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Berw14

 

NORTH ROAD CHAMPIONSHIP CLUB

by George Wheatman

Berwick - May 2014

Darren Kingswood and Jackie Barker - 1st open NRCC Berwick

 

Darren Kingswood and partners Jackie Barker and Shane Hannah were within 42 seconds of equalling a record that has stood unbroken for 32 years when they won the opening North Road Championship Club race of the season for the second successive year.

The provisional result from Berwick shows only fanciers’ first timings, and that puts the Huttoft, Lincolnshire, team in the lead with a velocity of 1877 yards per minute.

But what it doesn’t show is that they are likely also to take second place with their pigeon that won the race last year. Had she been first in the clock, she would have been the first bird to win two NRCC races in succession since the husband and wife partnership of Bridget and Geoff Clare won the Perth races in 1981 and 1982 with Champion Lucky.

So, strangely, despite the boost of winning the race for a second time, Darren was slightly disappointed that it was not last year’s winner that crossed the line first, especially as he had really fancied her to do well and had pooled her to £5.

Not that he was too down in the dumps! How could he be as the partners, members of the strong Alford North Road RPC, enhanced their reputation of fast becoming NRCC specialists, having added a section win from Lerwick to their open win from Berwick last year.

The original successes were under the name of Barker and Kingswood. Shane Hannah, former licensee of the Red Lion at nearby Mumby, has joined the partnership since last season, bringing new enthusiasm with him and, in the main, looking after their south road team.

The race was held on Sunday after a day’s holdover. Liberation was in a North West Wind, but it was mainly West at the home end and a dream come true for fanciers competing in the Eastern Sections Two and Four.

With the strong, gusty winds, came heavy showers and dark clouds and, while the successful fanciers were praising the liberation, the less successful ones in typical pigeon racing fashion were not so happy.

Fanciers reported erratic returns and, no doubt, many birds were carried over into Norfolk and Suffolk but, hopefully, will now be working their way home.

The winning pigeon was a yearling blue pied hen flying on roundabout, and was bred out of a pair of Louella Gevaerts which Darren bought a couple of years ago, investing previous prize money in four pairs.

The second pigeon, a 2011 blue hen, was last year’s winner but her breeding still remains a mystery to Darren because he lost that year’s stud book.

They will in all probability have another pigeon well placed, and this is the bird that won the section from Lerwick last year.

The winner was a steady performer as a young bird, racing the programme, and had had two races before going to Berwick. The hens, says Darren, were flying well around home and were in better condition than the cock birds. Because they had been exercising so well, they had not been training in the build-up to the race.

The partners sent 35, and had 22 home on the day.

Darren said that he did not expect them home quite so quickly, although his father had warned him that the velocities would be high.

The bulk of the team will go to the next NRCC race from Perth and, hopefully, Arbroath.

Darren has always been indebted to partner Jackie for her contribution, particularly in training, and he says that Shane has now added another dimension to the partnership.

Always in the background, too, is Darren’s father who first introduced him to the sport.

Second and third in the provisional results are two past open winners from the nearby Skegness club, Martin Sharpe (winner from Fraserburgh in 2011) and Mr and Mrs Bob Boulton (winners from Dunbar in 2002 and Thurso in 2013).

Section One members drew the short straw in relation to the weather conditions, and the winner here was a man who has two open triumphs to his credit (Thurso 2002 and Fraserburgh 2013), Ernie Gregory, of Eastwood, on 1563.

Other provisional section winners were: Section Three Mr and Mrs T Woolsey, Spalding 1703; Section Four S Parsons and Sons, Norwich 1820; Section Five Miss M Judd, Ramsey 1442; Section Six E Aldred and Sons, Lowestoft 1797; Section Seven Ling Brothers, Barking 1410; Section Eight SP Crawford, Ipswich 1597.

Next NRCC race is from Perth on May 24th; last date for entries May 20th; marking May 23rd.

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