HOW TO TACKLE 700 MILE RACING.
First is the racepoint measured at over 700 miles to your loft. Now plan around and aim all your 2 yr. olds and over at that point. Ignore all but the gradual build up races to the big one. Pair in March-open loft if you can- with some separation of the sexes to raise condition levels. We target Barcelona on the first small YB of the year. Top condition needs to be in July, so that earlier races are training only with steady building of time on the wing to say 12 hours in a race. You must send all the birds to the race for the acid test of race reality. Breed off those in the clock and build a strain over 25 years plus. Motto -think it do it-then you will have some marathon pigeons.
Jim Emerton.
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NOW THAT THE RACING IS OVER.
Meetings will take place where power, politics and new ideas will be highlighted. The UK pigeon sport will be in a period of long term change and transition. For my biased reasons there will be a fresh look at National leading in to International racing for all regions of the UK, as this type of racing goes into popular expansion. However UK racers have a normal limit of around 750 miles for a good one. A bird of great note is the hen of Trevor Robinson with 3 times Tarbes over 700 miles and 1st Section BICC Barcelona over 850 miles. To the marathon man it is great to see and wins 2 of my 4 BICC Barcelona trophies. Trevor is a wonderful man with a true marathon pigeon and sets the standard for the North of England ,where dreams can be realised in race reality on a higher plane of being. Time to plan your racing and breeding future with your total system and birds.
Jim Emerton.
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IN PRAISE OF THE SMALL BACK GARDEN LOFT FANCIER.
I do favour the archetype of the old character with pipe in hand sitting in his rose clad cottage garden, as this was how my life in pigeons unfolded at Sycamore Cottage, Holtby. Birds were an escape and refuge from the concrete jungle of despair. The man is an endangered species now and perhaps doomed to future extinction. A small team of birds were flown through the programme up to 500 miles on the day-a milestone of excellence. My approach was to go a bit further with all the birds to 735 miles,737 miles and then ,eventually to 879 miles International racing. After 42 years, I still cultivate the strain with Nick Harvey, my agent Craig Wilkinson and Chris Booth. They will all specialise in great distance and marathon bloodlines for the love of the sport. The latter 2 have the best blood available to anyone for a song.
Jim Emerton.
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ALL WEATHER PIGEONS.
Nick and I cultivate racing pigeons that become hardy ,due to exposure to variable weather conditions, as they are let out in the raw elements every day-sun/rain/mist etc. We are convinced that this practice is good for the immune system and the wellbeing of the birds. Let?s face it the birds will encounter a variety of changing weather conditions en-route from Barcelona International. The logic is to breed off those in the clock each year. If you can, open loft birds are more content and fitter around home. I do not like birds in closed ,indoor lofts-they need to see the external world of nature! In long marathon races, many birds will field and forage, yet may be in the clock in following years like our 5 times Barcelona Hen-now retired for breeding. My article is biased towards my youth as an outdoor, country lad.
Jim Emerton.
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