Barcelona

[pdordin]

congrats to everyone who clocked from barca,keep us all informed rose if you get one,,,, please

[andy]

 

So we not the only ones that got birds missing think the biggest downfall for this country is the amount of birds we send until we get a decent amount of birds its always going be like this

 

Absolutely spot on, because lets face it, this isnt racing when Belgium is timing 24 hours before the south coast of England, its just an endurance test with velocities at 500ypm. Good luck to all those that entered & timed in but you need more numbers to call it  RACING>> :B

 

[westburylofts]

WELL DONE TO EVERYONE WHO HAS TIMED IN,

WOULD LIKE TO SAY WELL DONE TO MY COUSIN'S

STEVE & PAUL RHODES    SENT 4 BIRDS  & CLOCKED 3

NOT BAD GOING ME THINKS.

 

 

RAY

[jimmy white]

well done to all who have timed , very difficult going , still time for more yet,, so lets hope.

[me]

 

Absolutely spot on, because lets face it, this isnt racing when Belgium is timing 24 hours before the south coast of England, its just an endurance test with velocities at 500ypm. Good luck to all those that entered & timed in but you need more numbers to call it  RACING>> :B

 

 

Take your point to certain extent Andy but say a guy "times in" in the south of Belguim a British doo still has a helluva of a fly to get to the channel coast never mind thinking about crossing the channel!

 

Put it another way everyone would time from 60 miles 99% from 80 miles etc etc, but who is going to suggest we should fly from a maximum of 100 miles, no one!

 

These birds are brave brave birds and probably all of the good doos you have timed to your credit this year and in the past few years in channel races, if you were to send them to this race you would never see them again.

 

Guess I am saying pigeons for courses but the point is a good south west wind from the north of france to the east coast of Scotland is a different race entirely from what these gallant birds are contending with.

 

All the best from the last Maidstone!

 

[expat1]

The way i see Barcelona and the reasons behind the Race Point is this

The pigeons have a Barrier in front of them one of which they cannot go through So they have to try and get a line around it. Many take the wrong line that tells all by the amount of pigeons in a whole day being timed in, It certainly is not the distance factor, but the elements the pigeons face untli they get into France Proper, once they are round the Pyrennes, they have the Landudoc in front of them, Not spelt Correctly) this is where the sking takes place so it is very high, known as the Central Massive, once away from this then they are into France and a line for home, I think the Belgians and the Dutch and Germans send because they see it as the ulimate test for a long distance pigeon, and i think they are right it certainly is a test

Rose is correct what she says, not enough send from England, It is not impossible to get a good bird but the odds are cut with so few going

The British Barcelona Club found this out, It was very difficult for the pigeons so they moved away from Barcelona to Palamos, which although is near the same distance it cuts out a lot of the Mountainous area. But the point is if you do not send you will never know, It is a great pity the B.BClub and the BICC do not get together and have a go at Barcelona in a joint venture then if you send a thousand pigeons you will be in with a chance of some good results  but will it ever happen Plus perhaps a lot of you already know this but for those who do not, The Dutch Long Distance Flyers do not have Long Distance Races Liberated in the Mornings, all of there long distance races the pigeons are liberated in the Afternoons, So the pigeons say fly for about 8 hours the first day then up and on there way next morning. But when a pigeon can only fly for 8 hours it is not tired, so if the night is clear and Light some keep flying well after normal hours of darkness, when a pigeon races only on two day flighs it gets used to flying later because it is still fresh, and it shows up on the results of races like Barcelona

Belgium only has one race point where it is a two day race and that is from St Vincent, this race is only for Yearlings no older pigeons allowed distance 584 miles to me, they let them go about two thirty in the afternoon, there is thrre of these races for Belgium Yearlings one of which is International

Interesting our first pigeon from Barcelona, last weekend  was one such yearling last year raced from St Vincent he finished up 101st International

Steve

[me]

The way i see Barcelona and the reasons behind the Race Point is this

The pigeons have a Barrier in front of them one of which they cannot go through So they have to try and get a line around it. Many take the wrong line that tells all by the amount of pigeons in a whole day being timed in, It certainly is not the distance factor, but the elements the pigeons face untli they get into France Proper, once they are round the Pyrennes, they have the Landudoc in front of them, Not spelt Correctly) this is where the sking takes place so it is very high, known as the Central Massive, once away from this then they are into France and a line for home, I think the Belgians and the Dutch and Germans send because they see it as the ulimate test for a long distance pigeon, and i think they are right it certainly is a test

Rose is correct what she says, not enough send from England, It is not impossible to get a good bird but the odds are cut with so few going

The British Barcelona Club found this out, It was very difficult for the pigeons so they moved away from Barcelona to Palamos, which although is near the same distance it cuts out a lot of the Mountainous area. But the point is if you do not send you will never know, It is a great pity the B.BClub and the BICC do not get together and have a go at Barcelona in a joint venture then if you send a thousand pigeons you will be in with a chance of some good results  but will it ever happen Plus perhaps a lot of you already know this but for those who do not, The Dutch Long Distance Flyers do not have Long Distance Races Liberated in the Mornings, all of there long distance races the pigeons are liberated in the Afternoons, So the pigeons say fly for about 8 hours the first day then up and on there way next morning. But when a pigeon can only fly for 8 hours it is not tired, so if the night is clear and Light some keep flying well after normal hours of darkness, when a pigeon races only on two day flighs it gets used to flying later because it is still fresh, and it shows up on the results of races like Barcelona

Belgium only has one race point where it is a two day race and that is from St Vincent, this race is only for Yearlings no older pigeons allowed distance 584 miles to me, they let them go about two thirty in the afternoon, there is thrre of these races for Belgium Yearlings one of which is International

Interesting our first pigeon from Barcelona, last weekend  was one such yearling last year raced from St Vincent he finished up 101st International

Steve

 

So what your saying Expat 1 is racing from Barcelona is not the same as racing from Cheltenham to Edinburgh?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[expat1]

I have not mentioned any other countries racing, But to be honest there would be no comparsion  in racing Barcelona or racing as you say from Chelenham to Edinburgh, Distance may be the same but not the conditions

thats my opinion

Steve

[me]

Except for Palamos with the BBC i dont think there is any other race you can compare with Barcelona and even with the BBC all the birds are coming to this country are 200+ birds are up with upto 28,000 birds and the majority of them arent certainly heading are way also we always got the channel sitting in our way seen plenty of races when the channel has shut our birds out over the years  Steves right what he says its not the distance so much its whats in there way and whether they are capable of going round it and doing the hours its going to take

 

Lets just leave it as saluting them as brave brave gallant birds Rose for that is exactly what they are, brave brave gallant birds!

 

 

[expat1]

Regardless of the outcome of Barcelona. there are a few English Fanciers who send every year and they are the stalwarts of the  sport in England,

It takes a lot of Preparation to even get a pigeon fit for such a race and it is planned or i should say worked out from the beginning of the year of racing, I know Long distance racing is hard work, if you are going to get the best out of them and although long distance pigeon racing has been on the decline for years the few who continue when they get a good pigeon from a race such as Barcelona, they get such a buzz from doing so and a great deal of satifaction which in itself is reward enough for the effort put in by bird and Fancier. Having Raced over the years all distances nothing or any amount of prizes won on shorter distance flying can compare with just one good result from a long distance race

[Guest]

What a great pigeon fpor the Padfields , the wind has been preety strong from the west this last weekend and to battle across, superb lads!!

 

Ex Pat interested in your comments, be interested to know how often you sent to Barcelona (Palamos) when you lived in the UK?

[peterpau]

expat 1. I am sure you're right about the distance being not the major factor as I have found to my cost. Pau NFC is a very different story to Pau BICC. This year we didn't clock from Pau, but now have three of my five entries home. Seems to me they just got dragged off the line. My birds don't get much chance of getting a regular line. So I don't think they normally follow but??????????

[expat1]

Albear

As far as i can remember i never ever sent to Palamos, I did send once to Perpignan with the BICC when we lived in Shropshire

We had our 11th bird home this afternoon she was my first choice for the race, so proves i cannot pick them out, One to go

Steve

[peterpau]

Rose. Me fell flat on me face at Pau, but? Get back up and go again. Have to say, think I am lucky having had five races over the water.

[expat1]

I can understand how you feel, there is a huge amount of work that goes in the Preparation for such a race, But there will be another one next year and it may then be your turn. If you do not mind me asking Rose, are you a relation to Ron Wills

Steve

[expat1]

I heard that they may combine the last four Long Races into two, and possibly Barcelona and San Sebastian may be the race points, But it may also be heresay, If i do here anything i will let you know right away. We had Four booked for this weeks Tarbes International had it gone ahead, But i handled them this morning and i was not 100% happy with there condition, so even if there was a race we will not be sending. all our other Pigeons have Flown Barcelona, or Bordeaux near 500 miles the Saturday before, they need a little more time before they go again, So we will have a Slack week end

Steve

[blackjack]

I congratualate all who timed But for UK pigeons they have to cross that water and that makes a hell of a differenceask the continentals. if its westerly winds the drag is straight to the low countries and our birds dog leg back flying a lot futher and they have to cross the channel. Its a different race to the continentals if the wind is easterly this can and has made a big difference and we can win and get close even at Barcelona and Perpignan on the shorter internationals we have won and got very close on a number of occasions but the late libs from Pau and Tarbes have made it much more difficult .

I wish more would take the challenge here 800 plus BICC members but as always its just the same names year in year out Rose we said the increased membership would hardly make a difference we unfortunatly were right .Steve Patrick himself said he only flew the old Perpignan open once when resident here My race is Marsaille but yet again no luck this year.Pau was hard we timed and got 2 out of 3 but look at the differences in results in west or east winds and om early and late libs and do not forget that channel after 500to650 miles the continentals do not . I hope more will try but i doubt it to many are to scared and will not send thier best.

Please come and try them the thrill of timing these birds is incredible .

                                       Stephen Holmes

[peterpau]

Well I for one sent to Pau Although my target race was Tarbes. Got 3 from 5 (didn't get one in race time) and I will aim at Tarbes again. Have to say my main aim may change to Palamos though.

[Guest Vic]

Surely there must be some sort of  provisional international result sheet printed somewhere. Why aint nobody came up with i ;)t?

[expat1]

Blackjack

I will tell you the reasons why i did not compete from Barcelona and some of the other Long Races with the BICC, Now i always talk straight forewards so my reasons may upset a few, but it is not intended to just my own thoughts on Racing pigeons AND more so the time of preparation that goes into it So please people do not take this the wrong way, we would not compete soley because at times there was less than 200 pigeons going to an international race from england and my thoughts were this now here it is I said to myself, If i win one, what real satifaction will i get from it with so few birds competing and unless by some real chance of getting up with the first 10% International, very little and my reasons for this is that not enough pigeons go to the races of this Sort. It is nothing to do with the class of Fancier or the Pigeons, I have said and i still maintain that the English Fanciers and there Stock is equal to any in the World, and It is also true that i am guilty of not supporting it, But my reasons were my own and i have told you here, By the way, when i sent Oniview Queen to Perpignan we lived in Shropshire, It was the time when you did not have to belong to the BICC but for Perpignan anyone could send, i am sure i have this right, Anyhow it was a hold over, When they let the pigeons go a few timed in down the south and the west on the second day. Now i had like most put in a huge amount of work to get her fit She having won 73rd National Pau some three weeks earlier 636 miles so i did not have a great amount of time, She arrived home from Perpignan at 10.0clock on the third Morning. I was so Dissapointed that she had let me down i did something which i had never done before or since in 53 years of racing, I did not time her in because i had been let down so i thought.

On the friday night i was laying in bed and i went Cold, She had not let me down at all she had done great, It came to me that the pigeons who timed in the day before were flying 100 miles shorter than she was or there abouts, She was flying 726 miles on that race, I was the one who let her down and i have never ever forgot what i did, but i vowed it would never happen again

So here we are a full Sermon, but that is how i felt about competing

Steve

Now we come to that word Water the Channel, Yes, the Channel can be a barrier a lot of the time very difficult, But the English Fanciers cannot use it as an excuse for not getting there pigeons home

A great amount of the time the channel is fine and pigeons take it in there stride, Now i do know what is like to Race From France

For the last 12 years i raced in England, Our pigeons were jumped straight from the loft training across the water, The first Race for our old birds was Messac 244 miles or Nantes 286 miles, or when we ,lived in Shropshire Nantes 361 miles. now in Shropshire there private traing by car with only there loft mates was 60 miles then jumped to Nantes, In Somerset we trained 50miles then Jumped them over, and every race they ever flew in was the Races from France

Young Birds They were treated the same In shropshire trained 60miles there first race St Malo National 262 miles, Somerset was the same, On the rare occasion we put a few in the club for a tone up only but not often

We never used to lose a lot of pigeons doing this The Channel was bad at times but when the weather was good it made no difference

Now over here in Belgium we are racing the same pigeons as those two places in England the same Family, but over here they do not cross the Water, but on the normal races in France say from Nantes and Up to Saintes there are no real Hazards in France to stop them on the west side of France there it is pretty flat country, Its the other side where you get the hilly areas and of course down below all sorts of Hazards,

We live where we live all of us, If you send to a race and you fail, then forget about the faliure, once you have thought out the reasons why you failed and get on with the next race

[Guest Vic]

Well put indeed!

[Pompey Mick]

This is from   www.pipa.be

 

http://www.pipa.be/results/2007/barcelona070707int100.txt

 

The 1st hundred International

[Guest Vic]

Great Stuff, But would prefer another 100 maybe two at least! THANK YOU,  VIC.

[Pompey Mick]

That's all they got Vic,  Go to the Racing Season 2007  section on the PIPA home page and you will find top hundred for Belgium & Holland and Top 50 for Germany plus a lot of info on the race.

[blackjack]

What you wrote about the hen in the Perpignan open should make us all think my old man taught me to look in the mirror and my gosh was he right. How would you increase the UK entry im at a loss when i used to go and mark with Mike Young for the BICC it was Mike, Johnny Clarke, Keith Palmer and Myself .It used to drive Mike crazy as why people would not send with the station at Farringdon Gurney we would get the odd extra for the open race from Perpignan and when you look at some of the performances in the international open results Fear Bros so close at Barcelona,Channel Queens performances for himself and others the oppertunity is there.

The problem is if everyone takes the attitude of only 200 birds we will get nowhere fast Mr P do you think attitudes will change ? and people will try and what can be done.I have set up 3 birds for Marsaille and 4 for Tarbes and im gutted 2 yrs work down the pan .So Mr P do you things will improve with international in the UK and how.Your views would be interesting.