Scottish Fanciers Self Destructing

[Guest stb-]

Rab i agree to an extent, lots of good doos maybe lost at a young age. But its the ones that dont give up, heart and love for home i think we need.

ok maturity may give that, but thats up to the individual fancier to decide what he wants. I have patience, more than some, but if a yb/yearling doesnt home by itself i have an X against it. Some will turn out good but majority will be crap when going gets tough.

 

Ive had only about 6 Scottish strays in since i started in 2003 and evry one left on their own.

 

Mick

they prob moved on to someone who didint feed so many beans mik :emoticon-0140-rofl:

[peter pandy]

Mick,

Offence never entered my mind especially from an Irish man and I do appreciate what you wrote however we in central Scotland have 50 miles direct South of us the Southern Uplands which peak at about 2000 feet or thereabouts and the birds dont fly over but have to negotiate a route normally to the East which adds perhaps an extra 40 to 60 miles to our flying times over our Eastern counterparts which they are forever forgetful off when believing they have superior pigeons. It is for this reason that Central Scotland pigeons must be schooled as we are the heart and soul of pigeon racing in Scotland ie;- The Central belt has the most density of fanciers without us the sport is doomed.

[MIK]

they prob moved on to someone who didint feed so many beans mik :emoticon-0140-rofl:

 

very good Rab

[ALF]

I would rather our own fed went to the coast themselves tae but we wont this year but i wont send any of my yearlings to the inland nationals but i wont have a problem hopefully sending some yearlings to Ypres or Arras next year

[Guest bigda]

Seriously considering the Forth & Clyde Federation.

 

 

join a club that you think will suit you, next pick one that has safety in numbers, and they fly the way you want to go there are a few i know in the midlands that will no let you go east as they hold all the aces, but the loses are horrendous but the same fly men do not put all the eggs in the one basket and there max entry is 6 birds nothing as far as supporting the fed goes but big on the gub where you fly from at your expense. the lanarkshire has more scruples yes the west would suit loads of guys but it don't suit the birds, so they come first but as it get harder to keep a bird to the age of 2 even the training nails them now you have bird fly 4 hundred mile in side 12 hours with then 2-3 weeks rest not making it back for 6 hours out of a 24 mile toss

[MIK]

Mick,

Offence never entered my mind especially from an Irish man and I do appreciate what you wrote however we in central Scotland have 50 miles direct South of us the Southern Uplands which peak at about 2000 feet or thereabouts and the birds dont fly over but have to negotiate a route normally to the East which adds perhaps an extra 40 to 60 miles to our flying times over our Eastern counterparts which they are forever forgetful off when believing they have superior pigeons. It is for this reason that Central Scotland pigeons must be schooled as we are the heart and soul of pigeon racing in Scotland ie;- The Central belt has the most density of fanciers without us the sport is doomed.

 

 

Peter i understand, i fly into something similar albeit its not central, its the N. West surrounded by the Sperrin mountains. If they miss the 1st break then as you say an extra 40-50 miles dog leg. If they follow the drag then its 70 miles more to home.

 

I dont claim to be a good racing man , im still learming, but i will always be in the opinion if they cant make it or give up the far side of the sperrins then i dont need them. Those that do make it is the ones i want to work with.

 

I wish u well 2013 and hope things improve withinn all ur organisations

 

atb

Mick

[Guest Gareth Rankin]

Hope im not intruding here when i give my opinion,

 

I understand what you saying Peter about shipping together, but to "school" future distance birds to come to an area is wrong imo. I think they either have it or they dont and training them to home from certain areas is false. If a bird is to come from France to Scotland it has to be able to navigate, there is no drag there. Therefore the drag in inland races is only going to affect result because what cant home from being dragged around the country as ybs/yearlings is worth *expletive removed* all..Scotland is not that big of an Area when you think about it.

 

atb

Mick

 

Hi Mik

I fear your are comparing Scotland against Ireland, Ireland at one time had what you would call true long distance pigeons, now Ireland is full of sprint middle distance pigeons, which I'm sure you will agree on that they mature far quicker than long distance pigeons.

The reason that Ireland (with some exceptions)only has Sprint/middle distance pigeons is because Ireland only has a small minority of fanciers that race beyond 500 miles (only 1 race at that). Therefore with Scottish fanciers generally having 4 races from 450 miles to 700 miles to the majority, then patience is a must to allow these distance bred yearlings to mature. Two different animals in my opinion.

Time for INFC to get back to Nantes

 

 

Best of luck at racing in 2013 up into the North of the country as racing up past the Sperrin mountains is no easy task.

[sammy]

Andy,

I was an inaugral member of the Gwent Greater Distance Club which was affiliated to the BICC and would have made a successful model for clubs up here.

I dont believe I am being nostalgic when I say the quicker we return to what we had which was a success the better. It is never to late to return to the grass roots of racing pigeons it only requires a determination by the members. There are better ways to fly other than the old ways. It only takes common sense...

GOOD LEADERSHIP IS NO 1

[Guest IB]

Feds - IMO a lot of the views expressed here are based on nostalgia, a time certainly over 10 years ago when single Scottish feds could command upwards of 3000 birds for their coast race. For the most part, thats long gone, and around 2006/2007 we had an arrangement when 3/4 Feds shared same motor after the 200 mile mark.

 

Combines - SCC sends only 'low' hundreds and it needs joint convoying. Their longest inland race last year was Peterborough - the Yearling Derby - 275 miles to me. They go with SNFC to Clermont.

 

Inland Nationals - Last year excepted, the Inland Nationals do bring back 'the good old days' with birdages well in excess of 3000.

 

 

I note the point that joint convoying with the National means birds may get dragged all over the country. I don't want pigeons that can't think for themselves, and this type of liberation is the type of schooling I want for my birds early on in their racing career - the ability to get on a proper line for home from the moment the flap drops irrespective of where the rest are going. So yes, schooling & training, a series of stepping stones towards that day when they find themselves 500/600/700 miles from home with nobody to hold their hand.

[JADE]

The members of the larger federations have it in their own hands to change things if they want. The likes of Lanarkshire could run a race from the south coast and convoy neighbouring federations at a lower birdage than the snfc. Why dont they do it?

[Guest Gareth Rankin]

The members of the larger federations have it in their own hands to change things if they want. The likes of Lanarkshire could run a race from the south coast and convoy neighbouring federations at a lower birdage than the snfc. Why dont they do it?

 

this might well happen if the proposal to change the sections gets passed at the SNFC agm, it hasn't happened in the past due to lanarkshire having to use haulage companys but now we have our own vehicles then a combine race involving all the west of Scotland feds might well happen.

[Rooster J. Cogburn]

The trouble lies with having too many federations, breakaways that have their own agendas and make joint convoying for coastal racing an impossibility.All because they don't want to go with such and such.Some areas have members racing in as many as four organsisations where there used to be just one.

 

The small feds have become reliant on the likes of the SNFC to give them coast racing as many of the members will refuse to fly against members across the road from them.

 

Very disturbung and I know many of them like to think its for a good cause they are breaking away,but the deep routed issue is they want to win races.Not sure if its arrogance on their part or naivety but they are happier to win in a mickey mouse organisation rather than finish 2nd or even last in strong competetion. They are only kidding themselves and those in a similar mind set.

 

Part of this self destruct nature Peter has highlighted is not just through too many organisations but the in fighting amongst them.

 

Too many people believe everything they hear.They are influenced by a minority who take pleasure in circulating empty rumours and things they want to believe.

 

If adjacent organisations were to group together there would be no need for inland nationals and fanciers could enjoy coastal racing on a much leveler playing field.

[dal2]

Lanarkshire and solway went together last season and I think evrything went to plan?

 

The obvious prob with sharing these days is the diffo routes! We know little of the probs in the central belt down here but I am sure it will only take a few sensible folk on either side of the fence to get something organised?

[Guest bigda]

at £66 a basket there are loads of feds will take that work on the nat charges

[Walter swanston]

Lanarkshire and solway went together last season and I think evrything went to plan?

 

The obvious prob with sharing these days is the diffo routes! We know little of the probs in the central belt down here but I am sure it will only take a few sensible folk on either side of the fence to get something organised?

 

I thought and still think that the Solway/Lanarkshire joint race was a great idea Steven bur as you will probably know there is a quite noisy opposition to the concept from some prominent fanciers in the Solway

[blaz]

peter the s.n.f.c suits me .if by the time my birds are yearlings and get dragged all round Scotland with batches of birds in an inland nat race then birds no good to me.if birds have not learned to use their own brain to work out way home by then what chance have they got working it out from further races.also if it comes down to wining or near the top of a federation combine or an inland national the inland nat wins that hands down.as for false membership to me the best thing i did for my racing was to join the s.n.f.c. for the excitement and thrill on race day long may our federation link with the s.n.f.c for the inland races.

[Novice]

Very interesting thread. I note that Solway intend going to the coast themselves.

Have they decided on a race programme yet?

[dal2]

Very interesting thread. I note that Solway intend going to the coast themselves.

Have they decided on a race programme yet?

Ye west again this year

[eastcoaster]

Unfortunately I am in the Midland Federation and they have determined to go down the West route being convoyed with the SNFC as soon as possible but what can you expect when the Fed President is the SNFC Secretary. What chance my birds being schooled ??.

I have only been through here a couple of years and am also in Midland fed and went to the AGM and for me the top table have it sewn up and am also a little dismayed at the lack of interest in going a bit farther than 200 mls or just over.

[Novice]

Ye west again this year

 

Progressive thinking to my mind.

[novo10]

join the clarkson club, or glenmavis, or the coatbridge club and fly the east route

ur at it again the west routes the best

[peter pandy]

peter the s.n.f.c suits me .if by the time my birds are yearlings and get dragged all round Scotland with batches of birds in an inland nat race then birds no good to me.if birds have not learned to use their own brain to work out way home by then what chance have they got working it out from further races.also if it comes down to wining or near the top of a federation combine or an inland national the inland nat wins that hands down.as for false membership to me the best thing i did for my racing was to join the s.n.f.c. for the excitement and thrill on race day long may our federation link with the s.n.f.c for the inland races.

Aye and if my loft was sitting 50 mile east I would not be writing about schooling pigeons.

[Delboy]

Aye and if my loft was sitting 50 mile east I would not be writing about schooling pigeons.

 

pmsl, very true m8

[Guest bigda]

[='novo10' date=12 January 2013 - 18:33 PM' timestamp='1358015598' post='805246]

ur at it again the west routes the best

 

 

it might be best for some but it aint best for the doos novo its called consideration, mate ask any fancier in the lanarkshire this was not done to win races, and for by the wee macs have proved that. they win no mater the side they fly

[Kyleakin Lofts]

Not so many years ago Federations transported their members birds only doubling up with the Fed next door for the last inland race where they were all basicaly racing into the same area. Combines emerged with local Feds to ensure all birds were racing into a small area and all the fanciers were reasonably happy with returns. So what changed to destroy what was successfull ??.

A certain few fanciers wanted to be big cheeses and attempted to destroy the proven successfull ways by encouraging the SNFC to offer inland races which they would offer to convoy Federations cheaper than the past.

Federation members being Scottish could see that they were going to have cheaper racing without looking to the future and jumped aboard creating a false SNFC membership but hey ho who cares when cheaper birdage is offered.

So instead of our yearlings and two year olds being schooled to race into a small area such as Combines they are subjected to being dragged over the length and breadth of Scotland AND you wonder why their is a shortage of distance birds.

 

 

Having been absent from the racing pigeon scene for some 40 years and only a boy when I was involved with it, I wholeheartedly agree with this.

Money and poweer, the root of all evil. Given that in that 40 years the cost of living has risen greatly, I am sure the cost of racing pigeons has not risen at the same levels.

 

Having been involved in my own right since 2009 I have noticed that most fanciers baulk at any price increase, wanting their membership and racing for peanuts. They know their organisation is losing money, but do not mind because they feel the money raised by fanciers of the past, which may include themselves, should be used to subsidise their racing, after all, there is no future left for the hobby.

 

The excess money held by these organisations could be used to soften the blow, but they have to bring themselves up to the position of paying their way.