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HISTORY |
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BACK |
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HOME |
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PERFECTION GREYS |
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I had so many requests from various cockers throughout the country regarding the fowl that Mr.Madigin and I called "Perfections" that I feel that,perhaps, the easiest way to answer them all through the medium of a letter to you. When Madigan and I were fighting together, it was the rule of his makeing that all cocks in the keep should be giving a name. This let hiim easily identify them and once named, that name struck throughout the cocks career and , if he was a good enough, throughout his breeding life. "PERFECTION" was a REGULAR GREY cock that I trained three succesive times and gave him his name, heavy saddle feathers and a big, long tail and wings. In the hand, he was a marval of balance. He had the right length of shank and thigh, a fine head and a wonderful eye. I used to stand for many minutes each morning and watch him and say: "Well you are the most perfect cock I ever saw". From "perfect" came "PERFECTION", which was the name we gave him. I fought this cock three times, the last time in Troy N.Y. , in a main against Jack McNerny of Geneva N.Y. He was my cock but Madigan was so impressed with his final fight that he asked me to give him to him to breed. This, of course, I did and with pleasure. Madigin bred the cock over Claret hens and called all his sons "PERFECTIONS". I probably fought twentyfive or thirty - if not more - and never fought a bad one. They were all great cutters and game. I was so favorably impressed with their fighting abilities that I asked Madigin to send me some daughters of the Perfections, which he did several times. The last time I bred these hens where under a Hatch cock that I had Heinie Mathesius pick out one of the best of his blood. These cocks were fought successfully. By E.W. Law |
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The above letter was printed in the Oct. 1947, Grit and Steel magazine. It must be remembered that Col. John H. Madigin gave E.W. Law the Regular Greys mentioned above which the so called "PERFECTIONS" descend. The name "perfection" was a favorite one used by Madigin. While feeding for Hon. White Kelso, Galveston, Texas in 1938-39 seasons I kept some of the cocks for Madigin in big 20' x 50' runs. Among them were four White cocks which he referred to as "Perfections". There were some Grey cocks in the bunch and he referred them as Regular Greys. When Peter Fuhrmann fed the last main fought by Madigin and won it against Mr. Freeman of New Orleans on Jan. 25, 1942, he called those red cocks "PERFECTIONS". E.W. Law used the "Perfection Greys" for "sales purposes: but Madigan was not in favor of it and quit Law on the account of selling his fowl. |
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ENGLISH GREYS |
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y Cocking Cousins (1992)
In Britain, there are three well known strains of English Greys. Namely Felix Leach Greys, Colonel Greys, and Hawes Greys. Their may be others but these are the most well known and widespread.
Felix Leach, a racehorse trainer of Newmarket in Southern England, is perhaps the most famous breeder of Grey fowl over here. He took great pride in these fowl during the early and middle part of this century. They were and still are a good fighting bird and are used a lot in English pits. They are around 4 1/2 pounds and are low to medium station, aggressive pressure fighting type fowl, allowing their opponent no room or rest, fighting mainly low to the ground and looking to keep on top their opponent. They need to be dead to be beaten. My knowledge of Colonel Greys is slightly better, having used this strain of Greys myself for a few years. They come slightly bigger than Leach Greys being about 4.10 to 5.4, they are long in body and narrower than most English strains, looking more American in appearance. When right they are very fast, heads high, legs in front type fighters, they are also very aggressive. When "oure" they are prone to man fight, but cross very well for battle. They are light boned birds appearing big for their weight. They perform much better when fought in lean flesh and mature early.
Hawe's Greys are not so widespread in England. They are very much like the Leach Grey, both in size and fighting style, in fact Felix Leach and Hawes were friends and its likely the strains are of very similar blood.
At a recent sale of gamefowl by Sir Mark Prescot in Newmarket, both Hawes and Leach broodstock along with American strains were sold in good numbers. They also made a high price by English standards. It was quite an event for English gamefowl lovers, being the only public sale of gamefowl in England this century.
I've also seen a lot of Black Grey Hennies fought over the years, though the origin of these birds is unknown to me at present, they have been game and always deadly cutters.
Well, thank you for listening, as you can gather we are not done yet on the gamefowl front. I even know of old strains of Creel and Black Toppy that are game and deadly but we will leave it for now. |
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MORE HISTORY CONTIUNED |
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