OUR NEXT NPA CHAMPIONSHIP SHOW IS ON

SATURDAY 21st OCTOBER 2023

The Phoenix Rises Again!!!

25^th October saw a new chapter begin in the life of Egremont Fancy Pigeon Society with the Club holding its annual Championship Show at the Borderway Mart Exhibition Centre in the border city of Carlisle.

During the Clubs thirty four year history, we have had to relocate our event a total of seven times and on one occasion due to an unscheduled Prime Minister’s visit to the Sellafield Nuclear site by the “Iron Lady”!!!

It was with a little bit of trepidation that our committee decided that after the demise of Whitehaven Civic Hall as a venue at the end of 2013, the club would relocate its show to the Carlisle area, it was either this or lose this championship show for the fancy.  Due to the clubs location in the west of the county a penning contractor would need to be engaged, this was a move away from the clubs previous ethos of self penning and so in turn keeping the entry fee to a minimum, therefore trying to attract a decent entry.

So for the 2014 event it was all change, new venue, no limit to entries and relying on others to make the clubs event a success! The new location would include a two hour round trip for the committee to run this event but this would be outweighed by giving something back to the fancy!

A fortnight before the closing date we had an entry of about 600 and it looked as if the event was not going to be viable from a financial point of view as the club had costs never encountered before. The show committee were more than happy with what happened closer to the run up to the show, receiving 80+ entries on most days which collectively added up to a total of 1560 which is 389 entries up on the 2013 event.

With this level of support from the fancy it was imperative that the club delivered an event worthy of the exhibitors support!

Firstly a big thank you to David Pritchard, Carolyn Charlton and all the staff at Harrison & Hetherington who made the transition to Carlisle very straight forward and for allowing the Club to use these first class facilities to stage our event. Nothing was too much trouble and they made us at ease in our new surroundings. Also a big thanks to Amy and her staff for keeping all the judges and exhibitors well fed for the duration of the Show.

Another big thanks to the clubs sponsors, Sean Morrow and his team at Premier Penning for a first class job in staging our event with a great layout, nothing was too much trouble and further reduced the stress levels associated with running this event. Big thanks Sean!

Without the support of the exhibitors with entries, judges giving up their time and knowledge these shows would not happen. It is these aspects that ensure enjoyment is had by all through meeting at these events; sharing the pigeon banter this is what makes fancy pigeon keeping such a great hobby!

The club would like to show its appreciation to the Breed Clubs that have supported this event in the form of a Regional Show these were; The United Fancy Homer Club, The Fantail Club, The Scottish Tumbler Club, The Limerick Tumbler Club and the British Old Dutch Capuchine Club.

Also a big thanks to the Anglo Iberian Cropper & Marchenero Cropper Club, which held its club show in conjunction with our event, this boasted an entry in excess of 100 exhibits and was quite a spectacle!! Well done to all involved.

A special mention to the judges who stood in at the last minute due to some judges cancelling their appointments.

At Egremont we have always tried to give something back to the fanciers that attend our event and that we are successful at it. This is in the form of sponsorship from many pigeon related firms, again this would not be possible without these kind gestures from; Premier Penning, Carrs (UK) Ltd, Orego-Stim, Osmond’s Ltd, Harkers Ltd, Aviform Ltd and Millbry Hill.

A new sponsor for 2014 was Nick and Louise South who kindly donated a Bag of Pigeon Feed for each Section Winner. Nick and Louise run L.E South Pigeon Products from Drax, North Yorkshire, a big thank you from all involved with Egremont Fancy Pigeon Society! Also for each section winner there was a piece of cut glass donated by the Club.

A big thank you also goes to the private sponsorship received from Michael Purdam, David Wilson and Mark Rudd and not forgetting John Hanson of Australian Decals who’s Pigeon Artwork was on show inside the Exhibition Centre on show day.

Another first this year was a £50.00 special given to the Best in Show winner by Ian Trohear of Lazy Loppers gardening services from Cockermouth, Cumbria. Also there was a very kind gesture from Richard Greenwood who donated a pair of his top class Marchenero Cropper to be raffled with all proceeds going to the Club, many thanks Richard!

Also the Club would like to thank Manfred Hauff and Steve Barrows for donating the pictures to the Club that were on display on the day, and the Newcastle Columbarian Society for loaning the Club, their painted pigeons, many thanks!

The pigeons that won their respective sections were as follows: Structure - Ian Sharples, Egremont with an Indian Fantail. Tumbler - M.S Knaggs & Sons, Malton with a Long Faced Clean Legged Tumbler. Form – Steve Morley, Newmarket with a Modena. Wattle/Head – K. & G. Robson, Hurworth with a Genuine Homer. Short Face – J.V & S.J Gregg, Cleator with an Oriental Frill. Blower – B.Telford, Egremont with a Voorburg Cropper. Colour/Toy – Denis Ison, Lockerbie with a Saxon Priest. RVPC – David Richardson, Wolsingham with a Polish Lynx. Owl/ Any Other Variety – David Muir, Airdre with an Old German Owl. Trumpeter. Phil Bewick, Sunderland with a German Beak Crested Trumpeter. Juvenile – Sam Neville, Cupar with a Modena and Flyer – Alastair Robertson, Glasgow with a West of England Tumbler.

The Best in Show Panel had an “Eastern” feel with the services engaged of John Postill, Harrogate, Club Sponsor Sean Morrow, Leamside and a welcome return to the fancy show scene by David Graham, Durham, big thanks gentleman for a very professional job.

The winner of the Best in Show award went to the husband and wife team of Keith and Gillian Robson with an Adult Blue Genuine Cock, I believe this bird won its section at this show two years ago, so no stranger to success. Congratulation’s Keith and Gillian!

Reserve Best in Show went to Billy Telford with a Blue Voorburg Hen. Second Reserve was Phil Bewick with a Blue Grizzle German Beak Crested Trumpeter and Best Young Bird was the Blue Modena from Steve Morley.

Blue was the colour of the day and well done to all involved!!!!

Hopefully with the success of the 2014 Show this can be built on and with the continued support from exhibitors with entries, this event can be made into an even better show next year. I certainly know that’s what the Egremont Show Committee will be endeavouring to do for 2015.

I’m pleased to announce the venue has been booked for 2015, so its all systems go for an even better show!

I would like to finish by thanking all of the Egremont Show Committee for being a great help not only on the day but also on the Friday for the setting up period, these were Andrew Stables, John & Steven Gregg, Billy Telford, Ian Sharples, John Barnes, Donald Maudling, Vic Bland,Angela and Stephen Crowe.

Also a special mention to all the Section Managers who ensured that all the relevant exhibits were involved with each section award, checking the whole process was fair and transparent, thanks for your involvement. Also Brian Turner from Barrow who took photos on behalf of the Club.

Finally a big thanks to my assistant Secretary Fiona Telford, Helen Seed, Evan Murray and Evelyn Gregg for completing all the necessary paperwork, and all the Committee, Judges & Exhibitors who stayed behind to give a help with taking the Show down, you are a credit to our hobby!

Mark Rudd on behalf of Egremont Fancy Pigeon Society.

The winner of the Best in Show award went to the husband and wife team of Keith and Gillian Robson with an Adult Blue Genuine Cock, I believe this bird won its section at this show two years ago, so no stranger to success. Congratulation’s Keith and Gillian!

Reserve Best in Show went to Billy Telford with a Blue Voorburg Hen. Second Reserve was Phil Bewick with a Blue Grizzle German Beak Crested Trumpeter and Best Young Bird was the Blue Modena from Steve Morley.

The winner of the Best in Show award went to the husband and wife team of Keith and Gillian Robson with an Adult Blue Genuine Cock, I believe this bird won its section at this show two years ago, so no stranger to success. Congratulation’s Keith and Gillian!

Reserve Best in Show went to Billy Telford with a Blue Voorburg Hen. Second Reserve was Phil Bewick with a Blue Grizzle German Beak Crested Trumpeter and Best Young Bird was the Blue Modena from Steve Morley.