Middlewich Top 3
By Les Parkinson.
For this weeks notes I am changing the format because one thing that
I have been looking to do for some time is to compile a question and
answers article on the top three prize winners in a club. The reason
is to see how such a report would come out from a readers point of
view and whether it is another way of reporting the winners for the
future.
This is a run down on the top three in the Middlewich FC for the
2001 season and the answers are numbered as follows: Alan Groom -1,
Mike O'Hare & Sons -2, Dave & Lynne Healey -3. As you read
through you will see that not all answers have been answered for obvious
reasons that will come to light as you read through.
|
|
|
|
2. Lofts of Mike O'Hare & Sons
|
|
|
|
1. Alan Groom & Loft
|
3. Lofts of Dave & Lynne Healey
|
Q. Please introduce yourself and how did you get started in the
sport?
1. Alan Groom, I first started with pigeons in the 50's
and have raced them ever since.
2. I first flew pigeons as a school boy up until I got
married to Rita when I left pigeons but as with many pigeon fanciers
before me I came back in 1992. For the next three years I flew a good
pigeon but then my work took me abroad so the pigeons went until I
returned home and started once again in 1999. At the present moment
I fly my pigeons under the name of Mike O'Hare & Sons but my son's
have no interest whatsoever and I do look after the pigeons myself
but Rita and my sons does help out if I am stuck.
3. Mr & Mrs D. Healey consists of David & Lynne
who share all the work between them around the lofts.
Q. Give the readers the basic results that you have achieved as
a partnership?
1. I have been the top prize winner in both the Middlewich
FC & 5B clubs for the last few years
2. I am not going to go back to years ago but since
I have restarted in 1999 I have been pleased with my performances.
I have won many prizes at club and fed level including the Mid Cheshire
Federation young bird average in 2000 and in 2001 I won the South
West Cheshire Fed OB inland and OB combined ave's.
3. We have won trophies and prizes since starting in
the sport in the 80's. My (David) father raced pigeons but when Lynne
and myself got married we did not race. We started when a dark cock
dropped into our garden and stayed with Lynne looking after him, everything
snow balled from there.
Q. Amongst those results what are the real highlights?
1. My many 1st prizes in the Middlewich 2B plus 1st
Three Counties Combine Sartilly against 13,947 birds and all the cups
won, far better than the money.
2. I also like competing in the big races and have won
5th Bamfords Gold Ring race. 7th section MNFC Herstal and 5th section
YB MNFC Guernsey 2001. These results have pleased me because we are
only in our full second year back and the pigeons have shown good
promise against tough opposition.
3. Winning the Middlewich 2.B. "Champion of Cheshire"
when 174 members sent 345 birds. 5th Section 24th Open Le Ferte Bernard
MNFC over 7,000 birds.
Q. What organisations do you race with?
1. The three Middlewich clubs which are the Flying Club,
5B (now has a 10 bird limit) and 2.B clubs.
2. Middlewich F.C. & 5B & 2B. MNFC, Cheshire
2B & North West and I do like to be able to compete and win in
them all.
3. Our main clubs are the three at Middlewich being
the Flying Club, 5.B (now 10), 2.B. MNFC and the North West Classic
Club.
Q. Do you ever think about competing for averages?
1. Yes because the average's are a good indicator as
to how well your loft has flown over a full season.
2. No I do not set out to win them but I do go out to
win every race and any averages that I won are a consequence of that
method.
3. Yes, if we are in with a chance it makes us try harder.
Q. How do you race your pigeons and how many?
1. I race a maximum of 32 widowhood cocks. In 2001 I
started with 52 young birds in training and finished with 36 all had
been to the coast 182mls.
2. I prefer to race the cocks only on the widowhood
system and they usually total 27 in all. I breed approximately 100
young birds and end up with about 70-80 to race after they have been
trained.
3. We have 24 cocks plus about 16 of their hens that
are all raced on widowhood. Then there are about 40 young birds on
the darkness system.
Q. What are your lofts made of and how big are they?
1. They are made of wood with the race team being 16ft
x 8ft plus a small 6ft x 4ft for the 24 winter young birds, there
is also a separate loft for the stock birds and another for the widowhood
hens.
2. The main racing loft is 32ft long and constructed
of timber and is the main racing loft of the late Denis Gleave so
there have been many winners clocked in it. It has four sections,
three for the cocks with the other being used for the widow hens.
The young bird loft is also 32ft long with four sections, there is
one for cocks and one for hens then later in the year the others used
for pairing up in the longer young bird races.
3. They are made of marine plywood with a full polycarbonate
front. The whole loft measures 32ft x 9ft split into 6 sections.
Q. Do you attach any importance to having a tiled roof on a loft,
if so are there any benefits?
1. None at all, I have always been happy with the roof
sloping from the back to the front which allows me to put a pen from
the trap onto the roof for the young birds.
2. We have a tiled fascia for aesthetic reasons but
a full tiled roof does have advantages in forms of loft heating from
solar gains and as a component in overall loft ventilation.
3. We don't have a tiled roof and it probably doesn't
make any difference anyway.
Q. How many stock birds do you keep and do you breed off your
race team also how many pigeons do you think that you need to breed
off any individual stock pair each year to see if they are quality
producers?
1. Usually about 12prs of stock and each widowhood cock
will rear at least one young bird prior to the season and one after
to settle them back down.
2. I like to take one round from the widowhood cocks
and at least three rounds from the stock birds. I have only been back
in the sport for the last two and a half seasons I have a comparatively
young team so I like to rotate the hens to try and find that elusive
"Golden" breeding pair.
3. We have 6prs at stock which all fly out and we do
breed off all the pigeons. But stop breeding youngsters at the beginning
of March unless there is a good reason.
Q. When do you pair your pigeons?
1. All the stock are paired on the 10th December and
the race team on the 10th January.
2. My aim is always to breed early in December and January
so that I have a strong team of young birds for the bigger and longer
races in August and September.
3. Both stock and racers are paired at the same time
on the 10th January.
Q. Do you move the hens with the young birds?
1. Yes they are moved so that I can then start preparation's
with the widowhood cocks.
2. The hens and young birds are moved at the same time
when the youngsters are about 17 days old.
3. We do like to move the hens when the young birds
are 14/16 days old and leave the young birds with the cocks.
Q. What criteria do you set down for the pigeons you winter with
your thoughts on the following seasons racing and breeding?
1. If you want a winning loft you must look after your
pigeons 365 days of the year, it is not just a summer hobby.
2. Nest box accommodation determines the number of birds
wintered. The old cocks being replaced by younger cocks based on the
last seasons racing performances.
3. Apart from the stock, if the racers are 2yrs old
and not won a couple of prizes the!!!!!!
Q. Do you have any grills fitted in the floor or in the boxes,
are there any advantages to using them?
1. No grills are fitted and I doubt if there is any
advantage to having them fitted.
2. At the present moment I do not have any fitted but
I do think that they are a good idea.
3. We used to use them when we boxed the hen's but now
that we fly them we do not box them, we are altering the floor set
up this season.
Q. What do you think about the vaccination programme for the pigeons
and do you think it affects the pigeons long term?
1. I only use the Colombovac and I have never seen and
ill effect through vaccinating the birds.
2. I suspect that it probably not necessary based on
the low incidence of Paramyxo problems observed in feral populations.
However it is the easy option for DEFRA and no research into it's
long term effect is being carried out to my knowledge.
3. We have always flown under the vaccination policy
so we know no different.
Q. Do you attach any importance to grits and minerals or can the
pigeons get what they want they are out of the loft?
1. As a preference I always have fresh grit and minerals
in front of the pigeons.
2. The appropriate grits and minerals need to be available
in sufficient quantity especially during breeding and racing periods.
3. We have grit and minerals in front of the pigeons
all the time and also a large lump of rock salt outside the loft,
so if they want it then it is there.
Q. Do you use any floor dressing or do you clean the pigeons out
daily?
1. A slight dressing of dry sand is used on the floors,
box perches and nest boxes
2. I like to clean the race team out daily but not the
stock birds.
3. We have no use for floor dressings because the only
day of the year that they are not cleaned out is Christmas day.
Q. Do you like to have plenty of room for the pigeons?
1. Yes because they should not be overcrowded.
2. It is always a question of balancing the urge to
retain stock against the fact that the birds undoubtedly benefit from
having plenty of room.
3. One thing that we do like is two perches for every
young bird.
Q. How do you feed the cocks and what do you feed them on?
1. I have bought my corn in bulk for nearly 30yrs and
is all the Scheemaeckers brand. This is a once a year buy and I also
buy the pickstones etc at the same time.
2. I use Bucktons Super widowhood mix from Davies Tropical's
and a sprint mix passed on by one of the Counties leading flyer's,
who shall remain nameless (but thanks George).
3. The cocks are fed in their boxes on good corn all
the year round, Natural Concord and Versele-Laga Prestige mixed together
is what we prefer. The hens and young birds are fed on the floor.
Q. Do you measure the amount that you give to each pigeon, or
are they fed according to the individual pigeon?
1. Nothing is measured to the individual pigeon but
I do feed them according to the time of year and the weather, this
is one of those points where you must observe what is happening around
the loft.
2. They are hopper fed at present but I do intend to
revert to individual feeding for next season because I think that
you can make the cocks tamer by using this system. I am also changing
to tailor their feeding for their intended race programme.
3. Yes a 35mm filing box for each bird.
Q. Do you think loft position makes any difference i.e. Easterly
or Westerly do you set any stall by the position and if so why?
1. My loft is slightly West of the bulk of members in
my clubs and slightly North of most. Yes wind direction will always
determine the winners.
2. I am the most westerly flyer in both Saturday clubs
which is not an advantage and a fast trap is essential to stand any
chance of winning.
3. The wind and the pull of the birds does determine
most race results.
Q. Do you consider there to be any advantage having a racing partnership?
1. I have never been in a racing partnership but years
ago when I was working and my wife Rhoda was in better health she
used to do a lot with the pigeons.
2. To compete at the highest level is impractical for
me to be able to put in the time required to be successful. I have
had a lot of help during the last season by fellow club member Ron
Woodward and we intend to form a partnership for the 2002 season.
3. Yes because this allows us to split the loft chores
so that they do not become hard work and boring.
Q. Are there any points that you disagree on and if so how do
you compromise a situation where there is a different viewpoint?
1. ---------
2. With the new partnership we should in theory compliment
one another because I am predominantly a sprint flyer but over the
years Ron has been one of the top Channel flyers in the area. We are
hoping that our individual skills will be complimentary to one another
and this will give us a chance to compete competitively at all distances.
At the present moment we have not experienced many points of disagreement
and if we do we both share the view that it is only a sport and it
is paramount that both of us enjoy what we are doing.
3. --------
Q. Do each of you have an area within the partnership where responsibilities
take control regarding a decision?
1. -------
2. Not yet but we hope to develop the lofts along those
lines in order to make the best use of our time and individual areas
of expertise and inclinations.
3. I (David) look after the widowhood cocks and hens
and Lynne looks after the young birds.
Q. To term a phrase are you a professional team of pigeon fanciers
and do your circumstances make a big difference?
1. When I took early retirement in 1994 I was described
as full time professional by a certain scribe (Les) but I don't consider
myself as a professional.
2. We are probably just moving into the first division
but we are aiming for the premier league.
3. -----------
Q. Whenever I have visited a loft fanciers always look at the
pigeons eye. Do you consider that the eye has any importance in (a)
the breeding, (b) distance races (c) sprint races. (d) the pigeons
health. Or do you steer clear of the subject and if so why?
1. I don't understand eye sign so cannot comment and
I have yet to meet someone who is a top flyer who can explain it to
me.
2. I studied eye sign very closely a few years ago and
never went anywhere without the eye sign glass. I think that theory
is a good indication of breeding potential but it was like looking
for 1933 pennies (only 5 minted) so I have given up.
3. I find it hard enough to win a prize without getting
into the eye sign theory. (Les) knows my opinion on that.
Q. Do you use any preventative medication?
1. Yes for Worms, Cocci and Canker and I like Harkers
products but I do like to use a different firms products every three
years to stop them getting immune to any one product.
2. Yes, as necessary and routinely for canker.
3. If the birds have had to drink in the basket I always
treat for canker.
Q. How many weeks do you think a pigeon can maintain it's form
on the widowhood system for both cocks and hens?
1. Depends on how hard the races, all season if the
races are easy but about 8 races if racing is hard i.e. North East
Winds.
2. I have not really had enough experience to determine
this but I have a system of repairing each section of the widowhood
cocks by rotation throughout the racing season.
3. Brian Beardmore once told me that a cock will race
in top form for ¾ weeks, I think he is about right on that
point.
Q. Does this include channel races or are the specified number
of weeks for sprint races and do you think that a pigeon can be prepared
at fortnightly intervals for the channel races?
1. Yes, they all have to be won.
2. I think that ideally two teams are required, one
for sprint the other for the channel/distance and their feeding and
race programmes tailored to match.
3. Yes.
Q. Do you think a pigeon has the capabilities of racing both short
and long distance races. Also what distance can a pigeon actually
still "RACE" as opposed to homing from any race point?
1. It all depends on the direction and strength of the
wind.
2. I consider that pigeons are "Racing" during
any one day race where a velocity recorded matches the predicted velocity
taking into account the wind and race point.
3. Our "Box Cock" prized from every race point
from Worcester to Rennes, his father from Nantes and his brother from
Niort.
Q. What proportion of you pigeons get better on subsequent trips
to the long distance races and what do you call distance?
1. Some birds get crafty and don't try if you hammer
them too much distance over 400mls.
2. I have little experience of distance flying and do
not feel qualified to offer a view on this topic.
3. I don't think they do, three years ago we had a cock
who had finished2nd in the Middlewich 2B club from Niort and another
that had finished 10sec 50th Open MNFC Saintes, we lost them both
two years ago at Niort.
Q. Which is the more difficult, establishing a team of sprinter's
or distance pigeons and why?
1. Don't really know.
2. I think that it is more a question of length of time
and individual preference/objective than difficulty. It will take
longer to establish a distance team since distance birds take longer
to mature.
3. No difference because it is hard enough with the
opposition to win any races.
Q. Sprinter or distance, there is no difference, it is all in
the feeding?
1. --------
2. There is a difference between distance birds and
sprint birds in general but there will always be exceptions. Linford
Christie would never beat the Kenyon runners over the marathon distance
no matter what he was fed.
3. --------
Q. Taking into account distance, which is more difficult racing
to your area, is it a case of a 600ml race is a 600ml race regardless
of competition or route?
1. I have never raced in a 600ml race so I can't comment,
the clubs that I am a member of don't race to 600mls.
2. 600ml races will be difficult on practically every
occasion doe to the demands on the pigeon and the unlikely scenario
of a good line of flight, weather wise, over the complete course of
the race.
3. We don't have any races anywhere near 600mls, 480mls
is the farthest that we race in the clubs and not many send to those
so we don't bother.
Q. What families of pigeons do you keep?
1. My present families now are the following, Busschaerts
from Terry Edwards and Jane Aspin who bred the Three Counties winner.
I also have the VDB from John Kirk and Bailey Bros of Rugley which
are via Terry Edwards.
2. In essence a mixed bag of pigeons from tp fanciers
consisting of the following lines. FVW-Jim Dutton & Frank Faulkner.
Kellons/VDB-Mr & Mrs George Litherland. William Geerts-Tommy Shaw
& Son. Houbens-Martin Mitchell. SVR-Dean Pallet. De Klak-Arnold
Letzing, Germany.
3. FVW-Janssens---Busschaerts.
Q. How do you go about bringing in a new family and what do you
look for?
1. Find an honest seller!
2. In general team performances have to be good combined
with top competition taking into account loft position.
3. We don't buy a new family in, just the FVW, race
them and breed off what's left.
Q. Early in the article we discussed the wind direction, do you
consider that good pigeons will win in any position?
1. This all depends on the distance of the race.
2. As a generalisation they will not win in any position
but unexpected weather conditions can throw up surprise results on
isolated occasions. This applies particularly in the big races.
3. No, the wind and also when the bulk of pigeons are
going normally where the winners are.
Q. Some fanciers go out and purchase good quality winning pigeons
but never appear to make the grade, why do you consider that this
happens?
1. One of two reason's or maybe both, they either do
not put enough effort into the pigeons or they buy sub standard pigeons.
2. They lack the knowledge of commitment to condition
the birds properly.
3. We don't bother about these fanciers, we have enough
trouble ourselves to worry about them.
Q. Do you give any special treatments when the pigeons return
from the race as a precaution against anything that they may have
picked up in the basket?
1. No
2. No, none at all.
3. As we have stated we treat for Canker but we do have
treatments in the cupboard for all kinds of ailments.
Q. Which of the two sexes do you consider is the most important
when it comes to breeding?
1. I do not think that it matters.
2. One of each sex paired together usually gives the
best results! But analysis of good pigeons over a long period of time
would be necessary to consider this question i.e. have the good pigeons
been produced from the mother or father of the loft.
3. Hens breed the good cocks therefore when I am out
buying I do go for hens.
Q. Some fanciers like big hens for breeding does the size of the
hen make any difference to the quality of youngsters that she breeds
in your past experience?
1. No.
2. No, the best breeding hen during my previous spell
in the sport (92-95) was a tiny George Bolle/Toye hen. My current
best hen is a medium/large in size.
3. I like a hen that has won and if the rest of the
family have all the better.
Q. Is there anything that you have not won in the sport that you
would like to achieve?
1. No, only to keep on trying.
2. My main aim is to win a National race or at least
the section and to beat Billy Glynn in the Middlewich 2B..
3. We always look forward to the next race and want
to win that.
Q. Who do you consider to be the best fanciers in the Country
and for what reasons?
1. Nationwide, Jim Biss, locally the late Denis Gleave
but there are many good racing fanciers in Cheshire
2. Arthur Beardsmore who could condition a for a race
and the pigeon would be there.
3. I have had the pleasure of knowing two great fanciers,
the late Dennis Gleave of Middlewich and the late Dennis Burton of
Stoke, both were great racing pigeon fanciers.
Q. What do you think can be done to take the sport forward?
1. Try to get all members to take an active part in
running a club, I have been a clock setter since 1954 and a secretary
since 1960.
2. Forward thinking by all fanciers and for them to
accept that change is necessary in pigeon racing just as it is in
most walks of life and organisations.
3. If we can take the greed and selfishness out at club
level racing then I think that would improve the sport.
Q. Are there any special treatments that you give your birds once
the season ha finished what do you recommend the readers to do with
the birds?
1. No but you must continue to feed the best corn and
look after them.
2. Feed a resting mixture once the moulting has finished
coupled with rest and fresh air.
3. Feed them good corn and plenty of rest to complete
their moult.
Q. When it comes to breeding do you line-breed or use a first
cross or just pair winners to winners?
1. My preference is to pair winner to winner or winner
to a daughter or sister to a winner.
2. I try all three methods but would line breed and
cross the best of these it I had the patience.
3. Winners to winners and if they pair up as young birds
and I like the pairing I leave them to get on with it.
Q. Do you breed off the top widowhood cocks after the racing has
finished, do you breed late bred youngsters and what do you think
of those later bred youngsters?
1. Yes one from each.
2. I think that late breds are useful if intended for
stock purposes, but losses if attempting to race them makes the effort
not worthwhile. As Tom Shaw advised a few years ago "The best
yearlings will inevitably be from birds that have racing experience
as young birds rather than late breds even if they are winter trained".
3. We don't have late breds for racing, we seem to have
enough for the box space left after racing.
Q. If your race team went off form during the season what action
would you take to restore their condition?
1. Don't know.
2. Rest and light feed them and probably a consultation
with Lizzie Rigby if the condition looked serious.
3. We keep them in and feed them light and give them
something.
Q. Is a favourable loft location the single biggest factor in
sprint racing?
1. Yes the wind direction always matters plus of course
the drag.
2. Yes if it is between fanciers of equal competence.
3. A good fancier in a good position will win races,
a poor fancier in a good position will win nothing.
Q. Do you use the darkness system for the young birds, if so for
how long and do you think it affects them later in life?
1. There is nothing new about the so called darkness
system, 50yrs ago (I started racing in 1953) they were called winter
young un's and no it does not affect them.
2. Yes from March to June. My best yearlings have invariably
been my best young birds from the previous season.
3. Yes we do use the darkness system and they are all
going on it for 2002, however an observation is that we now lose more
yearlings than we used to do.
Q. Are there any feeding methods for the young birds i.e. do you
break them down, do you keep them hungry for control purposes, do
you give them a trapping seed mix?
1. The amount that I feed my young birds depends on
the weather and time of the year etc plus how often they are trained.
Also how they are flying around home and for how long.
2. Feeding is adjusted to the work/exercise expected
of them but they are never broken down.
3. Lynne looks after the young birds and at the time
of making these notes she is out concentrating on her second hobby
shopping so I cannot answer that one.
Q. What percentage do you consider it takes to win with racing
pigeons for Management and pigeons and why?
1. 80% pigeon 20% man.
2. 80% man.20% man, if a fancier changed
3. --------
Q. What is the farthest distance that you would train your old
birds or young birds?
1. Being a none driver I have to rely on others, when
Fred Hollinshead stopped training my birds Mick Glynn stepped in and
has done a first class job on the young birds and I give him full
credit for his work.
2. 40mls
3. I (Dave) get fed up when I have driven 25mls so that's
about the distance I go and then they are taken to Crewe where they
go on the local training transporter.
Q. If random drugs tests were carried out on your pigeons, would
it reveal any substance, illegal or otherwise?
1. Not to my knowledge, I don't know what is in the
products that I use for worms, cocci and canker treatments.
2. I do not know what can be found as a result of drugs
testing but I would welcome it for the good of the sport. I have heard
several allegations about drugs being used by fanciers and if they
are they can only be detrimental to the sport.
3. We hope not.
Q. How do you consider that the British sport is going compared
to the continentals and do they have any ideas that you think would
benefit the sport in the UK?
1. I think that there are better birds in this Country,
especially in Ireland when they race from France.
2. We have always lagged behind the continentals and
we do not seem inclined to make the necessary changes. Their choice
of pooling systems from 1 in 4 to 1 in 20 etc is the best method that
I have seen to overcome positional advantage. Read, study and digest
recent articles by John Clements.
3. I don't think they have because 75% of the continentals
are in the sport to make money whereas there is only about 10% in
the UK.
Q. Is pigeon racing as a hobby going beyond the average working
man. Is it becoming too technical and complicated or can you keep
everything simple and still win with the pigeons?
1. It's the working man with the money but no time and
the pensioner with limited money but time on his hands. Most fanciers
make life difficult for themselves by trying to be too technical.
2. The average man will never win on a regular basis
regardless of whether he/she is working or wealthy. The more asset's
at ones disposal the greater that persons potential to reach the top
level.
3. It looks that way with not many fanciers appearing
to work now and those who are working are unable to fly pigeons in
some Federations.
Q. You are successful fanciers, there are far too many leaving
the sport, to encourage fanciers to either join or stay in the sport
what do you think about limiting prizes to two per race per loft.
If not Why. If yes Why?
1. Put a limit on the number of entries per race and
this includes MNFC and NFC (the same fanciers will still win) and
try to level the playing field off a bit or even have two leagues
in a club with a promotion system etc.
2. Yes I think that the rewards (prizes) in club races
should be distributed as widely as possible throughout the members
consistent with not appearing to be patronising. I think that prizes
and pools need a complete rethink but the majority of fanciers are
not inclined to change established practices.
3. We don't think that there is much you can do about
this fact of life, if they are fed up with the sport they will just
pack up.
Q. Do you think winning fanciers should move on from club racing
once they have reached a certain level of consistency. Are club performances
paramount for personal satisfaction or sales purposes?
1. ---------
2. Club racing is the bread and butter of the sport
and is the means of providing that weekly "Buzz" that fanciers
look forward too. Top fanciers do not however sacrifice their chances
of winning big races by bringing their birds to peak performances
for club races. This is an observation since I cannot comment from
the position of being a top fancier).
3. It's a hobby, some people like to win loads in their
clubs and are not interested in going farther afield, anyway where
else can you fly your pigeons where we live.
Q. Do you attach any real importance to the pigeons wing i.e.
back wing, end four flights and do you look at the wing to see if
they have cast before a race. Any other comments on the wing?
1. I never look at the wing unless to check that the
wing stamp is alright.
2. I have not yet established a link between form and
the state of the wing, but I suspect that this is a refinement which
could improve my performance.
3. A lot of good fanciers tell us there is but we find
a good pigeon has a good eye, good wing etc. so I go by the basket.
Q. Do you use any form of heating system in any of your lofts.
Do you think it would be advantages for the birds?
1. None whatsoever.
2. Heat is necessary to produce form, especially in
the early part of the season. The amount of heat depends on loft construction,
ventilation, solar gain etc.
3. There is no electricity in our lofts at all.
Q. Do the pigeons need any special treatment on their return from
the race to help them relax. Is any such treatment needed for the
short or long distance races or the hard races compared to the easy
races?
1. It all depends on how long and hard the race is,
nothing will beat rest after a hard race.
2. I personally don't know but I am interested to know
if anyone can provide factual evidence to either prove or disprove
such a treatment.
3. We give glucose on most races but when it's hot electrolytes.
Q. Irrespective of how your pigeons have flown, what are your
views on the past season whether good or bad or the management of
the sport in general?
1. -------
2. The sport is suffering from an apparently terminal
condition with the rate of outgoing members far exceeding incoming
members and in need of a miracle cure. Could we send Peter Bryant
to Lourdes. On a more practical level the sport should try for the
maximum publicity from the media e.g. Tony Mardon offering a young
bird from "Toey" of Louis Masserella a similar YB to the
Children in Need appeal auction on the Terry Wogan Radio programme.
I think that the general public will take a different view of the
tatty old pigeon and when they realise the value of the bird's views
might change. .(Toey paired to Bill Glynn's £1,000 hen would
make a good pairing). This could then be bought by a syndicate and
entered in the Sun City race or Middlewich Breeder Buyer to boost
the auction proceeds.
3. One season like another it's a pleasure to see the
birds come racing home from any race, if we win it's a bonus Lynne
& myself race pigeons because we enjoy the hobby. Not to win vast
fortunes and sell the birds at huge prices, it's our hobby and we
treat everything about pigeons in that way.
Les.J.P. This has been an interesting article to compile
and the views are varied, I hope that you have gained something from
the answers. When I set out to do this article I was not sure how
it would go but I am happy with the end result.
