Abbeyton lofts - Mr & Mrs J Savage Racing Pigeons

The year 1910 saw the first ever Rennes National which was won by a Blue Bar Cock named "No Surrender" which was bred and raced by William McLean of Dennyloanhead with a 881 velocity, ie, just over 30 m.p.h. for the 553 miles.

By far the vast majority of fanciers were of a working class background coming from the mining and industrial areas. From what I can glean via my late father and his ilk there was a certain brotherhood within our sport then, a willingness to help one an other, a true sporting bond. Within three years Rennes 530 miles on the day barrier was broken. It was an Ayrshire man Tom Paton of Galston who achieved it with his pigeon "Shot Wattle" a six year old pied cock on a 1432 velocity.

This was akin to breaking the four minute mile by Dr Roger Bannister as day pigeons were a scarce commodity even from Weymouth in those days. "Shot Wattle" had a number of wins to his credit, two years earlier he had won Stafford 215 miles and in 1911 was being got ready for the same event when he homed with part of his wattle shot off hence his name. Game pigeons and gallant fanciers, pioneers in their own time.

I have singled out Tom Paton in this chapter because I honestly believe what I have read and heard of Tom and Shot Wattle what they did for pigeon racing was akin to what "Pele" did for football or "Mohamed Ali" did for boxing. Yes Pigeon Racing had now made news in the daily tabloids. Just stop for a moment and think, it was taking trains 14 hours from Glasgow to London and the early aeroplanes were limited to short flights. "Shot Wattle" covered the 530 miles to Galston in just under 11 hours ( average speed 48.8 m.p.h.)

SHOT WATTLE

Bred and raced by Tom Paton of Galston. He was the first pigeon to win S.N.F.C. Rennes on the day of liberation 1912.

Incidentally the partnership of Nicol and Crawford of Old Cumnock were 2nd Open on a 1366 velocity ie, 46.5 m.p.h. where 318 pigeons competed that memorable year. The story of Tom and Shot Wattle was told over and over again in pubs and annual socials and never lost anything in the telling.