Dagenham Marking Station

[Wiley]

Dagenham South road marking station

 

The effects of success

 

Recently when flicking through facebook I see an interesting piece on the contrasting effects of success. So I have slightly Oscar Wilde’d the piece to make it fit purpose. Our marking station are really working hard, they are putting in the hours to improve their craft, but to also improve our marking station. From a marking station that started with 9 likeminded individuals within one season it has shown the potential by the end of the last race of the year that potentially there could be 25 likeminded individuals, all believing in the big dream. I guarantee the success or the path of success affects people. From the marking stations growth, it has had its naysayers, but to quote Arnold Schwarzenegger with his 6 rules to success his number 4 was to ignore the naysayers and If he would have listened to the naysayers, he’d have still been in the Austrian alps yodelling. The kind of effect success has on people is dependent however on their mentality and vision in life. You can divide these people in two groups, the first group is intimidated by your actions, they are green with envy, but they quietly keep track on your progress, you’ll never hear a word of encouragement from them, but they are always hoping for the big dream to fail, and hate to see the dream and vision is becoming a reality. The second group of people are the winners, these people are not only winning in their lives, but they are also happy for your and the marking stations successes. They work hard themselves and also get pumped by seeing the great things you are doing and achieving. Every club or marking station should surround themselves with these people, and appreciate their energy, the world is a better place when we are all cheering each other on, you should look to be one of them. Consequently, that brings on another great subject of the tipping point, but I will leave that for a future article.

 

6 Rules of the south

 

Arnold came out with 6 rules, I mentioned the naysayer one previously in this article. However, all I feel can also be used for south road racing too, and many of the marking station members have shown that they follow it, and it can only mean one thing in the end. SUCCESS!!

1. Trust yourself: Firstly, you must trust your ability as a pigeon fancier, but you must also trust your pigeons. Everyone this year has trusted their own ability and trusted their pigeons. They asked themselves what do they want from pigeons and I reckon every single member of our marking station stated a new challenge. They then put that trust in their pigeons to brave the channel, even though they heard the naysayers saying you lose a lot of pigeons on that south. However, they trusted themselves, took that leap of faith and realised mostly what they heard was BS.

2. Break the rules: Break their personal rules, I am not saying breaking laws, but I know each and every member in our club, what they thought they knew about pigeons from their experience on the north road, had been turned upside down and inside out. So, they all had to do things that broke their own personal rules about pigeons, they couldn’t follow the systems that they done on the north, they couldn’t feed or water the same, everything had to be adapted and their personal rules had to be broken. Every day is a school day in pigeons, but nothing like learning about a totally different route, that’s like starting at pre-school again. What’s the point on being on this earth if your happy being stuck where you are, and being the big fish in that small pond?

3. Don’t be afraid to fail: Look what our marking station is trying to achieve, all likeminded individuals who aren’t afraid to fail. This is a great trait to have. You can’t always win, and if you did or do I would go as far as saying you’re not in a strong enough club or marking station, a massive statement to make…I know. We have had members who have even attempted international racing this season for the first time, NO FEAR, did they time in race time, honestly they did not but, and it’s a big BUT, they gained experience and it has lit a fire for them to push themselves and their pigeons. They will keep pushing and believing in their vision and they know it’s the right thing to do, their success will come. So don’t be afraid to fail.

4. Don’t listen to the naysayers: As mentioned earlier in the article, but how many times have you heard that you can’t do this, and you can’t do that, and it’s never been done before? Our marking station heard this a lot before we even had our first race, but as I said the likeminded this just put fuel to the flames, never listen to these people can’t isn’t even a word in our minds, we all are focused and only listen to ourselves and the likeminded and say “Yes we can!â€. Be your clubs or marking stations biggest cheerleaders, cheer on each other’s progress we on this ride together.

5. Work your butt off: Things do not get handed to you on a plate!! The marking station has had some terrific results especially in the BICC this season, but I know first-hand how hard each member has worked. The community our marking station has created is fantastic, daily there is conversation on what each other are doing, and how they are doing it, however the flag is always flying and the banners are all out, of-course the competition is there, and these conversations drive the competition even harder, as Joe Bloggs is out training every day at 4 am, this then drives Jack Black to work even harder, but we all cheering each other on along the way. BUT remember you cannot climb the ladder of success with your hands in your pockets.

6. Give something back: We are not where we are today without a little help, or should I say a lot of help. We have been fortunate to have many friends across the UK to help us in many ways to get the marking station up and running, and we are eternally grateful, and that help will go the other way too. We are also looking to do a few other things to give back, however they are in the pipeline and once set in stone you guys will be the first to know.

 

I have a dream

 

For some of our readers some will remember the great speech by Martin Luther King Junior in his “I have a dream speechâ€, and for those including myself who was not born yet, would have been educated about it, especially in this current climate where BLM is pushing a big stand. I would just like to quote this great speech “And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead. We cannot turn back.†This quote hit home to me, on how much the ex-North road fanciers who now race with us in the Dagenham South Road Marking station, often say how the buzz of getting a bird from the channel is the best feeling they ever had in pigeons, and how they wish they made the move from north to south so many years ago, especially after seeing how well organised the organisations are that they have joint in the Thames, UBI and BICC. This buzz, has created more as many now want to get as many channel races under their belts that they can, and there is talk that many will join the NFC and the BBC next year also.

As we talk about the BIG DREAM, we move onto the last BICC race of the year old and young birds racing from Countances roughly 183 miles give or take to most lofts in the marking station. The marking station put up some impressive results in both the old and young bird race.

 

Just touching on the old bird race, Dean Burns finished provisionally 10thopen, 7th east section with a Blue chequer yearling hen who had previously won Huntingdon on the north road last year as a young bird in the Barking club. This hen was sent straight from the perch and was sent with only 4 flights to go. She was bred from Deans family of Van Lints that he has blended for many years now originating from Gary White. Burnsy also had a great young bird race to finishing 16th open, and 15th east section. This little pigeon is a pigeon just hitting a purple patch she won the marking station last week from Lyndhurst, she was raced on the darkness and again she is just racing to the perch. Her bloodlines are Van lint x Deans cousin Joe Fenn’s blood.

 

Slav Zielinski had a cracking young bird race finishing 8th open and 8theast section also, with a fantastic looking hen who was from the Vercammen x Heinz Meier bloodlines. She yet again was raced on the darkness system racing to the perch.

 

Andrew Foster and Lee Finan, or F & F as they are known in the marking station, have finished their year on a high. Week in week out these boys have been there or there abouts and have flown a fantastic pigeon. A son of the bird I named Southend Sid after returning back to southend every single week, was18thopen in the young bird race, and 17th section. This cock is proving to be a decent breeder for the partnership. Lee has recently been trying to work out which hairstyle suits him best, answers on a post card please.

 

Micky and Michael Connolly were 39th young bird open and 30theast section with a Franz Zwols natural young bird with 2 flights left to drop, which is a tough ask for even the best of birds with a full wing to finish so high up in the open so a great result.

 

The marking station only had 4 of our members send to the BICC, and all 4 finished high up in the open racing in the strongest of competition and racing against the whole country. The marking station not only for this race but for all the races they have sent to, should be extremely pleased with their achievements, and will be going into their second year on the south in a much stronger position then they did previously. I have finished an article like this before when doing a loft report for a partnership many years ago, but to quote Yazz “THE ONLY WAY IS UPâ€

 

Sayonara for now

 

Grasshopper

[Kyleakin Lofts]

Good read.

[paddymac]

Another good read Ryan, well done