Tom Burkhill

TOM BURKHILL — THE 2026 COMEBACK PERFORMANCE SALE

After a fantastic 2026 young bird season Tom now offers his entire race team for auction.

FIVE IN THE TOP TEN NRCC OPEN — THE FIRST FIVE IN SECTION F!

What a return to racing! Club wins in seven of the eight race weeks competed, Federation results packed with loft mates, and a team performance from Dunbar that deserves a very close look.

Now Northern Premier Online Auctions offer 72 lots across four parts: the raced pigeons behind those performances, together with younger brothers and sisters from the same proven matings.

A COMEBACK BUILT ON PROVEN WINNERS

At the end of 2025 Tom emptied his racing lofts to concentrate on his young family and businesses. But he missed the sport. His good friend Lee Beaumont of Barnsley had continued to house retired racers and, over more than five years, had received youngsters bred from the best of Tom’s stock.

That gave them the breeding base for a fresh team. Lee offered Tom the third round, arriving in late April and early May, to be raced every week and then offered through Les Green in October. Six months racing, six months away from the demands of a race team — a way to enjoy the sport around family and business commitments.

Lee and Tom’s dad, Dave Burkill, bred and reared the youngsters. Tom put them to the test.

THE 2026 RESULTS SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES!

Club winner in one or both clubs in seven of eight race weeks competed.
Sleaford — first 20 Federation positions against 969 birds, with 26 pigeons arriving together.
Retford — first seven Federation positions against 826 birds.
Bubwith — 1st Federation against 583 birds.
Bubwith, in the other Federation — 1st and 2nd against 444 birds.
Wetherby — 1st Federation against 787 birds.
Darlington — 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th Federation against 634 birds.

NRCC YOUNG BIRD NATIONAL — DUNBAR, 272 MILES

Against 83 members sending 1,059 birds:

6th Open
7th Open
8th Open
9th Open
10th Open
12th Open

The first five positions in Section F came from the same drop, with 14 pigeons in the Section’s top 20. That is depth right through a team.

BREEDER BUYER AND FUTURITY SUCCESS

Berwick, 250 miles — 2nd, 4th and 12th Breeder Buyer, winning £4,050.
Darlington — 1st and 3rd Breeder Buyer from two entries, winning £1,030.
NRCC Young Bird Futurity, Dunbar — 2nd Section and 3rd Open, winning £2,000 with a pigeon bred by Kev Spiers.

THE BLOOD BEHIND THE PERFORMANCES

Proven Van Den Bulck bloodlines obtained from Les Green, the Alex Docx family of James Dutton and the Lincia lines of Ian Stafford form the foundation. Winners paired back to winners, with performance driving the selection.

My Maximus, bred by Futuristic Lofts, is a key breeder in the catalogue: sire of winners of over 30 first prizes and grandsire of winners of over 100 first prizes. The individual pedigrees and descriptions show exactly where each lot fits.

Tom reports that 71 youngsters were sent to him and 50 remained at the end of the season, having been to every race, including 250 and 272 miles. The team was raced naturally and managed with a straightforward approach.

These are performance pigeons and their close-bred siblings, offered as part of Tom’s planned young bird racing arrangement. He has no ambition to build an old bird team or dramatically increase his numbers.

Study the racers. Study their brothers and sisters. Study the breeding behind a team that delivered from the opening race through to Dunbar.