Homing: Milnthorpe's Balmer wins class at UK's best showing event (From The Westmorland Gazette)

Homing: Milnthorpe's Balmer wins class at UK's best showing event

9:00am Thursday 9th February 2012 in Sport By Patrick O'Kane, Senior News/Sport Reporter

A PIGEON fancier from Milnthorpe has landed a top prize at the UK’s biggest pigeon showing event, The Blackpool Show.

Edward (Ted) Balmer, 68, of Ryley Field Road, notched up his third success at the show when his bird ‘Ashbyre King’ scooped first place in the Old Cock class for birds which have flown 500 miles or more.

Balmer, who keeps more than 250 birds, also won the trophy for the best 500 miles and over section.

He said: “Showing in Blackpool is like riding in the Grand National for horse racing. It is the biggest event in the UK and it is brilliant to win here again.

“I like it in Blackpool and have been going for years. I started tending to pigeons at my mothers and it just went on from there that I go into it.”

In 2008 Balmer won the channel class at the North East Show and in 2009 claimed his first Blackpool Show victory when he took the 500 miles and over title.

He was the 2010 reserve winner in the 500 mile class but could only finish ninth in the same class last year.

But he was delighted to secure the title in January and hoped his success would encourage younger people to get involved in homing birds.

Balmer added: “I don’t know if anyone has won three times before but it was another great show. I have about 50 or 60 that I show but some can only be shown through the wires. My grandfather and uncle both had pigeons and I guess that really started my interest.

“By winning the class and best 500 mile section I hope I can get more kids to come into pigeon keeping and it would be really good for the sport.”