|
NORTH ROAD CHAMPIONSHIP CLUB Looking Back at Lerwick . . . No 3 By George Wheatman The first Lerwick race I wrote about as Press Officer to the North Road Championship Club was in 2002, and there has been nothing to equal it since. Almost certainly although I don’t have access to the records to prove it the best performance in the 99 races held so far from the Shetland Islands. That was the year when the Kings Lynn partnership of Perry Bros and Son, incredibly, took the first three places by timing three pigeons inside five minutes, on either side of the clock striking 9pm. Three pigeons flying 515 miles were timed at 20-58, 21-01 and 21-03 to produce almost certainly the best north road performances of all time. This is what I wrote later: “If you had heard them talking in a pub about their 2002 triumph, you would have thought that Perry Bros and Son, of Kings Lynn, were in the land of the fairies. Who, in their right mind, would believe anyone who claimed they had taken the first three places in the greatest test of pigeon racing the north road can produce? “Yet, there it was, on the result sheet: 1-2-3 Perry Bros and Son. History-making big style. It wasn’t even an easy race. The winning velocity was down to 1009ypm, and they had three pigeons drop in as if it was a sprint race at 20-58; another at 21-01; and a third at 21-03. Records, of course, are made to be broken, but, surely, this one will last a long, long time.” This was a performance that received accolades from around the country, especially from fanciers who know how difficult it is to prepare a pigeon to conquer Lerwick, let alone have three inside five minutes at the top of the open result.
RACHEL’S BOY 1st Section, 1st Open Lerwick, 527 miles, 2294 birds. Raced by G. Cockaday & Son, Norwich. My biggest pleasure has been reporting on the Lerwick winners. Great fanciers who prepared their birds to the highest possible standards, and reaped the rewards. In 2003 it was Fox and Wise, of Norwich; 2004 W Bearder and Sons, Nottingham; 2005 G Cockaday and Son, Norwich; 2006 Roger Hallsworth, Selston, who also took second place; 2007 Ray and Irene Johnson, of Louth, a modest couple with whom the whole sport rejoiced; 2008 Frank Bristow, of Horbling, one of the best ambassadors for the sport; and 2009 Walton Bros, of Ollerton. Then it was the turn of the late Ray Farrington, of Great Abington, who named his winner after his favourite football manager, Sir Alex Ferguson. Tony Richardson, of Newark, would be the last man to boast about his prowess at pigeon racing, but his reputation is now up there with the best after his Lerwick win in 2011, even more commendable as it came in the face of a battle against health issues. I was delighted to report that win. No liberation was possible in 2012 because of the bad weather, and the birds were brought home.
Frank Bristow was at it again in 2013, taking a 1-2, and the Norwich fancier known as “Mad Mick” Mick Freeman took the honours in 2014. The nickname comes, said Mick, because he has done some mad things in his lifetime, but that Lerwick win has given him something to savour. Now the latest name on the King’s Cup is that of Ivan Rich, a great supporter of NRCC racing, from Isleham, Cambridgeshire. As I have said before, drama and the North Road Championship Club's prestigious Blue Riband race from Lerwick go hand in hand. Such was certainly the case back in 2006 when, at the age of 58, retired miner, Roger Hallsworth, of Selston, achieved his dream of timing the winner. Moreover, he also took second place. This was what I wrote at the time: “It proved a tough test in scorching heat and, for many miles, the notorious east wind. That is when the wind was not on the nose. “There were only three birds home on the day and Roger capped his magnificent performance in winning the race by also clocking the second bird. What a day to remember! “In third place was, guess who, yes the man who has dominated NRCC racing in recent years, Kevin Lawson, of Ollerton. He timed in at three minutes to 10, as the light was fading fast. “Dick Brocklesby, of Boston, was up early next morning to time the fourth pigeon at five minutes to six. “All these are experienced, outstanding pigeons which shows that quality will tell when the going is tough. “And tough it was. Officials summed it up as "a very hard race", with about a third of the competitors verifying and about 25 per cent of the near-2,000 birds sent being home at the end of two days. “Roger Hallsworth's winner, a two-year-old widowhood cock timed at 19-52pm, is of Galaxy Jupiter lines, the sire having been bred from a daughter of Galaxy Jupiter and loaned to him by a friend. “The strain of its mother he described as a "Laffy Daffy" because none of us could spell it. “A couple of weeks earlier this cock bird had finished 76th open from the NRCC race from Thurso, and this had also been a hard race but appears to have tuned up the recently named Jake for the 490-mile marathon to the Selston loft. The name Jake? That is after the Hallsworths' three-year-old grandson. Roger says this pigeon has always been consistent and never too far away from the prizes, and he decided to send it because it looked so well after the Thurso race. “If you think this is a remarkable pigeon - and any bird that wins NRCC Lerwick is just that - then take a look at Roger's second timer. “This is a two-year-old dark hen bred by Ireland's Alan Darragh, and bought as a young bird. “Saturday saw it being released from Lerwick for the second time this year for she had already taken second place in the Midlands Two Bird Championship Club from the Shetland Isles two weeks earlier. Lerwick prizes are taken by the bravehearts, not only pigeons but also fanciers. “Roger timed another, the same way bred as his second-placed bird, at 6am on the second day and, as Sunday neared its end, had safely home five out of the eight birds he sent. “Roger has been a fancier for nearly 40 years and has had his fair share of success over the years, but feels that he has become more consistent in recent times. He describes himself as being a hard taskmaster, usually employing his own system of roundabout, and keeping all sorts of breeds based on performance. “Reflecting on his success 24 hours after timing in, he said: ‘I think it is only just beginning to sink in’." Speaking to Roger the other day, a decade after that amazing performance, he admits to still recalling that race with a lot of pleasure; and who wouldn’t? He has daily reminders as still in his loft are those two fine pigeons, the King’s Cup winner, Jake, and the runner up Darra’s Girl. Neither raced again but the family they have spawned are now racing well on the south road. Jake was, in fact, sire to Roger’s open NRCC winner from Dunbar back in 2006. And Jake’s father was still filling his eggs last summer at the age of 15. Wouldn’t it be great to have fanciers like Roger, and all previous winners, competing in the 100th NRCC Lerwick race in 2016? ******************************************************************************** To end this article, here are a few facts about NRCC Lerwick racing that you may not know: *Only a handful of members have succeeded in winning each of the NRCC’s two longest races and these are: Jepson Bros and Curtis, Peterborough, Lerwick 1939 and Thurso 1945; Frank Perkins, Boston 1964 and 1956; Mr and Mrs Graham Parrinder, Louth 2000 and 2001; Jake Cotterill, Boughton 1989 and 1997; and Ivan Rich, Isleham 2015 and 2010. *Slowest race from Lerwick 441ypm, FW Marriott, Saltley in 1920. *Fastest race 2104ypm, Mr and Mrs Parrinder, Louth, in 2000, beating the record of 2075ypm set by MW Ward and Son, High Bridgham, Norwich in the previous year’s race. *Biggest entry 4450 in 1992 when the winner was GH Dobbs, of Sutton in Ashfield, with a velocity of 1277ypm over a distance of 485 miles. *Longest flying winner 603 miles, G Pulley, London in 1902. Velocity was 1459ypm. *First names on the coveted King George V Cup Perry, Morgan and Heardman, of Clay Cross, in 1946. Winner of the trophy in 1951 was His Majesty King George VI. *There have been 18 Presidents of the NRCC since its auguration in 1901, the longest serving being HA Bridge, Thundersley, 1948-1967, and John Lovell, Lincoln 1975-1993. *The 100th NRCC race from Lerwick is scheduled for June 25th this year five days after the Summer Solstice. CLICK HERE - Looking back at Lerwick . . . No 4
|
