TINNION Brothers and Aitken have now been confirmed as winners of the Derwent Valley Federation young bird race from Wollaston.
They had to wait over a week for the decision after Flimby club colleague Mark Hodgson objected to the result.

“It took a bit of shine off the win because of what happened but I don’t want to say anything about that. It’s done now and we have been given the race.

“Sadly Bill died earlier in the season and he would have been absolutely delighted with this win,” said Lawrence Tinnion who flies with brother Geordie.

The winning pigeon, a dark chequer hen sent sitting overdue on eggs, is a Karel Boeckxs off a hen Lawrence bought from this week’s Fed winner Keith Rafferty.

Previous to moving into his current family van der Merwe, Keith had flown the Karel Boeckx breed and several had been bought off him by Tinnion brothers and Aitken.

The young hen gave Tinnion brothers and Aitken their 11th Federation win.

Lawrence and Geordie Tinnion and Bill Aitken started together as a partnership in 2000, although the brothers were in partnership four years earlier. They come from a well-established pigeon racing family and Lawrence describes his elder brother, the late John James as his “mentor in the sport.”

The partnership first topped the Derwent Valley Federation in 2004 from Wollaston and since then have been consistent performers inland.

Bill’s widow Sylvia was along for the official photograph and said: “Bill lived for his pigeon and used to love sitting, waiting for them coming back from the races.”  She is pictured above with Lawrence (left) and Geordie, and the winning pigeon.

The winning pigeon was off a Keith Rafferty hen paired to a cock from Andrew Berwick of Aspatria which was off a Peter Rushforth Fed winner – all Karel Boeckx pigeons.

To hear Lawrence talking about the latest win click on

Mark Hodgson, who had been second at Wollaston when he objected, won last week from Cheltenham and was second from Marlborough. Consolation for not winning the Wollaston Fed race is that he has probably won the coveted Big Cup for combined averages in the Derwent Valley.

All three recent Fed winners – Tinnion brothers and Aitken, Mark Hodgson and Keith Rafferty are sending birds this week-end to the B ring race which carries major cash prizes.

This race from the south coast at Kingsdown, which is around 270 miles, carries a first prize of £2,000 with also first, second and third in each of the competing Federations set to collect £350, £200 and £150.

It’s time, too, for nominations for the Cumbria Regional Awards, which have to be applied for by October 17. Forms are available from Les Blackpool at 32, Lonsdale Street, Workington.

The five categories are: A. Old bird inland; B. Old bird channel. C. Old bird inland and channel combined. D. Young bird, any distance. E. Young fancier, any distance, any performance under the age of 18.

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