BRISTOL — On a warm breezy May afternoon, Cass Witkowski, lifted an 8-day-old homing pigeon from its nest in Shamrock Loft — the name he has given his backyard coop behind his Bristol home — and ...

The beady-eyed athletes scan an unfamiliar wind-swept prairie from behind the starting gate. They’ve prepared for this day since birth. Pricey high-nutrient meals, early-morning training sessions, ...