When I heard that Tommy Moorehouse had won the Irish Nation Flying Club (INFC) King's Cup race out of Plaudren (Vannes) this year, I was delighted for him. By co-incidence, I had been going through some old photos a week or two ago and came across one I took of Tommy and his family when I visited him in Bray - that was before he moved to his current address. I felt this was an opportune time to pay him another visit, so I headed for the Wicklow Hills to the village of Rathnew and the loft of a top-class fancier, Tommy Moorehouse.
PHOTO 1. TOMMY MOOREHOUSE HOLDING KING'S CUP WINNER 2009.
Needless to say, I got a very warm welcome from Tommy, and we went straight to his lofts to view the champion. It is a light cheq yearling cock, Janssen based bloodlines. It had an unbelievable five channel races this year, flying Talbenny (94 miles) twice, Bude (163 miles) INFC Yearling National Sennen Cove (202 miles) and then Plaudren (388 miles) for the King's Cup. Now, that was some flying!
PHOTO 2. JOHN PAUL (SON-IN-LAW), TOMMY (HOLDING THE CHAMPION) AND TOMMY JUNIOR.
I remembered from my loft report I wrote on Tommy for 'The Racing Pigeon' all those years ago, that Tommy did not separate the young birds from the old, and was eager to know if that is still the case. "Yes it is," Tommy told me with a grin, "All one big happy family together." When I asked Tommy about the feeding, he told me that he mixes beans, peas and tares with Verselelaga Superwidowhood Mix. "They all get the same," he tell me, "young birds, old birds, sprint or long distance, and the food is more-or less in front of them all day."
PHOTO 3. TOMMY'S KING'S CUP WINNER SITTING ON HIS NEST
This pigeon, while it did not take any position in its previous races this year, was building up its experience which it put to good use in the Plaudren race. For example, it was eight and a half hours on the wing for that INFC Yearling National race, and then went on to fly the King's Cup in seven hours, forty-eight minutes!
PHOTO 4. PART OF THE MOOREHOUSE STOCK LOFTS
This was only Tommy's second time ever entering the King's Cup, and, his second time having the best yearling in the race - as well as winning, it is also obviously this year's best yearling.
PHOTO 5. TOMMY MOOREHOUSE HOLDING THE DAM OF THE KING'S CUP WINNER
In Photo 5 we have Tommy holding the mother of the King's Cup winner, a Van Loon which Tommy got in from Holland. An 05 pigeon, before Tommy got her, she had bred numerous winners, including 1sts, 2nd, 4th, 7th and 10th Fed and Combine winners. Last year was Tommy's first year breeding out of her.
PHOTO 6. TOMMY's GRANDSON NIGEL WANTED TO BE INCLUDED!
Tommy told me that last season, as a young bird, his King's Cup Champion was 10th East Coast Federation out of Pilmore Beach (107 miles), behind a brother and two sisters who were 2nd, 4th and 7th East Coast Federation! That is some breeding pair that produced them! In case you are wondering, Nigel and Tommy are holding very young Jack Russell pups - Nigel insisted on this.
PHOTO 7. JOHN PAUL AND TOMMY OUTSIDE THE STOCK LOFT
The father of the winner is a five year-old Janssen cock, which bred eleven 1st prize-winners before Tommy got him. Last year was Tommy's first year breeding from this pair, and look at what he got! It is obvious that this is an exceptional breeding pair, from which we can expect great things in the future.
PHOTO 8. JOHN PAUL AND TOMMY, WITH STOCK LOFTS IN THE BACKGROUND.
As stated earlier, Tommy does not skimp on the food, but he is a hard task-master at the same time. His sprint pigeons are trained twice every day to a distance of twenty-five to thirty miles. His distance pigeons train about three times a week, roughly the same distance, but the difference is that the distance pigeons are sinlge up each time. This, Tommy believes, helps them to think for themselves, and prepares them for finding their own way home when it matters.
PHOTO 9. A GENERAL VIEW OF THE SUCCESSFUL MOOREHOUSE RACING LOFT
The name of Tommy Moorehouse is connected with success at racing pigeons for a long long time now, and is obviously set to continue. Tommy did not say it himself, but it is obvious to me that the secret to his success is dedication, resulting in as contented a team of pigeons as I have seen in a long time.
PHOTO 10. TOMMY HOLDING A JAN AARDEN FROM BEVERDAM
Before I left Tommy brought me over to see the loft of P.J. Snell, but unfortunately, he was not there. Tommy had sang his praises so highly,and was disappointed that I missed him, but I promised to drop down again in the near future.
My impression as I left Tommy? This was the same fancier I wrote on many years ago, still as dedicated, still more less doing the same successful things in the same successful way. Consistence! Very importent in successful pigeon racing. No doubt, you will hear great things about Tommy Moorehouse in the future.
While congratulating Tommy on his great win, The INFC itself has to be congratulated on such a successful race. We also think of the sporting fanciers who also entered the race. Northside RPC was a collection post for some, others just dropped in for a chat and to view some of the entries - and of course John Kenna and his team who brought the pigeons to the marking. We took the following photos:
