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.