NORTH ROAD CHAMPIONSHIP CLUB
by George Wheatman
Pat O’Sullivan - 1st Section Seven Thurso 2014
Pat O'Sullivan
The figures tell the story and, yes, they do confirm that the last race of the old bird season for the North Road Championship Club was a tough one.
There was an entry of 1850 birds from 232 members, and only 342 of those pigeons featured on the final Thurso result. The winning velocity by Carl Upsall’s yearling was 1053 yards per minute, and that was one of only six pigeons to reach 1000ypm. Final velocity on the result sheet was 441ypm and, although birds have been drifting back in the weeks since the race, there are still a lot of empty perches in many lofts.
What a contrast to last year’s Thurso race when Mr and Mrs Bob Boulton scored a runaway win on a velocity of 1664 yards per minute also with a yearling. But, as has been proved time after time, every race is different.
There were 76 yearlings on the result sheet this year, and 15 of those were in the first 50. That same Mr Boulton is often heard to say “You can’t beat youth.”
When it became clear that it would become a two-day race for the longer flyers, there was one man who, perhaps, was rubbing his hands more than most. At least he would not be too despondent because he has proved over the past 20 years that his birds are not daunted by hard races and long hours on the wing.
He had previously won the NRCC section from Lerwick on four occasions, and twice from Thurso, all on the second day.
Pat O’Sullivan, of Enfield, was that man and he went on to add another Section Seven Thurso win to his many past distance successes with his Braveheart family.
Latest off the seemingly never-ending production line of endurance racers is a two-year-old pied cock, grandson of No 2 son of Braveheart, sire of many winning pigeons including Dream Maker, first Southern Counties Lerwick in 2008.
The dam’s side features a grandson of Irish Rose, second London Combine from Lerwick in 2008. And the line goes back through Braveheart and Steptoe, going back to the 1960s.
This is a family that has enabled Pat to time in from Lerwick, 588 miles to his loft, every one of the past 20 years except 2006, and that was only because of a difference in race closure times between the Combine and the NRCC.
This year’s Thurso section winner had three races in preparation for the big task, and these included Alencon with the British International Championship Club on the south road.
He was sent sitting 12 days on eggs.
Family upsets have disrupted Pat’s preparation time for the big races this summer, but he still timed on the day from Lerwick, and had four more on the second day. He had eight home from his entry of 12.
In 2006, which was a hard race from Lerwick, he had three pigeons on the second day, and all six entries homed,
“When I lose pigeons it is usually in the short races,” said Pat. “I seldom lose them at the distance but it has been hard racing on the north road this season and I have lost pigeons at Berwick, Perth and Arbroath. I am still six short from Thurso. Generally, my pigeons seem to be able to get up and race the second day.”
All this, of course, increases the merit of the section win.
The London North Road Combine, which was racing from Thurso on the day before the NRCC liberation, also had a difficult race.
There were just five birds in the Section Seven results from NRCC Thurso, and Pat’s winning velocity over 498 miles was 744 yards per minute, with a flying time of 19 hours 38 minutes five seconds.
Three of the other five birds in race time were timed into Hoddesden by B and R Chapman, a fine team performance by another loft whose brilliant results enhance the quality of the NRCC.
They took second, fourth and fifth section on 689, 620 and 532ypm. They fly 493 miles.
Congratulations must go to another Enfield fancier, L Niedzwicki, who took third place on 647ypm.
These, and other Section Seven fanciers who have succeeded in other NRCC races this season, and in past years, set a great example to would-be north road distance flyers.
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