Rod Sparkes, one of the best Sprinters of the UK ! Part I
04 Jun 2020
World-famous within the UK, so about time he becomes world-famous around the world. Let’s meet Rod Sparkes, a true fighter, a true winner…nothings better than the 1st place.
1. Who is Rod Sparkes?
Rod sparkes is the best looking guy in England and one of the best sprint racers in the world, is what he answers joking when I asked him the question. The ice broke immediately and I knew I was talking to a guy with a good sense of humour and with his both feet on the ground. Continuing answering this question: ’Well, where do I start; I am 60 year old, I work full time as a fish filleter for a company and I fillet fish for fish shops and restaurants. Most of my life when I was younger I was a top athlete; at the age of 11I started boxing and boxed for 19 years. Being very good I became school boy champion when I was 15 years old. Then I started body building and was very dedicated to my diet. Doing this I became runner up ‘Mr great Britain’ in a natural body building contest. I live in a small terrace house which I own ,with my girlfriend Claire .Claire helps me with the pigeons she does them in the morning and lets them out for me and feeds them because I have to be at work very early at 6:30am and after my daily job I take over again. When I moved to this house, I hadn’t the intention of racing pigeons, if I had that intention I would have picked a house with a bigger garden (LOL), my garden is only 32ft in length. In England I am a household name to many in the pigeon world, and I have been told by many, many top flyers that I am one of the best sprint flyers in all England (which you can see for yourself having a look underneath to all the amazing results and pigeons set over the years). A few examples of my achievements are : 7x Federation Champion and 4x runner up. Over the past 10 years I have never been lower than runner up federation champion and my results even get better year after year. My best year ever until now has been 2019, I won 17 of the 24 races in one of the biggest clubs in the federation with 20 members sending up to 580 birds a week ( some guys say in my club I am virtually unbeatable). My results each year have been described as breath-taking.
2. When and how did you get in touch with pigeon sport ?
‘When I was 10 year old we used to catch wild pigeons and pinch there eggs and keep them as pets in home made little sheds because we couldn’t afford to keep proper racing pigeons and when I got older and started working I had a little shed made (24ft) and I joined the biggest club in the federation namely the South Road Invation fc which had 45 members and sent up to 750 birds a week. My first ever race as a total novice in this club I sent 24 young birds and I sat in my garden on race day and 4 pigeons came over and came straight into my loft. I was jumping all over because the first two pigeons in my clock were both my nominated birds but I didn’t think I indeed did really well being a novice. When I went to the club the result pointed out that I won 1st – 2nd – 3rd – 4th and had the 1st and 2nd nominated pigeons out of 750 pigeons !!! Everyone in the club was spell bound and couldn’t believe I won this as my first race, an old chap came walking up to me and he said ‘do you know what son, I have been racing in this club for 40 years and no one has ever won the first 4 positions and you have just done it on your first race, congratulations’. And that was it, I had that winning bug and most guys said to me I was born to race pigeons. And once you’ve tasted the winning mood, you only want to win more.’
3. Which club / federation do you race in
‘I race in the Cleethorpes Imperial Fc which is one of the biggest clubs in the federation with 20 members sending up to 580 birds a week.
I also race in the Lincolnshire South Road Federation which is one of the biggest Federations in England used to send up to 6500 birds but now up to 4000 birds.’
4. Do you compete in One Loft Races?
‘No, not yet, but I am going to start having a go at that.’
5. Which blood strains are to be found on your loft?
‘Blood strains have never bothered me to fair, I have raced all different blood strains. I just pair winners to winners most of the time regardless what strain it is but all about top pigeons and ace pigeons. My strains consist of Cyril and carl Lambrecht, direct Luc Van Mechelen, Leo Hermans, Stefaan Lambrechts, Dirk Van den Bulk, Van Loon, Van De Rhee so all pigeon fanciers that shine on the short distance races and are the best to be found in Belgium!
6. How many breeders & racers do you have? How many youngsters do you breed for racing?
I have 30 pair of breeders, I have 40 racers and breed up to 65 youngsters for racing.
7. Which pigeons do you race? And on what system?
I race cocks and hens on the roundabout system
8. Which distance do you race?
I race from 85 miles to 475 miles
9. How and what do you feed them?
I feed Versele Laga corn, I feed ‘Liege’, ‘Diet 200’, ‘Gerry Plus’ ,’ Superstar’ and ‘Energy Plus’.
Both my cocks and hens are fed in a feeding tray so they have to compete for the food better. I use the ‘Gerry plus’ as my base corn and on race day they return to ‘Diet 200’, then on Saturday evening ‘Superstar’ and ‘Liege’ as much as they want with protein powder over the corn.
Feeding schedule:
Sunday morning: ‘Gerry plus’ as much as they want
Sunday afternoon: ‘Gerry plus’ as much as they want
Monday morning: ‘Gerry plus’ as much as they want
Monday afternoon: " " " " " " "
Tuesday morning:" " " " " " " " "
Tuesday afternoon: " " " " " " " "
Wednesday morning: ’Super star’ as much as they want
Wednesday afternoon: ’Super star’ as much as they want
Thursday morning: ’Super star’ as much as they want
Thursday afternoon: 50% Superstar 50% Energy plus if it’s going to be a hard race if not 100% Superstar
Friday morning: ‘Energy plus’ half oz and if it’s going to be an easy race just 100% ‘Superstar’
My young birds are fed on ‘Liege’ from weaning as much as they want every day till six weeks before the race then they go on ‘Gerry plus’, then the week leading to the race they get the same system feed as the old birds.
The breeders are fed on ‘Liege’ as much as they want every day with some days ‘Energy plus’ added.
10. Any medical system? Do you give side products?
I don’t believe in giving antibiotics to healthy pigeons my pigeons are tested before racing and breeding and if it’s all clear they get nothing ,if something is found I treat as vet says, if your pigeons are performing well leave them alone; they are telling you they are fit and healthy. My pigeons have a very high immune system and that’s how I want to keep it. I use back protein powder on the corn on return from race but if it’s a hard race they get it on the corn Mondays as well. I use vita pro combi probiotics 3 times a week when racing.
11. How and when do you train them?
I start training 6 weeks before racing my old birds will get 4 x 20 mile tosses and that’s it. When racing starts they get loft fly in the morning and night for an hour. Young Birds will have at least 20 training tosses starting from 10 mile to 20 mile 6 weeks before racing and when racing commences they get Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays 20 miles tosses every week.
After having a glimpse of the live of Rod, we are off course all curious what kind of results he sets and which pigeons he’s got to set these results.
To make a really tough choice I will only introduce to you 2 champion birds from his loft, in another article that I will be writing about this top fancier in a few weeks I will highlight the entire loft and believe me, there are more aside these two champions on his loft, many more…:
GB–Z–18–29280 ‘TUWAITY’ Vandenbulck – Lambrechts – Van Mechelen
2nd NATIONAL ACE PIGEON ALL UK RPRA 2019
1ST ACE PIGEON NORTH EAST REGION RPRA 2019
1ST PREMIER AWARD RPRA 2019
1ST ACE PIGEON LINCOLNSHIRE FEDERATION 2019
2 RPRA AWARDS 2019
1st Club Battle 185 miles 257 b 25-05-19
1st Club Reed 106 miles 175 b 18-08-18
1st Fed Billericay 137 miles 3,104 b 05-05-19
1st Sect Billericay 137 miles 1,462 b 05-05-19
1st Club Billericay 137 miles 357 b 05-05-19
1st Club Battle 185 miles 185 b 13-07-19
2nd Club Huntingdon 83 miles 356 b 20-04-19
2nd Club Billericay 137 miles 267 b 22-06-19 BBLM
2nd Club Reed 106 miles 113 b 15-06-19 BBLM
3rd Sect Huntingdon 83 miles 1,404.b 20-04-19
4th Sect Reed 106 miles 1,065 b 18-08-18
4th Fed Reed 106 miles 2,157 b 18-08-18
4th Club Maidstone 165 miles 121.b 15-09-18
4th Club Billericay 137 miles 9/9/18
5th Sect Battle 185 miles 1,200 b 25-05-19
5th Sect Battle 185 miles 695 b 13-07-19
5th Fed Battle 185 miles 1,396 b 13-07-19
5th Fed Battle 185 miles 2,472 b 25-05-19
6th Sect Billericay 137 miles 980.b 22-06-19
7th Fed Billericay 137 miles 2,029 b 9/9/18
7th Sect Billericay 137 miles 743 b 9/9/18
7th Fed Billericay 137 miles 1,658 b 22-06-19
8th Club Billericay 137 miles 1/9/18
8th Club Reed 106 miles 28/4/19
12th Fed Huntingdon 83 miles 2,856 b 20-04-19
‘Tuwaity' won all this in one year 2019 as a yearling
GB–Z–14–68631 ‘Packo’ 100% Van Loon
9 x 1sts inc 2 x1st Feds and 44 prizes
G/sire of Winston 2 x 1st Nationals and 1st National Ace pigeon
1st Sect Maidstone 165 miles 1,068 b 24-06-17
1st Fed Maidstone 165 miles 2,180 b 24-06-17
1st Sect Eastbourne 195 miles 1,013 b 25-06-16
1st Fed Eastbourne 2,347 b 195 miles 25-06-16
1st Club Eastbourne 195 miles 128 b 25-06-16
1st Club Battle 185 miles 207 miles 13-05-17
1st Club Maidstone 165 miles 136 b 24-06-17
2nd Club Eastbourne 195 miles 108 b 09-07-16
2nd Club Huntingdon 83 miles 347 b 23-04-15
2nd Club Eastbourne 195 miles 301 b 16-05-15
2nd Club Billericay 137 miles 140 b 27-06-15
2nd Club Battle 185 miles 162 b 17-06-17
3rd Sect Eastbourne 195 b 1,884 b 16-05-15
3rd Sect Billericay 137 miles 1,041 b 27-06-15
3rd Club Maidstone 165 miles 168 b 168 b 03-06-17
3rd Club Battle 185 miles 271 b 21-05-16
3rd Club Huntingdon 83 miles 248 b 15/4/17
4th Club Eastbourne 195 miles 127 b 08-07-17
4th Sect Huntingdon 83 miles 2,218 b 23-04-15
4th Fed Eastbourne 4,611 b 16-05-15
5th Fed Billericay 137 miles 2,544 b 27-06-15
6th Sect Battle 1,430 b
7th Sect Battle 185 miles 1,655 b 21-05-16
7th Fed Battle 3,746 b 185 miles 21-05-16
8th Fed Battle 2,774 b
8th Sect Eastbourne 195 birds 841 b 09-07-16
8th Sect Battle 185 miles 1,221 b 17-06-17
8th Sect Eastbourne 195 miles 893 b 08-07-17
8th Fed Eastbourne 195 miles 2,128 b 09-07-16
9th Sect Eastbourne 909 b
9th Fed Eastbourne 2,275 b
10th Fed 195 miles Eastbourne 1,792 b 08-07-17
11th Fed Maidstone 165 miles 2,706 b 03-06-17
11th Sect Maidstone 165 miles 1,344 b 03-06-17
11th Fed Battle 185 miles 2,539 b 17-06-17
13th Sect Huntingdon 83 miles 1,809 b 15/4/17
Most important won championships:
7 times Champion Federation
4 times 2nd Champion Federation
Young Bird Champion Federation 2018
Young Bird Champion Federation 2019
Old Bird Champion Sprint Federation 2018
Old Bird Champion Sprint Federation 2019
Winner Liverine Points Trophy Federation 2017
Winner Liverine Points Trophy Federation 2018
Winner Liverine Points Trophy Federation 2019
And as the lists over the years are that long, we will only show you for now the results set in the season of 2019 (no doubles!), as mentioned above, he won 17 out of the 24 races (!!):
1st 2nd 5th 7th 8th 9th 10th Club Reed against 363 birds 28/4/19
1st 2nd 3rd 8th 9th 13th Club Billericay against 1,357 birds 5/5/19
1st 3rd 9th 12th 13th 14th Club Battle against 310 birds 18/5/19
1st 4th 5th 10th 11th 12th 13th 14th Club Battle against 257 birds 25/5/19
1st 2nd 8th 9th Club Boves Channel 277 mile against 156 birds 1/6/19
1st 2nd 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th 13th 14th 15th Club Maidstone against 257 birds 9/6/19
1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th Club Reed against 113 birds 5/6/19
1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th Club Billericay against 267 birds 22/6/19
1st 2nd 3rd 7th 9th 10th Club Reed against 101 birds 6/7/19
1st 2nd 6th 7th 9th 10th 11th 12th 16th 18th 19th 20th Club Battle against 185 birds 13/6/19
1st 3rd 4th 6thClub Arras channel (only sent 6) against 110 birds 21/6/19
1st 2nd 4th Lincs Fed Billericay against 3,104 birds 5/5/19
1st 2nd 4th 5th East Sect Huntingdon against 1,534 birds 3/8/19
1st 2nd 3rd 6th 7th Lincs Fed Reed against 2,610 birds 17/8/19
1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 10th 11th 12th 13th 15th Lincs Fed Billericay against 2.637 birds 31/8/19
1st 7th 11th 15th 16th Club Maidstone against 387 birds 7/9/19
1st 2nd 3rd 5th 6th 7th 8th Club Maidstone against 287 birds 14/9/19
1st 2nd 10th 11th 12th 13th 14th 15th 16th 17th Club Battle against 223 birds 21/9/19
2nd 3rd 4th 5th 8th 9th 10th 14th East Sect Huntingdon against 1,600 birds 11/8/19
2nd 3rd 4th 5th 8th 9th 10th 14th Lincs Fed Huntingdon against 2,978 birds
2nd 6th Lincs Fed Reed against 3,229 birds 28/4/19
2nd 4th East Sect Boves channel against 587 birds 1/6/19
3rd 5th 7th 8th 9th 15th East Sect Huntingdon against 1,404 birds 20/4/19
5th 6th East Sect Battle against 695 birds 13/7/19
5th 6th 7th 12th 13th 14th 15th Billericay against 980 birds 22/6/19
5th 8th 9th East Sect Battle against 1,200 birds 25/5/19
So, if you’re not impressed already, I am! Thank you Rod for letting us having a peak in your pigeon live.
Please, keep track of our website for more information and articles about this top fancier!
Liesbeth
