Why Race Pigeons?

[tequilaskylark]

Hi

 

I was wondering if people that race pigeons could tell me why they race them? Not the reasons behind keeping them etc, but the actual feelings you get when you race pigeons. The emotional side to racing them. The reason you spend money on keeping the pigeons, training them, and the time you put into it etc... Is it purely to fly your pigeons or for the competitive sport and winning. Or do you actually get more out of it. What made you go into pigeon racing in the first place?

 

Many thanks in advance to anyone who is kind enough to reply.

[geordie1234]

To get out the house away from the dragon in the kitchen

[OLDYELLOW]

I was wondering if people that race pigeons could tell me why they race them?

 

I've been brought up with pigeons albeit many year as pets , so when was able i decided to race them Racing pigeons have been bred to race so thats why we race them , its a bit of fun , but a all year round hobby and you have to be commited .

 

the actual feelings you get when you race pigeons

 

Its the preperation hoping you have your birds right for the task ahead sending them to club and getting up awaiting for them to return home fold there wings and head for the loft , clocking them in hoping the one you've clocked is the winner , it give you a buzz right through to getting the result hopefully with your name at the top

 

The reason you spend money on keeping the pigeons, training them, and the time you put into it etc... Is it purely to fly your pigeons or for the competitive sport and winning. Or do you actually get more out of it.

 

i think racing pigeons is more a away of life rather than a hobby , there more a extended family that gives you more calm peacefull times away from the stress of life , the money i spend on my birds stops me pickling my liver and as the saying goes you only get out what you put in be it time or money hope this helps It's growing your babys watching them grow and hopefully watching them win as said its a way of life for me , i wouldnt be without them

[geordie1234]

I was wondering if people that race pigeons could tell me why they race them?

 

I've been brought up with pigeons albeit many year as pets , so when was able i decided to race them Racing pigeons have been bred to race so thats why we race them , its a bit of fun , but a all year round hobby and you have to be commited .

 

the actual feelings you get when you race pigeons

 

Its the preperation hoping you have your birds right for the task ahead sending them to club and getting up awaiting for them to return home fold there wings and head for the loft , clocking them in hoping the one you've clocked is the winner , it give you a buzz right through to getting the result hopefully with your name at the top

The reason you spend money on keeping the pigeons, training them, and the time you put into it etc... Is it purely to fly your pigeons or for the competitive sport and winning. Or do you actually get more out of it.

 

i think racing pigeons is more a away of life rather than a hobby , there more a extended family that gives you more calm peacefull times away from the stress of life , the money i spend on my birds stops me pickling my liver and as the saying goes you only get out what you put in be it time or money hope this helps It's growing your babys watching them grow and hopefully watching them win as said its a way of life for me , i wouldnt be without them

WELL SAID M8

[tequilaskylark]

I was wondering if people that race pigeons could tell me why they race them?

 

I've been brought up with pigeons albeit many year as pets , so when was able i decided to race them Racing pigeons have been bred to race so thats why we race them , its a bit of fun , but a all year round hobby and you have to be commited .

 

the actual feelings you get when you race pigeons

 

Its the preperation hoping you have your birds right for the task ahead sending them to club and getting up awaiting for them to return home fold there wings and head for the loft , clocking them in hoping the one you've clocked is the winner , it give you a buzz right through to getting the result hopefully with your name at the top

 

The reason you spend money on keeping the pigeons, training them, and the time you put into it etc... Is it purely to fly your pigeons or for the competitive sport and winning. Or do you actually get more out of it.

 

i think racing pigeons is more a away of life rather than a hobby , there more a extended family that gives you more calm peacefull times away from the stress of life , the money i spend on my birds stops me pickling my liver and as the saying goes you only get out what you put in be it time or money hope this helps It's growing your babys watching them grow and hopefully watching them win as said its a way of life for me , i wouldnt be without them

 

 

Thank you ever so much! Thats fantastic :-) Really inspiring! Thanks again for taking the time to reply.

[Guest IB]

Hi

 

I was wondering if people that race pigeons could tell me why they race them? Not the reasons behind keeping them etc, but the actual feelings you get when you race pigeons. The emotional side to racing them. The reason you spend money on keeping the pigeons, training them, and the time you put into it etc... Is it purely to fly your pigeons or for the competitive sport and winning. Or do you actually get more out of it. What made you go into pigeon racing in the first place?

 

Many thanks in advance to anyone who is kind enough to reply.

 

It does sound a bit stupid but I race my birds because they have actually been bred to do that. So it all started funnily enough ‘way back at the beginning’ with selecting the parents, then spending a lot of time and money preparing the pigeon for specific races, which in the case of long distance racing, could be 3 years away, because the pigeon needs a certain level of experience & maturity to compete at that level.

 

When the pigeon achieves a good result in a long distance race, then it is proof that you got all the steps right - from the very start all those years ago, all the training, preparation etc. For me waiting for my pigeons is an emotional rollercoaster, for some reason my self-confidence deflates quickly like a burst balloon, hours pass, you hear of others getting a bird, you wonder where yours has got to, self-doubts start to creep in - was the bird right for this race? Then in a split-second its all changed, the bird drops and goes in through the trap, and now I’ve got one. That’s the difference between not having a bird and getting one – a split second. And you’re confidence is up there again. Now there’s the wait to see what position you’ve won. And taking a position – any position – is another lift. Not an adrenaline junkie by any means, as there’s more downs than ups in this sport, but sense of achievement more than compensates for the lows.

 

Had pigeons as a youngster. When I retired, too much time on my hands, so started pigeons again. Now there’s not enough hours in the day.

[yeboah]

Got introduced to racing pigeons through the family visiting my late uncle who raced them when i was a schoolboy,and i caught the bug been hooked ever since ,love the buzz of pairing breeding and racing them ,the beauty of this hobby is you can take advice from others or just do your own thing ,get as excited on a race day as i did near on forty years ago the highs do compensate for the lows ,feeding time at this time of year even the weary ones are my best friends . the social side during the winter months are always a highlight to look forward to meeting new friends from all walks of life from millionaires to working class joe bloggs like myself ,all in all a wonderful sport

[billt]

As has been said a great sport/hobby, a lot of variation on ideas and methods of racing, if you read the various threads on here you will notice we often disagree even have heated arguments, but if an outside source tries to interfere with our sport we become like a trained army and quickly group together to fight them off

[Guest radouani]

I was wondering if people that race pigeons could tell me why they race them?

 

I've been brought up with pigeons albeit many year as pets , so when was able i decided to race them Racing pigeons have been bred to race so thats why we race them , its a bit of fun , but a all year round hobby and you have to be commited .

 

the actual feelings you get when you race pigeons

 

Its the preperation hoping you have your birds right for the task ahead sending them to club and getting up awaiting for them to return home fold there wings and head for the loft , clocking them in hoping the one you've clocked is the winner , it give you a buzz right through to getting the result hopefully with your name at the top

 

The reason you spend money on keeping the pigeons, training them, and the time you put into it etc... Is it purely to fly your pigeons or for the competitive sport and winning. Or do you actually get more out of it.

 

i think racing pigeons is more a away of life rather than a hobby , there more a extended family that gives you more calm peacefull times away from the stress of life , the money i spend on my birds stops me pickling my liver and as the saying goes you only get out what you put in be it time or money hope this helps It's growing your babys watching them grow and hopefully watching them win as said its a way of life for me , i wouldnt be without them

thats wonderfull,thats wot i feel about racing pigeons,hobby,sport and a way of life.

 

Radouani (morocco)

[THE FIFER]

yes once you get the bug its there to stay,

[Guest devonred]

I just love it, spending time with my dad putting the worlds to rights

[JohnQuinn]

I could write the longest post in Basics history on this subject but will spare you's and agree with OLDYELLOW

[OLDYELLOW]

I could write the longest post in Basics history on this subject but will spare you's and agree with OLDYELLOW

i used the condensed version lol

[Guest monkeynuts71]

Its an amazing feeling seeing your bird come from up the valley then seeing thier wings fold and just drop out the sky onto the loft, not much in life beats that.

its heartbraking to watch birds of prey smash into them

its a rollercoaster ride thats for sure

 

my grandad said pigeons were the best thing in the world cos it kept me off the streets and out of trouble

 

like many its in my family also, just gets passed down the generations. Once you have kept them, you have the bug and should you ever have to give up its not usually long before your doing your upmost to sort something out to get them back again

[billt]

Its an amazing feeling seeing your bird come from up the valley then seeing thier wings fold and just drop out the sky onto the loft, not much in life beats that.

its heartbraking to watch birds of prey smash into them

its a rollercoaster ride thats for sure

 

my grandad said pigeons were the best thing in the world cos it kept me off the streets and out of trouble

 

like many its in my family also, just gets passed down the generations. Once you have kept them, you have the bug and should you ever have to give up its not usually long before your doing your upmost to sort something out to get them back again

Dead right, I think it's called an addiction

[Guest devonred]

Got to agree with you Tristan, watching the birds fold up and dive towards the loft is awesome!!

[geordie1234]

old yellow's post somes it up in one

 

The sport is great! Ive been a scotish swimming champ ive boxed and won plenty of fights and i got a better buzz getting my doos back from a ten mile toss loved it

[Guest Owen]

I have been facinated by animals and birds since I could first remember. I am not sure why but when I saw my first racing pigeon at about 12 years old, I just thought they were fantatic.

I think I like the racing because, apart from being very competitive, I like the idea of creating the superb creature that can beat the competition.

I am most interested in the breeding and the racing is a method of being able to measure the success or otherwise of my work.

I have competed with other forms of livestock and found myself being an admirer of quality in all it's forms.

[Walter swanston]

In the early summer of 1977 I was travelling to Glasgow for the early shift in Orkney Street, Govan when I came on a man liberating pigeons in a field just south of Barrhead.It was about 5 a.m..Iwas so impressed with this guy I never got his name but I know he was a Doctor and I never forgot him and I thought what a marvellous thing to be involved in.Twenty years later I finally realised my ambition when I was in a position to keep racing pigeons and with the great assistance of someone who became a close friend (you know who you are) I built a loft and obtained some doos.I was then struck down with cancer and required an operation after which I was given 3 months to live (that was 13 years ago)I underwent a very traumatic six months of chemotherapy during the time of my first racing season but I persevered and raced throughout the programme.The pigeons had to be looked after and trained and the loft scraped and kept clean and while it would be foolish to say that the pigeons saved my life they gave me a reason to keep going as they do to this day.I do not think I will ever be a great pigeon fancier but I will race them as long as I am able.I am now secretary of my club and president of my Federation and these are duties I undertake to put something back into the wonderful pigeon fancy.

[geordie1234]

In the early summer of 1977 I was travelling to Glasgow for the early shift in Orkney Street, Govan when I came on a man liberating pigeons in a field just south of Barrhead.It was about 5 a.m..Iwas so impressed with this guy I never got his name but I know he was a Doctor and I never forgot him and I thought what a marvellous thing to be involved in.Twenty years later I finally realised my ambition when I was in a position to keep racing pigeons and with the great assistance of someone who became a close friend (you know who you are) I built a loft and obtained some doos.I was then struck down with cancer and required an operation after which I was given 3 months to live (that was 13 years ago)I underwent a very traumatic six months of chemotherapy during the time of my first racing season but I persevered and raced throughout the programme.The pigeons had to be looked after and trained and the loft scraped and kept clean and while it would be foolish to say that the pigeons saved my life they gave me a reason to keep going as they do to this day.I do not think I will ever be a great pigeon fancier but I will race them as long as I am able.I am now secretary of my club and president of my Federation and these are duties I undertake to put something back into the wonderful pigeon fancy.

great story there mate i can actually say the doos did save my life but i couldnt say online why but they did and i love it

[OLDYELLOW]

In the early summer of 1977 I was travelling to Glasgow for the early shift in Orkney Street, Govan when I came on a man liberating pigeons in a field just south of Barrhead.It was about 5 a.m..Iwas so impressed with this guy I never got his name but I know he was a Doctor and I never forgot him and I thought what a marvellous thing to be involved in.Twenty years later I finally realised my ambition when I was in a position to keep racing pigeons and with the great assistance of someone who became a close friend (you know who you are) I built a loft and obtained some doos.I was then struck down with cancer and required an operation after which I was given 3 months to live (that was 13 years ago)I underwent a very traumatic six months of chemotherapy during the time of my first racing season but I persevered and raced throughout the programme.The pigeons had to be looked after and trained and the loft scraped and kept clean and while it would be foolish to say that the pigeons saved my life they gave me a reason to keep going as they do to this day.I do not think I will ever be a great pigeon fancier but I will race them as long as I am able.I am now secretary of my club and president of my Federation and these are duties I undertake to put something back into the wonderful pigeon fancy.

nice post well done beating the big c

[Guest Dorset-lad]

In the early summer of 1977 I was travelling to Glasgow for the early shift in Orkney Street, Govan when I came on a man liberating pigeons in a field just south of Barrhead.It was about 5 a.m..Iwas so impressed with this guy I never got his name but I know he was a Doctor and I never forgot him and I thought what a marvellous thing to be involved in.Twenty years later I finally realised my ambition when I was in a position to keep racing pigeons and with the great assistance of someone who became a close friend (you know who you are) I built a loft and obtained some doos.I was then struck down with cancer and required an operation after which I was given 3 months to live (that was 13 years ago)I underwent a very traumatic six months of chemotherapy during the time of my first racing season but I persevered and raced throughout the programme.The pigeons had to be looked after and trained and the loft scraped and kept clean and while it would be foolish to say that the pigeons saved my life they gave me a reason to keep going as they do to this day.I do not think I will ever be a great pigeon fancier but I will race them as long as I am able.I am now secretary of my club and president of my Federation and these are duties I undertake to put something back into the wonderful pigeon fancy.

[Guest Dorset-lad]

i would just like to say its the taken part that counts and long may it continue good on you

[Guest youngboy]

Because i love it and always will

[Guest Freebird]

In the early summer of 1977 I was travelling to Glasgow for the early shift in Orkney Street, Govan when I came on a man liberating pigeons in a field just south of Barrhead.It was about 5 a.m..Iwas so impressed with this guy I never got his name but I know he was a Doctor and I never forgot him and I thought what a marvellous thing to be involved in.Twenty years later I finally realised my ambition when I was in a position to keep racing pigeons and with the great assistance of someone who became a close friend (you know who you are) I built a loft and obtained some doos.I was then struck down with cancer and required an operation after which I was given 3 months to live (that was 13 years ago)I underwent a very traumatic six months of chemotherapy during the time of my first racing season but I persevered and raced throughout the programme.The pigeons had to be looked after and trained and the loft scraped and kept clean and while it would be foolish to say that the pigeons saved my life they gave me a reason to keep going as they do to this day.I do not think I will ever be a great pigeon fancier but I will race them as long as I am able.I am now secretary of my club and president of my Federation and these are duties I undertake to put something back into the wonderful pigeon fancy.

Regarding Walter and GEO1234 posts, it proves the theory of interaction with pets/animals is theraputic and can be a valuable aid to recovery. I can't think of a better source of this than pigeons. They are perfectly at home in the loft or out free flying and this is the main reason I keep them and share a part of my time with them. Just watching them "go about thier buisness" can be very entertaining and sometimes quite funny and amusing. They have been with mankind for thousands of years as a source of food, entertainment and as pets and here's hoping that will continue