PIGEON RACING: Brian Tattersall is a man with a mission, his sole aim in life is to promote the sport of pigeon racing, not just to the public at large, but to the sport itself, writes PETER BRAY.

The President of the Royal Pigeon Racing Association North West Region and Vice-President of the RPRA aims to keep the sport squeaky clean.

Brian is also the Great Britain team manager for the Blackpool Olympiad and has been elected again for the South Africa in 2001. He is also a member of the Future of the Sport committee. A past President of the Blackburn and District Federation.

Despite his roles with the sport's governing body, Brian still finds time to race his own pigeons and takes part in Oswaldtwistle homing Society's weekly club races.

Brian's incentive comes from the Nation Flying Club Channel race and his birds are considered a distance strain and compete in races from across the channel.

His ultimate goal is to win the Pau 722 miles race.

He is twice winner of the Federation Young Bird Averages while one of his old birds topped the federation this season. One year he had 19 firsts. These included four first Federation and two first Amalgamation. In the National Flying 1996 Nantes race competing against 10,123 birds he was placed 25th Section 99th Open. 1998 again Nantes, 11th Section, 606 Open 8,474 birds. 1999 Nantes against 9,785 birds, 28th Section L 295th Open.

In the Lancashire and Yorkshire Border Championship Club he has against fierce competition from both sides of the border, taken a 10th at Nantes, 18th Saintes and ninth from his dream race Pau.

He is a man with an immense amount of patience and always endeavours to make himself available to answer inquiries from not only fellow fancier, but members of the public.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.