How do I win at the distance?

[Guest youngzimmy]

BLACK WF YOU ARE RIGHT I KEPT MY BID IN I LACK CONFIDENCE A LOT OF THE TIME AND THE CHALLENGE SEEMS IMPOSSIBLE I SHOULD GET IN THERE AND HAVE A GO

[BLACK W F]

it can be done as long as you put the effort in   remember you only get out what you put in but you must enjoy them  thats the main thing

[bruno1]

I've altered your heading; there is already a thread on the board on breeding pigeons for the distance ; I hope your thread will complement that one with posts on how to win at the distance. To ensure no cross-posting between two threads, for this one assume you already have distance birds, now how do you get results with them?

[pjc]

Not only a case of putting the effort in but building a team of birds that will fly into your area.

Try and obtain the right stock or youngbirds, educate them well and then test them, don't throw them away though as many do!

[greenlands]

Try to visit a loft that is winning at the distance you would like to achieve ,if the person is willing to help you, ask  as many questions as you can, write everything down,if your budget's limited see if they are willing to sell you late breds or even give you a few eggs to float under your own birds.Get to know their methods,when to send when not to send.You can be lucky and win right away or be like most fanciers take years to top the race result sheet but when you get there it's great.Most of all if in doubt ask you mentor or leave it at home.

Good luck in your quest.

Lindsay

[showman]

I thnk Black wf & pjc have summed it up. Try not to lose sight of the fact you should be in pigeons to enjoy them. This is  something which is more difficult to obtain than perceive !! The only one great thing with distance racing is patience. Remember the young pigeons you buy / breed have to last you a considerable time,and it's time they need to develop, both mentally and physically. Don't rush them into it, and personally I wouldn't give them the 'distance' until they are at least two years old ( yearlings have a tendency to go 'off plumb' on occasions )

So keep your system simple, and give them time !!

[Albear]

BLACK WF YOU ARE RIGHT I KEPT MY BID IN I LACK CONFIDENCE A LOT OF THE TIME AND THE CHALLENGE SEEMS IMPOSSIBLE I SHOULD GET IN THERE AND HAVE A GO

 

With a massive slice of luck!! That luck is to buy/obtain birds that are breeders. I know many say get the bolood and that is true it equates to getting birds with the constitution to fly 500 - 700 miles. But if you are not lucky enough to get the x factor, i.e. the ability to pass on the genes you can't win. That for me is above anything else, your ability to condition the birds is not as important as this.

If you are lucky enough to get some good breeders then the wotrk starts but I don't believe it is as hard to condition long distance pigeons as it is to condition sprinters, especially if you live in a sprint hotbed.

It can be done even in tough circumstances. My birds are captive from September to April the last two years, then they had their freedom prior to their firts race for two weeks and two 20 mile tosses. Their first race 123 miles east to West and they struggled, then next race across the channel 220 miles and raced every two weeks over the water. No training after the first race purely let out of the loft on a daily basis for set time.

I started back down here in Devon in 2006. My longest races (channel) and results are.

2007 380 mile 2nd & 4th 800 ypm lost by .5yd! 556 mile NFC 1 sent lost

2008 473 miles 1st & 2nd only two birds on the day in club, NFC 556 miles 78th Open 4500+ birds, 2nd pigeon home next day would have been 20th section if I'd taken my clock back out.

2009 1st club 556 miles only bird timed, 22nd section NFC 556 miles, Barcelona two sent , one back out of race time (my first ever attempt).

The only other thing I would say is that it's hard to mix and match i.e. concentrate on the distance if that's what you want, don't keep changing your food each week for example to sprint and then channel, unless of course your setup is big enough to allow this.

And what I've found this year is my birds that flew the long distance also scored in the short channel races, after 4 NFC OB races I was 10th in the section averages and other than the 556 mile race the other 3 were 200 -300 mile to us. My Barcelona pigeon for example won the first channel race at 176 miles (St Malo).

So I would say keep your fingers crossed that you have some breeders and then stick to a system. Those members who have been on here for several years will hav seen that I can pick them by the eye, well at least there is proof going back a few years where I did it on this site, whether people believe it or not.

I would not worry personally about sending yearlings to the distance, providing they are good enough and prepared. Look at major sport the winners are getting younger and younger!