‘Fly or Die’ – Peter Martin of No Mercy Lofts

I’m sure all of the fancy will agree that you don’t just switch off in this period like a footballer would go on holidays and worry about it when the times comes to start another season.

This isn’t the case with us pigeon fanciers, I’m sure everyone is like myself and would spend most of the off season watching every single video on YouTube to do with the sport.

Hours on hours of watching different fanciers across the globe chat about their birds and their success, now many wouldn’t tickle your fancy, or you would pick up a few interesting ways of everyday racing.

It was then a few years ago I came across a couple of videos of Mr Peter Martin, ‘No Mercy Lofts’. Peter is a worldwide known name when it comes to racing pigeons. And after watching them once it was one of the very few videos I could sit and rewatch over and over again (still do). Peter is a very straight, honest, easy to listen to and doesn’t ramble on our ram results down your neck.

In his words ‘good honest pigeons’ from an even more honest pigeon ,an. I must say they are a pleasure to look at from Peter’s videos on YouTube.

The Setup

I had made it my number one priority to catch up with Peter and get a look at his birds up close and personal, but from Covid and time constraints and one thing led to another.

This year I got in contact with Peter, It was a great opportunity to pay a loft visit and catch up while also completing a loft report and bringing it to you the reader.

An experienced fancier with 50 plus years of racing and breeding, and simply with nothing but pure passion for racing pigeons. Peters ‘No Mercy Lofts’ are situated just outside Belfast city.

And a very impressive setup it is, with a design of the breeding loft to the left-hand side and on the right with a shed sectional for racing along with a bottom shed where young birds can be raced into.

The breeding loft consists of three sections with 12 boxes with plenty of natural lighting through skylights with fresh air along the front aviary a perfect setting for the cocks who were in top form and condition when I arrived.

Adjoining onto that is two sectional areas for the hens with loads of room, ventilation and loads of perches the perfect setting. Same goes again with the racing loft with plenty of room for the birds and vast number of sections to play about in with individual aviary’s and traps a fancier’s dream and everything you’d want in a setup, functional and manageable for anyone’s liking.

Family of Birds

The main family backbone of birds for Peter is Busschaerts and Van Leemputtens. These lines of birds have done exceptionally well, not just for Peter, but for many others across the UK, Ireland and around the globe.

Busschaert is a world-renowned name in the pigeon world for a very long time and still to this day. Known for their presence from the first race of the season right through to the very last, performing week in week out from all different mileages from 50 Miles to 500 plus.

Peter has made his name coincide with this family of Busschaerts alone. Calculated to the last when it comes to keeping old strains alive and thriving through the loft, breeding countless winners in the process from lines way back to the very original base.

It’s a credit to him as the in-depth analysis taken in breeding the line/strain is a credit to his work. It takes a very intelligent fancier to know the ins and outs of his family of birds and Peter has it down to a tee, just even when I was visiting explaining the behaviour, the way the birds had to be geared up for races and the fundamentals of breeding a family and keeping it consistent, it’s no wonder his birds are doing the business for so many fanciers.

Peter first started to race the Busschaerts family back in 1991 and the birds hit the ground running for him. The famous and most successful Busschaerts birds ever ‘Red Rum’ and that’s where it all goes back to.

Obtaining two sons through his brother Tommy from Paul Smith and Eddie Wright and the famous son from ‘Red Rum’ called ‘Harry’ from great friend Harry Clinton. The present number one hen now at stock in the loft is from his line and is still winning and breeding winners.

They have won or bred winners in Texas in Scotland, Ireland and at ‘No Mercy Lofts’ From six yb races she was first bird home but a bad trapper, nevertheless she still won two firsts and two seconds from the six races. Winning Rosscarbery by 43 minutes.

The hen’s same sire had five firsts for the late Joe Beck in Banbridge. His sire a mealy tip had three firsts and three seconds and his sire was stocked, and his dam was Tommys famous hen ‘Bingo’ six firsts and first fed Skibbereen Winner and the second best velocity from a mass 32,000 liberation beaten by decimals right back to 1982. All Red Rum Busschaerts.

The best way to describe the Busschaerts in my eyes is majestic, fine headed, strong simply everything rolled into one.

Van Leemputtens are very similar to the Busschaerts and in some cases people can be confused with their similarities. This family of birds was introduced by Peter in 1998 as a recommendation to cross into his Busschaert family, getting a kit of 10 ybs from Wright Bros of the UK .

A superstar rose to fame from this kit that was the Famous ‘Malcolm’ an Ulster Fed winner for Peter and went onto win 3x 1st Ulster Federation Open Wins a momentous feat. A truly special pigeon and one that stands out a mile for Peter having fond memories and a great smile whenever ‘Malcolm’ is mentioned. From then on, they showed their strength in the loft and for many others over the years across the UK and Ireland. Yet again it’s something that you never see often is fanciers who have one or two sole families of birds that carry through for generations from their predecessors to the latest offspring and performing like the original birds, It’s a credit to Peter to be constantly keeping what he’s knows best without having to introduce ‘new blood’ it’s simply pure honest pigeons at its finest with only the best self-built colony made by Peter.

These birds have been tried and tested from fanciers across the UK and Ireland with Peter giving nothing but the best to other fanciers to race and its evident with the results obtained from No Mercy lofts.

One that stands out is John Trimble was first club, first section and first open EDC Bude vel 1202, fourth club, ninth section, 16th open Penzance vel 932 with a Van Leemputten yb bred at No Mercy Lofts. Her nestmate 63 was also first club, eighth section, 33rd open YB derby. second club, sixth section, 11th open Bude. And yes, from reading from the races the results were achieved they are super inland and channel birds, flying yb derbies from Talbenny and Penzance and even as far as timing from the Kings Cup.

Just Some of 2023 Performances from Peter Martin’s family of birds

First Club, first West Section, 11th Fed Maidstone 474 miles 2yo Busschaert Hen from the old ‘Black Jack’ lines and has the feathered legs that Peter is famous for – Paul Thomson of Forbes , Scotland.

Two Van Leemputtens winning first and second Club. First and second Section B and 48th and 50th Open 4,000 Birds in Bray Invitation in a very hard days racing from Castletown 155 Miles. Derek has performed excellent with birds from Peters – Derek McDermott.

Thirty-third in the first leg of the Hoosier Classic OLR - 125 Miles. From a granddaughter to ‘23045’ - J.D Teal – Teal Family.

Fourth final of the Hoosier Classic OLR - 355 Miles from a Grandson of Peters Busschaert Lines - J.D Teal – Teal Family.

Tenth Ace Pigeon at the Hoosier Classic OLR 2023 – J.D Teal – Teal Family.

A full sibling to the winner of fourth place in The Hoosier Classic OLR has just finished equal first in the 200 mile race in The Continental Classic OLR from grandchildren of the ‘Golden Eye’ hen.

Cock from ‘Foylehill Lass’ has won first, second, second and third prizes this year for Fiona Booth.

Granddaughter of ‘Foylehill Lass’ winner of first club, third fed St. Malo. Was the only one bird on the day from a very hard race. Was gifted to McCullough and Dickson as a late bred.

Another grandson of ‘Foylehill Lass’ raced by Paul Thomson a winner at 270 miles.

A daughter of ‘Foylehill Lass’ owned by Matt McCabe which won first club, 39th Open Skibbereen.

A grandson of ‘Foylehill Lass’ was third club, 46th Open Penzance yb National and was only its second ever race.

A son of ‘Foylehill Lass’ now at stock. For Matt McCabe sire of first club, third open Talbenny yb Derby.

Bred both Parents of Eamon Wrights 75th Open St. Malo Bird from 448 miles.

This is only a few of the birds reported winners in 2023 alone.

I thoroughly enjoyed my visit with Peter. He is a gentleman who has time for anyone and wishes nothing but the best for the birds he gives to fanciers.

When you see Peter around the lofts you can tell he gives full focus and attention to every single bird, a world class fancier who I have the utmost respect for and I’m a huge admirer of the way he has cultivated a dynasty of birds in No Mercy Lofts which really is an art in itself.

And I finish my report with the words of Peter: “There are three important things to remember in pigeons – health, fitness and motivation, and then sit back and enjoy them…that’s what it’s all about”.