“Mr Prodigious”
Steve Williams Bromborough
“Winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing”
What do you do once you reach the top in your club and federation? For Steve Williams it was more than likely to look at the National racing programs and try and set his stall out to win one. And the last time I visited these lofts in 2016 just before I left I asked him what was next and National racing was definitely part of his long term plan. Also part of this plan was a radical change in his approach to racing. Steve has long thought long and hard about not racing his cocks and just racing his hens, he has an affinity with his hens that can only be (and has been) described as instinctive.
The changes made and the performances were again exceptional with five federation wins three more than any other fancier. Steve broke his federation records in two consecutive seasons. With the rise of improvement mapped just by following his federation wins alone. 2014 saw Steve top his federation just the once and in 2015 winning on four separate occasions in 2016 gaining three separate wins and in 2017 winning no less than five federation races.
The 2017 season was also to show that the original plan for national racing would start to show some logic to the system and the racing of hens which Steve had adopted, the proof of the system would be met at the channel. With six channel races ranging from 280 to 420 with his federation onto the Wirral peninsular Steve would win four of them and retain the federation channel average trophy that was won the previous year.
Winning both Carentan (290 Mile) races, the Fougeres race (350 Mile) and then the pinnacle the longest races from Ancenis (420 Mile) and these performances all done with a team of hens that have outshone everything around them. This fancier has been around a long time but has now set the bar at an even higher level by sweeping all before him at the Blackpool weekend at the BHW show of the year Gala Evening and RPRA awards presentation in the Spanish Hall on the Saturday evening Stephen Williams would come of age. With his 001 hen being awarded the RPRA Preston trophy, for the middle distance ace pigeon all UK and to then reach the pinnacle of her being awarded the distinguished Tony Cornwall Trophy best performance all distances all UK 2017.
Western Region Meritorious awards Category B. GB 14 S 72001 BLUE HEN.3/6/17 SOUTH ROAD. WEST WIND. 1346YPM 287MILES. 1st club 103b, 1st fed 406b, 1st Amal 894b, 3rd combine 4407b. 17/6/17. SOUTH ROAD NO WIND. 1380YPM 354MILES. 1st club 80b, 2nd fed 353b, 2nd Amal 751b, 4th Combine 3559b. 25/6/17. SOUTH ROAD. WEST NORTH WEST WIND. 1186YPM 354MILES. 6th club 39b, 20th fed 222b.
Western Region Meritorious awards Best All Round Performance(s): GB 14 S 72001 BLUE HEN 15/4/17. SOUTH ROAD NORTH WEST WIND 1373YPM 87MILES. 3rd club 198b, 8th fed 1576b, 23rd Amal 2890b. 22/4/17. SOUTH ROAD. NORTH WEST WIND. 1319YPM 105MILES. 6th club 218b, 9th Fed 1669b. 29/4/17. SOUTH ROAD. SOUTH WEST WIND. 1861YPM 129MILES. 6th club 201b, 10th fed 1604b. 20/5. SOUTH ROAD. SOUTH WEST WIND. 1559YPM. 193MILES. 5th club 151b, 18th fed 1356b. 28/5/17. SOUTH ROAD. NORTH EAST WIND. 1360YPM. 181MILES. 5th club 129b, 26th fed 947b. 3/6/17 SOUTH ROAD. WEST WIND. 1346YPM 287MILES. 1st club 103b, 1st fed 406b, 1st Amal 894b, 3rd combine 4407b. 17/6/17. SOUTH ROAD NO WIND. 1380YPM 354MILES. 1st club 80b, 2nd fed 353b, 2nd Amal 751b, 4th Combine 3559b. 25/6/17. SOUTH ROAD WEST NORTH WEST WIND. 1186YPM 354MILES. 6th club 39b, 20th fed 222b.
The regional meritorious awards received were First and Second Western Region 251 mile 450 mile. First Overall Best Performance(s) Western Region.
The 001 hen now named “Stanhope Blue Gem” All UK Ace Pigeon Middle Distance & Best Overall Performance(s) all UK 2017
When asked to describe this hen super hen Steve he simply stated “she has a great shape with an eye to match” This champion hen now known as Stanhope Blue Gem has won her club on seven different occasions and has won her federation on three separate occasions. She is a half-sister to a hen who herself won a silver RPRA Western Region Award. She is bred from a cock from Charlie McCardle and Terry Archibald (McCardle & Archibald) of Liverpool when paired to a Walter Docx hen.
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Steve Williams receiving on of his 2017 RPRA awards from RPRA President Les Blacklock.
The array of awards at the RPRA Gala evening at Blackpool in January
Steve & Angela Williams RPRA Best Performance All UK 2017
Steve gets his motivation from as he says “the love of pigeons” I enjoy my pigeons I enjoy getting them fit I enjoy breeding them and I enjoy racing them, If I don’t win on a Saturday I have no time to dwell on a result, if you must dwell on it use the Saturday to get over it, and start again on the Sunday a new race is coming the following week. You must gain experience and learn how far you can send your own pigeons, to many fanciers today race them out over the channel, they lose them and scratch their heads, you should only lose those pigeons once and not send the siblings again, you must learn, it’s all about experience, horses for courses is the correct saying if birds win on the land they stay on the land. My channel pigeons are that they race on the channel.
The racing lofts of Steve Williams
As well as being one of the best fanciers in his area Steve Williams puts his heart into helping, aiding and abetting the locality. This keen and ultra-enthusiastic fancier throws himself into whatever he does. The federation needed a president he stepped forward, the Amalgamation needed steering and a president and again he responds with his feet and gets involved. Steve has been the long-time race controller for his federation and West Cheshire and North Wirral Amalgamation, not here to be liked but here to get a job that’s need doing done and done correctly.
I have previously stated that if we could bottle what Steve Williams has with regard to his motivational skills with regard to people and or individuals you could sell it, or just put him on an advert for this sport of ours, with his zest, fervour and enthusiasm for this hobby he would attract a huge new influx of new starters. He has changed the way he races his pigeons to compete further and increase his best performances with his hens which then produces a performance that beats all the United Kingdom which is a testament to his own instinctive tuition with regard to his husbandry skills and his own motivational prowess.
Not only a fancier who wants to race (or even) needs to race Steve William’s will step forward on every any occasion asked or required to ensure that his fellow fanciers can race and enjoy their racing. Steve has spent the last fifteen years building his relationship with his now wife Angela, building his business along with his stock of pigeons that he has strived for years to find. Stephen Williams has finally arrived at a destination of choice, through many house moves (which would have been more at home as a suitable TV show) which has resembled “Houses under the Hammer”. “And to those who think he moved for a better position? Keep thinking this way instead of trying to beat him”.
“Winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing” When finishing second means you have been beaten then second is only as good as last. The old cliché no-body remembers the second only the person that came second remembers is apt where this fancier is concerned. Steve Williams remembers, he remembers getting beat and it is getting beat that forms one of a multitude of motivational factors that sets this fancier streets apart from those around him, “it only lasts a day” and we start again on Sunday.
After years of searching the continent for pigeons (of which he insists he will keep doing) he is where he belongs at the top of the UK. Huge congratulations from all of the West Cheshire and North Wirral Federations a dream come true for most of us but another tick in the right box for Steve Williams as we approach the new season.
