personnally if a pigeon hasnt scored alot of times or won by the time it is 3 years old,they do not go any further,if they are continuelly scoring and winning they will go to stock,however if they do not breed the goods and where scoring keep them on the road. There is a guy in my club who races 9-10yr old pigeons and by half they do look it to,he tends not to do so well on the sprint racing but come berwick,stonehaven or thurso, he is guareented to have a fair few good ones on the clock,