Exclusive One Two At GP

Exclusive Ballooning pilots have taken first and second place at the first round of the UK hot air ballooning Grand Prix in Ludlow this weekend.

Chief pilot Andrew Holly won the event flying G-IRLZ Sloggi 3 with the current British champion Richard Parry in second place.

The event involved three flights and nine competition tasks with the pilots aiming to drop their markers close to targets across the Shropshire countryside. Richard had the best drop of the weekend with just 20cm pipping Andrew's 23cm whose new crew had an average age of less than 20 years old!

The second round of the event will be in September in Cambridgeshire and the results will count towards qualification for the 2012 World Championships which will be held in Battle Creek, USA.

Pictures: Bob Baker

Picture: Jo Slade