T
he MNFC’s 2017 Combined
Averages winners and so earning
the title of the Club’s Champions
were Chris Bowskill & Steve
Gascoigne of Mansfield. It will
become very evident as you read
about the lads and the methods
employed at their ‘Corner Lofts’that these are two very dedicated gentlemen
and though they have limited time available
every minute that is spent is used very wisely.
Let’s now look in greater detail at the
methods that have proved to be so
successful. The partners joined forces in 2009
due in no small measure to the previously
mentioned time restrictions. They race in two
clubs Mansfield & Clipstone and also the
Midlands National and Northern Classic.
The racing lofts are at one location and
consisted of five sections with three being
used for the old birds and the other two for
the team of young birds. The breeders are
housed at a different location due no doubt
to the restrictions on space at the racing
lofts. The breeders are mainly Van Loons and
Gaby Vandenabeele’s with recent
introductions from J P S Lofts of their Parker
& Ian Stafford lines. Though the partners
enjoy competing at all distances there main
interest lies in the middle and long distance
events and as 2017 proves they are pretty
good at it.The hens are their favourites for the longer
distances and to this end they employ a team
of 20 of the fairer sex which are coupled to
old retired racers and stock cocks. The reason
for this is to ensure that their mate is always
at home awaiting their mates return. This is a
belief that I totally agree with because what
an anti-climax it must be for the first bird
arriving back to find an empty loft. For the
sprint, club races a team of 12 Widowhood
cocks are used. These cocks are only allowed
into their mates after they return home for
approximately 30 minutes. A further team of
10 pairs of yearlings are raced on the natural
system during their apprenticeship. The best
are then removed on into either the cocks or
hens sections at the end of the season. This isBowskill & Gascoigne’s Corner Lofts.