Keith Mott

Writes about winning fanciers past and present

The L&SECC ‘Brooker Gold Cup’

One of the main trophies in the L&SECC today is the ‘Brooker Gold Cup’ competed for each season in the Tours Yearling Derby and is won by the first nominated yearling on the open result. When the old London Columbarian Society disbanded a few years ago their magnificent array of trophies were donated to other clubs in 1998 and the ‘Brooker Gold Cup’ was donated to the L&SECC by the Society. This wonderful trophy is solid gold and is now insured for £5,000. I was chairman of the London Coly in the 1980’s and my good friend, the late Dick Brooker of Claygate was president for a number of years at that time and there was always confusion that he had donate the ‘Gold Cup’. In fact it was a memorial trophy for the late Mr. W. J. Brooker presented to the London Coly by his wife in 1930. Betty and I won this wonderful cup in 1985 with our Dordin mealy cock ‘Gold Strike’ and I remember in those days it was competed for from Nantes. One of the record holders must be the late ‘Pop’ Burgess and son, Roy, of Kingston who won the trophy three times with the London Coly in the 1980’s. I recently had a phone call from Roy, who is still racing pigeons successfully and now lives in St. Leonards near Ringwood in Hampshire. Looking back to the old Kingston days Roy said, ‘my dad and I won the Combine and Federation many times, but one of our best performance was winning the London Coly ‘Brooker Gold Cup’ three times’.

Winners of the ‘Brooker Gold Cup’ in recent years are: 1998: Tony & Dol Fletcher, 1999: Steve Appleby, 2000: Tony Haynes, 2001: Cyril Luxton, 2002: Mr. & Mrs. Joe Langbridge, 2003: Skeete & Keen, 2004: Skeete & Keen, 2005: J. Richards, 2006: Steve Appleby, 2007: Mr. & Mrs. R. Maybey & Son, 2008: A. & G. Young, 2009: Mr. & Mrs. R. Maybey & Son, 2010: Keith Gosling & Michael Jarvis. The L&SECC race advisor, Steve Appleby of Ash has won the ‘The Brooker Gold Cup’ twice, the first time he won the cup racing on the south road from Nantes (279 miles) in 1999. The 2004 season saw the racetake place fromMorpeth on the North Road a distance of 275 milesand Steve was delightedto win this cup for the second time. The ‘Brooker Gold Cup’ has only been won twice several times before in the L&SECC by the same fancier, including the partnerships of Reg & Richard Maybey, Skeet & Keen and Steve Appleby, but Steve’s is the only loft to win this coveted award onthe north road and the south road. Congratulations to the Gosling & Jarvis partnership of Mountnessing who lifted the trophy in 2010! Keith and Mick have been one of the most consistently successful members in the L&SECC in recent seasons and a full loft report is to appear in the next couple of weeks.

L&SECC news up date

As previously reported the Classic’s 2011 rule book is at the printers at this time and will be dropping through the membership’s letterboxes in the next few weeks. We have changed the format of the hand book for the 2011 season and we can look forward to a more attractive glossy book this time. I recently had a phone call from our transport manager, Clive Turner and he saying the Classic’s vehicle is in good order, with all the legal formalities being sorted out and is waiting to have its curtains ventilated in early April. The L&SECC ‘Gold Rings’ are nearly sold out, with only 29 left at the time of writing this news up date and are still available from Keith Mott (01372 463480) or Terri Hoskin (01494 786026). Rings will be sold at £5.00 per ring plus £1.00 post and packing, with a maximum of ten rings per member. The rings are the ETS ‘Combi’ type and the ‘Gold Ring’ race is to be the second Carentan, which will be flown in September.

The 2011 L&SECC race programme is: 7th May - Alencon (code 5001): 28th May - Tours (code 5044): 24th June - Tarbes (code 5055): 15th July - Bergerac (code 5005): 20th August - Carentan Young Bird / Old Hens (code 5092): 10th September - Carentan Young Bird / Old Hens (code 5092).

I would like to remind the membership that the Classic’s Breeder / Buyer Race will be flown for from the first Carentan Young Bird race in August 2011. The two auction sales will be held on:

Sunday - 3rd April 2011: North Leatherhead Community Association, Kingston Road, Leatherhead, Surrey. Penning is from 11.00hrs to 12.00hrs.

Sunday - 10th April 2011: Horsham RPC, YMCA Football Ground, Gorings Mead, Horsham, Sussex, RH13 5BP. Penning is from 11.00hrs to 12.00hrs.

The two sales will be a great day out for the members and hopefully will generate some good prizes for the first young bird Carentan race on 20th August. The first sale is this Sunday and we look forward to meeting up with the members at Leatherhead! The L&SECC Press Officers can be contacted on telephone numbers: Keith Mott (01372 463480) or Daryll Luxford (07876133613).

TEXT & PHOTOS BY KEITH MOTT (L&SECC PRESS OFFICER).