Year Book 2016

SAHPA 2016 Year Book Page 18

From an outside perspective the SAHPA seems to be very proactive in raising the profile of

the sport in a positive fashion.

Pigeon racing has provided me with many friendships that I value highly. Most weekends

now I have former flyers with me awaiting the race arrivals. The biggest negative is the lack

of new participants.

Training and Racing

In Broken Hill loft position and wind direction does have a major influence on results as

velocities are generally slower here than the major cities, which in turn favours the long

markers. I start with 120, usually about 85 young birds and 35 old birds. Definitely prefer the

hens.

I don’t like over racing the young birds. About three to four races only before the

distance race. I have found the least raced birds often perform better in the distance races.

The wind has an influence in the shorter races.

I believe the more time you can put into training is advantageous. I work full time and often

interstate at which times my birds are exercised around the loft but not tossed. Generally after

not being tossed for periods of up to ten days my results will diminish for about two weeks.

Head wind training is best. I haven’t got the time for single-up training.

I have never been placed in the young bird derby, and each year I try to set my birds for that

race but I am yet to have any success at all. I will try again next year.

My target is any race over 400km but the longest races are what I set my pigeons for every

year.

Winning is great but my real thrill comes when you first see a pigeon returning from a race,

especially the long distance races. It does not matter if it’s your first bird home or your last

hours later. It’s just knowing what the bird has been through and its desire to return home.

All wheat prior to training and loft exercise once a day. I do not force fly my birds.

Training is twice a week then often three times a week as the distances get longer. Tossing is

sually around 70km and I like to toss them on the Sunday and Wednesday before a race. The

average bird would have three maybe four races but I race the older birds more often

especially at the short distances and often double them back. The youngsters I race less often

and don’t usually double them up. I don’t educate them in the basket but I train them in the

club unit with other members.

Memorable Moment

My most memorable moment would be my first win which was in my first season of racing

in 1999 when Broken Hill had two active pigeon clubs. I was racing in the Barrier Homing

Society at the time and had only achieved one or two minor placings in short distance races

competing against over thirty members. I sent only three pigeons to our highest prize money

race, a Breeders Plate from Bourke (475km). All three pigeons returned, I took first and

fourth placings with birds bred by my father, winning by over seven minutes and earning

over five thousand dollars in prize money. Needless to say I was happy with that for a first up

win.

Winning the 2016 Championship by two and a half hours was a memorable moment. There

was no pigeons home on the day from the 930km race so I was up before the sun on the

second morning hoping for an early arrival. At 5.30am I said to my partner I’m going down

with the clock now to wait even though I could hardly see due to darkness. I opened the trap

and set my clock up and straight away a pigeon flew out of a large gum tree in my yard. At

this stage I thought it was most likely a late arrival from the 680km race the previous day but

as it was not light enough to see the colour of the race rubber I timed the pigeon in anyhow.

When I saw the pigeon having a drink I immediately knew that the pigeon was from the

Championship.