DECISIONS, DECISIONS, DECISIONS??.

The title of this little piece may well be taken as accurately describing the lives of the Race Teams for the vast majority of Clubs and Federations throughout the world and even though we all take on the job of Race Advisor, Race Controller or Convoyer and carry out our duties to the best of our abilities, WE ALWAYS GET IT WRONG!
Not, of course, as far as the race winner is concerned but, sadly, there are always more losers than winners and they seem to think that it would have been better if the race team had liberated at a different time on a different day

and sometimes I think, in a different country!
Not too many people volunteer to join the Race Teams and I can understand why. You have to have a very thick skin to deal with the criticism that comes you way but I am pleased to say that, for the moment, as far as the

Staffordshire Moorlands & District Federation is concerned the Race Team are concerned we seem to be getting more accolades than brickbats long may it continue.
However, I am pleased to count among my many friends in the world of pigeon racing, several well- known individuals who, as well as being brilliant pigeon racers, are also members of Race Teams, and I have been having a chat with them to try and ascertain why, at the present time, difficult racing is being experienced in what would appear to be ideal, if not perfect racing conditions.
The answers are many and varied but none are given with a great deal of confidence and in truth the most common response is ?I can?t explain it, everything appeared to be fine but something unexplained happened somewhere on the route home?. Solar activity has been blamed, as has geomagnetic activity and even good old fashioned bad weather forecasting but nothing truly tangible seems to be the real culprit. Perhaps it?s a combination of many and varied elements that dear old friend Mother Nature has chosen to combine together to frustrate us all. So, don?t just blame the Race Team when things go wrong, because I have a feeling there are far more sinister threats at work and we are only just beginning to experience the tip of the iceberg.

Watch this space.

I wrote the initial paragraphs of this article prior to our Federation race on Saturday 24 June and obviously wrote them not knowing how things would turn out in our race from Hullavington. Now I?m back at the computer after the Hullavington race and as usual I have to eat my words!
Race Teams don?t ALWAYS get it wrong and even the losers agree that the SMDF Race Team provided a brilliant race for the Federation members this week. Birds just tumbled in one after the other and just about everyone, right across the Fed, were 100% up in a matter of minutes just shows what a bit of careful planning does.
We had hoped to be liberating at about 10.30am but following telephone conversations earlier on Saturday morning a band of rain was already affecting the South Coast of England and was threatening to move Northwards so a decision was taken to move our own liberation time forward and by so doing avoid any chances of things going wrong a decision well justified by the end result and the Press Office would publicly like to thank all the Race Team for their foresight and for giving us such a good race THANK YOU GENTLEMEN.

The early bird times have already been communicated to our Secretary and in her usual efficient way they have now been posted on the Federation website (www.moorlandsfedpigeons.co.uk) for members and other interested parties to view.
The Fed toppers this week appear to be Messrs A & S Rushton from Berryhill club, who not only top the Fed but also take second place as well with birds on 1613.436 & 1613.192YPM.
That?s top of the shop flying gentlemen and repeats your performance in May of this year when you did the same thing. Congratulations from all the Fed members on a great achievement.
Prince Bros from Ipstones, also managed to crack the 1600YPM barrier, with three birds on 1611, 1608, 1600YPM, and so appear to take the 3rd, 4th and 5th positions in the Fed this week also a very impressive performance. Perhaps I also ought to mention that they also achieved a one, two three, four, five, and six in their club, as did Mitch Denson & Son Ryan at Packmoor, with Kenny Horne taking the first four at Shelton and Paul Beck doing the old one, two at Longdendale. Well done to everyone.
This Federation is really becoming quite a hotbed of very successful pigeon fanciers and making us lesser mortals really think a bit harder about how we are going to beat them Remember what I said about ?Rising to the challenge? in an article a couple of weeks or so ago!

That just about sums this week?s activities up but I hope I have encouraged my readers to think a little deeper about the work of the Race Teams up and down the country and maybe encouraging you to buy them the odd pint or two

now and again in appreciation of their efforts.

Cheers for now, here?s to next week.

Brian T Smith

Press Officer SMDF.