NORTH ROAD CHAMPIONSHIP CLUB
by George Wheatman
BRIAN & CHRISTINE GUILFORD
Fraserburgh 2013 Section Three winners
Has it been done before? Is it a record? Only the keenest students of the North Road Championship Club results over its 103 year history will know the answer. One thing is certain, however, it cannot have happened very often.
I am talking about Brian and Christine Guilford’s success in the past two Fraserburgh races. In 2012 they were winners of Section Three and second open, and this year, again, they were winners of Section Three and second open!! But the amazing thing is that the pigeons were full brothers bred in the same year one in the first nest, and the other in the second nest.
So, has that been done before? Unlikely, I bet.
Fraserburgh is 331 miles to their loft, and the section-winning velocity was 1181 yards per minute, with a flying time of 8 hours 13 minutes 20 seconds, while their second pigeon recorded 1064 to take runners-up spot in the section and 16th open, showing the tough nature of the race. There was an entry of 2247 birds from 257 members.
The parents are still in the loft, being a Janssen hen obtained in a swap from David Oakes of Eastwood, and one of their own Janssen cock birds.
The Guilfords have been a name to look out for in NRCC racing in recent years and, for a long time, have been outstanding competitors at club, federation and amalgamation level.
They were denied an open win from the testing Fraserburgh race this year, by three yards a minute, by Ernie Gregory, of Eastwood, and the pigeon that repeated his brother’s performance of the previous year is called Mr Reliable by Brian.
Whereas his brother was taken out of the racing team and put into the stock loft after last year’s success, Mr Reliable was sent on to the last race of the season from Thurso and finished 40th section on a day when the Guilfords were also 8, 16, 21, 32 and 54 section.
From Fraserburgh they were 1, 2, 9, 10 and 14 section.
Both Fraserburgh section winners were hatched in 2009, Mr Reliable appearing in the round after the 2012 winner emerged from the nest, and have had lots of experience.
The two pigeons are chequers and have been raced on the widowhood. The partners compete only with widowhood cocks.
Asked if the latest star of the canal-side lofts at Sandiacre had many previous good performances to his credit, Brian replied: “Tons Mr Reliable he is called. He has done everything. He has actually done more than the other one. He will be raced again next year. He will keep going. This past season I don’t think there will have been many pigeons that were home on the day in the four races they were sent to, but he was.” (They did not compete from Lerwick, and the races referred to are Berwick, Perth, Fraserburgh and Thurso).
Mr Reliable has been one of the pigeons that has helped the Guilfords to top the Coalville Federation no less than 78 times.
There is a long history to Brian’s link with pigeon racing because both his father and grandfather were fanciers.
Always looking to maintain high standards, Brian quips “There is an inquest if we are not in the first four. There has been some good competition in this area. Once the NRCC season starts the birds go every fortnight. I think you need a cleverer pigeon for NRCC racing where there are some good fanciers and the birds are spread over a wide area. We have been members of the NRCC for a long time, but it is only during the past five years that we have sent regularly, and now we enjoy this competition.
“We only fly widowhood cocks because that is the easiest for us. They always come back to the hens, even for every training toss. We feed a mixture of widowhood mixes. We also feed some seeds.”
Brian has held various offices over the years, particularly as a clocksetter in the old days, but he has now welcomed ETS which he feels is a Godsend.
First 20 from Fraserburgh in Section Three were: 1 and 2 Mr and Mrs Guilford, Long Eaton 1181 and 1064; 3 PJ Palmer, Stamford 1058; 4 Mr and Mrs L Gilbert, Grantham 1049; 5 F Bristow, Horbling 1038; 6 Hales and Brewster, Bourne 1011, 7 W Lawrance and Son, Bourne 1001; 8 Mr and Mrs P Shaw, Ruddington 987; 9 and 10 Mr and Mrs Guilford 985 and 976; 11 Mr and Mrs T Woolsey, Spalding 968; 12 DG Cardall, Bourne 937; 13 Mr and Mrs P Mann, Grantham 935; 14 Mr and Mrs Guilford 878; 15 D Parker and Son, Grantham 872; 16 DG Cardall 831; 17 AF Parkinson, Spalding 821; 18 Mr and Mrs Talbot, Ravenstone 808; 19 A Bennett, Peterborough 791; 10 A Barnes and Son, Peterborough 784.
It was not all good news for Mr and Mrs Guilford during the summer of 2013 because, on the day before the NRCC Thurso race, Christine received the devastating news that she had cancer for the second time in her life, and she is now undergoing chemotherapy treatment. The illness has caused her to give up the job as secretary of Long Eaton club, and also meant that they did not race young birds.
I am sure everyone will wish her well in her latest battle.
Brian also has his health problems and needs daily doses of morphine to help him through the pain barrier which followed complications after a double hernia operation when he was 50. He has been unable to work since, having previously run a green grocery business.
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