A two-year-old dark chequer cock covered the 511 miles to Harrington in three minutes under 13 hours.
Sent sitting eight days on eggs, the winner had been prominent in an earlier channel race from Fougeres when he was sixth in the Derwent Valley Federation.
“He was my second pigeon on that day and has always been steady and consistent, the type that makes a good channel pigeon.
“His mother actually topped the Federation from Fougeres in 2009 when only five birds were clocked on the night.
“She went on to have many Federation positions from the channel for me.
“She was bred from a pair of birds gifted to me by Peter Rushforth in 2006, being a Dereck Norden red Cock and a Massarella Van Hee red Hen through Champion Motta.
“The sire of this latest winner is a cock I bought for stock at Chris Gordon’s sale in Blackpool in 2009,” says Ian.
Since moving to fly in the Harrington Central club Ian has had five Federation toppers – three of them from the channel.
Wife Denise leaves the work among the pigeons to Ian but is very supportive and helps on the clerical side.
The birds were liberated in a light north west wind on Saturday morning at 6am with Ian clocking just before 7pm – the anticipated time of arrival.
But only one other bird was clocked on the day, some two and a half hours later by Workington Victoria’s John and Liz Walters.
Like Ian and Denise Wood they have also enjoyed a successful channel programme.
In total 11 birds were clocked in the Derwent Valley Federation before the race closed.
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