Roy & Mark Acton : Long Distance Pigeon Racing Specialist's on the "Roundabout System"

ROY & MARK ACTONLONG DISTANCE PIGEON RACING SPECIALIST'SON THE "ROUNDABOUT SYSTEM"

[ Article originally posted by Steve 'Spinksy' Spinks ~ 1999-2001 ]

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This father and son partnership have been at the top of Blackpool pigeon racing circles for well over a decade from the longer race points racing both cocks and hens with equal success, winning countless prizes through to Open and Combine level. The 'Acton Specials' as the family of racing pigeons are known will one day go down into history as one of the more important strains of pigeons to grace the Blackpool area and they are also finding tremendous success in other fanciers hands in different parts of the United Kingdom. It is a pleasure to report upon them here as genuine to goodness pigeons, that have been cultivated by two very genuine and worthy fanciers.

Roy, the senior member of the partnership is once again a pigeon fancier who started with Fancy variety pigeons as a boy in his home town of Ludlow in Shropshire before moving to the Fylde Coast with his family at the age of fifteen. He made his debut onto the pigeon racing scene in Blackpool at the age of eighteen years, competing for many years as a member of Lytham Homing Society, then St. Anne's H.S. and latterly after his move fifteen or more years ago to compete with his present club of Marton Village H.S. where long distance racing is membership priority. Roy had enjoyed plenty of success over the years with his old Barker X Gits based birds and which now form the base of the family known as 'Acton Specials'. Into these have been introduced Lefebre-Dhaenens and Verheye from Louella Pigeon World plus some Marcelis to add a little speed which he felt was required to compete against widowhood fanciers in the early programme of shorter races. I might add that this has proved to be a wise decision because, the 'Acton Specials' do more than their fair share of winning at any distance from 60 miles onwards.

Since his move to the Bungalow at Marton, plus the good fortune of having a keen and interested son Mark, the partnership of R. and M. Acton has gone from strength to strength. Fearless of competition, they can be found to be having a try wherever there may be a race - Midweek, Saturday, Open or Specialist races are all taken well within the stride of these two exceptional and likeable fanciers. Roy was once described by myself as 'Mr. Simplicity' and a more apt description could not be given because, his motto is "keep all things pigeon simple for maximum pleasure". A man of fastidious nature and a craftsman builder by trade, which is reflected in everything around at 'The Bungalow'. The lofts are self built and tailor made for ease and efficiency of the 'Roundabout System' which is employed to full winning effect.

This partnership have never flown full widowhood and can't be tempted because they enjoy racing the hens as much as the cocks and would hate to see them wasted as widows. For many years the 'Natural System' was the order of the day but, it was felt that roundabout would provide a few extra prizes in the sprint races. Roy admits to having made quite a few mistakes in the early days of first embarking upon this method of racing. He believes as I do myself, that it takes five years for both the fancier and his pigeons to fully adapt to any system with consistent success. In the beginning performances suffered, but by making a few modifications to the loft, plus perseverance it all paid off as things clicked into place.

Mark Acton - Roy Acton - Terry Jepson - the late John Barrow

at Marton Village Homing Society.

Silver Hen won 7 x 1st in a single season racing twice per week, plus other prizes

Some of the early mistakes he feels were not allowing every pair to rear a nest of young, too light feeding, which was necessary to prevent hens from pairing together and too much loft space for the hens. Today, every pair rears a nest of young before separation, a very strong mixture is fed, as much as the birds will eat and the hens rest in a small section with pole perches over a steeply angled weld mesh floor that is set at 60 degrees to prevent any pairing. It is now felt that rearing is of paramount importance, to create a firm bond between pairs and also the nest box. As with a widower, both sexes will not race as well should one or the other lose interest in its mate, but the angled floor seems to have discouraged any hens from pairing together. Due to heavy feeding, they are able to race a team of both cocks and hens twice per week, throughout the entire season, inland and across the channel from France. This means that they have more prospective candidates from which to choose their team of entry than if they were to race purely upon the Widowhood System.

Each sex is exercised twice per day, which is where the partnership comes in handy, allowing Roy and Mark to share the workload. Pre season training of short distances is carried out, after which it is home exercise only, plus regular competition as the norm. The birds are never forced to fly, but are shut out and left to strike up or land at will, being kept as happy as possible. Fitness is judged by actions both inside and outside of the lofts, with particular attention being paid to the birds feeding preferences; the more maize eaten, then the fitter the birds appear to be. This has proven to be correct upon numerous occasions, Roy informs me when coupled to other individual antics or peculiarities.

The 'Acton Specials' are very strong pigeons, mainly blues with excellent feather and muscles, slightly above medium in size. Although Roy and Mark are not eyesign enthusiasts, I did notice an abundance of port wine/violet or nut brown/gold iris speckled with dust and lines, with good pupil dilation from pin point to wide open as available or changing light dictated. They could be described as an eyesign faddist's dream, but as Roy says - "show pigeons have eyesign in abundance, but do they win races?" The Acton's are not impressed with pedigrees nor strain names and any bird going to stock must first prove itself on the road as a racer. Sick birds are not tolerated unless it happens to be something mild afflicting the birds. No additives are used - it is just plain simple common sense husbandry as the norm at this loft.

Here are some results attained by the 'Acton Specials' randomly selected by myself from hundreds.

Niort 500 miles 1st, 6th,. St. Anne's Open.

North West Grand National Rennes 395 miles 6th Open

Marton Village H.S. Weymouth (1) 1st & 4th ----- Weymouth (2) 1st, 4th, 5th

Vire 353 miles 1st, 6th, 7th. ------ Vire (2) 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th.

Rennes (1) 395 miles 2nd, 3rd, -----Rennes (2) 5th, 6th.

Nantes 455 miles 2nd, 3rd, 4th,

Inland sprint racing also provided a vast number of prizes to illustrate the all round capability of this superb team of birds known as the 'Acton Specials'.