Hello Fellow Pigeon Fanciers,

 We are a small team Young Bird flier, flying M & D EVANS, Myrtle Loft pigeons, which has competed the 2009 season totaling 16 x1st place Club wins and 5 x 1st place wins in the Up North Combine Races, winning Champion Young Bird Average Speed. We are Flying M & D Evans pigeons from the imported pigeons by John Marles. If you are interested in placing high on the Combine results sheet, GIVE US A CALL. 

Between my partner and myself Joe Ferreira, we managed to win in total:

16 x 1st place Club wins 5 x 1st Place in the Up North Combine Young Bird Races.

1st Champion Young Bird,

1st Champion Young Bird over all

1st Champion Young Bird In the "C" series

Champion Young Bird Average Speed in the "D" series.

Do you feel that you are wasting your time and money?

Are you flying your birds and not seeing good results?

Are you tired of seeing your loft name on the bottom of the sheet, week after week?

Well this is your chance to aquire some WORLD CLASS PIGEONS, and follow your instinct.

By just calling 352- 293-3074 or E-mail us at jjmarles@rogers.com

DO BE AFRAID TO BECOME A WINNER, (you might have to buy coffees for the club members) JUST CALL US, THATS IS WHAT I DID AND LOOK AT ME.  to see more....check me at www.thevalenteloft.com and page down to Valente & Evans Loft and enjoy, also go to www.sylvanlofts.com for more information.

In Your Sport

Joe Ferreira (Ferreira & Evans Loft)

Mike Valente (Valente & Evans Lofts)

Posted by The Valente & Evans Loft at 10:11 AM EDT

Updated: Saturday, 26 September 2009 11:21 AM EDT

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HAWAII

IN HAWAII, Ivan Endo, 2 x 1st Hawaiian Concourse in 4 weeks of racing with M & D Evans. Ivan writes, “THE AMAZING THING IS THAT THE BIRDS THAT I BOUGHT FROM YOU WENT THRU 3 TIME ZONES AND DID NOT EVEN HAVE TIME TO ACCLIMATE TO THE HAWAII CLIMATE AND THESE YOUNGSTERS ARE COMING IN SO FAR.  MOST STOCK BIRDS WE BRING IN, THE YOUNGSTERS GETS LOST IN TRAINING.”
“GLAD TO SAY ANOTHER BIRD OF EVANS CAME THRU ON A VERY, VERY TOUGH RACE.  IT WAS CLEAR AND NO WINDS AT RELEASE POINT.  BUT GOING THRU THE 3 CHANNELS OF WATER IT WAS 15-20 MPH OF HEAD WINDS AND NOT TO MENTION THE BIRDS HAD TO FLY THRU THE THICK VOG (VOLCANIC HAZY)…AND THE TERRIBLE HEAT!! 90'S AND HUMIDITY.
THE COCK IS FROM THE EVANS HEN 717 (BROTHER X SISTER MATING OF LTD. ADDITION X MRS. VERVOORT). FROM 170 MILES. A 4 HOUR 15 MIN FEAT. I WON THE CONCOURSE AGAIN. THE OTHER CONCOURSE WINNER IS FROM 736 ( WESTKAPPELLE X FIENEKE 804 MATED TO SHADOW X EBONY”.

Posted by The Valente & Evans Loft at 7:42 AM EDT

Updated: Friday, 18 September 2009 7:55 AM EDT

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The Valente & Evans Loft pigeon, that sold at the  YRI club pigeon Auction CU 09 SYL 0503 that was purchased & Flown by An UP North Combine member in the Stouville pigeon club which has placed a 3rd combine, (82 Lofts and 1210 birds) win last weekend at C04 ESTAIRE. This pigeon has lost the race by 1 second to a loft mate.  Another great weekend for with a Marles & Evans Loft  with a World Class Pigeon.

Posted by The Valente & Evans Loft at 8:11 AM EDT

Updated: Friday, 11 September 2009 4:34 PM EDT

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Florida Results ‘08

SYLVAN LOFTS                        MYRTLE LOFTS

JOHN MARLES                      MARK & DICK EVANS

THIS WAS OUR FIRST YEAR RACING IN FLORIDA:

TAMPA BAY CONCOURSE

1^ST   AVERAGE SPEED CONCOURSE - 95 MEMBERS

2^ND CHAMPION LOFT POINTS

2^ND, 3^RD, 15^TH, 17^TH, 25^TH, 44^TH, 55^TH, 61^ST CHAMPION BIRDS

FLORIDA SUNCOAST INV. CLUB RESULTS

1^ST   AVERAGE SPEED CLUB - 35 RACING MEMBERS

1^ST   CHAMPION LOFT POINTS

1^ST, 5^TH, 7^TH, 12^TH, 19^TH, 21^ST, 24^TH, 34^TH, 35^TH

CHAMPION BIRDS

RESULTS in Tampa Bay Concourse:

110 Miles        80 lofts    1325 birds     4, 21, 69

110 Miles        85 lofts    1419 birds     25, 26, 27, 28, 40, 52, 95, 96

140 Miles        79 lofts    1296 birds     3, 4, 5, 6, 10, 25, 34, 36, 61, 62.

210 Miles        74 lofts    1136 birds     5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 19, 36, 38

250 Miles        74 lofts    1125 birds     4, 5, 8,

300 Miles        65 lofts    1068 birds     5, 7, 8

Posted by The Valente & Evans Loft at 7:59 AM EDT

Updated: Sunday, 30 August 2009 8:03 AM EDT

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Posted by John Marles 16th August 2009
OFF TO A GREAT START 3 x 1st COMBINE WINS IN THREE WEEKS
The 3rd Combine win for VALENTE & EVANS and FERREIRA & EVANS a Combine Win and a 3rd, 4th and 5th Combine last week.
Yesterday, I went up to Mike Valente’s loft to see the birds come from Mattawa and Point Au Baril. It was the hottest weekend so far this year with the humidity on the high side. Although, as I listened to the comments yesterday about the humidity I thought to myself this would have been a cool day in Florida for racing.                                                                                                                                                                    

Valente & Evans won the Point Au Baril race and will be very close on the Mattawa results. Further down the road Ferreira & Evans won the Point Au Baril in the York Region club. Much further down the road Pat Kleyn racing mostly M & D Evans birds won both races in the North Wings bringing his total to four wins for the young birds.                                                                                                                                                 

Mike Kelm called to report that he was 1st and 2nd in his club yesterday with a pair of nestmates from CU-07-Sylvanlofts-745. 745 contains the lines of Eisenhower (Shadow), Jester x Carrie, Solitaire, Lady Bond, Rolls Royce and Carrie. Last week Mike was 4th with the same bird. It looks like he is off to a very good year in the Central Peel club. 

Posted by John Marles 10th August 2009            

Mike Valente told me that his Up North Combine winner from Burks Falls UNC-2763 is bred from GB-05-19241 x GB-05-19239. 19241 is a full brother to Rolls Royce being bred from National Fideel x Belle who are responsible for a number of birds to score in the top ten of National racing. Therefore UNC-2763 is very closely related to the pair of nestmates that were 1st and 2nd Combine from Point Au Baril the first week as they were bred from a son of Rolls Royce when Rolls Royce was bred to Cosmic Girl -linebred to the National Limoges winner Ronker. 19239 is bred from a Touch of Class (Jonge Ronker x daughter of Gaby 103) and the Queen of Diamonds. Touch of Class is the sire to Blue Ace who is the Dam of GB-05-19010 of the Perfect Pair. The Queen of Diamonds has FOUR National winners in her immediate pedigree. The Queen of Diamonds is bred from a direct daughter of the Ronker from Gaby who was the Ace Champ Fond (long distance) in 1994 and won 1st National Limoges 600 km in 1995 for Gaby with 8,883 birds competing. I find it very interesting to see how similar the pedigrees of these Combine winners are

Posted by John Marles 9th August 2009
Valente & Evans - 1st Club Burks Falls.
Ferreira & Evans - 1st Club Point Au Baril.
I went up to Joe Ferreira’s to watch the race on Saturday and the weather definitely cooperated this weekend. Both Combine races saw good returns on the day. Once again, I hear of many lofts throughout Southern Ontario where the losses and sickness are very high. Gord Whale mentioned that there were only 3 shippers in the Toronto Central club out of 11 possible shippers for the race.
Coincidence or Quality?
1st and 2nd Combine from Point Au Baril are actual nest mates racing to two different lofts
Both Mike and Joe won a race on the weekend and the birds on return look exceptionally well. Joe told me that last week’s winner from Point Au Baril for Mike was a nest mate to his bird that was 2nd Combine in the same race. Both of these birds are bred from GB-T-06-13009 x CU-07-Sylvanlofts-982. The sire of 13009 is Rolls Royce who scored in all 3 of his National races. 2nd NAT. NE SECT PICAUVILLE 1998 1,652 birds 2nd OPEN NAT. 4,154 B 32 NAT. NE SECT THORNESS 1998 2,900 birds 33rd OPEN NAT. 5,617 birds 9th NAT NE SECT LA FERTE BERNARD 1999 2,896 birds 50th OPEN NAT 7,017 birds. Rolls Royce is from National Fideel x Belle a pair that have bred many birds to be in the top 10 in National races. Nat. Fideel is a grandson of Rambo a National winner for Gaby. Belle is the granddaughter of Alibaba (Eric Limbourg) KBDB Ace Long Distance. The dam of 13009 is Cosmic Girl an Evans bird that M & D Evans purchased back. Cosmic Girl was raced by Gary Robson AND WON 1st NATIONAL IN THE UP NORTH COMBINE WITH 14,701 BIRDS. Inbred to the National winner Ronker on the dam side and on the sire side THE GREAT PAIR OF JOE JONES AND KIMBERLY. Rolls Royce is the sire of Joe Jones so he is on both sides of the pedigree.
The mate to 13009 is CU-07-Sylvanlofts-982 and she is bred from the Perfect pair GB-05-19010 x GB-05-19007. 19010 is bred from Shadow x Blue Ace. Blue Ace is a granddaughter of Shadow and she won a car and £15,000 in the Europa One Loft race. 19007 is bred from Rolls Royce x the Uno hen.
Gord Whale named the Perfect Pair. He felt that a son from this pair was perfect in every way. Joe raced two from this pair in 07 and both were in the top ten Of the Ace Champion birds in the Combine. Towards the end of the season, one got killed by a hawk and then I asked Joe if he wanted to move the other one before she met her demise. Very quickly she was off to Texas. Joe then told me to take the pair down to Florida. In 08 the Perfect Pair bred the Ace bird in the FSI club (38 actual racing members) and it was 2nd Ace in the Greater Tampa Bay Concourse only because I stopped racing him. I must admit that I put him in the stock loft before the young bird season was over. I just felt that with all the hawks buzzing in Florida he didn’t need to be a victim. This perfect pair are also the grandparents to Joe’s Combine winner from Burks Falls last week.

Posted by John Marles 7th August 2009
Top Result for the M & D. Evans bloodlines
Up North Pigeon Racing Combine from Point Au Baril, North America.

1 Valente & Evans Lof Borden RPC 09 CU SYLV  05....155 -2 11:53:18 0:00 1103.5554
2 Ferreira & Evans York Regio 09 CU SYLV  04....909 0 12:31:32 3:14 1079.1902
3 C. Rothgiesser Metro Homi 09 CU MET  07....216 2 12:48:59 5:41 1061.4758
4 C. Mitsiou York Regio 09 CU YRI 3015 20 184.014 1 12:23:42 5:59 1059.4223
5 Ferreira & Evans York Regio 09 CU SYLV  04....909 0 12:36:21 7:08 1051.2959
6 Ferreira & Evans York Regio 09 CU SYLV  04....909 0 12:36:29 7:14 1050.5443
7 Ferreira & Evans York Regio 09 CU UNC 2429 4 195.909 0 12:36:30 7:15 1050.4504
8 Ferreira & Evans York Regio 09 CU SYLV  04....909 0 12:36:32 7:17 1050.2627
9 Ferreira & Evans York Regio 09 CU UNC 2430 6 195.909 0 12:36:34 7:18 1050.0750
Valente & Evans scored first and second Combine in the first race. In the second Combine race Valente & Evans scored first. Ferreira & Evans ended up 17th and 19th in the first Combine race and an outstanding 2nd, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 30th, 36th and 40th in the second Combine race.

Posted by The Valente & Evans Loft at 9:51 PM EDT

Updated: Sunday, 23 August 2009 9:54 PM EDT

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First race in 2009 for Young Birds from Burks Falls and Point Au Baril was a total success both In club and at Combine level, for both Joe Ferreria, and myself. Thank You Mark and Dick Evans, John Marles, and Joe Ferriera for your continuing assistance in make these races a success with WORLD CLASS PIGEONS. As Mark always says, quote  

" At Myrtle Lofts Our Goal Is Very Simple, We Want To Breed The Best Racing Pigeons

In The World ".

Posted by The Valente & Evans Loft at 11:09 AM EDT

Updated: Friday, 7 August 2009 11:44 AM EDT

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Our M & D. Evans Bloodlines

have now won to date

37 x 1st Open National Winners

Posted by Mark Evans 30th June 2009

Posted by The Valente & Evans Loft at 3:46 PM EDT

Updated: Wednesday, 1 July 2009 3:56 PM EDT

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The British are Coming! The British are Coming!!

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 also studied several successful Florida loft designs, then had a nice, functional loft built, brought down his Evans breeders, and flew his first yb series in Florida in 2008. Now the big question was: Could his Evans pigeons from cold, damp, rainy England handle Florida's heat, humidity, dampness, and hawks?? Local fliers doubted it: "Just wait till he flies here. Those Canadian/English pigeons will never win in Florida!"

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!

Posted by The Valente & Evans Loft at 9:08 AM EDT

Updated: Tuesday, 26 May 2009 9:11 AM EDT

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I finally have gotten my first team of babied to kit up, and fly without the worry of loosing any babies off the roof. It has been difficult to do, because of my shift work getting in the way. The only time I had to open the loft was during the hottest time of the day, and the babies would only fly for about fifteen minutes or so, only to return with their mouths wide open. These babies are not in shape yet, but getting there fast.

I'm noticing that, when they land with their mouths open, they still return back to flying, as the other loft mates swing around the loft. Now the first round of babies are have been treated against Trichomonas and starting to look great. They are heavy in their moult, because of the darkening system, but in a month or so these baby pigeons will look like adults.

Posted by The Valente & Evans Loft at 10:49 PM EDT

Updated: Friday, 22 May 2009 11:52 PM EDT

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