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Three Lifetimes of Success with the Superb
Family created by
the Late Dr. J. C. Buckley of Bramcote, Nottingham.
by the 'Big Fella' Jack Curtis.
The criteria that I am using for these Internet Chronicles
is based upon purely British Families of racing pigeons, which have not carried
any major continental influences, but have beeen built up and developed upon
the only true yardstick - CLASSIC PERFORMANCES. great fanciers develop top
quality families and Dr. Buckley was truly a great fancier, as I shall prove
as my story unfolds. It is with pigeons rather than methods of management
that I shall deal.
The good Doctor wrote a fifteen page article upon the development of his family
way back in 1925, some 20 years after founding his loft and that article is
sitting by my side as I begin this story for the Internet Chronicles. I also
have the particulars of his final clearance sale after his death, which took
place at the Central Club, 127, Clerkenwell Road, London, EC1 on February
9th 1946, the auctioneer being Mr. L.Gilbert.
To appreciate the actual situation, we must remember that the Buckley pigeons
were sold during 1946, which was just after the end of World War two and the
Doctor had not had time to get back into his pre war stride, which was quite
awesome when one considers where he lived and the distance that his pigeons
flew, against many of his National competitors. From Mirande or San Sebastion
the Doctor's pigeons flew between 660 and 670 miles right up to Nottingham,
which is not the most favourable of locations for National racing. However,
such was the ability of the family that he developed, he produced a truly
remarkable run of consistent success, that will stand comparison with anyone
today, and that is a fact :- look at his record and see what you think. Note
: he didn't compete during 1912.
Positions won in the Grand Nationals of the National flying Club.
1911 - 6th & 9th Section. 14th
& 19th Open.
1913 - 27th & 44th Section. 85th & 127th Open
1914 - 9th, 25th, 31st Section.
First World War and the Doctor served in the BEF in France.
1923 - 38th & 47th Open
1925 - 2nd Section. 2nd, 55th, 80th, 90th, 91st Open.
1926 - 89th Open
1927 - two home out of two sent but not in race time.
1928 - timed in race time.
1929 - 250th Open.
1930 - 23rd Section. 91st, 235th, 240th, 321st Open.
1931 - 5th & 6th Section. 38th & 40th Open.
1932 - 9th & 10th Section. 66th & 69th Open.
1933 - 4th, 11th, 28th Section. 48th, 75th, 152nd, 217th, 250th Open.
1934 - 3rd & 19th Section. 25th & 129th Open.
1935 - 7th Section. 46th, 116th, 122nd, 124th, 129th Open
1936 - 8th, 10th, 20th, 29th, 32nd, 36th, Section. 49th, 55th, 134th, 211th,
231st, 245th Open.
1937 - 3rd, 7th, 11th, 14th, 17th, 18th, 21st, 22nd, Section. 29th, 72nd,
159th, 167th, 182nd, 204th & 227th Open.
1938 - 2nd, 6th, 7th, 13th, 14th, 20th, 23rd, 24th, 25th Section. 11th, 20th,
23rd, 62nd, 77th, 159th, 167th, 182nd, 204th and 22th Open.
1939 - 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 6th, 8th, 12th, 20th, Section. 5th, 15th, 34th, 73rd,
88th, 99th, 176th, Open.
Then the Second World War came during September 1939, to literally finish the Doctors Classic Racing career, although no one realised that at the time. I have often wondered what he would have acheived if the war had not come - it's a hell of a question? He was most unlucky not to win a National and would certainly have done so had he lived in a more favourable location, never the less a 2nd, 3rd, and 5th Open, under the circumstances, that I have outlined, is magnificent in itself. For him to time 24 different birds at 670 miles in the last three seasons of National competition before the war, left an indelible imprint upon the minds of many fanciers, particularly when loft numbers were very much lower than the norm today. The Doctor's 'Entire Clearance Sale' after his death, covered only 84 pigeons in total - many today who have nowhere near his record of wins, keep more in their stock lofts, and no fancier in his lifetime has produced more 670 miles winiing pigeons than Doctor J.C. Buckley!
The early foundation of the Doctor's loft, were as he says, a mixed bag, there were Offermans, De Ridder, J.L. Baker, Stanhope, Grooters, Hodista, Bovyns, N. Barker etc., and his 1905 crop of young birds were very poor, in fact he was almost cleaned out - the ones that were left he raced as yearlings, but they too were very disappointing. At this stage he sent all of his purchases to his brother, who from that time on; bred his young birds for him and this allowed the doctor to concentrate upon racing only, which suited the available time. The year 1908 was a significant time, as he received two young cocks from his brother, which were to play a very major part in the future of the loft: they were - ' 280 Bendigo' which was from a Bryant Grooter cock and an unrung Henderson Doll Grooter/Bovyn hen. The other cock '206' a blue chequered white flighted was from the Hodista/ De Ridder cock '821' purchased from Mr. Medcalf and a blue hen of Barker bloodlines, and these two cocks stood up to the doctor's regime; then began to produce the quality of pigeon that he required. By the time his 1925 article appeared, he stated that 96% of the pigeons in his loft descended from 'Bendigo' in some form, and these two cocks became the focus of his breeding plans, and to what effect he used them, is seen in his list of National prize wins quoted earlier. The beauty about writing about genuine long distance fanciers like the Doctor, is that every pigeon of an age is sent to the distance, the ones that stand up to the regime are the only ones that matter, the weaklings soon vanish, only the cream comes to the top and 'Bendigo' certainly produced a lot of cream, with the 96% ratio in the loft!
This statement induced me to have a look at the breeding technique of the Doctor, who stated quite categorically that Captain Jackson of Wheelton influenced him, to the extent that he sat and checked out how his own Star Performers were bred. Subconciously he had line bred around his two prime cocks '280 Bendigo' and '206 the Medcalf Cock', before slipping in the vital cross to supply the extra vigour - which usually shows up as yards per minute in the offspring that he had produced. two of the prime crosses used were a hen from the wonder loft of J.L. Baker and the great loft of Peter Clutterbuck of Sarrat, while 'Rosemary' his 2nd Open National Winner was from a Barker cross - so let us have a look at one or two:-
| 280 'Bendigo' | It should be noted that 4985 is the sire of 676 which the Doctor gave to Mr. | |||
| 1310 | Logan, and 676 was the ancestor of 80 of the 105 birds sold at Mr. Logans | |||
| 4488 'Decima' Clutterbuck | final sale in 1923, as well as being the grand dam of 1826 his 1st Open National | |||
| 845 | The breeding of 'Esmerelda' shows quite clearly the effect of and powerful | |||
| 280 'Bendigo' | influence the line breeding to 'Bendigo' had, in the production of this lovely hen. | |||
| 265 | It is an object lesson in retaining the prepotency within a family of pigeons and | |||
| 4947 | one which not many people fully understand, ebven to this very day in the year 2000. | |||
| 'Esmerelda' 3rd Open NFC San Sebastian 1922. |
 |
Blue Ribband Performances | ||
| 280 'Bendigo' | However the effect of 344 from the great captain Jackson, cannot be | |||
| 4985 | under estimated, when we come to measure vigour within ' Esmerelda'. The Van | |||
| 595 | 316 Toft Hen | Cutsem's flew the lungs off everything in Lancashire, when Captain Jackson got | ||
| them going over the channel. They were 'Wizz-Bang' performers - no mistake! | ||||
| E.E. Jacksons Van Cutsem | However the undoubted key to success was the dominance of 'Bendigo' which | |||
| 344 | shows the Doctor's skills to perfection | |||
| E. E. Jacksons Van Cutsem |
A rare archive and historic photograph of Doctor Buckley's immortal 'Champion
Bendigo'
further continuing chapters and photographs - click boxes below.
| one | Gilbertson Gallery (1) | Gibertson Gallery (2) | |
