Pigeon Racing Another. Option

[rikki]

Pigeon racing was always ment to be a hobby and pastime or sport ,we are in dark times njust now with all the uncertainty of our great pastime something has to change we can't go on this way or we are all finished ,many ideas and thoughts of how we can salvage our game ,I would personally like to see our sport being brought up to date with massive changes being made to the way we go about our programme of racing to suit all most Feds have got transporters we could be racing every week inthe season by just going shorter races every week of our season mostly this would be financially feasible for transport costs and better returns for most being able to send and compete would take away people's desire to call it a day ,of course this does not mean we give up our right to fly distance ,these races can still go ahead with more amalgamated Feds wishing to carry on as other fanciers could when wanting easily jump well raced and trained birds into these at any given week ,this type of racing would surely keep our bread and butter fellow fanciers the option , I do sincerely think if don't we are all doomed by are own hands,

[THE FIFER]

I agree something needs to be done to change our sport(and get it recognised as sport) and better known to the general public, we are in our own wee ball, in Pigeon papers, pigeon sites etc we need to expand into the general public,

[OLDYELLOW]

Been saying this for years , too many small concerns most going down road liberating at same sites with virtually same programmes it's quite simple share transportation work together and keep the feds identity's , most these wagons are nigh on empty heard of many feds going at a loss . Personally I feel that feds should be cut up in to regions , this would geographically give good racing and reduce clashing and bird losses . Have one body control all racing from the channel .The unions should be looking at implementing this kind of racing but they never will. I feel with losses to bops that Wednesday racing would be a good way of training with the high losses been incurred by small batches , safety in numbers .

[rikki]

We all need keep ourselves very much aware of how many fellow fanciers are throwing inthe towel because of our unwilling ness to change or present racing programme and organising ,

[OLDYELLOW]

Too many ego's and no direction , rather than have competition most feel better to be a big fish in a small pond attitude , this will see our demise , it's up to the Feds to come together and talk , before there's nothing left to save . Lets face it not many new members coming in to the sport , so we need to look at providing good racing for us all to continue .

[rikki]

The future of sport lies in the young fanciers coming thru we can't allow this sort of racing to continue , we owe it alone to these young that they can enjoy some sort of fun in our hobby ,even the top fanciers are struggling to enjoy never less the young learning fancier

[OLDYELLOW]

Well the way things are going it wont continue as feds will go bust if continues the way things are just now , they can't run forever at a loss , but instead of trying to sort things heads are just buried in the sand .

[Guest Owen]

rikki

I fully support what you say because if things do not change the sport will surely end. I accept that there a lot of people out there who like to send their birds to distance races but the numbers competing are dropping all the time and the costs are escalating. It is not as if there are decent prizes to be won as there were in the past. I sometimes wonder how anybody can afford to send to these events.

On a personal basis I have decided to send my pigeons to mainland races only. I breed and manage my team with these races in mind.

I think there has to be a big change in the way that races are organised in the future because the losses that occur are unacceptable on all fronts. The Public are often annoyed by the irresponsible attitude of some Fanciers, the Vets are angry at the way we treat our birds in many cases and Wildlife Organisations are trying to use the fact that we loose birds as an argument against the sport. I don't know about other Fanciers and I want to help lost pigeons but I am really sick of some of the responses I get on the phone. I will not go into detail here but I think everybody knows what I am getting at.

I dare say that there will be plenty of people out there who will want to defend the way things are and justify the way that the sport is organised now, but I think after a moments thought most of us will agree that things have to change. Like most Fanciers I think that the Raptors are having a devastating affect on the sport and something must be done to reduce the carnage but the sport management has to improve.

I doubt if there has ever been a time when there has been better pigeons and I am sure that the management skills have never been better. We have the advantage of electronic equipment and superb veterinary support so there are many things we can build on. The sad thing is that as we all know the sport is dying and I suspect that now that the trend is on a downward slide the demise could be accelerating. I hope there are more people out there who will want to change the way things are done so that future generations can enjoy something as wonderful as racing pigeons.

[OLDYELLOW]

Well said Owen :emoticon-0137-clapping:

[rikki]

Well said ! In lies in the hands of us all not route not raptors us can we not for the sake of our birds think of them 1st and not ourselves there is a wind of change and it is coming wether we are ready or not there is only one , change or lose !!

[Walter swanston]

The Solway Federation has trans[orted pigeons from two other organisations almost throughout the old bird season this year and there is no doubt that this type of co-operation between federations is is part of the way forward.There are other things that can be done to help pigeon racing in general and our federation will stand ready to co-operate with anyone in Southern Scotland or Cumbria

[Pompey Mick]

The Solent Federation has been instrumental in forming the Wessex Combine consisting of The Solent, South Coast, Wiltshire & Berkshire federations for mainly Channel racing. Unfortunately this gives a Channel frontage in excess of 100mls and when the shortest race is approx 170ml the wind & drag play a major part in the outcome of the race.

Pigeon Fanciers all have their own agendas when it comes to racing and they seek to use their vote to suit their individual requirements, the 'Greater good' does not come into it, all competitive fanciers will strive to obtain the best possible racing terms for their own needs.

It is coming to the point where all meaningful races of any distance will only be available through National & Specialist Clubs, Federations will just supply economic, competitive training races.

Down here on the South Coast we are awash with the opportunity to race National & Classic from 100ml -600ml, 30 races in total OB & YB (starting on the 28th April)are open to members of my Club, and this is having a serious effect on Federation birdage numbers on all races which will eventually impact on the economic viability of my Federation.

[rikki]

Makes a lot of sense

[frank-123]

Sprint races from 70 mile every Saturday it will be the only way to race them in the future.

[knoxjn]

why not have sprint races from around sixty to seventy miles from an agreed coupe of racepoints every sunday weather permitting that way you have safety in numbers pooling would be optional no need to even set clocks there you have a chance to ease injured birds back in save on your own training and doubles the enjoyment for what is already a short season

[rikki]

Keeping a option for both would be the only way forward and not being forced to compete in any if not required

[Guest Owen]

Pompey Mick

you are right of course. However the sort of view that you express can only be appropriate to the present time because things are changing all the time. If people who currently vote for their own agenda are faced with the choice of the survival of their sport they will have to reconsider unless of course they are complete idiots.

The future may not be entirely in our hands because we have attracted the attention of people who are not even slightly sympathetic to our views and needs. So in my opinion we have to try to change things before we are forced to fall in line with people who are not slightly interested in what we want.

[rikki]

Well said

[rikki]

Reckon more will follow this debate after the liberation of 400 odd birds from 300 mls into Ayrshire and Lanarkshire. !!

[Guest Owen]

An interesting development last night at the Club House. The Fanciers sending to a relatively short race of around 80 miles has gone down by 50% from 18 down to 9. The number of birds sent has dropped by an even greater percentage. People who were sending 40 to 50 are now sending 6 with the exception of one guy who has a vast number of pigeons and has sent 30.

It is not a question of opinions in my view it is more about what is actually happening on the ground. At the end of the day people will vote with their feet.

The sport must take losses seriously and deal with the very political subject of strays not to mention the cost of flying. I really do not it is too late to change things and improve our public image but the sands of time are running and it is anybodies' guess as to how much time we have left. I hope that rikki has done us all a favour and started the debate that will lead us somewhere.

[frank-123]

An interesting development last night at the Club House. The Fanciers sending to a relatively short race of around 80 miles has gone down by 50% from 18 down to 9. The number of birds sent has dropped by an even greater percentage. People who were sending 40 to 50 are now sending 6 with the exception of one guy who has a vast number of pigeons and has sent 30.

It is not a question of opinions in my view it is more about what is actually happening on the ground. At the end of the day people will vote with their feet.

The sport must take losses seriously and deal with the very political subject of strays not to mention the cost of flying. I really do not it is too late to change things and improve our public image but the sands of time are running and it is anybodies' guess as to how much time we have left. I hope that rikki has done us all a favour and started the debate that will lead us somewhere.

 

No one is interested they are walking about with blinker's on thinking it is not happening. They guy's will wake up one day and realise they have no pigeon's to send to a race maybe then the penny will drop.

Long Distance racing will be the first to fall by the wayside.

[Whats it called Cumbernauld]

One again a lot of good points and thoughts, on many of our problems.

 

 

 

Lack of clear direction from those that are ment to run the sport.

 

Union,fed and at club level.

 

 

We need to make some harsh decisions for the survival of our great sport

[rikki]

This information is valuable to us all ,although it is prevalent around most organisation it is not addressed enough we are the sole contributor our demise lets do something about it before we are to late!! Let's be open and honest to all we need to responsible and direct time for change is progressive and evolutionary it is the only answer , let's keep our great sport alive ,keep the debate non political or personal we will get the answers we want to succeed in desire to carry on !

[Guest Owen]

I was talking to some of the lads at the club this morning and I was pleasantly surprised the here the most popular opinion. It was that the lads want to race their birds even if it is on an informal basis. A Transit Van was mentioned. Most of the local lads are worried about the Raptors due to the sheer numbers around here but they are still determined to carry on enjoying their pigeons.

One thing was differant about the way pigeons are kept these days though. Some of the Fanciers have not let there youngbirds out to fly yet and those that have have only recently given them their freedom. This is a very big contrast from how things have always been done. I am curious as to whether this practise is going on anywhere else.

[rikki]

Been doing it for years has no diverse affects on young especially when have different rounds going in they all get there liberty at same time some young on there 3/4 flight an aviary is a big advantage when they take to wing u can start a regime of time on wing in stages 5min10minetc till they will fly as required with fag or any signal leaves you plenty of time for old bird training etc give you many weeks of peace from Percy attacks by this time they have set up there regular food places !