Four decades of dedication to the finest racing pigeon bloodlines in British sport, now cared for and continued at Tumley Lofts, Beaworthy, Devon.
George, William and Paul Macaloney built one of the most formidable racing pigeon studs in British history from their base in Lanarkshire, Scotland. From the moment they joined the Lanarkshire Premier Racing Federation in 1986, they set about rewriting the record books — and never stopped. Over four decades they accumulated 20 Lanarkshire Championship titles across five different decades, 134 confirmed 1st Open Federation wins, and a strike rate of 41.2% for finishing either 1st or 2nd in the federation across 431 recorded races.
At national level, the record is equally remarkable. Eight West Region National victories, two 1st Open Nationals, and a performance record into the West of Scotland that no loft has come close to matching — all achieved whilst competing across four different compass directions against some of the most competitive clubs and federations in all of Europe. In 2016 they claimed the UK Golden Duif Championship, following it with three consecutive Runner Up titles through to 2019. Their 2023 swan song saw just 18 hens sent to the SNFC return 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 7th and 8th Section. A fitting final statement from a loft that had spent four decades proving a point.
When the Macaloneys announced their retirement from the sport in November 2023, it represented the end of an era — but not the end of the bloodline. In 2023, James Cook of Tumley Lofts, Beaworthy, Devon acquired 13 of the finest birds from the entire GWP Macaloney clearance sale. Recognising the significance of the collection, James and fellow enthusiast Ash Sharif subsequently combined their acquisitions, pooling the very best of what remained to recreate the GWP Macaloney stud in its full depth. Since then, the collection has been further strengthened through the selective purchase of the finest birds to come back onto the market, ensuring nothing of significance is lost.
"The continued and uninterrupted success of the family of pigeons that the Macaloneys have created over the last two decades is totally unrivalled and will probably never be matched, let alone beaten. The records they have set, smashed and re-set will stand for millennia."
— Les Green, Northern Premier AuctionsTumley Lofts is situated in Beaworthy, Devon — a working pigeon loft run by James Cook with a focus on the careful management and development of elite bloodlines. The GWP Macaloney collection is housed here alongside James's own racing programme, with every bird receiving the individual attention that a collection of this calibre demands.
The birds are managed with a clear purpose: to maintain and build upon the genetic quality that made the Macaloney name synonymous with winning. Young birds bred from the collection are proving the bloodlines remain as potent as ever, with fanciers who have invested in these birds already enjoying the success that the family has always delivered.
James Cook has long understood the significance of the GWP Macaloney collection. When the clearance sale came in 2023, James acted decisively — acquiring 13 of the finest birds from the dispersal. Recognising that the true strength of the Macaloney family lies in its depth and diversity of bloodlines, James and Ash Sharif combined their individual purchases to recreate the stud as a cohesive whole rather than a fragmented selection.
Since that foundation, the pair have continued to selectively add the best birds as they have come back onto the market. The result is a collection that carries on exactly where Paul Macaloney left off — setting records and producing winners for fanciers across the country who have invested in a family steeped in over four decades of winning history.