NEWS FROM SCOTLAND
Reports by Joe Murphy
I require information on the pigeons taking part in my Sporting Challenge this year so can I please ask everyone who is participating to get in contact with me this weekend either by phone or email with the details i.e. when bird was paired up; did it rear any youngsters; was it trained before the season started (where to and how often); how many races has it had and your final perparation for the birds prior to the Gold Cup event.
Breakaway
While doing my feature Blast from the Past I added a picture of Champion Breakaway, the famous pigeon raced by Ron Green of Walsall in the West Midlands. I had a few enquiries from younger fanciers asking for more details on this wonderful pigeon and if I could find out more information on him. I then made contact with Ron (who was just out of hospital) and he promised me once he was feeling better he would write down some notes on Breakaway and send it up to me along with some photographs. Ron did stress that he wished the article to be as precise as possible as he had received some fantastic enjoyment from this great pigeon.
Ron writes: "While reminiscing of my champion Breakaway I have been asked by Joe if I would kindly give some information of the champ as people would be very interested. So with hand on heart I will try to fill in some of the details and all that is written is fact NOT fiction. His ring number was NU 72 L 49838 and he was bred by my great mate the late Stan Walker of Blahenal. His breeding on the sire's side is Albert Gorin 700 mile blood crossed Verstappen - sorry but no details of Verstappen breeding but he was bred by my great friend Eddie Froggatt of Abbots Bromley. Breakaway’s dam was a Janssen crossed Jan Aarden bred by Mr Meirop of Holland. I will now try to tell how lady luck shone on me to be able to get him, starting right back at the very beginning.
It would be about 1970 when a Dutch young bird was picked at Arthur Beardsmore’s factory; it was flown out. Arthur reported it and it was transferred to him. In 1971 he suggested to Stan Walker to pair the Gorin cock to the Dutch hen, which he did and we now come to 1972. I visited another great pal, the late Rhys Carter. He had all his birds on the lawn at the time I visited and I said to him 'Let me have a look at that chequer cock' and on handling it said 'This is a cracker, he should have won you something’. Rhys said ‘Yes he has won quite a few prizes' and that he was out of the Gorin cock and the Dutch hen and was bred by Stan. A couple of weeks later I went to visit Stan and you always get a nice cuppa and a bacon sandwich from him. He had about forty young birds on the lawn. I said ‘Those look a nice lot Stan, pass me that blue hen mate' and on handing it said ‘This is a nice one Stan, you will not breed anything better this year’. He informed me that it was out of the Gorin cock and the Dutch hen the same way bred as the one Rhys had. 'There is a pair ready to part off if you’re interested and I will bring them over tonight when we come to pick you up' said Stan. I replied, ‘If they are anything like the others I’ve handled I certainly will have them'.
On entering the house after locking the lofts for the night, Stan and his charming wife Barbara had already arrived and there on the kitchen floor on a newspaper were a pair of babies. 'Saves bringing a basket' stated Stan. A lovely blue cock and a little chequer white flight hen. ‘Thanks mate', I said and into the loft they went to mix with about six their own age. The four of us then went on our Saturday night-out tour with Maisie having to drive us back home, as she did many times.
Eye taken at 2 years of age
Time came to release the babies and the blue cock was first to strike off. He landed on to the stock loft, had a good look round, didn’t like what he saw and flew off into the sunset never to be seen again. The little chequer white flight settled and was never any trouble. Incidentally 'she' was a third round bred youngster.
Now we come to the young bird racing of 1972 and the little chequer white flight was raced as a hen, flying very well, winning 3rd club; 2nd club; 1st club 2nd federation; then 1st Darlington championship and finally in the Pelsall open race with 66 members competing. This turned out to be a very hard race, however the young chequer white flight won 1st prize with 12 and a half minutes to spare. This was the last race of the season. When it came time to part the birds off, obviously she stayed in the young bird loft along with the old hens in the same section. As time went on and after coming from work the lofts lights would have to go on to allow me to feed the birds. Then one night after they had moulted out I saw a little roar from her and I thought to myself ‘I only hope.’ The following evening when the lights were put on the little chequer white flight was roaring its head off to one of the old hens. ‘Glory-be’ I said, ‘I’ve got a nice little box for you in the widowhood loft'.
Breakaway having a tit bit in his box as a yearling
Now we come to 1973. I will not bore you with individual wins but he won 5 x 1st club; 2 x 1st federation with 3362 and 3019 birds competing. In 1974 he won 5 x 1st clubs; 3 x 1st federations and 2nd fed. It was about this time I was about to name him ‘Heartbreaker’, as a few of his wins were won easily. But on going to our local club headquarters our oldest member Horace Jones said ‘Here comes Mr Breakaway’ and that’s how he got his name. However after many more 1st prize wins I added Champion to it, and he deserved it.
After he won 19 x 1st prizes I thought I should get some details for him so over to Abbots Bromley to see my old friend Eddie Froggatt for details of the Gorin cock. Apparently he came through the ‘Gendarme’, a big prize winner through to Barcelona and was full of 700 mile blood but unfortunately no particulars on the Verstappen hen. A letter was sent to Mr Mierop in Holland asking for details of the Dutch hen; apparently Mr Mierop had been champion of his federation for 10 years and his birds were based on Janssen crossed Jan Aarden from K O Nipius and came through the famous Moses, Nuggets of Gold and Zilver Vosje (Silver Fox).
The wing of Breakaway
It was in the late 1970s when judging at Blackpool Show, that I gave 1st and 2nd in my class to none other than that great Scottish fancier Bobbie MacDonald of Fraserburgh. He came and spoke to me and we have become good friends ever since. Bobbie was a personal friend of K O Nipius and he took the details Mr Mierop had sent to me and Mr Nipius verified everything in them to Bob. He also gave me a photo of the ‘Nugget of Gold’, which I enclose to you Joe for this story.
Now to on to 1975 and he won 6 x 1st federations with 3313 and 5270 birds competing and in 1976 he won 9 x 1st club and 1st open races plus 4 x 2nds; 4 x 3rd plus 4 x 1st federations and 1 x 2nd federation. As a matter of interest they say birds don’t come into form until they have dropped their first flight but he had won 6 x 1st before he threw his first flight that year and another interesting point when he was about to throw his first flight he was never my first bird.
1977 6 x 1st club and 1st open races plus 3 x 2nd with poor federations results of 1 x 2nd; 1 x 3rd; 1 x 5th & 2 x 8th places.
1978 7 x 1st clubs and 1st open races plus 2 x 1st federations 1 x 2nd etc.
1979 3 x 1st club and 1st pen races; 2 x 1st federations and 1 x 2nd fed.
He won 59 x 1st including 15 x 1st federations, also including 20 x 1st open races with many of them having between 70-104 flying members. He won 8 races by 8 minutes to 12 ½ minutes to spare.
It would be about 1978 that I was offered £8000 for him but I refused; and later on I again refused an offer of £12,500. (A lot of money at that time - JM). I did offer Louis Massarella on a handshake first option to buy Breakaway if I decided to sell him.
Nugget of Gold
It would be in 1978 season that he started to become a bad trapper coming numerous times before my second bird, only for the second bird to win the race, and at times the federation also. To be honest he came to win 68 x 1st and 17 x 1st federations but as you know Joe he was not in the clock so obviously they do not count. Then a disastrous open race from ONLY 86 MILES. He had already won 20 times from this race point, however it was a gale force wind with torrential rain and like his nest mate HE WAS NEVER SEEN AGAIN.
A fitting tribute to Breakaway came about when sculptor Luke Perry £45.000's heritage monument of a giant pithead had Breakaway perched on the corner of the mine shaft. This public artwork sculpture was dedicated to Walsall Wood industrial heritage that also recognised the stronghold this champion racing pigeon had within the community.
As I told you Joe, I am not a professional writer so will end here and hope I have enlightened you a little of a GREAT CHAMPION. Wishing you all the best, yours Ron Green."
My thanks go to Ron for the above and I hope fanciers reading this short story have enjoyed finding out a little about one of the true Champions of British Pigeon Racing. To Ron my sincere thanks for his time and effort as I know he has not been too well of late and I hope this reminder will be a little tonic to him.
Please continue to keep the news flowing to Joe Murphy Mystical Rose Cottage 2 Flutorum Avenue Thornton by Kirkcaldy KY1 4BD or phone 01592 770331 or to my email address
© Compiled by Joe Murphy
