Geoff and Catherine Cooper receiving the 1st international Pau trophy
A family that just keeps on coming
Whilst Geoff and Catherine have won many section (provincial) and outright national and international titles in recent years, a more important feature of their family of birds is that they race as a team, often recording many early prizes. The consistency of their team can be seen through their results in the BICC races in 2014:
Falaise 194 miles (3278 birds) section: 2, 8, 9, 25, 26, 31, 39, 40, 42
national: 2, 8, 9, 25, 26, 31, 39, 40, 42
Alencon 228 miles (6823 birds) section: 19, 23, 118, 123, 124, 125, 135
national: 33, 44, 240, 263, 265, 266, 299
Tours 307 miles (3655 birds) section: 1, 4, 9, 21, 28, 36
national: 1, 4, 9, 54, 88, 112
Poitiers 350 miles (1938 birds) section: 13, 18, 32, 38, 44, 45
national: 19, 26, 53, 66, 81, 84
Pau 561miles (379 birds) section: 7, 22, 24, 25, 30
national: 31, 73, 82, 89, 99
Agen 512 miles (532 birds) section: 1, 5, 10,
national: 3, 34, 69
St Vincent 530 miles (302 birds) section: 2, 5, 7, 8
national: 4, 10, 54, 58
The stars of the Cooper family in 2014
Geoff and Catherine consider their best racer of 2014 to be Farm Stellar. His results from 2014 include winning 2nd national Falaise and 3rd national, 328th International Agen. The Agen International was flown in a North West wind and so to win 3rd place in the BICC was a great achievement. However to win 328th against 11,227 European birds, when flying to the western side of the UK, is remarkable. In the pedigree of this racer we can find Euro Star who would also go on to sire the Cooper’s timer from the Falaise young bird national.
Woodson: 19th BICC Poitiers and 4th BICC St Vincent
Farmer Sparey (grandson of George): 1st club, 1st W. E. C. Bordeaux
Farm Star: 1st national BICC Tours
Farm Stellar: 2nd national BICC Falaise, 3rd national, 328th international BICC Agen
BICC Falaise 2014
The UK fancy has endured a difficult series of channel races with young birds in 2014. On Saturday 13th September 1,263 young pigeons were entered into the BICC Falaise race. John and David Staddon of Evercreech were the outright winners with their winning pigeon being 25% Cooper bloodlines. Geoff and Catherine themselves won 3rd section, 4th open BICC. The Coopers timer, now christened with the name Euro George, is a son of Euro Star who is himself a son of Brockamp's Euro Diamond. Euro Star is rapidly becoming one of the most important sires in the Cooper loft as he is responsible for a number of excellent racers including the 1st Ace pigeon Europe Wuhan Golden Sand Derby winner. The Dam of Euro George is a daughter of top breeder and racer George, the undisputed super breeder for Geoff and Catherine.
Rob Brooks with his winner of 2nd BICC Pau (50% Cooper bloodline)
Testimonies of 2014
As the bloodlines of the Cooper family of pigeons begin to trickle their way across the UK, so have come a steady stream of reports of their birds achieving success for other fanciers. Barely a week goes by where the pigeons of Geoff and Catherine are not mentioned in the dispatches of race winners from across the United Kingdom. Eamon Kelly of the Lloyd and Kelly partnership won 1st UK SAMDPR final race this year with a young bird 50% Cooper blood. Rob Brooks of High Littleton won 1st section, 2nd national from Pau BICC International; the dam was a gift bird from Geoff and Catherine. Graham Clift from Gloucester has two sons of Farmer George breeding him excellent pigeons; including 2 x 1st federation as young birds in 2014.
Geoff Cooper with Rey So from the Philippines
A bright future
2014 has again been a year where Geoff and Catherine Cooper have shown themselves to not only possess a family of outstanding racers, but also being a couple who have that rare ability to get their team to perform at the top from the first national race to the last. 2014 has also seen their breed influence the successes achieved by other fanciers in the United Kingdom and beyond. 2015 promises to be an exciting year for the Cooper family of racing pigeons; both in their home lofts in Peasedown St John and those creating new dynasties in lofts around the World.