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J Brady & Son - 1st Open Young Bird Talbenny 2010
By Billy Harris - Jan 2011
At the start of the 2010 season, I made myself a promise that if any member of the club was to win an Open I would put pen to paper and try and give them and the club a bit of credit. To say I was over the moon when club mates J Brady & son won the Talbenny Young Bird Open is an understatement. This father and son partnership is never far from the top table when it comes to racing, but it’s fair to say that the 2010 season will go down as one of their best. Right from the very first race they hit the ground running winning 1st, 2nd, 4th and 8th club with all 4 taking fed honours. They kept this form right through the old bird program winning many Club, Fed and Open prizes along the way, resulting in them wining the Old Bird Average in the Club, and 3rd highest points winners within the ISRF.
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The lads came close to achieving their dream of wining the Open with the old birds when they were 3rd club 4th open in a very steady Valentia race. Then came Sennen Cove, where they put up another great performance winning 1st club 2nd Open. You could tell when talking to Dave he was disappointed to come so close yet again. With the old bird season now at an end the lads had to be content with their great effort and move onto the young bird team.
Dave Brady first became interested in pigeons around 1986 when his dad John came home with a few racers he got as a present from good friend Colin Read who was flying very well in the North Side Club. This was the start of his love affair with our feathers friends. Since them early days Dave has taken over in the driving seat regarding the overall management of the loft but Dad John is always on hand to help, indeed Dave is very quick to recognise the help all his family give him. They have always been members of the Dublin North East Pigeon Club and like to compete in national racing with the INFC. Both men have held positions in the club with Dave holding either the secretary or the Treasurer role for the last 15 years now and I can honestly say you could not find a harder working club man anywhere.
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The current loft is horse shoe shaped wooden structure with an apex roof comprising of 6 sections. The loft has extractor fans built in over of the two young bird sections and Dave says this works very well in warm weather and keeps the birds right. The conventional roundabout method is practiced with cocks and hens out for an hour morning and night. Both sexes are trained hard and are fed a light feed morning and as much widowhood mix as they want in the evening. On Friday the hens are let with the cocks for about 20 min before going to the club on return from the race the birds are left together until Dave get back from the club appox 3 hours. Despite Dave not liking it all young birds are put on the darkness system, as he feels you have to be on it if you want to be competitive for the entire program. Once the young birds are ready to be trained they are fed the same as the old birds. All the regular treatments are given to all the birds as a matter of precaution but after every course Dave always gives Primalac in the water.
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Over the past few years Dave has worked around a very good line of Soontjen pigeons he obtained from Gerry McCourt these birds won on the road and are now breeding the goods. He has never lost touch with the old tried and tested Verheys coming down from his late friend and neighbour Roger Maloney. But as with all top lofts the lads are never afraid to buy in new blood and find it best to cross each family and try to keep winners to winners. This practice is very evident in the breeding of the open winner as on the sires side is Soontjen x Van Reet a winner of 1st club 21st fed and 2nd club 30th open and on the dams side Soontjen x Verhey a winner of many prizes before being put to stock.
On finishing this loft report Dave would like to thank everybody who sent congratulation on their great year and the lads want to mention good friends Dickie Carrick, Dennis Kelly and the late Roger Maloney who is always in their thoughts.
Well done lads.
Yours in sport,
Billy Harris
