The history of Axholme Lofts

The Axholme lofts were founded in 1945 by my father, the late Norman Axe and I. I was only 11 years old at the time and I have been involved with racing pigeons ever since. Our first pigeons were from Giles Sharrock of Ormskirk T.A Warrington and Phil Bowler of Manchester. These birds proved highly successful at all distances.

My father was a founder member of the Owston Ferry and District Flying Club and, in fact, the club actually based its activities in a poultry shed. Ian’s family has a long and successful association with the world of livestock. The family business specialises in the poultry world of breeding commercial egg production and pullet rearing – a field in which we have been highly successful winning many honours and awards over the years. I suppose I could claim to having been literally bought up with livestock and I would like to believe that this background has helped achieve my many successes in the pigeon racing world.

In 1948 my father sent me to study poultry farming and the science of genetical breeding – knowledge which I apply to my own racing pigeons with much success my studies took priority over the pigeons for a few years. During the mid-1950’s I once again began to devote more of my time to the pigeons and it was in 1958 that I decided to introduce the Desmet and Delbar families via J.L Roberts of Marple. Of these original purchases (I bought two pairs of Marcel Desmets) one of them was to become of the greatest breeders I have ever owned. This was my champion producer which I named the Inbred Desmet cock. This cock sired numerous winners. This cock dominates my Desmet family to this very day and is prominent in many of my present top birds as can be seen from a study of the breeding of the Desmet-Stichelbauts listed in this stud book. My late Desmet racing champion 818 is himself g.son of the inbred Desmet cock, as is my great breeding cock Run of the Mill which in turn has sired numerous winners himself including my champion 23 and others. For those interested in inbreeding it was from a mating of full-brother to full-sister that produced the Inbred Desmet Cock, hence his name.

These early Delbars and Desmets laid the foundations of my present families and they are still as good as ever and winning races galore at all distances for not only myself but, more importantly, for other fanciers who have had them. I added to my early direct Delbars with some select birds from E.R. Williamson of Kirkcaldy, Scotland who had the cream of the Delbars and who also, incidentally, used the birds of Hector Desmet with success.

In 1965 I introduced the Cattrysse family from Mons Slabbinck and these were also successful for me at all distances though I personally found that the losses of these birds were high when compared to my own Delbar and Desmet families. Consequently these are no longer housed at the Axholme lofts.

In 1966 I was contacted by the great long distance flier Joe Cheetham of Congleton, Cheshire, whose performances with the Delmotte moss family were legend. We exchanged pigeons to our mutual benefit and I still have a small nucleus of this family in the lofts today. These birds have held their own especially in the long, hard gruelling races. A performance which I regard as one of my best race from Hastings in 1970 when I entered birds in two different clubs. I had two birds drop together and incredibly they were both the only birds in race-time in their respective clubs. Not only that, but they were also the only two birds in race time in the federation! One of these birds was a Delmotte-moss and the other a Cattrysse.

In 1968 I supplemented my Delbar family with introductions from the top Irish national flier D. McNeilly purchasing birds at his sale in Manchester. These Delbars proved to be a great success especially in channel races and I added to these with further birds from his Blackpool sale in 1980.

In 1971 the late Marcel Desmet was tragically killed in a road accident and with a view to acquiring some direct Desmets to strengthen my own family I came to know the Belgian flier Emiel Deweerdt of Kortemark. It was my good fortune to obtain direct Marcel Desmet birds through my friendship with Emiel and also a number of birds of Emiel’s own family which again were based on the Desmet strain with bloodlines of Charles van der Espt of Ostend. Since that time Emiel and I have remained good friends and visited one another’s lofts up to Emiel’s death. I have developed a splendid team of these Deweerdts and they have more than proved their worth for me, and others over the years. Other Stichelbauts have also been introduced including one in particular a direct Henri van Neste cock which has proved an outstanding breeder for me. The family I now house are known as desmet-stichelbauts and Deweerdts.

In late 1979 I decided to purchase a cock and hen of the Busschaert family for sprint to middle-distance racing. Fred Taylor of Grenoside Sheffield was winning all before him until his untimely death in 1979 when his entire team was offered for sale at Birdwell. It was at this entire clearance auction that I purchased two birds, a cock and a hen, that were to breed me the greatest pigeon I have ever bred and raced, Champion Super Boy 06. in fact it was the very next season. 1989, and I their first nest that this pair of Taylor Busschaerts bread my champion. Super Boy won the North East Sprint Trophy also Best Bird in the UK up to 200 miles. He won 8 x 1^st in one season also 2 x 1^st Federation plus the Versal Lager Best Performance Trophy. The parents of Super Boy were in fact half brother and half sister from the great breeding hen, champion producer Starlight. The immediate success of these Busschaerts prompted me to purchase further birds bred by Fred Taylor and I acquired these from R.H. Haigh of Sheffield at his entire clearance sale in 1984 including the Prince cock sire of his champion satin 1^st Sheffield amal Penzance etc also the Taylor cock, great racer and breeder and also the great breeding hen, champion producer starlight the dam of both the parents of super boy 06. I have since added a direct son of Busscaerts famous Little Black. At Alf Wright’s entire clearance sale in late 1983, I purchased the violet hen a fantastic breeder and one of his best producers (violet is g.dam of wrights champion Young Vinnie) plus two other good hens.

Hofken Janssen

My Hofken Janssen family have been responsible for gaining outstanding performances. They appear to be an excellent family to cross as they are an inbred family. The Hofkens have been responsible for producing 1^st Midlands National Flying Club and 1^st Up North Combine winners.

Van Limpt Deprut

The Van Limpt Deprut are also doing very well. They have produced a 1^st Up North Combine Winner. Plus birds to win up to 6 x 1^st each one to win 3 x 1^st Federation. A very fast family.

Pepermans

The Pepermans are a very old family but the value of these birds are remarkable. They cross well with the Hofkens and Jan Aarden lines. They are also responsible for a 1^st North Road Championship Club winner. I have also birds to win up to Lerwick 500 miles. This family of birds is very underestimated.

The Supercracks from Robert Venus have won right through to 600 miles with great success being responsible for producing many national winners. A very successful long distance family from the famous cock that founded the strain namely Champion Supercrack 3 x 1^st National.

Jan Aardens

I have purchased birds direct from Batenburg from Holland one of the leading long distance flyers of the Jan Aardens of the day. Plus a direct son of Champion Producer I Sire of 3 x 1^st National Winners. This has come from Robert Venus who also has the Batenburg family. I have now got 12 pairs off this line to add to my family of Jan Aardens. These are producing fantastic National winners all over the World including Martina 1^st Scottish National Nantes winner.

Jan Theelen

My recent introduction has been the fabulous Jan Theelen pigeons. I have obtained the best of this strain so that I can add them to my long distance families. These birds have excelled from the start.

During the last few years I have concentrated on distance racing having won everything there is to win at the sprint races. It has also meant that I can take a more relaxed approach to my pigeons and condition them for the long distance events. I have won all the channel races in our local clubs and obtained top positions in the Midlands National Flying Club.

My policy over the years of acquiring only the very best of any family has been strictly adhered to. Second best just isn’t good enough. This policy has results in a racing and breeding record second- to-none with literally thousands of prizes won racing in all types of competition. I have been honoured to have recently won two N.E. region RPRA awards including the main RPRA short distance trophy and also had both my champions Super Boy 06 and twenty three selected to represent Gt. Britain at the Olympiad for which they received a gold medal each. I hope that these brief details gives you an insight of the families housed at stud at Axholme Lofts.

Ian Axe (2009)