Virtual Loft: The Pigeons Come Home and the Race Results

They say Pigeon Racing is the sport with 'one starting line but a thousand finish lines'.


In my previous post on the Shipping Night, I mentioned how the birds would be shipped to a location and released the next day (usually Saturday for the Tillsonburg club).  Although I was unable to go to the Release myself, here is a clip that shows what a typical pigeon release is like, although this release is with thousands, not hundreds of birds:




Once released, the birds then fly anywhere from 100-700 km home, depending on the race.  There can be more than one race a week.  In this case the two locations were Stouffville and Fowler's Corners - avg 115 km-As the Crow er Pigeon Flies.  Some races can go as far as St. Jerome and Grande Mere in Quebec, 600 and 740 km respectively. 


I went to Nick, my Pigeon Liasion's Loft to watch the birds come home.  While there, I took some pics of his loft; I will post these in my upcoming post on building and starting a loft.


Waiting for the pigeons to come home is an anxious process.  Every robin, sparrow and blackbird you see is a pigeon at first glance.  I even saw a bird of prey circling - I asked Nick if he thinks it would be a threat; he wasn't worried - the bird, some kind of hawk - has always left his birds alone.

To record their finish time, the birds land on a sensor antenna below the landing platform.  This senses the microchip in the band.  A close up of the device is on the right.

The 'finish line' aka 'Bucking Bars' stops the pigeon from escaping the way they came in. 

About to cross the finish line... 

Two across, one still outside.

This clock is connected to the sensor antenna and records the time the bird entered the loft.  Clocks can be expensive, so that is why the CRPU has the Loan-A-Clock Program for beginners.  Most clocks are Unikon brand clocks - click here for more info on Unikon.

The module on top of the clock is brought back to the Club House, with this club it is usually on Sunday, but that can change if the race was delayed due to inclement weather.

The modules here are from various race participants.

They are placed in a clock and the results are tabulated on the computer using specific software.  The Fowlers Corners race consisted of 195 Birds from 12 lofts, with 182 birds clocked.  A total of 66 prizes were awarded (top 1/3 of the birds).  The winner is the bird with the fastest speed in metres per minute. The Stoufville race consisted of 89 birds from 8 lofts, with 81 birds clocked.  A total of 30 prizes was awarded.  At the banquet at the end of the season, there will be an award ceremony with the winners will be bestowed a plaque.

Results of all the CRPU Races can be viewed here.

Coming Soon: How to Start a Loft and the Pigeon World's Most Least Wanted: The Top 10 Pigeon Predators and Pests

Who Wants to be a Pigeon Racer?

So you've become interested in racing pigeons.

Whatever the reason - you've always had a fascination with their innate homing abilities and incredible speed.  Or perhaps a friend or family racer races.  Or, you've driven by a loft and thought it looked neat.  Or could it be you heard of Mike Tyson's upcoming reality show on racing pigeons.


However you heard about it, your interest is piqued and you want to learn more.  Before you go nuts and starting building a loft ask yourself - am I the right kind of person for this?  What do I need to do?  How can I find out more information?  What are the benefits?

 

What Kind of Person Does it Take?


It helps if you like birds, especially pigeons, since that's the only bird that is raced in Pigeon Racing.  (In case you are wondering, it is one particular species - the Racing Homer (Columba livia).)


Most pigeon racers are pretty competitive.  It also takes some dedication, and hard work.  A positive attitude helps too - you can't be a poor sport, because odds are if you are new, you won't win right away.

Most importantly, you must like to keep pets and be a pretty responsible person - its going to take some work, but the rewards are going to be great.

What are the Benefits?



One of the common responses to this question is - seeing your hard work pay off. When you do start winning some races, the fact that something you raised, feed, cared for and trained has won, is a feeling of great satisfaction.


Meet new people - some if not all clubs have a clubhouse for socializing and there are events held around the country that you can travel to.


Teach responsibility, learn breeding techniques, how to care for animals. If you are a parent looking for an activity that would provide your child with some or all of those opportunities, it can be a great sport for the entire family to enjoy.


Research, Research, Research
Look more into the sport to know what to expect.

CRPU Website
American Racing Pigeon Union Website
Ad Schaerlaeckens
Racing Pigeon Digest
Racing Pigeon Mall


Check out the sidebar for some other informative links.
Ok, I'm still interested, how do I start?Still interested?  Phone Monik at the Canadian Racing Pigeon Union Head office 1-866-652-5704.  She's really nice and will be happy to answer all your questions!






Coming Soon - How to join the CU and a Pigeon Racing Club.