TARBES v BARCELONA

A Response by John Clements

Jim Emerton has chosen to contrast Barcelona with Tarbes from the point of view of flying it and achieving the fame that goes with the conquest. There is another way we could compare the two. That other way is a comparison in terms of administration and how both are promoted and run.  If we compare the two races in these terms Barcelona easily comes out on top. Despite the intervention of six years of war during which Belgium was largely an occupied country,  the Cureghem Centre once again picked itself up and re-launched the Barcelona race in 1951.  Since then this humble beginning has grown to be a world event. Barcelona has gone from strength to strength in the eyes of the pigeon world. Barcelona is easily the most famous and iconic long distance race in Northern Europe. Barcelona sells pigeons right across the world. Tarbes sells a few in the UK.

If you want to establish a brand name and get serious writers like Jim Emerton interested enough not only to participate, but to write about it, you have to establish a ‘brand’ and Barcelona has certainly done that. The National Flying Club could easily copy the Barcelona model but so far they choose not to do so. They refuse to examine Barcleona as a huge event. Neither do they try to explain to themselves how the Cureghem Centre has done it by studying the nuts and bolts of how the whole thing is put together.

If a famous promotional agency were commissioned to promote Tarbes they would undoubtedly advise the NFC to stick with the ‘Brand Name’ race-point even if local circumstances make a change to the liberation site inevitable. They would also likely point out the promotional advantages of the Channel crossing testing the pigeons - probably coming up with a catchy title for the Channel crossing when the kits have shrunk to one or two brave pigeons (the early winners) attempting it in the stride. They could call it the ‘water jump’ or some such name. This naming of a vital ingredient of the race turns what most would call a hazard into a promotional asset. Assets or selling points tends to further promote the events they are a part of. If Becher’s Brook can promote the Grand National then the English Channel can promote the NFC Tarbes.

Here in the UK we don’t have to go to Barcelona to establish a world class pigeon event we can do it with what we already have provided we learn from those who have learnt how to manage and are already are doing it much better then we. 

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Elimar - February 2014