As the curtain closed on the 2026 old bird season, we made a decision.

Rather than accepting the post-Brexit barriers that have dramatically reduced Channel racing opportunities for British fanciers, we decided to look for a solution.

Our aim was simple: to create a club capable of transporting racing pigeons across the Dover–Calais route while fully complying with both UK and European legislation.

Over recent months we have begun assembling a professional team, working alongside official veterinarians and taking advice from APHA to understand exactly what would be required. We also established contact with a company at the Port of Calais capable of processing and completing the veterinary inspections required for live animal imports into the European Union.

The facilities now available at Calais are designed specifically to uphold the highest standards of animal welfare during transport. They include dedicated unloading bays, cold storage units, quarantine areas, laboratory facilities, together with a multidisciplinary team of veterinary inspectors, phytosanitary officers, technical specialists and administrative staff.

Although the process appeared achievable, there was no escaping the fact that the additional paperwork and veterinary requirements had made regular Channel racing far more expensive than it had ever been before Brexit.

Fortunately, for the major international races such as Barcelona and Perpignan, very little has changed in terms of the support available. Those races have continued to provide British fanciers with the opportunity to compete on the greatest stage.

Where we have really noticed the impact is at National, Combine and Federation level.

Throughout the 2026 season it became increasingly obvious that Britain’s sprint and middle-distance pigeons are missing the regular short Channel races that once formed the backbone of their preparation. Before Brexit, clubs and federations could organise frequent Channel races at an affordable cost. Those opportunities have largely disappeared.

For marathon enthusiasts, we have also lost something special.

One of the great traditions of British distance racing was being able to prepare a pigeon through successive International races only weeks apart. Pau to Marseille. Agen to Narbonne. Those carefully planned programmes allowed experienced marathon pigeons to build exceptional records while giving fanciers flexibility throughout the season.

We’ve also lost valuable Mediterranean race points.

These southern race points often provided lofts on the eastern side of England with a genuine opportunity when favourable south-easterly winds arrived. Removing races from these locations doesn’t just shorten the programme—it removes opportunities for British fanciers to achieve something truly special when the conditions fall in their favour.

However, while we were making progress towards establishing a new transport route, some genuinely encouraging news emerged.

It now appears that much of the costly bureaucracy introduced after Brexit could soon become unnecessary.

The proposed UK-EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Agreement—often referred to as the “veterinary agreement”—represents the most positive development Channel racing has seen in years.

Under the proposals, the expensive Export Health Certificates (EHCs), currently requiring official veterinary certification for every race convoy entering Europe, would be abolished. Removing certificate processing costs per shipment, their removal would significantly reduce transport costs and make regular Channel racing financially viable once again.

The agreement also proposes removing many routine documentary and physical inspections currently carried out at Border Control Posts, greatly simplifying the movement of racing pigeons between Great Britain and mainland Europe.

The UK Government has indicated that enabling legislation is expected to be introduced before the end of 2026, with the agreement anticipated to come fully into force during 2027.

It is important to remember that this is a phased process rather than a single event. With agreements likely to come into force mid 2027 there is no guarantee that next season will see the return to normality, maybe half way through? Hopefully by 2028 we will see channel racing at club level again. 

The reset officially began at the UK-EU Summit in May 2025, where both sides signed a “Common Understanding” roadmap identifying around twenty areas for closer future cooperation, including veterinary and sanitary arrangements.

Progress has inevitably slowed following the recent change in UK political leadership, with a further UK-EU summit postponed while a new Prime Minister takes office. Nevertheless, discussions continue, and there remains clear intent from both sides to finalise the veterinary agreement as soon as practical.

For British pigeon racing, this could prove to be the breakthrough we have all been waiting for.

Should the agreement be implemented as planned, it would remove much of the financial burden that has prevented clubs, federations and combines from organising the regular Channel races that generations of fanciers once enjoyed.

The future of Channel racing suddenly looks considerably brighter.

Our work towards creating a compliant transport route has shown us that solutions are possible. If the proposed UK-EU veterinary agreement delivers what is currently expected, it has the potential to restore affordable Channel racing, strengthen our race programmes, and provide future generations of British fanciers with the opportunities that many feared had been lost forever.

The sport has endured several difficult years.

For the first time since Brexit, there is genuine reason to believe that the future of UK Channel racing is once again moving in the right direction.