HAVING been runner-up twice this season - from Stafford and Falaise - Geoff Wilson (pictured) & Son's two-year-old blue cock went one better last Saturday by winning Luddenden Foot Homing Society's race from Fougeres.
A total of 79 birds were sent by 12 members and released into a light north-west wind at 6.45am.
With 375 miles to travel and a head wind for the first time this season it was always going to be a testing race but at the end only a minute separat
ed the Wilson's pigeon from Keith Tattersall & and Son's six-year-old bird.
John and Karen Laycock were third and fourth some nine minutes adrift of the front two. The Wilsons took the £43 pool money to Wainstalls and the Smiths – Steve and Mark – won the latest knock-out competition with the bird in sixth place.
The first four all featured highly in the Pennine Valleys Federation result with the Wilsons sixth, Tattersalls seventh and the Laycocks 12th and 22nd from an entry of 421 birds.
This Saturday's race is from Cheltenham.
Fougeres result: 1 G Wilson & Son 1136; 2K Tattersall & Son 1134; 3, 4 J & K Laycock1117, 1090; 5 Boland, Brown & Highley 1073; 6, 7 S & M Smith 1062, 1055; 8 S D Brearley 1009; 9 Boland, Brown & Highley 991; 10 T Divers 990; 11 W Lawson 964; 12 Mr & Mrs Hiam 953; 13 S D Brearley 940; 14 W Lawson 932; 15 J & K Laycock 923.
