A TRIBUTE TO JOHN ROBILLIARD OF BODMIN.

I’m very saddened to have received a phone call this morning informing me that my good friend and ‘Show Racer’ legend, John Robilliard had passed away on 12^th August. John had been suffering with his health for quite some time, but kept going with his life as best as he could until the end. What can I say about this wonderful man? John was loving family man and would do anything to help others. He was a legend in the pigeon racing and showing sport, and was one of its greatest workers, including being the president of the Royal Pigeon Racing Association. We have been friends for many years and enjoyed our annual catch ups at the pigeon shows every winter. John Robilliard will be greatly missed and will never be forgotten. Our sincere condolences to John’s dear wife, Pam and their lovely family. RIP.

In my over 50 years as a pigeon scribe, a fancier I have admired is, John Robilliard of Cornwall, for his high level of success with his birds and the great work he has puts in to our sport, over many years. John first started keeping pigeons in the early 1950’s, about the time he met his wife, Pam, and was doing National Service in the R.A.F.  John raced pigeons up to 1958 and in those early days enjoyed showing his race birds at all the local events including the Bodmin November Show. He saw the show birds at these events and obtained his first Show Racers in the late 1950’s, but these were not very good quality, so in 1959 got some better stock from the late Trevor Parker of Treherbert and Edgar Griffiths, who were two of the premier showmen at that time. The three birds obtained from these fanciers won well for John and were a good foundation for his new Show Racer loft. Right from the outset these birds produced stock to win premier prizes at all the National shows for the Robilliard loft, including the People Show held at the Royal Horticultural Hall in London, the Old Comrades Show, Show of the West held at Swindon and the Royal Cornwall Show. The Robilliard loft had been built up over the years with the very best stock obtained from the premier Show Racer lofts in the U.K. John and Pam’s second hobby was dancing and had regular social dance evenings at Luxulyan Village Hall, which they enjoyed very much. Through the 50 years that John had been in the sport he had given a 100% commitment, being a founder member of the Bodmin R.P.C., serving over 20 years as secretary, also a founder member of the Mid Cornwall Federation, serving as President of the Federation and Cornish Combine. On the Show Racer scene he had a 40 year commitment to the Royal Cornwall Show, serving as secretary and chairman, and had a big involvement with the British Show Racer Federation, the Stithians Show and a founder member of both the Devon & Cornwall Show Racer Society and South West Show Racer Society. John had quite a full pigeon life, when did Pam get to see him! He had a big involvement with the R.P.R.A. spanning over many years and was a founder member of the Devon and Cornwall Region. He was elected President of the R.P.R.A. in 1996, serving his three year term and before that was vice-president for four years. John said at the time, ‘It was an honour to be President for the year the R.P.R.A. celebrated it’s Centenary in 1996 and again in 1998 when it hosted the Olympiad in Blackpool’.

In his 40 odd years on the Show Racer scene, John, has one just about every honour in the National show arena, but the 2004 season saw him set a record at the B.H.W. Blackpool ‘Show of the Year’. He won Best in Show (2,400 birds) and Reserve Supreme Champion of Great Britain with his wonderful Mosaic hen, ‘Rocquaine Cathrina’, and she has plenty of previous good form, including B.I.S. South West Show Racer Society in 2003. ‘Cathrina’ went on to win Reserve Supreme Champion of Great Britain at the ‘Show of the Year’ again in 2005. A fantastic hen! Also at the 2004 B.H.W. Blackpool Show, the Robilliard loft, won the premier honour of Supreme Champion of Great Britain with John’s champion Mosaic hen, ‘Rocquaine Dream Girl’. John and Pam won the three premier prizes and £1,250 at the 2004 Blackpool ‘Show of the Year’, and lifted nine major trophies. A fantastic performance and a record that will take some beating! The Robilliard’s champion hen, ‘Rocquaine Dream Girl’, was bred by Austen Runnals of St. Austell in Cornwall and John purchased this hen in 2003 when Austen had his clearance sale. This great hen is a champion in the truest sense of the word, having won: B.I.S. Royal Cornwall, B.I.S. Stithians, 1^st. Royal Welsh, 1^st. Cornwall Fancy Pigeon Society, B.I.S. Duchy R.P.C. Show and Supreme Champion of Great Britain at Blackpool in 2004. A once in a life time hen!

I have judged at the BHW Blackpool ‘Show of the Year’ several times and in 2014 had the great honour of being asked to judge the specials, including ‘Best in Show. I spent quite some time judging the 29 class winner and needless to say I went through them with a fine tooth comb! From the outset of judging there was only one winner of Best in Show, a wonderful Show Racer red hen and she was medium appled bodied, with good balance and brilliant feather quality. I loved the hen as soon as I picked her out of Pen 4 and from then on she was the one the others had to beat! As soon as we arrived at the next morning, I was told there was a rumour that John Robilliard had won Best in Show, but this information was not confirmed.  It was finally confirmed that John did own that wonderful red hen and had won his second Best in Show at the BHW Blackpool Show. I was so delighted to hear that great news as John has given a life time’s work to our sport and deserve every success he has with his wonderful Show Racers. Talking to John after the event, he said, the hen is now called ‘Rocquaine Queen’ and she won as a young bird, and won a first at the Duchy Show in November 2013. She was bred from a pair of stock birds that John obtained at the Ken Jeffery of St Ives dispersal sale. John Robilliard a legend in the ‘Show Racer’ world and one of the sports great workers! RIP.

KEITH MOTT (13^th July 2024)