Gladiator Lofts

Dom McCoy.


My life with pigeons began in 1965. My father was racing at the time in partnership with my uncle flying as ‘G Oliver & T McCoy’ and they were very successful flying both North and South Road. I began by cleaning out the lofts and waiting for birds to come back from training, I won my first race at the grand age of 13 years old from Dorchester of 110 miles flying at our local club the ‘City Arms of Hammersmith’ which was in the West Middlesex Federation. Later on in my teens pigeons took second place to me going out and having holidays. I had never had any pigeons myself from 1970 until after 2005, although my brother, uncles and family have had pigeons all the time.

In 2005 my partner Claire, decided that I needed a hobby and my brother Billy (who flys in the Richmond FC as ‘T McCoy & Son’) suggested pigeons. So there it was, settled. Pigeons from that day on became my resurrected love.
So a new loft was purchased at Blackpool and pigeons were obtained from my good friend Tom Roden of Hyde, Cheshire. These pigeons were called VAN-LOONS and the first batch of youngsters bred from these birds won for us in the first year of racing.

In 2006 we decided to move from our home in Chertsey and in 2007 we located our new property in Ashford Middlesex. Lofts went up but racing took second place as the house needed totally renovating. Around the same time I had the good fortune to meet up with another great pigeon man, Mr. Colin Fleming of Southport, Liverpool and obtained some JAN HUYBREGTS. Again these birds did not disappoint and also won for us straight away. So there we had it; two new families of birds both producing winners.

Between 2006-2010 only racing a few races although we were always in the results. In 2009 and with the house almost finished, now was the time to get going with the pigeons and give them our full concentration. This was when ‘Gladiator Lofts’ was formed. The name ‘Gladiator’ reminded me of the Roman Gladiators fighting for their lives and what great warriors they were, just like my birds fighting to get home on the racing day!

So in 2009, racing two thirds of the race programme we amassed numerous positions and ‘The Bug’ had returned, it felt great racing the pigeons each week.

The VAN-LOONS from Tom Roden were winning pure and the HUYBREGTS from Colin Fleming were also winning pure, so that’s when I decided to cross them with each other, they also won for me and almost everyone I gifted them to T McCoy & Son, M Penfold & Son, Kingston, Mr & Mrs Mansell & Son, Sunbury and even as far as Scotland  to my late friend, Mr. Jimmy Mullen.

All of the above have won races and bred winners from pigeons that I gifted to them.

In 2009, I read an article concerning the VAN-LOON pigeons saying that the fantastic partnership of Bolton & Williamson were having an entire clearance sale of VAN-LOONS. I was lucky enough to be one of the principle buyers at both of their sales. After their first sale I befriended Brian Bolton and asked him if I needed any further pigeons from his next sale at Blackpool to which he replied, ‘with the birds you have purchased you have a fantastic base stock’. However, that did not stop me from buying more birds at the second sale in Blackpool. All of these pigeons originated back to ‘Planet brothers’ birds, the same as Tom Rodens. I now have around 40 pairs of VAN-LOONS at stock, 20 pairs of JAN HUYBREGTS and around 20 pairs of a new family of sprint birds called ‘KAREL & DANIEL BOECKX’. These were hand selected by me and my good friend Martin Penfold from Karel’s loft. We had waited nearly two years for these birds and we purchased virtually a complete round of these fantastic, winning sprinters.

In 2010 racing for the first time in all races of young birds, old birds and classic racing, we managed approximately 12 x 1st, 14 x 2nd, 14 x 3rd plus many other positions in clubs and feds. The highlight of the season was for our young birds racing at Wincanton in an east south east wind taking 1,2,3,4 in club and also 1,2,3,4 in the Three Borders Federation. Their velocity was timed at 1300YPM. Clocking only 4 birds of 11 that dropped together. The next week all 4 birds were sent back to the London South-East classic club and we were 14th from over 1500 pigeons. The other birds were sent club racing and the pigeon that would’ve been 5th club if it had been clocked, our blue cock, was 1st Club Exeter, 1st Three borders federation Exeter with a velocity of 1760 YPM.

In the second classic race we was 22nd open out of some 1500 pigeons. Not bad for someone who had been out of the game for years!

So there you have it, a brief introduction to Gladiator Lofts. I look forward to next season and greater things for the future but none of this could be achieved without the full help and support of my good friends and family. Claire the trainer, Lucy, our daughter and Number One Lookout and and of course a big thank you to Mr. Tom Roden and Mr. Colin Fleming for their great birds. Thanks also to Mr Brian Bolton of Bolton & Williamson for his advice that lead to me purchasing a great family of birds.