TOP RACING PIGEONS
ERIC CANNON'S
CIRCLE QUEEN
The late, great Eric Cannon started to keep pigeons in his early school days, with his first birds costing only a few pence each and trained his birds on a pushbike. He joined the local Godalming club as a junior member. The club comprised of some the best NFC members, such as L. Raynford, winner of 2nd open San Sebastian in 1935, F. Seaman, winner 2nd open Mirande in 1937, H. H. Boshier, winner 4th open Mirande in 1938 and 2nd open Mirande in 1939, J. Pattman, winner of 5th open San Sebastian and C. R. Gush, who recorded 8th, 11th, 17th, 18th and 21st open from San Sebastian. Growing up with fanciers of this calibre enabled Eric to learn the trade of long distance racing. He always maintained that these great fanciers would take only one position inland to give novices encouragement and would always congratulate the youngsters when they won a prize card.
Eric had to pack up pigeons due to four years in the Army, on war service and after picking up a bad foot injury, he met his wife, Pat, a nurse at a war time hospital in Liverpool. One of Eric’s best pigeons after the war was the dark chequer hen, ‘Circle Queen’. She was a late bred in 1949, bred by the outstanding Godalming fancier, the late Stan Edgington, who won everything in Combine and National racing. The name Edgington has long been connected to the fancy of the Godalming and Guildford countryside and it all started with Harold Edgington who passed away in 1961. Harold started up in pigeons in 1924 and was one of the founder members of the Godalming & District F.C., and was the secretary for 20 years. His son, Stan, started up with pigeons from Fred Seaman of Woking in 1932 and inherited his father’s gift for racing pigeons. We called Stan “the bird man of Eashing” because he loved all birds and had lots of aviaries in his big back garden. He was a first class carpenter and joiner, owning his own building firm.
‘Circle Queen’ was one of the first pigeons Eric raced on coming out of the Army after the war and she was outstanding on the north and south roads. In 1949 flew Doncaster, 1950: flew three races through to Berwick, 1951: clocked from the NFC Pau, 1952: clocked from Libourne, 1953: 171st open NFC San Sebastian, 1954: 136th open NFC Pau, 1955: 112th open NFC Pau, 1956: 7th British Section, 120th International Barcelona.
“Circle Queen” was the start of 50 years of fantastic long distance pigeon racing by Eric Cannon. His family of pigeons started in 1950, when he purchased a blue chequer hen, ‘50 1753’, from Mr Wiggins of Ipswich, costing him 30 shillings, her dam being a big winner from Lerwick. This wonderful hen was dam and grand dam of 34 pigeons to score in channel races.
Text & photo courtesy of Keith Mott
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Elimar - January 2014
