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Lerwick Open Race


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Andy that's not pigeon racing that's just crazy imo. There been birds timed into ayrshire from over a thousand miles quicker. No disrespect to the guys that got them surly now you'll realise why the north road guys don't support this race pigeon suicide imo

 

You are correct. It is no longer a race. The race finished around 13.00 on the second day.

I don't understand the crazy though. Andy Eadie timed his bird bang on time. The rest were late, some well late.

When was the last time birds were timed into Ayrshire from over 1000 miles? The last I knew was Davidson in the 70's and some from Irvine around a similar time.

No disrespect to the guys, they are far better fanciers than I am, but their birds and their preparation was just not good enough and that is why they are late. The ones that haven't shown up, at best are not even that good and at worst are subject to predation.

I think this race is not supported because it is far too difficult for the majority of north roaders. We do not have the numbers to be able to have a separate liberation, so will be subject to the English drag, making the race a lot longer than its measured distance. The birds that make it back have shown a great deal of spirit and character, have proved their homing ability and have shown up their trainers as "not up to standard". They themselves are also "not up to standard", due to their inability to break. The proof is Andy Eadie's bird.

What are the numbers entered into Alencon by Ayrshire fanciers? Probably not 100. Years ago, Ayrshire was a hotbed for distance racing, now it is just a shallow excuse. The number of birds entered reduces drastically race by race. After 5 races they had dropped from around 3000 down to around 500. I appreciate the difficulties faced. The north roaders got sick of it, but instead of packing in they changed direction. At best they are able to reach 230 miles on land and some are quite happy so to do. Others wanted the most distance they could achieve and that is Lerwick.

These north road pioneers probably realise the difficulties they and their pigeons face and are experiencing the learning curve, just as in the past the distance pioneers experienced before Rennes became a household name in Scotland.

I so wish I could become a failure and time my birds from Lerwick, but I am just not good enough.

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Andy that's not pigeon racing that's just crazy imo. There been birds timed into ayrshire from over a thousand miles quicker. No disrespect to the guys that got them surly now you'll realise why the north road guys don't support this race pigeon suicide imo

ricky i think if they went on there own its a different story but seems daft libbing with the nrcc from lerwick :emoticon-0167-beer: :emoticon-0167-beer:

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ricky i think if they went on there own its a different story but seems daft libbing with the nrcc from lerwick :emoticon-0167-beer: :emoticon-0167-beer:

 

We need more birds for a separate lib. The advice is a couple of hundred. I was requested to become involved in promoting this race just for that very reason. The Valley Club knows all about the difficulties. Their Open race has run for some time now. It was at first supported by the Federation, but was not part of the race programme, I believe. Latterly it has been supported by a few Federation members.

This year we extended the Open aspect to include all lofts flying 300 miles to Lerwick. We have discovered an anomaly regarding the distance for our Fraserburgh Open, so the Lerwick qualification will be the main one in future. We also managed to gain sponsorship for both races, so we are trying.

This year's numbers were 65 birds for Fraserburgh and 33 birds for Lerwick. We know we require more birds, but we also know this is only the first year where we have actively attempted to attract entries.

We hope to achieve a separate liberation in the near future. :emoticon-0127-lipssealed:

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We need more birds for a separate lib. The advice is a couple of hundred. I was requested to become involved in promoting this race just for that very reason. The Valley Club knows all about the difficulties. Their Open race has run for some time now. It was at first supported by the Federation, but was not part of the race programme, I believe. Latterly it has been supported by a few Federation members.

This year we extended the Open aspect to include all lofts flying 300 miles to Lerwick. We have discovered an anomaly regarding the distance for our Fraserburgh Open, so the Lerwick qualification will be the main one in future. We also managed to gain sponsorship for both races, so we are trying.

This year's numbers were 65 birds for Fraserburgh and 33 birds for Lerwick. We know we require more birds, but we also know this is only the first year where we have actively attempted to attract entries.

We hope to achieve a separate liberation in the near future. :emoticon-0127-lipssealed:

Atb for the future Andy

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You are correct. It is no longer a race. The race finished around 13.00 on the second day.

I don't understand the crazy though. Andy Eadie timed his bird bang on time. The rest were late, some well late.

When was the last time birds were timed into Ayrshire from over 1000 miles? The last I knew was Davidson in the 70's and some from Irvine around a similar time.

No disrespect to the guys, they are far better fanciers than I am, but their birds and their preparation was just not good enough and that is why they are late. The ones that haven't shown up, at best are not even that good and at worst are subject to predation.

I think this race is not supported because it is far too difficult for the majority of north roaders. We do not have the numbers to be able to have a separate liberation, so will be subject to the English drag, making the race a lot longer than its measured distance. The birds that make it back have shown a great deal of spirit and character, have proved their homing ability and have shown up their trainers as "not up to standard". They themselves are also "not up to standard", due to their inability to break. The proof is Andy Eadie's bird.

What are the numbers entered into Alencon by Ayrshire fanciers? Probably not 100. Years ago, Ayrshire was a hotbed for distance racing, now it is just a shallow excuse. The number of birds entered reduces drastically race by race. After 5 races they had dropped from around 3000 down to around 500. I appreciate the difficulties faced. The north roaders got sick of it, but instead of packing in they changed direction. At best they are able to reach 230 miles on land and some are quite happy so to do. Others wanted the most distance they could achieve and that is Lerwick.

These north road pioneers probably realise the difficulties they and their pigeons face and are experiencing the learning curve, just as in the past the distance pioneers experienced before Rennes became a household name in Scotland.

I so wish I could become a failure and time my birds from Lerwick, but I am just not good enough.

 

 

Andy,

I have no intention of discrediting your race in any way but your recollection of pigeon history in Ayrshire is either very poor or very selective.

At the time when the North Road Federation was formed South Road losses were much fewer than they are today. The fanciers were not sick of losses they were unable to win out of turn and subsequently formed an organisation with a radius designed to exclude the fanciers who were doing the bulk of winning in Ayrshire Federation. Note-your organisation has it's roots in Kyle/Ballochmyle areas. Neither of these Federations exist now.

So what we have is an organisation formed, not from ambition, but from a membership desire to be bigger fish in a smaller pond. Effectively a lowering of standards.

When the realised that they were struggling for numbers they increased the radius and their existence has weakened all organisations in the area meaning that pigeon racing has become less competitive and more expensive due to the additional expenses incurred.

I have no intention of entering into a discussion but thought I would add my perception of the facts.

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50 birds entered into section F Alencon. Our 33 Lerwick birds become quite respectful. Pity the rest of our convoy were not racing into the same general area, like the National birds. To a certain extent our race is more like an International, given the small entry and the effect of the drag.

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Andy,

I have no intention of discrediting your race in any way but your recollection of pigeon history in Ayrshire is either very poor or very selective.

At the time when the North Road Federation was formed South Road losses were much fewer than they are today. The fanciers were not sick of losses they were unable to win out of turn and subsequently formed an organisation with a radius designed to exclude the fanciers who were doing the bulk of winning in Ayrshire Federation. Note-your organisation has it's roots in Kyle/Ballochmyle areas. Neither of these Federations exist now.

So what we have is an organisation formed, not from ambition, but from a membership desire to be bigger fish in a smaller pond. Effectively a lowering of standards.

When the realised that they were struggling for numbers they increased the radius and their existence has weakened all organisations in the area meaning that pigeon racing has become less competitive and more expensive due to the additional expenses incurred.

I have no intention of entering into a discussion but thought I would add my perception of the facts.

Well said

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My uncle flew in dalrymple for years and won his fair share does anyone know him maxie colligan

 

I know and respect the fancier by reputation but there my knowledge ends.

South Ayrshire fanciers have huge BOP problems now and have my sympathy.

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Andy,

I have no intention of discrediting your race in any way but your recollection of pigeon history in Ayrshire is either very poor or very selective.

At the time when the North Road Federation was formed South Road losses were much fewer than they are today. The fanciers were not sick of losses they were unable to win out of turn and subsequently formed an organisation with a radius designed to exclude the fanciers who were doing the bulk of winning in Ayrshire Federation. Note-your organisation has it's roots in Kyle/Ballochmyle areas. Neither of these Federations exist now.

So what we have is an organisation formed, not from ambition, but from a membership desire to be bigger fish in a smaller pond. Effectively a lowering of standards.

When the realised that they were struggling for numbers they increased the radius and their existence has weakened all organisations in the area meaning that pigeon racing has become less competitive and more expensive due to the additional expenses incurred.

I have no intention of entering into a discussion but thought I would add my perception of the facts.

 

Very poor. I know next to nothing regarding Ayrshire pigeon history.

North road was formed as a club in Mauchline and was part of Ayrshire Fed around 1999, 2000, I understand. Mauchline, I assume, would be part of Kyle Fed, so the move to Ayrshire very well could have been "political".

Ambition, desire and lowering of standards are all relative and as you correctly state, I am unable to comment.

The comment that I did make was one told to me by someone who was at the start of the North Road and may have been his reasons only albeit that is not the way I picked it up.

I would say the greatest factor in the weakening of organisations is the peregrine falcon and the fanciers within the organisations. Whether fanciers decide to race north or not is completely irrelevant. If fanciers decide to race north their pigeons may very well be lost to the organisations racing south, but that is their prerogative, for whatever the reasons may be. The remaining fanciers should only be concerned with their pigeons. I was told to bother about the pigeons that are in my loft and to forget about the ones that are lost because I am unable to do anything about them. Organisations are similar. They should bother about the pigeons they have and forget those they do not have. Are the pigeons they have good enough to complete the task?

In Ayrshire, there are very few that are good enough to complete the task, if the task is to complete the full programme, as it used to be. Now I am a beginner and I lay the blame firmly at my door, but the fanciers in Ayrshire bleat on about the north road, clashing, BOP, etc etc. They should be looking at their problems and attempting to solve them, not for personal gain (political reasons, like coast lofts, etc). If the BOP is the problem, it is a widespread problem, they are everywhere now. I accept the Cumbria Region is the worst in Europe probably and Ayrshire / South Lanarkshire won't be far behind. Given this, go west and at least avoid the cross federation clashing. Give it a minimum of 5 years like Solway. Accept the heavy losses there will be at the start, what's different, but hope for improvements down the line. I have heard it mooted so often that the pigeon game only has 5 years left, well if this is correct, go out in a blaze of glory.

There seems to be a lot of birds being bred from that have done nothing and their progeny also does nothing. This is the fancier's fault. The fancier is either not good enough, be it training or breeding, or he needs new birds. Proof; McKinlay, Smith, Reid, Young, Cowan, etc, they are all doing it.

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I stand corrected on my incorrect recollection of North Road racing into Ayrshire.

 

I race north. I want to race north. I may decide to race south in the future.

At this moment in time I am attempting to improve the north racing in Scotland. My vision of this is to reach as far north as we are able to achieve the greatest distance. Lerwick is that race-point. Lerwick is a tremendous challenge. It may only be a middle distance race of 300+ miles, but 140 of them are across water, I know the birds don't swim. I don't particularly want sprint racing, so this is my alternative. The fanciers in Valley North club have agreed to create a Social Circle to promote our Open races so we are able to achieve these aims. that is what we are attempting to do. How does it harm pigeon racing?

Andy Eadie used the Lerwick Open race to prep his bird for Tours where he is hoping it will win its Gold Award. I wish him luck and hope he is successful.

I also hope Valley North Social Circle is successful, increases the number of middle distance Open races and achieves their aim of a Lerwick Open race with a liberation separate from the NRCC liberation.

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