Official Rules
& Terms.

1. Organiser, eligibility and entry limit

The race is organised and managed by John Crehan, trading as Northern Premier One Loft Race (“Northern Premier”, “the Organiser”, “we”, “us” or “our”). Contact: johncrehan@hotmail.co.uk or 07932 552626.

Entries are accepted from individuals, partnerships and syndicates in the UK, Ireland and Europe. Anyone under 18 may participate only through a parent or legal guardian. The entry and any payments must be registered in the responsible adult’s name.

The race is limited to 250 pigeons. No individual may have an interest in more than ten entries across individual names, partnerships, syndicates, family entries or other connected names. Multiple names must not be used to bypass this limit.

Each pigeon must be a 2027 young bird carrying a genuine, permanently fitted and identifiable official 2027 life ring issued by the RPRA, NEHU, SHU, WHU, IHU or a recognised national European pigeon-racing authority. Northern Premier may refuse any pigeon that cannot be identified or does not comply with these rules.

2. Entry fee, deposit and payment

The entry fee is £1,000 per pigeon. A £500 deposit per pigeon is payable when the place is reserved and before delivery. The remaining £500 is payable when the pigeon is delivered. Payment may be made by cash or bank transfer.

The deposit is non-refundable if an entrant withdraws, fails to supply a pigeon or fails to complete payment, subject to statutory rights that cannot be excluded. A place is not secured until the deposit has been received and acknowledged.

If the balance is not paid on delivery, the entrant has seven calendar days from delivery to pay. If it remains unpaid, the entry is cancelled, the deposit is retained and Northern Premier will return the pigeon using the retained deposit to cover return transport and related expense.

Reservations, entries and pigeon places cannot be sold, assigned or transferred to another individual, partnership or syndicate.

3. Intake, transport and ownership

The official intake period is 1 February to 1 April 2027. Delivery or collection must be agreed in advance. Entrants outside mainland Great Britain are responsible for arranging lawful transport to an agreed location and for applicable transport, animal-health, customs and movement requirements until acceptance.

Legal ownership transfers to John Crehan when a pigeon is accepted into the Northern Premier loft. Delivery confirms that the entrant has authority to transfer ownership and that no competing ownership claim exists.

The transfer authorises John Crehan to house, manage, vaccinate, treat, train, transport, race, advertise, auction, sell, return or rehome the pigeon in accordance with these rules. A breeder’s entitlement to prizes or auction proceeds is contractual and does not mean the breeder retains legal ownership.

Ownership cards and pedigrees may be supplied during the season but must be provided before auction. If either is not supplied in time, the breeder forfeits their auction share to John Crehan/the Race Organiser.

4. Vaccination, health, welfare and replacements

All pigeons will be vaccinated at the loft. Entrants are not required to provide a previous vaccination record unless later requested for a specific regulatory or health reason. Routine vaccination, feed, medication, ordinary care and necessary veterinary treatment—including exceptional treatment—are included in the entry fee.

Northern Premier may examine, quarantine, treat, obtain veterinary care for, separate or remove a pigeon, refuse an unhealthy pigeon or take other reasonable disease-control and welfare measures. A veterinary surgeon may authorise euthanasia in a serious emergency where delay would unnecessarily prolong suffering.

A free replacement may be supplied if the original pigeon dies, becomes seriously ill, is refused on welfare grounds, escapes or is lost during settling, loft exercise or early training. Every replacement must be accepted before 1 May 2027 and meet all entry requirements. No replacement is guaranteed after that date.

5. Race management and programme

Northern Premier controls daily care, preparation and training and may reasonably change training dates, locations and distances, Hot Spot dates, race dates, liberation points, distances, transport and the sequence of events for weather, welfare, disease control, transport, racing-authority decisions, government restrictions or operational necessity.

The planned programme consists of three Hot Spots followed by a Grand Final intended to be held with the Midland National Flying Club Young Bird Race. The relevant club, convoying organisation or transport authority controls the Grand Final liberation; Northern Premier does not control the final liberation time.

If the intended final is postponed, altered or cancelled, Northern Premier may postpone the Grand Final, use the rearranged MNFC race, select a suitable alternative race or liberation point, or make another reasonable arrangement protecting welfare and competition integrity. Altering or cancelling an individual training toss or Hot Spot does not automatically create a refund entitlement.

6. Electronic timing, results and challenges

Official positions are determined by the electronic timing system. The first valid electronic clocking determines arrival time and finishing position. A pigeon whose electronic ring fails to register is treated as not officially clocked, even if visibly seen returning. Manual records, witnesses or video will not replace a missing electronic clocking.

If two pigeons record exactly the same electronic time, the timing system’s recorded order decides. Video may be considered only if required to establish physical order between pigeons sharing the same time.

Results may initially be provisional. A challenge must be emailed to johncrehan@hotmail.co.uk within 48 hours of publication, identifying the pigeon, race, disputed result and grounds. After challenges are considered, the result becomes final. Late challenges may be refused unless exceptional circumstances prevented timely submission.

7. Prize fund and payment

The advertised £120,000 prize fund is based on 250 fully paid entries. If fewer than 250 entries are fully paid, every advertised prize reduces by the same proportion.

Adjusted prize = Advertised prize × Number of fully paid entries ÷ 250

Adjusted prizes are rounded to the nearest £10. For example, 200 fully paid entries produce 80% of each advertised prize, reducing an advertised £50,000 first prize to £40,000. The number of fully paid entries is determined from Northern Premier’s accepted-entry and payment records; a replacement does not create an additional paid entry.

Race prizes will be initiated within 48 hours after the relevant result becomes final, subject to identity, payment and bank-detail verification. Payment is made only to the named adult entrant or nominated adult representative. Partnerships and syndicates are responsible for dividing their own winnings and recipients are responsible for their tax obligations. Bank processing times are outside Northern Premier’s control.

8. Ace Pigeon and two-bird average

Ace Pigeon

A pigeon must compete in all three Hot Spots and the Grand Final. Coefficients from all four races are added; the lowest total wins. If totals are equal, the pigeon with the better Grand Final position ranks higher.

Two-bird average

Both pigeons must belong to the same named entrant, partnership or syndicate and no advance nomination is required. The lowest combined Grand Final finishing-position total wins. If totals are equal, the entrant whose first pigeon has the better Grand Final position ranks higher. Both pigeons must be officially electronically clocked.

9. Auction and return of pigeons

The first 100 officially clocked Grand Final pigeons will be compulsorily sold through Northern Premier Online Auctions. Entering the race accepts this condition. Pigeons outside the first 100 with sufficiently good previous results may also be selected at the Race Manager’s discretion.

Bidding starts at £50 with no reserve. Northern Premier Online Auctions retains 20% commission. The remaining net proceeds are divided equally: 50% to the breeder and 50% to John Crehan/the Race Organiser. Where the only deduction is the 20% commission, this equals 40% of the gross sale price to each.

The breeder’s share is payable within 14 days after the auction ends, provided the buyer has paid, funds have cleared, required documents have been supplied and correct payment details are available. Northern Premier is not responsible for buyer non-payment, banking delays or inaccurate breeder information.

An unsold pigeon may be returned if requested. The breeder must collect it or pay return carriage. Pigeons outside the first 100 and not selected for auction are similarly available for return at the breeder’s expense. Arrangements must be made within 14 days of notice; otherwise John Crehan may retain, rehome or sell the pigeon. Ownership transfers back on collection or delivery to the breeder or authorised transporter.

10. Conduct and disqualification

Northern Premier may refuse, suspend or disqualify an entrant for non-payment; false or misleading information; bypassing the ten-pigeon limit; timing-ring tampering; prohibited practices or substances; fraud; interference with the race; threatening, abusive or seriously disruptive behaviour; animal-welfare breaches; or serious breaches of RPRA, MNFC or applicable rules.

Where proportionate to a serious breach, disqualification may result in forfeiture of entry fees, unpaid prizes and unpaid auction proceeds. Relevant circumstances and evidence will be considered, and suspected criminal, welfare or regulatory matters may be reported.

11. Cancellation, unavoidable events and inherent risk

If Northern Premier cancels the entire race before pigeons are delivered, all entry payments for cancelled entries will be refunded. If cancellation occurs after acceptance, any refund will be calculated fairly according to the stage reached, services already provided, reasonable costs and commitments incurred, recoverable sums and the remaining unperformed part of the race.

Northern Premier may postpone, shorten, alter or restructure the programme for extreme weather, disease, movement restrictions, government action, racing suspension, transport failure, loss of a liberation site, fire, flood, storm, loft damage, utility or communications failure, cancellation of the intended final, or a comparable event outside reasonable control.

Entrants accept that illness, injury, escape, loss during exercise, training or racing, predator attack, accident and death are inherent risks. Northern Premier does not guarantee that a pigeon will remain healthy, complete training, enter every race, return or win. Northern Premier will exercise reasonable care but is not liable for inherent racing risks where such care has been exercised.

Nothing excludes liability where exclusion would be unlawful, including liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation, or any mandatory consumer right.

12. Publicity, privacy, visitors and general terms

Northern Premier may publish entrant, partnership and syndicate names; general locations; ring numbers; results and prizes; pigeon photographs and videos; race-day footage; auction information; and relevant achievements. Winning pigeons, breeders and results may be used in future promotion.

Home addresses, private telephone numbers, private email addresses and bank details will not ordinarily be published. Personal data may be used to administer reservations, payments, entries, communications, results, prizes, auctions, returns, records, fraud prevention and legal duties. Entrants must keep their information accurate.

Loft visits are by appointment only and may be restricted for welfare, quarantine, biosecurity, security, staffing or operations. Visitors must follow instructions and must not handle, feed, release or interfere with pigeons or equipment without permission. Children must be supervised by a responsible adult.

Formal complaints must be emailed within 48 hours of the relevant result, decision or incident. John Crehan’s decision is final under these terms, subject to overriding RPRA/MNFC appeals and statutory rights. RPRA and applicable MNFC rules apply to racing matters not covered here.

Northern Premier may make reasonable rule changes for welfare, safety, biosecurity, legal compliance, racing-authority requirements, operational necessity or competition integrity. Significant changes will be announced and will not retrospectively remove a prize already validly won.

If any term is invalid or unenforceable, the remainder continues. A delay in enforcement is not a waiver. These terms, the published prize schedule and official entry confirmation form the agreement. They are governed by the law of England and Wales, whose courts have jurisdiction subject to mandatory consumer rights.

Acceptance: Paying a deposit, submitting an entry or delivering a pigeon confirms that the entrant has read and accepted these rules, has authority to enter and transfer the pigeon, accepts the inherent risks, prize calculation and compulsory auction terms, and agrees to comply with applicable race and conduct rules.