That was the cry heard throughout the American colonies as the mighty "Red Coats" invaded centuries ago….. Now in this new millennium that same cry has been heard again, but this time it is the British pigeons are coming! They have invaded Florida! Yes, the British champions M & D Evans of Yorkshire, England have sent their best to America via their Canadian agent John Marle. They have invaded one of the most competitive and difficult racing areas in America….. the famed "Little Belgium" area, where the American "big guns" lay in wait…. Can this new breed of British pigeon succeed where all before them have failed???? Mark and father Dick Evans of Myrtle Lofts in GB are world class fanciers, a status gained over four decades of winning and breeding winners for others. Many years ago they obtained the Karel Hermans (B) pigeons which won for them out of turn. But champions never sit on their laurels; In the early 1980's Dick and Mark decided to obtain another family to compliment their Hermans, but what family? They searched the European results, looking for a superior family of versatile racers that could win from 100 to 500 miles on the day…… They settled on Gaby Vandenabeele of Dentergem, Belgium who at that time was emerging as one of Belgium's great fliers. The Evans bought 54 direct Vandanabeeles from 1985 till 1995! This included sons, daughters, sisters and brothers of such aces as Wittenbuik, Klienen, Klaren, Ronker, Brive, Schone Fidel, Rambo, Turbo, Fideel, Playboy, Amacachi, etc. By 1998 12 Gabys were culled, but the other 42 all bred 1st prize winners in either club, Federation, Amalgamation, Classic or National races! By 2001 the Gaby's were further refined to 22 superior specimens. Later other introductions were made from the Dutch champion Koen Minderhoud and other top Vandenabeele fliers. Then Evans began introducing outstanding record birds from throughout Europe, such as COSMIC GIRL BBH 1st Up North Combine Maidstone 14,701 birds; EDOU BBC 1st Semi National Chateauroux 10,295 birds Freddy Vandenbrande, Belgium; Triple Seven BCH 1st Open Midlands National Flying Club Bergerac 553 miles; Golden Gaby BBC 1st National NPO 375 miles 12,875 birds; KANNIBAL HEN BBH winner of $10,000 as a yb van Dyck blood; etc.
John Marles racing as Sylvan Lofts, had been a successful flier in Canada for 45 years, but around 2000 he began searching pigeon periodicals and the internet for some new birds to better his performances. He had read of the racing record of the M & D Evans pigeons in the Midlands National Flying Club and other Classic races in Great Britian. What particularly interested him was the great number of fliers that were winning big races with Evans pigeons. M & D Evans also flew in partnership with several fliers in various parts of the UK and had won several National races! In fact the Evans pigeons were responsible for the winners of 35 x 1st National & 6 new Car Winners!!! So John contacted Mark, a deal was struck and in 2003 the Evans pigeons were on their way to Canada.
In their first year in Canada, the Evans pigeons bred the Up North Combine Champion YB flown by John's friend John Ferreira! John himself began clocking them also, ahead of his own birds. Soon the "Sylvan Loft" housed only Evans pigeons, and they won many club and combine championships for John.
As the years passed, John began reading about the great competition in America's "Little Belgium" area of Florida, an area boasting over 200 lofts. John visited the area and loved it. Soon he yearned to race there. Canada had no competition like this; the number of lofts in the Toronto area was steadily dwindling. John visited the area several more times, visiting lofts, watching races, going to the grand GHC club house. He dreamed of racing there. His wife liked the weather no doubt, but move to America, leaving a lifetime of friends and family?? John has an empathetic wife, because she did agree to move to Florida…… John then talked over his plans with Mark and Dick Evans. They were almost as excited as he was! Their foray into Florida racing as "Marles & Evans" soon began….
John studied years of GHC club results to find the perfect spot to race from. He found it on the short end in Brooksville, on top of a hill overlooking the race-course, right on the line of flight. It is an old military truism: "Take the high ground!" A wonderful location to compete from. John had to wait two years for the land on that hilltop to come on the market, but the wait was well worth it. In Canada he had 65 miles over-fly in the Combine, which was a big disadvantage; now he was up front and center….ten miles short.
John joined America's biggest club, the 210 loft strong GHC (Gulf Coast Homing Pigeon Club), which encompasses the whole area, and he joined the smaller, 35 loft, short-end FSI (Florida Suncoast Invitational) club, both flying in the Greater Tampa Bay Concourse. In 2008 he began racing ybs in the FSI Club with a small team of 23 birds. His performances surprised everyone: 1st FSI YB Average Speed; 1st, 5th, 7th, 12th, 19th, 21st, 24th YB Champion Pigeon FSI; and 1st Champion Loft FSI! In the Greater Tampa Bay Concourse the Marles & Evans team won 1st YB Average Speed GTBC; 2nd Champion YB Loft GTBC; and 2nd & 3rd Champion Young Bird GTBC!! Ten ybs, six hens and four cocks, actually did most of the winning. John Marles opened a lot of eyes! The British pigeons were on the march!
Over the winter John Marles mustered his forces and prepared for a full strength assault in obs, but to his dismay the big GHC club was not flying with the Concourse again in 2009, as it had not in 2008 either, eliminating over half the shippers! The GHC had been suspended from competition by the Concourse…… Undaunted, John entered the ob series on a mission - and said a few prayers too! He had a team of 23 yearlings, cocks and hens, both flying on widowhood. He knew they couldn't race the whole season, so he decided to fly selected middle distance races up to 400 miles. The full ob schedule is a difficult one: 125 miles, 150, 200, 300, 400, 200, 500, 250, 400, 250, another 500, 300, and 600 miles!! John knew he would have to handle his small team very carefully, not to burn them out: Training and feeding would have to be carefully monitored according to the wind direction, temperature, and distance of the races. He would make some mistakes, but he would also put up some really outstanding performances. On February 7th Marles & Evans started the ob season with a bang! 1st FSI Club 1st, 35, 36, 38, 41, 43, 51, 74 Greater Tampa Bay Concourse 111miles 76 lofts 1358 birds 1529 ypm! The invasion had begun….
On February 16th in the B race they were 7th, 36,40,43,50 Concourse 40 lofts 370 birds; and in the A race: 15th, 45th, 98th Greater Tampa Bay Concourse 138 miles 74 lofts 1269 birds 1926 ypm. On Feb. 21st: in the B race: 10th, 11th, 13th, 14th Concourse 207 miles 40 lofts 369 birds 1387.5 ypm. But in the A race a 'blitzkrieg!" 1st,2,3,4,5,7,10 FSI 29 lofts 527 obs; 1st,2,3,4,5,7,10 Greater Tampa Bay Concourse 80 lofts 1331 obs; 1st 2,3,4,5,7,10 Florida Federation 207 miles 90 lofts 1473 obs 1486.5 ypm!!! Everybody was really talking now………
A week later, March 2nd , the Marles & Evans pigeons dropped to 48th, 49th, 50th GTBConcourse 250 miles 75 lofts 1246 obs 1746 ypm in the A race, and 52nd GTBConcourse 36 lofts 321 birds 1646 ypm in the B race.
Then on March 9th in the Concourse 300 Marles & Evans shocked the troops again! 1st,18,35,62 FSI Club 424 birds 1st, 27th, 59th, 140th Greater Tampa Bay Concourse 75 lofts 1183 obs 1st,27,63,119 Florida Federation 270 miles 85 lofts 1321 birds 1290 ypm!!
The next week's Concourse race was cancelled due to inclement weather, so John took his team to the GHC to fly against the "big guns." It was a Mid Week 125 mile Sprint race and John again surprised everyone: Marles & Evans 1st, 16th, 20th GHC 111 miles 41 lofts 883 birds 1197 ypm! The British "Gaby line" had now defeated the mighty GHC! - in a tough race to boot!
On March 21st the Concourse season continued : Marles & Evans 2nd FSI 2nd, 16th, 17th, 26th, 35th, 51st, 52nd, 59th GTB Concourse 72 lofts 1072 birds 2nd Florida Federation 207 miles 82 lofts 1170 birds 1551 ypm!! (losing 1st by .16 ypm) John Marles and the Evans British pigeons have proven themselves…..and the season is only half over! The hens and cocks are flying equally well.
At lunch one day with John Marles, Bob Debatt formerly of Long Island, and Tom Crawford formerly of Northern California, our discussion went on for two very interesting hours. John, a former "special ed." school teacher for close to 30 years, is very knowledgeable on our sport, yet you would never know he is a champion by his mild demeanor. He's a thoughtful guy, who thinks before he speaks or acts, and has nothing bad to say about anyone. He had some very interesting observations about the sport in Florida versus Canada, and some interesting methods, like microwaving his grit before he feeds it to his birds! Maybe we can delve into his methods in a future article, for it seems the British invaders are here to stay!
