Richard and his grandson Tom, from Louth, won the race in the sixth fastest time in the club's 118 year history recording a velocity of 1837ypm. It is their second win with the club this season after they took the title from Perth. Overall this is a total of four open wins plus many section successes for sixty-seven year old Richard, who is also a good worker for the sport. Richard had always maintained that he was not a distance fancier believing his birds did better at the sprint and middle distance races. He and Tom were amazed to win but obviously delighted by the result.
Richard acknowledged that the loft was among the shorter flyers but that said, it must have been a very good pigeon as none of the other shorter flyers in Lincolnshire were anywhere near him. In fact the other leading pigeons were in a variety of sections. The winner therefore must have come on his own down the coast.
The Lerwick winner is a three year old blue chequer cock flown celibate. It has always been a consistent performer and was the one that Richard fancied out of the six the partners sent. Although they were surprised to win, they weren't surprised that this cock was the winning bird. All of the partner's entries had been to Dunbar and Perth but had missed Fraserburgh as Richard doesn't think Lerwick birds need over-working, however they did have a race from Alnwick with the federation in preparation for Lerwick. All the birds also enjoyed an open loft for two to three hours a day, giving them time to enjoy their leisure in the sun and wind.
The parents of the Lerwick winner were bought from the Premier Stud sale in Blackpool in 2015. The sire is a Geerinckx, whilst the dam is a De-rauw Sablon. Richard and Tom had a second pigeon that should feature well in the final result and again it was a celibate cock of David Beswick Cooreman bloodlines. They sent six, had four on the day and one the following day, so excellent returns.
Congratulations Richard and Tom!