. Always keep your birds clean. Regular feeding times are important and only feed birds as much as they need ‑ don't leave food in the feeders all day, it will attract vermin. The food will become soiled and soiled food will spread disease. Change the water every day. Weather permitting; give the birds a bath once a week. Keep clean grit and minerals in front of the birds at all times. One of the most important things if you are going to breed and show your birds is to keep good records, don't leave it to memory that will be your first failing ‑ keep records!

Q. What are your personal views on the Fancy in general, show birds, fanciers etc?

A. In general I don't have any problems with the Fancy. If I have any grievances at shows I take them up with the show secretary. The birds speak for themselves by their show placing. The fanciers in general, and I am talking about flying fanciers, are genuine people, but it does annoy me that the odd one or two are out to catch out fanciers or make money out of the hobby, and from novice fanciers in particular. These people, to my mind, are not real fanciers at all and should be treated as such, but as I say, they are a minority.

Thanks must go to Peter and Christine, hope to see you both around the flying shows this year. Who will be in the 'Westerly Profile' spotlight next? Good luck with the young birds, all for this month.

IAN JOHNSON