Rasbull-Lofts/loft


A.SHEPHERD & SON

Defeat is not an option!

Rasbull Lofts Share Syndicate 2012

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Rasbull Lofts - A.Shepherd & Son

Home of the Rasbull Rockets!

How It All Started?

(Last Updated 7/11/11)

Adrian had kept several pigeons since he was a child living in Barry, South Wales. He moved to Brecon in 1976 keeping 2 pigeons in a concrete shed in the garden. Adrian purchased a 12ft x 6ft loft with dowel fronts in 1977 and established a racing loft in the Uplands area in Brecon. He joined the Talgarth pigeon racing club soon after and begun competing weekly. In 1975 Adrian had been diagnosed with a brain tumour and had 3 operations. In 1979 a further operation was required but this time the operation didn't go as planned and left Adrian with severe disabilites. Adrian spent 5 months in hospital recovering, and during this time the up keep of the lofts were left to his wife Jannette and his friend, the well known and highly regarded Colin Hawker, from Talgarth.

Following a semi successful operation to remove the brain tumor and a long hard fight to recovery, Adrian regained control of the lofts six months after the operation. A house move in 1982 saw the loft transferred to the current location in Brecon. The loft was assembled and was constantly upgraded during the next 10 years with help from his good friend Darrell Roderick.

Adrian continued to race pigeons during the 80's and early 90's achieving some creditable results on the South Road. A 1993 bred pigeon GB93T 06853 'Magicman' was the lofts most consistant performer and most decorated pigeon the old loft ever knew. This pigeon would score from the South of France on the South Road before being turned around and scoring from Scotland on the North Road. This particular cock competed in over 50 races for the lofts! Around the middle 1990's Adrian's health started to deteriorate and during this time his eldest son Richard took semi control of the loft when Adrian was constantly back and forth hospital battling his illness.

The pair formed a partnership during the 1997 season and began flying as A.Shepherd & Son. They competed on the North Road and again achieved some creditable results flying to possibly the most western loft location in the federation. Adrian passed away in 1999, and Richard continued to race the birds in the partnerships name. In 2000 the Talgarth club folded and Abergavenny was the chosen destination for the new club. The lofts only competed in 5 races, winning 1, before Richard moved away and the lofts were closed down and dismantled. In 2007, Richard moved back to the family home and began redeveloping the back garden in readiness for a loft and another crack at racing!

An article which focused on the partnership in 1998 - 'In Dads Footsteps'

Richard moved back to the family home in Brecon in 2008, and the new loft currently sits on the redeveloped site of the old setup. The lofts are one of, if not the most northern flying lofts in the Federation. The nearest club is the Gurnos Social Club in Merthyr Tydfil, which they joined for the 2009 Young Bird season. On restarting in the sport, the first thing Richard did was build a purpose designed loft. The loft is currently a L shaped loft that consists of a 8ft x 6ft stock loft, a 9ft x 9ft racing loft and a 6ft x 6ft young bird loft which will be extended in time to 12ft x 6ft!

Richard researched the fanciers and the birds that were doing well while he had been out of the sport. He decided on three breeds that he planned to mix into a family of his own. The families that took his eye were that of Les Parkinson's Tavierne-Rigole and Vandersanden lines,and the Louella Brasspenning and Van Der Rhee families. Strain is not important though, as Richard believes the basket is the best judge and all birds will be thoroughly tested. He spent several thousand pounds obtaining grandchildren of many champions from the above mentioned lofts.

To Date

2009 - Richard enjoyed limited success with the birds in his first season back. He sent 3 to the Europa Classic and although the 3 he sent all made the final race only 1 made the final result and finished 422nd. Not happy with this, Rchard disposed of many of the birds he had purchased who had bred nothing in their first year at stock. He decided to change strategy and obtain the best One Loft race birds he could afford. He considered average results mattered more than just one race. He studied the results and picked out 13 birds that were all in the Top 50 of the ACE bird standing going into the final race of the Europa Classic. He attended the auction and come home with 12 of these birds. The one he missed out on, was withdrawn last minute by the owner. This new direction is not guaranteed to produce winning birds, but Richard feels he now has birds, bred from fancier's best, that have prodcued the goods themselves and been tested to the limit.

24th Open, 9th Ace bird Europa Classic 2009. One of the new strategy pigeons

2010 - Richard achieved a creditable 2nd season. Racing only 2 old birds he still managed to compete in 8 races and finally lost 'Rasbull Demon' from Reims (378 miles). The young bird season saw 3 entries sent to the Europa Classic again to test them out. They totally eclipsed the season before's youngsters and in the training and hotspots won 1st, 5th, 11th, 12th, 13th, 20th, 35th in the daily training tosses and 37th (just 3 seconds behind the winner), 54th and 96th in the Hotspot races. All 3 made the final race and achieved 178th, 403rd and 565th. In club racing Richard competed in 6 races and won 2nd Club from a very hard Maidstone race from 177 miles.

Richard holding 2nd Club, Maidstone 171 miles, Young Birds 2010!

2011 - The 3rd season has seen another year of progression for the loft. Richard started the Old Bird season with 14 yearlings. He competed in 12 races up to 378 miles. The biggest win for the loft to date came in the 4th race of the season when 'Rasbull Lady Woody' arrived from 97 miles to claim 1st Club, 1st Federation against 3,459 birds! This was a massive moment for the loft, as to get a club position is very difficult due to the loft location so to win the federation was an outstanding performance. The Old Bird season finished with 3 birds in the loft. The biggest disappointment was failing to time one of the 3 entries sent to Reims (378 miles). The young bird season was missed due to Richard wanting a decent team for the Old Bird season next year and 30 young birds will be carried over the winter. This year saw 5 entries enter the Europa Classic and they have done fantastically well. They achieved 25th, 35th and 36th in 3 of the 5 Hotspots and in the whole series were 1st, 2nd, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 6th, 6th, 7th, 7th, 8th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 11th, 19th, 19th, 25th, 26th, 27th, 29th, 30th, 30th, 31st, 32nd, 34th, 35th, 35th, 36th, 36th, 37th, 38th, 39th, 44th, 48th, 49th competing against on average 600 birds per race!

Richard holding 'Rasbull Lady Woody' 1st Club, 1st Federation, 97 miles, 3,459 birds!

AND SO IT CONTINUES................