Stop! Stop! Stop! A weekend away in Ostend was marred by rumours circulating both in Ostend and in Britain on 2 counts. Firstly, some people had seen a new licence issued on the DEFRA website and wrongly assumed that this would only allow UK racing. The new licence was in fact issued specifically so that we could enter a UK team in the Olympiad. I have been liaising with DEFRA for several months to get dispensation for an amended licence so that we could compete and the revamped licence was the result of that. Negotiations are still ongoing with regards to racing from the continent but I say to you here and now that we are working hard with DEFRA and, subject to any AI outbreak, hope to get a positive resolution for continental racing in the next 2 weeks. I have absolutely no reason to doubt at this juncture why that will not happen.

Secondly I understand also that another rumour is circulating that the RPRA President has been reported as saying to DEFRA ‘that pigeon racing would be stopped following an outbreak’. This is not true. This quote is from DRAFT minutes of the meeting held with DEFRA in December where Pat was misquoted. Both the NEHU and the RPRA challenged these comments. Regretfully and somewhat irresponsibly someone who was not at the meeting but who received the minutes has circulated these comments. The fact of the matter is that we said we would work with DEFRA should there be an outbreak in the UK. We did it last year with the Scottish outbreak where the SHU took the very responsible lead of advising their members near Cellardyke.

PLEASE do not listen to rumours. If there is any news to report you will get it from me just as soon as I have it from DEFRA. I give you two assurances. One, that I will continue to represent RPRA interests to achieve the best possible result for pigeon racing in the UK and the continent and secondly that I will keep you all advised on news, progress etc. You gave me your support in 2006 in difficult times. I ask for that again. I sincerely believe that 2007 will be a lot rosier. Let’s not cause consternation by spreading or listening to rumours.

Peter Bryant
General Manager
The Royal Pigeon Racing Association