We meet Bruno Frima, a member of the CFTT team, for an exceptional sale. The four of them offer pigeons with a record of achievement and Bruno explains his role as a “recruiter” and discusses different aspects of the selection process.
Playing in a team has many advantages, the mechanics are well established in Meurchin. Bruno occupies a strategic place: “The recruitment” he means by this, the purchase of new pigeons likely to bring a real added value to the loft. He keeps an eye on the results of the competitions (in France and abroad). By concentrating one person on this task, the CFTT team has succeeded in building up a solid breeding base.
“The disadvantage of having four people is that it is difficult to decide which competitions to concentrate on…but that’s not a bad thing”, explains Bruno. Indeed, middle-distance, federal, CALC and international… They are present on all distances but always with success.
“My colleagues are players from the mining area, which explains why they have difficulties when a pigeon doesn’t show up at 500 or 600 km even if it’s a deep-sea pigeon. For the internationals, this is what we are looking for here, pigeons that can show themselves in the preparatory competitions. This may be a mistake because some pigeons only show up after 800 km. But many examples of pigeons that can clock in from 500 to 1000 km confirm this strategy… Even if later on, once they have tasted the international competitions, the travellers clock in a little less in the preparatory events.”
The four friends joined forces in 2014, in 2017 and 2019 they were crowned 1st in the general championship of the CALC, 1st national and 2nd international Narbonne in 2018, 3rd this year in the first two registered a year and a half ago (CIF)… The CFTT team is not aiming for the championships but the championships are coming to them. This year 2021 was also crowned with numerous successes, notably in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais cuckoos. In Argenton the FR-17-22113 is ranked 14th overall on 13 171 pigeons, as often the arrivals were linked and three pigeons are ranked in the prizes per 100. In the CALC also, despite more than gloomy weather TEAM CFTT arrives at the top of the list with the 17th NPDC on 4102 old pigeons and there is also a chain of arrivals …
As places are scarce inbreeding, Pigeon-Master has to propose pigeons with exceptional records like “Otello” black scaled of 2016 making price on all the flight line and which realizes again a top 100 in 2020 on Narbonne. A very good line from a Wilfried Stiel X “Spiros” cross from Claude Candotti. Spiros was the best French pigeon in Perpignan from 2007 to 2010. This strain has the particularity to improve with time, the uncle of “Otello” will be played until 7 years old, which is not usual in Meurchin. “We can see that he is better from year to year”.
Louis Gustin
