North road racing

[Andy]

You are in a terrible situation.
You don't really have a great option, which ever way you go.
There are some hard choices to be made.

Things might be a bit clearer by the end of this week. The DEFRA registration goes live at 10pm tomorrow (Tuesday) evening. We may then get an idea as to the number of members wishing to sign up to go South. Then depending on numbers whether the nationals feel is viable to go into France. I certainly think for me this season is pretty much a right off. I will have the odd race where I can and am happy with what the yearlings I have here have done. It will be interesting to see how they perform on the North Road this coming weekend.

[Murray]

But, the thing is, and forgive me if I am wrong, the project was for one purpose.
To try to get pigeons to race from Barcelona.
I understand your reluctance to turn them around, but maybe a three year old that has flown both ways, and has a solid result from way up north somewhere, maybe it could be the next step.

[Andy]

But, the thing is, and forgive me if I am wrong, the project was for one purpose.
To try to get pigeons to race from Barcelona.
I understand your reluctance to turn them around, but maybe a three year old that has flown both ways, and has a solid result from way up north somewhere, maybe it could be the next step.

Yes Murray the project was/is to race from Barcelona, and if possible in the future is still my goal.
I came back into the sport 6 years ago after a break of more than 10 years following a divorce. When starting back up again I knew that there wasn’t a club near to me and while preparing to restart I decided that my objective would be distance racing. With this intention I brought 2 pairs of distance pigeons to start back up with. I joined the Frome club which at the time was racing in the WOESRC. This was giving me some racing but only at races up to 100 miles. Frome is still an hour and a half round trip for me. I then joined the national clubs with the view to distance racing. I joined this forum six years ago and made some good friends. It was then suggested that it would be nice if someone on the forum could start a project to get birds from Barcelona. As this was my intention, I was in a reasonable location and already a member of the National clubs I agreed to give it a go. I said right from the start that there would be no monetary prize and no cost to any members wishing to have their birds tested other than agreeing to pay the fee of getting them to me. I pay all the membership fees and race fees and to all intense and purpose the pigeons in my loft are mine. The first year that birds were sent was in 2018. I had hoped that by now I might possibly of had something to enter in the Barcelona race.
As most know a few things haven’t gone quite to plan with COVID, bird flu and being unable to race from over the channel. Some members that were involved from the start have unfortunately gone from the forum but I do have birds bred down from birds from them. Pete has been sending birds every year from the off. I feel privileged to be trying some of these birds for other members.
I would still like eventually to race from Barcelona but this may not be possible in the immediate future. As you say Murray any experience, North or South, is good for the birds and should benefit them in the future.
So as the project is still ultimately hopefully to race from Barcelona it is also my own loft and enjoyment of having the birds, just with a goal of racing from the distance and founding a good distance family.

[Buster121]

And what a great job you have done with it especially with the things that have been thrown at you, does it really make that much difference if it is from Lerwick or Barcelona still great distances either way, you will have to change the name Andy to the distance challenge loft

[Andy]

Thanks Buster. I haven’t managed to do as many reports or photos as I would have liked lately as I have been very busy with the shop and with the project out the back. Which is coming on but slowly. All is well though and both the old birds and youngsters are looking great. The youngsters are starting to go well now and so far all still here.

[Murray]

And what a great job you have done with it especially with the things that have been thrown at you, does it really make that much difference if it is from Lerwick or Barcelona still great distances either way, you will have to change the name Andy to the distance challenge loft

You beat me to it Buster,
When you consider the obstacles that have come up over the last several years, Andy has done an amazing job.
He has a loft full of pigeons from all over, some very good ones, no doubt, but still not a strain built in that loft over years.
Then there has been the nightmare of Covid, Brexit, bird flu and all the other things that have conspired against him.
And still he has had pigeons turn in good performances from over the channel.

If I were him, I would turn them north, let them gain experience and race hardness. IF the channel racing ever become viable again, they can be switched back.
That's only my opinion.
The main thing is, Andy has not packed it in when a fair few would. My hat is off to you.

[Buster121]

And what a great job you have done with it especially with the things that have been thrown at you, does it really make that much difference if it is from Lerwick or Barcelona still great distances either way, you will have to change the name Andy to the distance challenge loft

You beat me to it Buster,
When you consider the obstacles that have come up over the last several years, Andy has done an amazing job.
He has a loft full of pigeons from all over, some very good ones, no doubt, but still not a strain built in that loft over years.
Then there has been the nightmare of Covid, Brexit, bird flu and all the other things that have conspired against him.
And still he has had pigeons turn in good performances from over the channel.

If I were him, I would turn them north, let them gain experience and race hardness. IF the channel racing ever become viable again, they can be switched back.
That's only my opinion.
The main thing is, Andy has not packed it in when a fair few would. My hat is off to you.

Hear hear

[Andy]

Thank you both.
Looking at a lot of comments today about the registration I can’t see us getting any channel racing this year. Their saying that registration is going to take 6 weeks. By then the old bird season will be over.
The biggest problem I have is that if the national clubs are still adamant that they want to go South, which at the moment they are, I will have no option but to conform as I have no other way of racing my pigeons and certainly not to get any distance.

[Andy]

Hopefully one or two of the nationals will turn North. Or maybe even a new one formed for North Road. The North Road is a harder route, especially down here in the West Country. I can still get some very good distance racing on the North route. The North Road is harder for a couple of reasons. A fair few of the races will be into a headwind with predominantly SW winds during the summer. They are flying into a wide front once getting well down the country and also due to where the sun sets they are flying into a darkening sky late in the day. Unlike when flying South. Trev might correct me, but during the 15 years I raced North Road with Worthing Thurso was 550 miles. I can’t remember it ever being won on the day!! They will have to contend more with BOPS all the way down, as well as the mountains through Scotland and Pennines down the centre of the country. So will be a new challenge for our birds.
Having raced North in the past I know that birds can be switched South successfully if I wanted to in the future.

[Buster121]

I see another update today and a video showing how to fill the forms in