The sport around the world

[Steve Howells]

I have been looking about the sport around the world, now some members may not like OLR. But it is all part of the sport of racing pigeons. in some countries i feel they promote the sport, far better than others so what are your thoughts. Is there a way to promote this great sport ?

As I've said before I like to have a go in them, not for the money ( although a big lump would be nice) but to see if I can beat some of the sports big names. To me ( others will disagree) it's the purest form of racing, no wind advantage, no loft position advantage, same feed and equal care, so the only thing that separates them is genetic ability, once you've got the loft right, your feed and heath care right, the only thing the separates the best from the also ran's is their genetics'. When we buy in new stock isn't that what we're trying to improve? It can be very difficult with club and Fed results to establish who has the best with so many variables in play. OLR it's easy, it I send 10 and Joe blogs sends 100 I expect him to beat me 10/1 every toss if at the end he's got 10 left I've got 1 I reckon our bird quality is pretty even.

As for promoting our sport not sure they do that. I've been in the sport approaching 50 years and in my opinion the sport in the UK has never had a clear strategy for promoting it, going into schools is great but it's not going arrest the decline in membership. Never do I subscribe to the line of though that say no one is interested in pigeon racing anymore, it's always been a minority sport, if we could get just 1% of the UK population into the sport we'd be in a good place. Unfortunately the structure of the sport within the UK makes it seemingly impossible for any meaningful change or strategy to take it forward.

[NeilA]

I can see me having a bit more interest in one loft results if they raced old birds around the 100-350 miles in the uk and had like a general champion after 8 races or something but yb racing is a lot of luck but I guess the cost will be to much keeping birds 12 months etc
I know some do like a ace yb which is good but the main focus seems to be in the final race
Trouble is if you raced old birds your end up proving most the birds are below average and not be work £10 at auction


Yb racing for me does seem to be hit and miss I had two fed winners in yb this year I wouldn’t have a clue if they will be any good so I believe there is a lot of luck with what bird actually crosses the pad on a drop
Take Devo I think he was 2nd in the race before his final big money race yet no where on the day
So that’s just unlucky for Devo a week earlier and he has a champion one loft racer

[Devo1956]

I have been looking about the sport around the world, now some members may not like OLR. But it is all part of the sport of racing pigeons. in some countries i feel they promote the sport, far better than others so what are your thoughts. Is there a way to promote this great sport ?

As I've said before I like to have a go in them, not for the money ( although a big lump would be nice) but to see if I can beat some of the sports big names. To me ( others will disagree) it's the purest form of racing, no wind advantage, no loft position advantage, same feed and equal care, so the only thing that separates them is genetic ability, once you've got the loft right, your feed and heath care right, the only thing the separates the best from the also ran's is their genetics'. When we buy in new stock isn't that what we're trying to improve? It can be very difficult with club and Fed results to establish who has the best with so many variables in play. OLR it's easy, it I send 10 and Joe blogs sends 100 I expect him to beat me 10/1 every toss if at the end he's got 10 left I've got 1 I reckon our bird quality is pretty even.

As for promoting our sport not sure they do that. I've been in the sport approaching 50 years and in my opinion the sport in the UK has never had a clear strategy for promoting it, going into schools is great but it's not going arrest the decline in membership. Never do I subscribe to the line of though that say no one is interested in pigeon racing anymore, it's always been a minority sport, if we could get just 1% of the UK population into the sport we'd be in a good place. Unfortunately the structure of the sport within the UK makes it seemingly impossible for any meaningful change or strategy to take it forward.

To me this is really honest feedback, i have been involved in different racing throughout my life. Racing pigeons, race horses, racing greyhounds. i guess it is in my blood DNA. I keep saying it is not everyone's cup of tea, but in my view it is all about how we choose to stay in the sport. I still cannot understand why some members say it is not racing in OLR. Just something that keeps me ticking.

[NeilA]

Does the guy up in Norfolk still do the Barcelona one loft race ?

[Devo1956]

Does the guy up in Norfolk still do the Barcelona one loft race ?

I am not sure about that one Neil, I would think that would be a test loft over time.

[NeilA]

He did have a web site
Tony I think his name was but u can’t remember his full name had a few adverts in the pigeon mags a couple of years back

[king]

I have been looking about the sport around the world, now some members may not like OLR. But it is all part of the sport of racing pigeons. in some countries i feel they promote the sport, far better than others so what are your thoughts. Is there a way to promote this great sport ?

As I've said before I like to have a go in them, not for the money ( although a big lump would be nice) but to see if I can beat some of the sports big names. To me ( others will disagree) it's the purest form of racing, no wind advantage, no loft position advantage, same feed and equal care, so the only thing that separates them is genetic ability, once you've got the loft right, your feed and heath care right, the only thing the separates the best from the also ran's is their genetics'. When we buy in new stock isn't that what we're trying to improve? It can be very difficult with club and Fed results to establish who has the best with so many variables in play. OLR it's easy, it I send 10 and Joe blogs sends 100 I expect him to beat me 10/1 every toss if at the end he's got 10 left I've got 1 I reckon our bird quality is pretty even.

As for promoting our sport not sure they do that. I've been in the sport approaching 50 years and in my opinion the sport in the UK has never had a clear strategy for promoting it, going into schools is great but it's not going arrest the decline in membership. Never do I subscribe to the line of though that say no one is interested in pigeon racing anymore, it's always been a minority sport, if we could get just 1% of the UK population into the sport we'd be in a good place. Unfortunately the structure of the sport within the UK makes it seemingly impossible for any meaningful change or strategy to take it forward.

Steve you aren't beating the sports big names though. You are beating birds bred by them, raced by somebody else. If a club mate buys a bird from a big name, your beating your club mate, NOT the big name fancier.

[Steve Howells]

Does the guy up in Norfolk still do the Barcelona one loft race ?

No. Bit of a sore point for some I think.

[Steve Howells]

I have been looking about the sport around the world, now some members may not like OLR. But it is all part of the sport of racing pigeons. in some countries i feel they promote the sport, far better than others so what are your thoughts. Is there a way to promote this great sport ?

As I've said before I like to have a go in them, not for the money ( although a big lump would be nice) but to see if I can beat some of the sports big names. To me ( others will disagree) it's the purest form of racing, no wind advantage, no loft position advantage, same feed and equal care, so the only thing that separates them is genetic ability, once you've got the loft right, your feed and heath care right, the only thing the separates the best from the also ran's is their genetics'. When we buy in new stock isn't that what we're trying to improve? It can be very difficult with club and Fed results to establish who has the best with so many variables in play. OLR it's easy, it I send 10 and Joe blogs sends 100 I expect him to beat me 10/1 every toss if at the end he's got 10 left I've got 1 I reckon our bird quality is pretty even.

As for promoting our sport not sure they do that. I've been in the sport approaching 50 years and in my opinion the sport in the UK has never had a clear strategy for promoting it, going into schools is great but it's not going arrest the decline in membership. Never do I subscribe to the line of though that say no one is interested in pigeon racing anymore, it's always been a minority sport, if we could get just 1% of the UK population into the sport we'd be in a good place. Unfortunately the structure of the sport within the UK makes it seemingly impossible for any meaningful change or strategy to take it forward.

Steve you aren't beating the sports big names though. You are beating birds bred by them, raced by somebody else. If a club mate buys a bird from a big name, you’re beating your club mate, NOT the big name fancier.

We’d have to smile King and agree to disagree. The current in fashion birds at the moment seems to be the Van den Bulcks, I don’t know anyone whom I fly against that has been to his loft bought youngsters off him then raced them. For me King once birds leave a fanciers loft and someone else starts breeding and racing their progeny those’s birds are no longer the same, fanciers might still call them Bulcks,Janssens or whatever but they’re not,best you can say that was their origin.in a olr yes they are being raced by someone else but they are direct from whoever sent them,and under one manager they are equal. Until the flaps drop

[NeilA]

Does the guy up in Norfolk still do the Barcelona one loft race ?

No. Bit of a sore point for some I think.

Oh right Steve I didn’t know