On June 18th 2022, the Rome loft was proud to win the first National race from France since the UK left the EU and when the COVID-19 restrictions were removed. The amazing “Tiny Dancer” won a very difficult race and by a huge margin – her loft mates also did themselves proud.
The St Philbert Superstars – click on each photo for more details
2022 was a top season for Rob – racing with the strongest National organisations each week – National Flying Club (NFC) and British International Championship Club (BICC). Each week, Rob was on the leader board with many top 50 National positions obtained. This top season came after a short break from competing due to the passing away of his mother in 2017.
The Cheltenham Loft performances 2012 to 2016
The performances of the Scottish Rome loft were exported to England when Rob moved to Cheltenham Spa – and here he raced in the Nationals from 2012 to 2016. In those years he made a lot of people sit up and take notice with his results into the bottom South West corner of Section I of the National Flying Club (NFC), where he gave 50+ miles overfly to many others in his Section. In that short burst of competing with the NFC, Rob won:
3 x 1st, 6 x 2nd, 3 x 3rd, 1 x 4th, 4 x 5th and 3 x 6th National Section prizes plus a Car.
The best hen during that period was the amazing “Fabia”. She won from the first race – 60 miles to the last race – 606 miles (Tarbes). She scored at NFC Tarbes, in very difficult races, 4 years on the trot winning 1st, 4th, 5th, 7th Section and was the NFC Car winner in 2015. In the breeding loft she has been a goldmine and is now the mother and grand-mother of the modern Rome loft.
Super Sonic Sprinters – “GT” Gert Heylen strain
In October 2021, Rob’s friend, the great Geoff “GT” Snelling passed away. It was the wish of Geoff that Rob take the entire race-team of Sprinters at the end of the 2021 season plus selected top stock pairs – 40 birds in total. The best ever pigeon for Geoff, “GT Super Star” (see picture below) now takes pride of place in the Rome stock loft. Geoff asked Rob to take this Gert Heylen based family “to the next level” and to compete with them at National level at both sprint and middle distance. Already the winner of 1st Open Berkshire Breeder Buyer in 2022 is a “GT” Gert Heylen pigeon, bred in the Rome loft.
This Super Sonic family are bred from a real top-pair purchased from Gert Heylen from the racing hotbed Berlaar in Belgium. The father, “Big Jack” is a direct Son of “Jackpot” 7 x 1st and world famous wonder-breeder. The mother “Blue Ocean” a direct daughter of “Ocean” 6 x 1st. This pair are responsible for over 100 x 1st and 30 x 1st Federation.
Robert Rome Pigeons 