Our season began with our usual opening race from Dunbar on Saturday 16th May 2026.
As is often the case in pigeon racing, our season did not begin smoothly. Our Cambridge Marking Station lay on the edge of a 10km Avian Influenza Surveillance Zone, so it could not be used for the first race.
NRCC officials worked hard to secure an alternative venue, no easy task given the need to consider location, logistics and facilities.
However, we found an alternative Marking Station at Takeley, near Bishops Stortford. This proved hugely successful with our members, so much so they asked for this Marking Station to become the permanent one instead of Cambridge!
Following this member feedback, we reviewed the logistics of making Takeley our permanent Marking Station and were pleased to confirm that it is now possible. At the time of writing, Arbroath pigeons have just been marked there with great success, thanks to our Officer in Charge, Ray Luffman.
So, Dunbar…where is it? Dunbar is a coastal town located in the south east of Scotland, approximately 30 miles east of Edinburgh and 30 miles from the English border of Berwick upon Tweed.
Dunbar itself is rich in history. Dunbar Castle dates back to the 7th century, and the first stone castle, built around 1070, became one of Scotland’s strongest fortresses, standing prominently above the harbour. It remained in use until 1567. Today, it is a picturesque ruin with only fragments of its walls left and although closed to the public for safety reasons, it can still be seen from a distance.
Back to the race, after all 2,124 birds were loaded onto the transporter, the driver and David Pettitt, NRCC Convoyer, headed for Dunbar shortly after 3pm.
After one stop on the journey, they arrived at the race point at 10pm, where the pigeons were checked and watered.
On Saturday morning, David awoke at 04:30 to a beautiful sunrise. The birds were checked again and water was topped up.
David remained in close contact with NRCC Weather Advisor Ray Luffman throughout the early morning. Once an early patch of rain had cleared further along the flight path and conditions at both the race point and along the route were excellent, they agreed on a liberation time.
The pigeons were released at 08:00 into a west wind, and the race was on!
1st Open and 1st C Section
Taking 1st Open and 1st C Section was Mr & Mrs D Evans from Alford flying 218 miles, 1747 yards.
This was an incredible 14th NRCC win for Dave and Pat, an incredible achievement for the husband and wife partnership.
This pigeon, a beautiful yearling dark pied hen is the favourite of Dave and Pat’s great-grandson, Isaac. When his grandma phoned to tell him it had won, he jumped up and down in the living room with excitement! Isaac loves helping his grandad with the pigeons when he visits, from feeding the birds to flagging them if they do not fly.
Isaac came round to Dave and Pat’s when Ray was verifying the pigeon and ran over to be included in the photos. I find it lovely to see the youngsters getting involved with the birds like this.
Dave and Pat fly the roundabout system, flying hens one week and cocks the next.
This yearling hen, bred from Kittel bloodlines, had previously performed well for Dave and Pat, including a second-place finish at club level and I feel there is more to come!
Section A
1st Section A went to Mr & Mrs D Lack of Nottingham, flying 216 miles, 1660 yards.
Dean and his wife Donna’s winning bird, known as the 28 cock, is a top-class racer with twelve first prizes to his name. He was bred from Shadow and Bliksem lines obtained from Dean’s good friend Kevin Frail. Dean and Donna race on the roundabout system, and their success reflects a strong team effort, with Dean working shifts and Donna providing support. Dean is pictured holding his winning bird, the 28 cock.
First Section B
First Section B, was Dennis Wells, flying 207 miles and 375 yards into St Giles, Lincoln.
Denny was in the garden with a friend when two birds dropped straight in. His friend thought they had made good time, and that soon proved to be true.
The winning pigeon is a Leo Heremans, bred from parents purchased from G Jones & Proctor.
Denny races on the roundabout system and feeds Versa Laga. It was an excellent result, and he was delighted.
First Section E
1st Section E winner was Richard Waller flying 253 miles, 1569 yards.
Section F
1st Section F was Bob Frew of Norwich. Bob first thanked the new NRCC committee members for helping the races run smoothly. This was Bob’s first time competing in the NRCC for a couple of years, making it a fine achievement to top the section on the opening race. Bob’s winning bird, a medium-sized blue cock, has been a consistent prize winner. It was bred from Bob’s excellent Micky Betts blue pied cock, a proven breeder that has already produced a section winner. The cock was paired to a productive Ceuster hen, loaned by his good friends Steve and Amanda Newnham, which has now bred two section winners and two 2nd Open winners from Dunbar and Thurso.
Section H
M Bulla 1st Section H from Rickmansworth, flying 314 miles, 369 yards.
Section I
1st Section I went to Mr & Mrs B Laws of Ipswich, flying 309 miles, 1295 yards.
Barry’s winning pigeon had already shown strong form, taking 4th Section Fraserburgh, 6th Section Perth, and several local club wins. It is bred from Syndicate Lofts and Merlin Pair lines. Barry is pictured holding his winner.
It was evident the west wind kept the birds along the east coast, with 19 of the first 20 places going to members in Sections C and F.
Members reported good returns, saying their birds arrived home in excellent condition.
Thank you to David Pettitt and Ray Luffman for giving members a good race. We would also like to thank our sponsor, PigeonOnline, for supporting the Dunbar race. We have worked closely with our members to help them enter and verify their pigeons online, with great success: 70% entered online for this race, the highest figure yet. Thank you for your continued support.
A full result may be viewed here
Dilys