Copied from Facebook By Steven Dalgliesh
Here's some info from WP on the winning lofts from the Solway 2025....well done to my fellow clubmates and Karl.
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Solway Federation Trophies for 2025 were presented to the winning fanciers at the Federation AGM, which was held in Lockerbie on Sunday 9th November.
Highest Prize winners were Karl Guenther and grandson Lewis from Brydekirk West who received the Festival of Britain Challenge Trophy for Highest Overall from the Old Bird Open race, the Ryan Nith Challenge Trophy for Highest West Section from the Old Bird Open Race, the Richard Rennison Trophy for First Yearling from the Old Bird Open Race, the W. Kirk Challenge Cup for Highest West Section from the Young Bird Open Race, the George Grant Challenge Trophy for Highest Overall from the Longest Inland Race, the j. Wallace Rose Bowl for First Yearling from the Longest Inland Race, the W.J. Gass Challenge Cup for Best Average from the Old Bird and Young Bird Open Race and the Albert Hay Trophy for the Best Average in the West Section from the Old Bird and Young Bird Open Race. Karl, who previously competed in partnership with his good lady Liz now competes in partnership with his grandson, Lewis and is no stranger to the prize winners table. In 2004 he and Liz were presented with the trophy as Runners-up to the Solway Fed. Fancier of the Year and the following season they were presented with the trophy as Federation Fanciers of the Year. In 2011 they were awarded the trophy as Runners-up to the Federation Fancier of the Year and in 2012 were once again presented with the Trophy as Federation Fanciers of the Year. In former years an independent adjudicator was invited to view the weekly Federation results after which he selected the fancier of the year and runner-up to the fancier of the year. It was decided nine years ago, however, that fancier of the year trophies would be presented to the top fanciers in the East and West Sections of the Federation with the winners being decided on a points system. With the new format in 2013, the partners were awarded the Cochran Cup as West Section Fanciers of the Year; they won it again in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020. The loft title was subsequently changed to Karl Guenther and grandson with the new partnership winning the trophy in 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024. In 2025 the Federation O.B. Open Race was flown from Brighton with birds being duplicated out of the National. Karl and Lewis did not just win the Section with the National they were in fact 1st 2nd and 3rd with the three pigeons being 5th, 6th and 7th Open National and with birds being duplicated into the Federation they were 1st, 2nd and 3rd Open Federation. The Fed winner was a 2 y.o. Mealy cock, the Sire of which is a Gunter Prange x Koopman, containing the lines of ‘261’ that gained 10 – individual 1sts and ’520‘ that gained 7 –individual 1sts. Dam is a Gunter Prange x August Woutars that contains the lines of ‘Blue Dream’ which was 1st National Ace Pigeon Belgium and gained 10 – individual 1sts. The Mealy cock was 1st Fed. Shap as a y.b. competing against 1268 birds and as a yearling was 1st Club, 1st West Section, 6th Open Federation, 6th South Section, 29th Open S.N.F.C. Kettering 221 miles, competing against 3,175b birds.
George Firth from Hoddom was presented with the Sir John W. Buchanan Jardine Trophy for Highest East Section from the Old Bird Open Race. George resides near the village of Boreland, North of Lockerbie and was formerly a member of Lockerbie Club, joining Hoddom Club some months ago. Prior to moving to Scotland he lived at Leeds and was involved in the administration side of our hobby. He was Secretary and Delegate of Bramley Club in Leeds, Aire and Wharfdale Combine and Leeds Amal. He was also President of Mid Yorkshire Combine and along with Tony Oates was one of the prime movers in the formation of the Combine He is a very good fancier and has gained a number of prominent positions at his current address with the highlight being when he won the Y.B. National from Buckingham in 2014. The National winner was a home bred Blue hen named ‘My Way’. He always has a team of quality pigeons about him evidenced by the breeding of ‘My Way’. Dam was bred from a hen that bred the Section winner from the 2012 Y.B. National. It was bred by
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Ronnie Evans from Sunderland out of Blue hen ‘Tilly’ when paired to Chequer Pied cock ‘354’ that gained 3 x 1st Club, 2 x 1st Fed. and 1st Sect. against 4,000 + birds. Sire of the 2014 Y.B. National winner was a Blue cock that was bred by Wall, Lunt and Green. His Sire was obtained direct from Andreas Drapa bred direct from his No. 1 Cock ‘Champ’. Paternal grand-dam of the 2014 Y.B. National winner was bred direct from Wall, Lunt and Green’s ‘Adonis’, which was a superb breeder, being Sire of two times Provincial winner, ‘The Promise’ and many other winners. Having explained that the 2025 Fed. O.B. Open was flown from Brighton with birds being duplicated out of the National it should be understood that George’s Section winner, which is a 2 y.o. Blue cock, was 4th Open Fed., 4th Section 7th Open National.
Alistair Little from Hoddom was presented with the Sir John W. Buchanan Jardine Challenge Cup for Highest East Section from the Young Bird Open Race. Alistair has had an interest in the pigeon hobby from schoolboy years being initially tutored and encouraged by his late father. He then left the fancy but following his marriage, decided to form a loft at his home address being assisted by his wife Cindy and his father-in-law, Jimmy Dalgliesh. Alistair has his own joinery business and with time being at a premium he chose once again to leave the Fancy for a time but re-entered the hobby and as the years have passed he has gone out his way to obtain best bloodlines. Consider, for example that in 2024, competing with the S.N.F.C. from Nort-Sur-Erdre he was 2nd Section 3rd Open National with a handsome 3 y.o. Blue Chequer cock, the bloodlines of which are 100% Jan Aarden, with both parents having been purchased from The House of Aarden. Sire a Chequer W.F. that was bred direct from ‘Padfield Jack’, with the Dam a Dark Chequer bred direct from ‘Padfield Dave’.
Davie Little from Hoddom was presented with the Percy Cameron Memorial Trophy as East Section Fancier of the Year and also received the S. & T. Allen Gold Ring Challenge Shield. When it was known that Davie had won the Fancier of the Year Trophy I penned an article on him, which was posted on the Federation Facebook page on 15th October.
Winner of the West Section Fancier of the Year Trophy is Jim Russell from the Nith Valley Club. Jim was unfortunately unable to attend the Meeting and my understanding is that Michael Currie the Federation President is going to deliver the trophy to Jim’s home address by hand and will get a photo, which will be posted on the Facebook page in due course.
All the above trophies were presented by Dennis Anderson. There was, however, a further presentation made by Michael Currie. In 2024 the highest Prize Winner was Jackie Gilmour from Hoddom who regrettably passed away two weeks before the presentation. Jackie was a super fancier and right nice person and I’ve no doubt that he would have been ever so proud to have won the trophies and with equal pride Jackie’s son, John stepped forward at the 2024 Presentation to accept the silverware on his father’s behalf. The trophies that Jackie won were the Festival of Britain Challenge Trophy for Highest Overall from the O.B. Open Race, the Sir John W.Buchanan Jardine Trophy for Highest East Section from the O.B. Open Race and the W.J. Gass Challenge Cup for Best Average from the O.B. and Y.B. Open races. It should be explained that the plan in 2024 was that the O.B. Open race would be flown from Guernsey, being convoyed by Lanarkshire Federation, but due to conditions at the race point the convoy was brought back to England and liberated at Cheltenham. In 2024 Jackie also won The NHS trophy in memory of Graham Alexander Hughes for first nominated pigeon from the race being the first winner and £500 sponsored by Scottish Distance Doo Club. At his own expense, Michael Currie arranged with a local photographer to prepare a
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Montage showing Jackie’s widow, Sylvia and the family holding the four trophies with a historic image of Jackie in the background. It is absolutely beautiful and at the Meeting Michael presented the framed photograph to Jackie’s son John with a request that he pass it on to his mother.
