C. A. RHODES MEMORIAL AWARD
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and Sheffrec Cycling Club
RECIPIENTS OF THE AWARD - 1961 TO 1969
Organised the York Rally for the twentieth consecutive year.
Since its inception in 1945 the York Rally has grown to be one of the major events in the year’s cycling programme, an event of international significance, universal in its attraction and all embracing in its range of interests.
Through a full score years the prime responsibility for the organisation rested on this one man; a man who by 1945 had already earned the Sir Alfred Bird prize for services to the Cyclists Touring Club, a man whose abiding enthusiasm for cycling has spanned the better part of forty years.
Tourist, photographer, lecturer, spokesman for cycling, honorary secretary of the Hull & East Riding DA for sixteen years, CTC councillor since 1945 and recipient of the Gold Medal of the Alliance International Tourisme in 1963. He has made a sustained and continuous contribution which constitutes an achievement of the first magnitude and a most notable and signal service to cycling.
Won the British Womens Best All Rounder Competition for the third year in succession; won the Womens National Time Trial Championships at 25, 50 and 100 miles, all for the fourth year in succession; the Womens National Track Pursuit for the second year in succession and the Womens C.R.A. Road Race Championship. She also finished second in the Womens World Pursuit and Road Race Championships and set up new National Records at 10 and 25 miles.
In four seasons she has gained three world championships and seventeen national titles;has three times been Best All Rounder, has set up one world record and twelve national records and has twice received the Bidlake Plaque as the country’s outstanding Cyclist of the Year.
Mrs Beryl Burton has brought to her native County a succession of honours the like of which has never been excelled.
Won the British Best All Rounder Competition
By gaining this most prized honour at the age of 18 he set up an all-time record, being easily the youngest ever to win the contest since its inception in 1930.
His success was the crowning achievement to a season in which Yorkshire riders gained twenty major honours; it gained for the county a primacy in the BBAR competition which it had not enjoyed for 25 years.
He attained this pinnacle in British cycling, previously occupied by only two other Yorkshiremen - Cyril Heppleston (1937) and Shake Earnshaw (1938) - within eighteen months of riding his first time-trial, an extraordinary achievement quite without precedent.
In recognition of his great contribution over many years, as an able administrator, to the well being of cycling sport in Yorkshire.
Commenced cycling in 1921 and a member of Rotherham Wh. C.C. 1923 to date. He competed in time-trials with considerable success from 1925 to 1934 then turned to administration.
In the 1930s he served the interests of the South Yorkshire Centre N.C.U. (both locally and nationally), Yorkshire C.F., East Midlands R.R.A. and Sheffield C.C.A. (later to become North Midlands C.F.).
He has rendered signal service to Road Time Trials Council, was instrumental in the formation of North Midlands D.C. and in 1938 joined the District Committee. Served as District Hon. Secretary from 1941 to 1957, member of R.T.T.C. National Committee 1944 to 1950 and held the office of District Chairman from 1960 to 1967.
Has given outstanding and unstinted service to cycling sport for over thirty years. His devotion and dedication to the various offices he has held in that time are beyond praise.
The Award serves as an indication of the high esteem in which he is held throughout the length and breadth of Yorkshire.
Won the RTTC National 25 miles and 50 miles Championships.
In accomplishing this feat, Breedon (a member of Rockingham CC) became the first northern rider, and only the second man ever, to take both titles in one season.
The performances recorded are superlative by any standard. The 25 miles were ridden in 55 mins. 18 secs. and the 50 miles in 1hr. 54 mins. 28 secs. Both constituted new Championship records.
This 1965 achievement followed an outstanding season in 1964, during which he won the RTTC National 25 miles Championship (the first time for 20 years that this honour had been achieved by a member of a Yorkshire club) and established new competition records for the 25 miles and 50 miles distances of 54 mins. 23 secs. and 1 hr. 50 mins. 3 secs. respectively. The latter record still stands.
His successes have brought great honour both to himself and to the county.
In recognition of the outstanding performances of its members in cycling competition in recent years, and the selection of members to represent Great Britain in International Competition.
During the period 1965 to 1969, besides innumerable successes in time trial and road race events, club members have achieved twelve individual placings (including four firsts) and team successes in national time trial championships, have established five individual and six team time trial competition records, and have annexed the BBAR team award in four of the past five years.
The principal contributions have been by:-
Roy Cromack: 1967 12 hours TT Champion, rode in 1968 Olympics, 1969 24 hours TT Champion (507 miles - Championship and Competition Record)
Pete Smith: 1966 – 1967 2nd in five TT Championships, rode in 1968 Olympics and 1969 World Championships.
John Watson: 1967 100 miles TT Champion, rode in 1968 Olympics and 1969 World Championships, 1969 12 hour TT Champion (281 miles Championship and Competition Record.)
In addition A.J.Boswell, P.Taylor, A. Hargreaves, D. Pickard, MTH Potter and P.Watson have variously shared in winning Championship and Competition Record Teams.
The splendid achievements of these members have brought great honour both to the Club and to the county of Yorkshire.
Won the national 24 hours championship and gained second place in the national 12 hours championship.
By these successes he crowned more than fifteen years vigorous enjoyment of cycling in all its phases as a tourist and camper (in England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, France, Switzerland, Austria, Yugoslavia); official and event organiser; competitor in cyclo-cross, road race, hill climb and time trial.
His hard riding enthusiasm gained for him the YCF Furnival Trophy (1960); three wins in the Yorkshire Century ‘12’ (1953, 1954, 1959); fourth place in the national ‘12’ of 1952, second in 1959, fourth in 1960, third in 1961 and second in 1962; second in the North Road ‘24’ of 1955; eleventh place in the 1959 BBAR and he has held the NRRA York to Lancaster and back record since 1954.
His successes have worthily maintained the county’s proud tradition in long distance cycling.
Won the World Road Race Championship, and in winning the Otley C.C. Women’s 12 hour time-trial with 277.2 miles, she beat the men’s 12 hour time-trial Competition Record of 271.8 miles.
This is the first instance, so far as can be ascertained, in the whole field of National and International athletic endeavour, that a men’s record has been bettered by a woman.
Her additional achievements in 1967 included third place in the World Pursuit Championship, winner of the National Pursuit and Road Race Championships, British Best All Rounder for the ninth successive year and winner of the three Women’s National Time Trial Championships at 25, 50 and 100 miles, and the setting up of new women’s time trial competition records at 10 miles (22.43), 25 miles (56.07), 30 miles (1.12.43), 50 miles (1.56.00), and 100 miles (4.40.50).
She was the first recipient of the award on its inauguration in 1961, since which date she has won an additional four World Championships and 29 National Championships. In 1964 she was honoured by the award of the M.B.E. for services to sport.
Beryl Burton has dominated women’s competitive cycling, both at national and international level for the past decade. Her achievements have brought great honour, not only to herself, but the County of Yorkshire and to Great Britain.
1961 - Mrs Beryl Burton
1962 - Norman (Nim) Carline
1963 - Peter Hill
1964 - Cliff Pratt
1965 - Barry N Breedon
1966 - Arthur Metcalfe
1967 - Mrs Beryl Burton MBE
1968 - Wilfred Ball
1969 - Clifton Cycling Club
Won the British Best All Rounder competition at a record average speed of 24.786 mph and won the National Amateur Road Race Championship.
He becomes the first man ever to win the supreme titles in both branches of amateur road cycling sport and has done so in the same year.
His achievements in 1966 include representing England in the Amateur Road Race Championship of the World, winning the Yorkshire Best All Rounder competition, completing 100 miles in competition in 3 hours 57 minutes 33 seconds so becoming the third fastest rider at this distance and attaining the third best total in 12 hour competition of 270.5 miles.
His past successes include victory in the Isle of Man International road race in 1965 and the Tour of Britain in 1964, the award of the Val Waterhouse Memorial Trophy as Britain’s best road racing cyclist in 1964, and the award of the Vaux Trophy as the North’s best rider in the Tour of Britain in three successive years.
His riding has attained an outstanding level and brought exceptional honour to himself and to the County of Yorkshire.