THE HISTORY OF THE L&SECC ‘BROOKER GOLD CUP’.

 

One of the main trophies in the L&SECC today is the ‘Brooker Gold Cup’ competed for each season in the Tours Yearling Derby and is won by the first nominated yearling on the open result. When the old London Columbarian Society disbanded a few years ago their magnificent array of trophies were donated to other clubs and the ‘Brooker Gold Cup’ was donated to the L&SECC by the Society. This wonderful trophy is solid gold and is now insured for £5,000. I was chairman of the London Coly in the 1980’s and my good friend, the late Dick Brooker of Claygate was president for a number of years at that time and there was always confusion that he had donate the ‘Gold Cup’, but in fact a Mr. W. Brooker had originally presented the cup many years earlier. Betty and I won this wonderful cup in 1985 with our Dordin mealy cock ‘Gold Strike’ and I remember that Nantes race to this day. This natural cock was so keen that he was through the open door and in his nest box before I had time to move toward the loft to clock him! The Dordin pigeons from Ron Wasey and John Hopwood were brilliant racing and in the show pen from the outset, with the main one being a Mealy late bred named ‘Ronnie’, which was gifted to us by Ron Wasey of New Addington. ‘Ronnie’ was the sire of many winners, including ‘Gold Strike’ and was sire of Annette Boyd good stock hen, ‘Lucky Lady’. The 1986 season saw Annette Boyd of Tolworth win 1st Open S.M.T. Combine Bodmin Young Bird race with 3,592 birds competing, and this in only Annette's third year in the sport. The Combine winner, was known as 'Double Ace', a very nice apple ­bodied hen of Dordin breeding, had already started to show its potential the week prior to the Combine race when she won 2nd club from Weymouth. The dam, bred by us, was Annette's well known one-legged red chequer hen 'Lucky Lady'. This game little hen lost her leg as a young bird in 1985. She was found hanging from the snow guard on the roof of Annette's house, firmly caught by her ring and was rescued with the aid of a ladder. Her leg was so badly damaged that it eventually shriveled and dropped off. Annette, being the animal lover she was, would not part with the hen and housed her in a rabbit hutch hoping she would breed in 1986.

 

The 2009 winners of the ‘Brooker Gold Cup’ were Reg and Richard Maybey of Virginia Water, with their good yearling widowhood blue pied cock, now called ‘The Gold Cup Cock’. His sire was bred by Orly en Dirk Pals of Bovenkerk and was purchased on trip to Holland in 2007. His dam was a Grizzle gifted to the Maybey’s by club mate John Waldron and Richard said, ‘I took a shine to this hen the first time I handled her at the club and John promised me that when she retires I could have her’. She is a 2002 bred pigeon who has scored over the channel many times, with her mother being a Combine winner from Nantes and her father was a purchase from Lier market in Belgium. The partners previously won the ‘Brooker Gold Cup’ in 2007 with their good blue chequer hen, ‘The Classic Hen’.

 

The partners have enjoyed many successes through the years with their pigeons, including 2009: 1st open SMT Combine Messac, 2008: 2nd open L&SECC Bergerac and 2007: 2nd open L&SECC Guernsey (OH). Reg says, over the last few seasons they have specialised in sprint / middle distance racing, but in recent seasons have become members of the London & South East Classic Club and National Flying Club, so hope to enjoy some quality long distance racing in the near future. In their short time racing in the L&SECC, Reg and Richard have been very successful racing hens, with their main classic stars being ‘The Bergerac Hen’ and ‘The Classic Hen’. Both these two champion hens have put up fantastic results in the classic being raced on the roundabout system. I think their performances are well worth a mention with them winning: ‘The Classic Hen’: 2nd open L&SECC Guernsey (OH), 5th open L&SECC Guernsey (OH), 12th open L&SECC Guernsey (OH), 23rd open L&SECC Guernsey (OH), 55th open L&SECC Guernsey (OH), 72nd open L&SECC Guernsey (OH), 8th Federation Picauville: ‘The Bergerac Hen’: 2nd open L&SECC Bergerac (450 miles), 6th open L&SECC Guernsey (OH), 15th open L&SECC Guernsey (OH), 108th open L&SECC Bergerac, 3rd Federation Kingsdown. Two fantastic hens!

 

The L&SECC has a first class race advisor in the form of Steve Appleby of Ash and in recent year has won the ‘The Brooker Gold Cup’ twice.  He first won the cup racing on the south road from Nantes (279 miles) in 1999, timing in a blue chequer pied cock now named "Sky Prince" to recording 12th open on a very steady racing day. In 2004 the race took place from Morpeth on the North Road a distance of 275 miles and Steve was delighted to win this cup for the second time with a little blue chequer hen "Sky Crusader". Three weeks after winning the ‘Brooker Gold Cup’ this game little hen was turned round and sent as a single entry to Cholet on the south road again with the L&SECC, a distance of 289 miles. She was timed after 9 hours and 21 minutes on the wing racing into a north east wind, winning 94th open, velocity 947 ypm. The ‘Brooker Gold Cup’ has only been won twice several times before in the L&SECC by the same fancier, including the partnerships of Reg & Richard Maybey, Skeet & Keen and Steve Appleby, but Steve’s is the only loft to win this coveted award on the north road and the south road.

 

I first met Steve Appleby about fourteen years ago, when I first started convoying for the London & South East Classic Club and he was my race advisor. In that time we had some great fun working together, producing some good racing for the Classic and have become very good friends. Steve has a sound knowledge how forecasts work as he has studied meteorology for over 20 years. Stevie is the best race advisor in the sport and in recent years has taken the job to new higher level of excellence. I ask you, where would race advisory be in this country with out Steve Appleby? He has the best technology available and is 100% dedicated to producing the very best racing for the fanciers every Saturday, whether it is Federation or Classic. When I asked Steve how he thought the sport had improved over the last few years, he said, with out a doubt the availability of modern technology. The use of mobile phones, ETS clocking, weather satellites has advanced our sport to a new level. As Steve race advises for many of the major organisations in England and Scotland the use of technology has been crucial. The value of this technology has proved its worth many times as without the accurate incoming data mistakes in assessing the line of flight could easily have been made.

 

TEXT & PHOTOS BY KEITH MOTT. 

 

"SKY PRINCE"   Winner of the Brooker Gold Cup.

         This cock was sent on the widowhood system.    

"SKY CRUSADER"     Yearling blue chequer hen winner of the Brooker Gold Cup racing from Morpeth on the north road in 2004.