Chris Scores A Bit Of A Coo
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Monday 12th December 2005

A CO ANTRIM schoolboy has been crowned the UK's top young pigeon fancier. Ten-year-old Christopher Tweed, from Ballymoney, won the Harker's Young Bird of the Year Under-16 Section at the Irish National Flying Club Annual Charity Show in the King's Hall in Belfast on Saturday. He was presented with his prize by the INFC chairman, beating older fanciers from all around the UK to lift the title.

But Christopher was quick to heap praise on his dad, Tommy.

"I wouldn't be where I am today without my dad, he has helped me all along the way," he said.

"He was into pigeons for 25 years and had to give them up when I came along. Now I just want to help him keep them going." Christopher is also a big fan of monster trucks, watching them every Sunday on television, so it's no surprise that he named his bird Blue Thunder after one.

He picked up a special trophy and £50 worth of vouchers for pigeon products as part of his prize.

"My ambition in the future is just to win a lot of competitions. I hope to be in them all my life," he said.

His young pigeon, born last March, has already flown 10 races in 10 weeks, clocking up more than 1,600 miles, and has been in the prizes in the Rasharkin club six times out of those 10 outings.

The shortest race he took part in was 110 miles, from Mullingar to Ballymoney, and the longest was 260 miles, from Co Cork. Dad Tommy said: "Christopher began training his bird at 10 weeks, taking him further and further away from home each time.

"The instinct is already there in them, so it's just like building up an athlete's muscles. First you fly them five miles, then 10 and then 20.

"Then you just keep going. It's a great interest for a young lad to have and I am very proud of him."