Ever wondered how a homing pigeon find its way home? Something to do with the Earth's magnetic fields and the Sun? Or is it just memory, relying on landmarks, or just natural instinct? Who knows, but getting from a place hundreds of miles away back home in a matter of hours just in time for dinner without the aid of Sat-Nav, is pretty impressive.
Much like their migrating relatives, racing pigeons just do it, but with incredible regularity, flying vast distances throughout the racing season, which lasts from April to September. The last race of the year for Egremont’s Pigeons coincides with Crab Fair day, by then they will be flying around 500 miles from France, and competing with over 2000 birds. But that’s still some way off, and not all the birds that start the racing season will last the course. Its a competitive sport and yearlings who do not make the grade in training and early races have a short shelf life.
This year’s season has got off to a stormy start, with poor weather conditions in the first few races causing major disruption and problems, for pigeons and breeders alike. Like many other competitors, Ian Sharples has been hit hard by a difficult start, losing 20 young birds in the first three races. It is heartbreaking to lose birds that have taken a year to breed, care for and train. "I don’t know if there has been a breakdown in communication but I can not understand why the pigeons have been released in such bad weather conditions", he complains. "It’s like asking a man to run a fell race blindfold."

Ian shares his love for the sport with his wife Audrey, often spending four or five hours a day at loft. There is plenty to do. As well as looking after 160 pigeons they also breed chickens ferrets and terriers. They have an extensive vegetable garden with five greenhouses where they grow their leeks and onions for local competitions, and sell eggs and flower baskets. Touch of the good life!

The April showers have been replaced by the sunshine in May –good news for us – great news for pigeons. Ian is still optimistic that he will be able to be competitive this season despite the set backs.