Bicc Pau

[Albert]

When working with a small team, no matter when you time at these distances, it's exciting. The goal is to make the result, to be among the winners is a bonus

[Diamond Dave]

When working with a small team, no matter when you time at these distances, it's exciting. The goal is to make the result, to be among the winners is a bonus

Absolutely right Albert. To me it was just about getting something in the clock. I have been trying for some years now but never had the same confidence as I had when putting these 2 in the basket.
Still can't say for sure what I did right to get this lad home but can identify a lot of what I have done wrong previously.
I have probably lost a lot of good birds previously by being ignorant or perhaps not as committed as I should have been. ( Mike would've likely tore me off a strip for that!)
Trouble is with this distance lark, it takes a minimum of 3 years to find out whether or not the birds are good enough and if it goes tits-up, you have to start all over again.

[Devo1956]

Well done Dave, It is a great feeling to be waiting for your birds. A feeling that can not be replaced, so enjoy and take time to reflect on your preparation. You done well mate.

[Murray]

When working with a small team, no matter when you time at these distances, it's exciting. The goal is to make the result, to be among the winners is a bonus

Absolutely right Albert. To me it was just about getting something in the clock. I have been trying for some years now but never had the same confidence as I had when putting these 2 in the basket.
Still can't say for sure what I did right to get this lad home but can identify a lot of what I have done wrong previously.
I have probably lost a lot of good birds previously by being ignorant or perhaps not as committed as I should have been. ( Mike would've likely tore me off a strip for that!)
Trouble is with this distance lark, it takes a minimum of 3 years to find out whether or not the birds are good enough and if it goes tits-up, you have to start all over again.

That is a brave and honest comment Dave. Your success this year is down to not repeating past mistakes and being dedicated to the task at hand.
If we are honest our past disappointments have probably been more our failures than the birds.
I personally don't totally agree with the notion that it takes three years to develop a distance pigeon. Here in Oz many of the very tough long distance races are won by pigeons in the year of their birth or the following year.
Being a Kiwi, when we moved to Australia I thought that was tough on them. The most succinct explanation I've been told is, "if you wait, they aren't a year better, they are just a year older".

[Diamond Dave]

Are they likely to be a different kind of pigeon Murray?
I would agree with the principle of what you are saying but when the race organisers ban even yearlings from these distance races it is likely to be because they have experienced so many losses in the past.
Could the terrain or the conditions be different or could it be that they are racing back to 6 or 7 different countries and to different points of the compass.
I must admit - when I saw it was going to be 38 degrees through France - I did think of you and your birds out there in oz. It kinda made me feel a bit better when I got up at silly o'clock for the 2nd day running

[Murray]

Oh the terrain is very different. It's desert and scrub and very inhospitable way out in the outback. But racing cross France then having to tackle the channel is tough too. You need proper pigeons to play that game.
The flyers who compete in the long distance races every year obviously have families of pigeons that have been proven to do it for generations, both here and over there.
I wouldn't know why they've banned yearlings from the long races over there. I wasn't aware they had been. Very likely being cautious.

[Diamond Dave]

Not all the distance races Murray - I believe it is only
Pau and Barcelona.
I could be wrong on that and I'm sure someone will soon correct me if I am.
I don't know why this is the case but in any case I would rather send a bird with some experience in a race like that.....but having said that, it is the 2yo that came back for me and the 4yo is still missing! I don't think there is any 'logic' that applies to pigeon racing.

[Murray]

That's fair. It would be a hell of an ask of a yearling in either of those races.

[king]

Not all the distance races Murray - I believe it is only
Pau and Barcelona.
I could be wrong on that and I'm sure someone will soon correct me if I am.
I don't know why this is the case but in any case I would rather send a bird with some experience in a race like that.....but having said that, it is the 2yo that came back for me and the 4yo is still missing! I don't think there is any 'logic' that applies to pigeon racing.

The NFC also used to bar yearlings from their Pau 500+ mile race. It was dropped because the longer fliers could still sent yearlings over 500 miles in other NFC races.

[Murray]

Some blokes here will send yearlings 700 miles. They get them too.
I'm a short distance flyer. I'd rather send a pigeon 100 miles 7 times than 700 miles once.
Everyone has their own preferences.