
Brian
Holland - I have had Racing Pigeons now for thirty five
years, with a three year break from 1983 - 1986. From the age of
eight years old i have kept fantails and tumblers as pets. When
i reached the age of thirteen, i met a good friend Tony Dobson,
who had racing pigeons. I would go to Tony's every Saturday afternoon
to watch his pigeons fly; it was not very long until the burning
ambition of wanting to keep racing pigeons was set alight. I just
wanted to have some of these athletes of the skies for myself to
race.
I was old & young bird land and channel combined average winner
in Wigan oak leaf F.C in 1979 at the age of fifteen years. I was
also one of the youngest secretary's ever been in Wigan oak leaf
in 1981 at the age of seventeen years
My passion for racing pigeons grew and grew until 1983. Then birds
of another kind took over from my feathered friends; it wasn't until
1985 when Tony Dobson was once again the catalyst into getting me
re-started in the sport of racing pigeons. Tony invited me to go
to London to the old comrades' show, having not had a break for
a while through work; i agreed to go for the weekend. That weekend
will be the one i will never forget. We had a great time and my
passion was re-kindled. I just had to have some more pigeons when
i got home.
I re-started in 1986 with my first birds coming from good friends,
Ray Billington of Garswood and Eric Simpson of Golbourne. These
were the glynn machin buschearts and Walters & Broadhurst Wildermeerch.
The machin buschearts did not come up to scratch for me, but the
Walters & Broadhurst Wildermeerch were a instant hit! One particular
pair a dark cock and a dark white nosed hen became my foundation
pair.
B.H.W 30th July 1993 Page 21
Advertisement by the well respected Lol Whittle of Garswood. Quote:-
Lot 6 Brian Holland the sprint king at the moment in Wigan area,
nearly all his top open winners are bred from a full sister called
Whitenose.
B.H.W 10th January 2003 page 68
Advertisement for C. Leadbeater & Sons ref c. The S ring GB96S66119
Quote from the well respected Mark Evans heart of England auctions,
what a remarkable pigeon this one is. When the grove stopped racing
the town of rugeley, famous for its caliber of competitors breathed
a collective sigh of relief the king had retired. Little did they
know what was waiting for them though?
The S ring was a marvel on the road, his consistency was frightening.
Once he was timed in, then that was it for the season. It never
mattered where it was from, nor what the weather was like. The S
ring was unstoppable. A winner of 8 x 1st on the road winning bundles
of 2nd & 3rds & 4ths often thrown away at the home end through
bad trapping.
Put to the stock he again showed his class with his children immediately
winning well over £4,000 pounds in the Vanroebeys classic.
Have no fear the S ring is a world champion in his own right - A
living legend.
The S ring was bred by Brian Holland at Lineside lofts; he was a
direct son of champion dark destroyer above,he was also a great
grandson of my champion breeding hen whitenose.
In 1990 i got married, bought my own house and set up from scratch
from a new address. The young birds of the year excelled, and i
have never looked back since.
For example Year 1990 - 3 x 1st wigan amal in concscative weeks.
Hereford No1 1st & 2nd club 1st & 4th wigan amal 70 lofts
sent 1286 pigeons.
Hereford 2 1st & 2nd club 1st & 5th wigan amal 73 lofts
sent 1328 pigeons
Mangotsfield 1 1st & 2nd club 1st & 2nd wigan amal 71 lofts
sent 1138 pigeons
Wigan 2 bird plymouth Y.B open 2nd open winning £206 pounds
54 lofts sent 99 pigeons
Worcester Standish & Coppull open. 1st & 2nd winning £250
pounds. 30 lofts 220 pigeons
Hereford Wigan Amal open race 5 pigeon limit. 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th
open all five pigeons dropping together winning £127 pounds.
21 lofts sent 81 birds.
Cheltenham Earlstown open 2nd 5th 7th 9th open winning £121
pounds 30 lofts sent 284 pigeons
Cheltenham Earlstown open 1st 2nd 3rd open all three birds dropping
together winning £181 pounds 28 lofts sent 275 pigeons
Cheltenham Earlstown open 3rd & 5th open winning £148
pounds & £50 pounds for best average four races 21 lofts
sent 158 pigeons.
Cheltenham Standish & Coppull open 2nd open beaten by three
seconds winning £225 pounds 34 lofts sent 176 pigeons.
Worcester Standish & Coppull open 1st & 5th winning £236
pounds 34 lofts sent 236 birds
Yeovil Bamfurlong H.S 1000 pounds old bird open 2 pigeon limit
10 pound per pigeon 2nd & 4th open both pigeons dropping together
winning £430 pounds 43 lofts sent 67 birds
Yeovil Intex H.S 1000 pounds old bird open 2 bird limit 10 pound
per pigeon 1st & 5th open 176 miles into a north east wind both
pigeons winning £775 Pounds between them 25 lofts sent 52
pigeons.
In 1996 we found that the sprint open races in our area were few
and far between. For us the top competitions in our area, are the
places where you can win the most money. These races attract the
best of the best in your area. The longer and middle distance races
were attracting more members, and more money was being won from
across the english channel in France. So we decided it was time
to bring in new blood to have a go at the distances from 200mls
- 550mls
The new stock bought in were from:
C.Leadbeater & Sons MNFC Champions Direct
Marc Pollin Belgium Direct
Flor Engels Belgium Direct
M&D Evans Vandenabeele
In 1996 my last year concentrating on sprint racing alone, the
young birds were racing from 157mls flown 31/8/96. Liberated into
a northwest wind on the nose, we had eight birds drop together,
four birds timed in seperatly, then three rubbers in one thimble,
we were 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th club 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th
7th amal being well clear of the field by 21 ypm, and they were
the only birds in the amal that day doing over 1200 ypm. A very
hard race were the cream allways rises to the top.
Our lofts are situated one mile befind the lofts of the record
breaking sale birds of Dave & Emma Armstrong of Golbourne. We
raced in the same clubs as the armstrongs. Bamfurlong H.S and Intex
H.S north west cheshire amal, north west grand national wigan 2
bird.
Make no mistake the armstrongs were great flyers, but they had
to spend a phenomenal amount of money on pigeons, because the competition
in this area is red hot. Just before the armstrongs had there entire
clearance sale in 2002, Brian Holland won 14 x 1st clubs 16 x 2nd
clubs 13 x 3rd clubs. Winning in club and open races £1,250
pounds.
In the 2002 season we set a new record in the north west cheshire
amal, that we dont think will ever be beaten. We are the only loft
ever to top the north west cheshire amal in seven out of nine young
bird races, being 2nd amal & 5th amal on the other two accasions.
We also won 1st & 3rd St Roccos charity young bird Ludlow open
race 27 members, sent 156 pigeons, winning £220 pounds. Also
2nd open north west grand national gold ring race.
We topped the amal in the first race, and we topped the amal in
the last yound bird race at 200mls in to a north east wind. The
birds only making 1200 ypm that day.
2003 we were once again premier prize winners of our club land
points winners, combined points winners not sending all races, winning
£355 pounds in club, winning £645 pounds in wigan 2
bird, winning 455 pounds in bamfords gold ring race. We were also
the highest money winners north west grand national 2003 with £1,206
pounds. A total of £2,756 pounds for the season.
Also we bred C.Leadbeater & Sons fourth open midland continental
championship club piccauville young bird winner, winning £300
pounds, and a brand new pigeon loft.
Northwest cheshire amal young bird champions 2002 - 2005
2007 seasons.
Season 2006 getting back to sprint middle distance racing because
of the threat of bird flu in the future dont want my racing interupted
with the french authorities and defra again what will come next
to stop racing from france pig flu my results for 2006 in the club
intex homing society are 8 first prizes 5 second prizes 6 third
prizes 3 fourth prizes only ever timing a maximum of two birds per
race incuding 2 first combines 2nd combine 3rd combine 4th combine
5th combine 6th combine 2 seventh combine 8th combine being ten
times in the first ten with up to and over 2000 birds per race winning
in club and combine £255 also we were runner up premier prizewinners
in our club and the north west cheshire amalgamation To top the
racing season off in the premier race of the season bamfords gold
ring spectacular with all the best lofts in the north west racing
pigeon, competing we won 1st 10th 12th section 4th 38th 43rd open
winning £1903 cash and for the second time in two years another
brand new T3 clock taking our winnings for the season again around
the £2500 mark.
The 2007 season was once again a fantastic season for our lofts
winning 17x1st prizes 13x2nd prizes 12x3rd prizes 15x4th prizes
6x5th prizes 6x6th prizes in club amalgamation and the two counties
combine
2nd highest money winners two counties combine
3rd highest points winners two counties combine old bird land
2nd highest points winners two counties combine young birds not
sending all races
2nd combined land points winners two counties combine
2nd combined all points winners two counties combine not sending
to all races
And if that wasn’t enough to top the season off was when we
won 1st section 1st open north west classic Portland 204 mls with
our good blue flor engels cock DANCING BRAVE
On the same day timing 5 birds to take 1st 5th 7th 8th 10th section
1st 13th 27th 29th 38th open when 93 members sent 949 birds.
2007 bamfords gold ring spectacular poole 195mls into a north west
wind on the nose
7th section 39th open winning £282
2007 north west cheshire amal young bird champions once
again.
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