1000 to 1


From the start of 2009 the 1000-1 award scheme has been sponsored by Roland Herrera (pictured left). Originally sponsored by John Slattery from late 2001 until 2007, there followed a brief period without sponsorship.
This is modelled on BIBA's "1000 to 1" award scheme, 1000-1 being the approximate odds against winning ten matches in a row.
An engraved memento is provided for any player achieving this feat in Bristol Backgammon competition, and what is more, the further a run goes, the larger the resultant trophy is!

These awards are to be presented annually, at the Awards Night each January.
Competitions covered are the Premier League, the Conference, both flights of Bristol Grand Prix tournaments and, since 2003, the Bristol Masters.
From 2010 Clock Tournament Grand Prix events are being included.

There have been several instances of the award being won, the most recent being Gaz Owen's record run of eighteen wins, equivalent to 250,000-1!
Roland's new sponsorship regime offered an additional prize of £50 for the first player exceeding his own record sequence, and Gaz was the recipient of this.
And now Gaz has offered a £100 prize for the first player to exceed his own sequence!

Current sequences

Since a large percentage of players enter knock-out events, where nearly all of those will have lost their last match, there is often a dearth of players with current winning sequences.
Winning a flight of knock-out, allied to a strong run in the league, is an ideal way to build a sequence.
Those players who currently (as at March 11th) have the best winning sequences in Bristol Backgammon are listed below:
NameWinning sequenceDetails of sequence
ED TURNER55 Premier Two wins
DAVE ABLETT55 wins in the July GP main flight
Tim Line44 wins in the Lesters 74 main flight
Michihito Kageyama44 wins in the February GP main flight
Elliot Smart44 Premier Two wins
Mike Morse44 wins in the June 2000 GP consolation flight
John Plummer33 wins in the Lesters 74 consolation flight
Jerry Limb33 Premier Two wins
Charlie Hetherington33 wins in the Lesters 61 consolation flight
Karl Thomas33 wins in the February 2001 IGP consolation flight
Dave Rees33 wins in the November 1999 pilot intermediate tournament consolation flight


Detailed below are all the instances of the award so far, most recent first:

GAZ OWEN 250,000 to 1:
the victims

beat MICHAEL CORBETTPremier One, Watershed, 09/03/09
beat MICHAEL CORBETT (again)Premier One, Watershed, 09/03/09
beat STEFFEN NOWAKLesters 70, first round, BCSC, 12/03/09
beat STUART MANNLesters 70, second round, BCSC, 12/03/09
beat PHILLIP HILLLesters 70, quarter-final, BCSC, 12/03/09
beat CECILIA SPARKELesters 70, semi-final, Two Magpies, 13/03/09
beat MARCUS WRINCHLesters 70, final, BCSC, 26/03/09
beat SIMONETTA HERRERAPremier One, Barcelo Hotel, Daventry, 04/04/09
beat MILES FARRENBristol Grand Prix main flight, second round, BCSC, 09/04/09
beat PETER EDWARDSBristol Grand Prix main flight, quarter-final, BCSC, 09/04/09
beat TIM LINEBristol Grand Prix main flight, semi-final, BCSC, 09/04/09
beat ED TURNERPremier One, Berkeley Wetherspoons, Clifton, 13/04/09
beat ED TURNER (again)Premier One, Berkeley Wetherspoons, Clifton, 13/04/09
beat IAN TARRBristol Masters, first round, BCSC, 30/04/09
beat TIM LINEBristol Masters, quarter-final, BCSC, 30/04/09
beat SIMON BAKERBristol Masters, semi-final (doubled up as a Premier One match), BCSC, 30/04/09
beat STEFFEN NOWAKPremier One, BCSC, 11/05/09
beat STEFFEN NOWAK (again)Premier One, BCSC, 11/05/09

ROLAND HERRERA 8000 to 1:
the victims

beat STEFFEN NOWAKBristol Grand Prix main flight, first round, BCSC, 10/01/08
beat CECILIA SPARKEBristol Grand Prix main flight, second round, BCSC, 10/01/08
beat PHILLIP HILLBristol Grand Prix main flight, quarter-final, BCSC, 10/01/08
beat COLIN SARABristol Grand Prix main flight, semi-final, Colin Sara's, 12/01/08
beat STEVE FERRERBristol Grand Prix main flight, final, BCSC, 16/01/08
beat PHILLIP HILLLesters 66, second round, BCSC, 13/03/08
beat MARCUS WRINCHLesters 66, quarter-final, BCSC, 13/03/08
beat TIM LINELesters 66, semi-final, BCSC, 13/03/08
beat BLAINE BUCHANANLesters 66, final, Colston Yard, 18/03/08
beat ANNE JEPPESENBristol Grand Prix main flight, first round, BCSC, 10/04/08
beat ANN POCKNELLBristol Grand Prix main flight, second round, BCSC, 10/04/08
beat TONY WALTERSBristol Grand Prix main flight, quarter-final, BCSC, 10/04/08
beat STUART MANNBristol Masters, first round, BCSC, 01/05/08

PETER EDWARDS 1000 to 1:
the victims

beat COLIN SARABristol Grand Prix consolation, quarter-final, BCSC, 08/02/07
beat CECILIA SPARKEBristol Grand Prix consolation, semi-final, BCSC, 08/02/07
beat COLIN SARABristol Conference, BCSC, 15/02/07
beat COLIN SARA againBristol Conference, BCSC, 15/02/07
beat MILES FARRENBristol Grand Prix consolation, final, BCSC, 15/02/07
beat JUDE PITTBristol Conference, BCSC, 15/02/07
beat NINA EVANGELOUBristol Conference, BCSC, 08/03/07
beat MARTIN HEMMINGLesters 62, first round, BCSC, 08/03/07
beat IAN PRESTONLesters 62, second round, BCSC, 08/03/07
beat SIMON BAKERLesters 62, quarter-final, BCSC, 08/03/07

PHIL CHARLTON 1000 to 1:
the victims

beat ROLAND HERRERABristol Premier League Div.2, BCSC, 27/07/06
beat ALAN PARFITTBristol Premier League Div.2, Chequers, Kingswood, 31/07/06
beat RICHARD OWSLEYBristol Premier League Div.2, BCSC, 31/08/06
beat SIMON BAKERBristol Premier League Div.2, Foresters, Downend, 20/09/06
beat JOHN PATONBristol Premier League Div.2, Hillgrove Porter Stores, 27/09/06
beat STEFFEN NOWAKBristol Premier League Div.2, BCSC, 28/09/06
beat TONY WALTERSBristol Premier League Div.2, BCSC, 03/10/06
beat BLAINE BUCHANANBristol Premier League Div.2, BCSC, 19/10/06
beat MARTIN HEMMINGBristol Premier League Div.2, Bear of Rodborough, 25/11/06
beat STUART MANNBristol Premier League Div.1, Cornubia, 07/02/07

ROLAND HERRERA 2000 to 1:
the victims

beat ED TURNERLesters 57, second round, BCSC, 08/12/05
beat PAUL WATTSLesters 57, quarter-final, BCSC, 08/12/05
beat SIMONETTA HERRERALesters 57, semi-final, BCSC, 08/12/05
beat MARK DIXONLesters 57, final, Roland and Simonetta's, 08/12/05
beat MARTIN HEMMINGBristol Grand Prix main flight, first round, BCSC, 12/01/06
beat STUART MANNBristol Grand Prix main flight, second round, BCSC, 12/01/06
beat SIMON BAKERBristol Grand Prix main flight, quarter-final, BCSC, 12/01/06
beat JASON CHAMPIONBristol Grand Prix main flight, semi-final, BCSC, 12/01/06
beat IAN TARRBristol Grand Prix main flight, final, Roland and Simonetta's, 17/01/06
beat TIM LINEBristol Premier League Div.2, BCSC, 26/01/06
beat IAN PRESTONBristol Grand Prix main flight, second round, BCSC, 09/02/06

TONY WALTERS 1000 to 1:
the victims

beat MILES FARRENBristol Conference, BCSC, 14/09/05
beat MILES FARRENBristol Conference, BCSC, 14/09/05
beat TIM LINEBristol Conference, BCSC, 14/09/05
beat TIM OLDFIELDBristol Conference, Gentlemen's Club, 20/09/05
beat TIM OLDFIELDBristol Conference, BCSC, 22/09/05
beat SUSY LIEDTKEBristol Conference, BCSC, 28/09/05
beat SUSY LIEDTKEBristol Conference, BCSC, 28/09/05
beat JON KENTBristol Conference, BCSC, 28/09/05
beat ROBERT HAMPSONBristol Conference, BCSC, 03/10/05
beat ROBERT HAMPSONBristol Conference, BCSC, 03/10/05

MARTIN HEMMING 2000 to 1:
the victims

beat THOMAS LIEDTKEBristol Grand Prix main flight, second round, BCSC, 13/01/05
beat CYNTHIA ROBERTSBristol Grand Prix main flight, quarter-final, BCSC, 13/01/05
beat ROLAND HERRERABristol Grand Prix main flight, semi-final, BCSC, 13/01/05
beat STEFFEN NOWAKBristol Grand Prix main flight, final, BCSC, 26/01/05
beat STUART MANNBristol Premier League Div.1, BCSC, 26/01/05
beat ALAN PARFITTBristol Grand Prix main flight, first round, BCSC, 10/02/05
beat ELLIOT SMARTBristol Grand Prix main flight, second round, BCSC, 10/02/05
beat TIM OLDFIELDBristol Grand Prix main flight, quarter-final, BCSC, 10/02/05
beat CHARLIE HETHERINGTONBristol Grand Prix main flight, semi-final, BCSC, 10/02/05
beat KEVIN JONESBristol Grand Prix main flight, final, Roland and Simonetta's, 10/02/05
beat SIMONETTA BARONEBristol Premier League Div.1, Roland and Simonetta's, 13/02/05

ED TURNER 1000 to 1:
the victims

beat STUART MANNBristol Grand Prix consolation, quarter-final, BCSC, 11/11/04
beat TONY WALTERSBristol Grand Prix consolation, semi-final, BCSC, 11/11/04
beat RICHARD CARTWRIGHTBristol Grand Prix consolation, final, BCSC, 11/11/04
beat STEVE FERRERBristol Premier League Div.2, BCSC, 11/11/04
beat ROLAND HERRERABristol Premier League Div.2, BCSC, 24/11/04
beat PHILLIP HILLLesters 53, first round, BCSC, 09/12/04
beat STUART MANNLesters 53, second round, BCSC, 09/12/04
beat IAN PRESTONLesters 53, quarter-final, BCSC, 09/12/04
beat ROSEY BENSLEYLesters 53, semi-final, BCSC, 09/12/04
beat DAVE PYMLesters 53, final, BCSC, 10/12/04

STUART MANN 1000 to 1:
the victims

beat DAVE PYMBristol Premier League Div.1, BCSC, 08/05/03
beat IAN TARRBristol Premier League Div.1, BCSC, 28/05/03
beat PAUL WATTSLesters 47, first round, BCSC, 12/06/03
beat ROSEY BENSLEYLesters 47, second round, BCSC, 12/06/03
beat MARTIN HEMMINGLesters 47, quarter-final, BCSC, 12/06/03
beat CHRIS JOHNSONLesters 47, semi-final, BCSC, 12/06/03
beat DAVE PYMLesters 47, final, doubled as Bristol Premier League Div.1, BCSC, 17/06/03
beat PHIL CHARLTONBristol Premier League Div.1, BCSC, 25/06/03
beat PHIL CHARLTONBristol Premier League Div.1, BCSC, 30/07/03
beat MARTIN HEMMINGBristol Premier League Div.1, BCSC, 30/07/03

STUART MANN 4000 to 1:
the victims

beat KEVIN WHITEJanuary GP, second round, BCSC, 10/01/02
beat ED TURNERJanuary GP, quarter-final, BCSC, 10/01/02
beat CHARLIE HETHERINGTONJanuary GP, semi-final, BCSC, 10/01/02
beat JERRY LIMBJanuary GP, final, The Leap, Downend, 17/01/02
beat CHARLIE HETHERINGTONBristol Premier League, BCSC, 24/01/02
beat ED TURNERBristol Premier League, BCSC, 30/01/02
beat JOHN SPRAGUEFebruary GP, second round, BCSC, 14/02/02
beat JERRY LIMBFebruary GP, quarter-final, BCSC, 14/02/02
beat IAN PRESTONFebruary GP, semi-final, BCSC, 14/02/02
beat JOHN SLATTERYBristol Premier League, Rosey Bensley's, 16/02/02
beat ELLIOT SMARTBristol Premier League, Rosey Bensley's, 16/02/02
beat PAUL WATTSFebruary GP, final, The Leap, Downend, 21/02/02


Click on the links below to find out about other sponsored awards.

Most Improved Player sponsored by Martin Hemming

Rookie of the Year sponsored by Paul Gilbertson

Handicap Trophy sponsored by Ed Turner


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