This weeks discussion of the week is…
What do you think the current state of pigeon racing is?
For example do you think pigeon racing is growing or dying and why, express your views and share with others your opinions on the current state of pigeon racing by placing your vote in the poll below then posting a comment in the comment section below this post.
Loading ...Click here to post your thoughts on the current state of pigeon racing.
Being 26 years old and just beginning in the sport, I agree that it is going downhill. Just keeping a few pigeons around the house for fun and enjoyment is fairly inexpensive. But I couldnt believe the investment it takes to get involved in the racing. The price of the electronic clocks our club uses costs 1000 dollars new. I was lucky enough to pick one up used from a club member who was leaving. Not only that but the club dues, hauling fees, electronic bands, and the need for a much bigger loft. All of this to a new flyer is very overwhelming. While it hasnt deterred me yet, people my age that I have told about it and try to get involved are turned off immidiatley when they start asking about the cost. Hence the downhill slope of the sport.
I think this sport is not where it should be but is growing at least here in Miami. Some time ago they had 30 members in the pigeon club there are now nearly 70 and many have been withdrawn by the economy so bad but I do think it would be great for some spend some channel on TV Overhead programs and we could increase this sport a little more than a greeting to all
note: im sorry but my english is not very good looking becuse im cuban but i love racing pingeons
IF YOU ARE GOING TO MAKE A COMMENT, PUT YOUR FULL NAME TO IT. THIS IS GOOD JOURNALISM.
SINCE MAKING MY FIRST COMMENT I HAVE READ NEARLY ALL OF THE COMMENTS ON THIS WEBSITE. I MUST ADMIT, THIS IS A GOOD SITE FOR WORLD VIEWS. I ENJOYED READING EACH AND EVERY COMMENT.
ONE STICKS OUT IN MY MINDE. “THE HOBBY IS TOO EXPENSIVE” “HOW CAN ONE WIN IF WE COMPETE AGAINS A FANCIER WHO ENTERS SO MANY BIRDS”
THESE PEOPLE SHOULD TAKE A LOOK AT MARYANN SHERWOOD’S YOUNGBIRD RESULTS OF 2005 FLYING IN THE GREATER BOSTON CONCOURSE, 100 LOFTS.
ALSO TAKE A LOOK AT HARRY KROLL’S RESULTS OF 2005 IN THE GREATER CHICAGO COMBINE, 100 LOFTS COMPETING.
I KNOW THERE ARE OTHERS ALL AROUND THE WORLD RACING WITH A SMALL GROUP AND “WINNING” IN BIG COMPETITION.
MARYANN SHERWOOD STARTED THE 2005 SEASON WITH 11 YOUNGBIRDS AND WON 2ND NATIONAL ACE PIGEON AND TOP HONORS WITH AVERAGE SPEED.
HARRY KROLL OF THE CHICAGO COMBINE BEGAN WITH ABOUT 15 YOUNGBIRDS AND PLACED 8TH NATIONAL ACE PIGEON, AND PLACING IN THE TOP OF THE AVERAGE SPEED CATAGORY.
THE RESULTS CAN BEEN SEE AT http://WWW.PIGEON.ORG …, THEN LOOK AT NATIONAL AWARDS.
PLEASE DON’T TELL THE PUBLIC THAT YOU NEED A LARGE GROUP OF BIRDS TO WIN. YOU MERELY NEED A GOOD HANDLER FIRST, AND SECOND YOU NEED GOOD PIGEONS.
J. GETTINGS 0915 290-8664 FOR CELL TEXTING OR 063 915 290-8664 LANDLINE IN THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS OR EMAIL ME AT [email protected]
THE NATIONAL DATA BASE OF THE AMERICAN RACING PIGEON UNION IS THE BEST INVENTION SINCE THE ELECTONIC CLOCK. YOU CAN GO ONLINE AND VIEW NEARLY ALL THE FANCIERS RACE RESULTS THAT ARE SUBMITTED TO THE AU DATA BASE. IS THIS SYSTEM AVAILABLE IN OTHER COUNTRIES? SOMEONE PLEASE ANSWER THIS QUESTION. IF SO YOU CAN VIEW THE RACE RESULT OF ANY FANCIER SELLING HIS PIGEONS.
ONE OTHER THING I FORGOT TO TELL IN MY FIRST COMMENT. ONLY ONE CLUB HERE IN PHILIPPINES HAVE ELECTRONIC CLOCK. THAT IS THE PHA (PHILIPPINE HOMING ASSOCIATION) A FINE GROUP OF FANCIERS. THEY ALL HAVE THE FUNDS TO AFFORD THIS EXPENSIVE CLOCK. HOWEVER THEY ARE THE SMALL BOYS OF RACING (ONLY 70 LOFTS) COMPETING. THERE ARE MANY CLUBS OF 300 LOFTS OR MORE WHERE THE BIG BOYS FLY I AM TOLD. AND, AFTER THINKING I GUESS THAT PERSON IS RIGHT, I WOULD RATHER BUY A YOUNGSTER FROM THE 300 LOFT WINNER RATHER THAN THE 70 LOFT WINNER.
THE LARGER CLUBS IN THE PHILIPPINE USE AN ADHEISIVE TAPE WITH A NUMBER ON IT. IT IS PLACE OVER THE BAND OF THE RACE BIRD. AFTER THE BIRD ARRIVES THE OWNER HAS TO REMOVE THE TAPE AND TYPE IN THE NUMBER ON HIS CELL PHONE TO A DATA BASE TO RECORD THE ARRIVAL TIME. NEVER SEEN THIS SYSTEM BEFORE BUT ALL USE IT EXCEPT THE SMALL PHA CLUB.
I have had a pigeon loft of homing pigeons since 1959. My first national convention (AU) was in in 1975. I attended every convention for the next 18 years of the AU. In April of 2009 I moved to Asia. I have traveled in dozens of foreign countries visiting racing pigeon fanciers. This is my comment:
In the USA the officers of the AU tell their constitutents that the sport is growing. They claim that the membership has increased annually. The facts don’t prove this. Back in 1980 membership as at 11,000 or about. The elected official don’t tell you how many quit the sport. They don’t tell you how many, who have been paying dues for many previous years, have suddenly not paid. They don’t tell you how many vetern fanciers have not paid their dues for two, three, four or more years. They don’t contact these people to get a general consenses of why this person, who has been a pigeon racing fancier for may years suddenly stopped paying dues. The point is if you are going to publish how many new fanciers there are you also have to publish how many quit the sport. Plain and simple, it is a slowly dying hobby. My opinion of the dying hobby, the bickering within the small clubs. If you have one guy who is trying to do it all for the club, your club has a problem and it needs fixing promptly.
Here in Asia, The Philippine Islands (7,107 islands) there are approximately 3,000 fanciers nation wide. More than 2,000 of them are in the Manila area, the largest city of the Philippines. The sport is growing here. When I first visited The Philippines in 1987 there were about 150 fanciers igeon in Manila. No other city had a club of racing pigeon lofts. In fact I was in the second largest city yesterday, March 26th, there were six lofts in youngbirds racing last season. These people are poor but, there are a few with sufficient income to own property, build a home and live a normal happy life. Most of the poorer fanicers have a 4ftx4ft loft made of simple material. They keep only 5/10 youngbirds to race in youngbird racing. Racing pigeons for them is an exciting event in their world of dispare. They live in crowed neighborhoods, narrow streets with seveal family members living in a crowed area that is only 200sq ft. or smaller. The loft is often on the roof. I visit several recently. I would not go up there for fear of falling thru the floor. Some are three floors up. My point is the hobby here is growing because it offers a relief to the individual who has little else in life to entertain their self. Most have an income of 200 pesos per day. Peso to Dollare currenty is $1/P45.40 It will die here if they do not begin simple racing and not race for money with every race. The clubs require the members to buy club bands which are Example: P2000 for 8 bands. Only these bandes pigeons can enter the races. The club have a set of five races from 50 kilometers to 250 kilometers. The birds that score above 700 kilometers in each race will win prize money. The pigeon has to score in each race above 700 kilometers to be in competiton for the prize money which could be P200,000. I can’t fine a club that just race pigeons with no money band.
Also in the USA the member of the AU are not being told “exactly” where their dues are being spent. Most don’t know how much was spent on the postal shipping box or the AU computer race program. Most members don’t know that a person is paid annually to help solve problems with this program. How much is this individual paid? How much is paid in legal fees each year? Keeping membership in the dark about where their dues is being spent will also cause a loss of membership. Elected official “must” be precise and explain every dime spent.
The officers pat each other on the back. This is a disgrace! Get out there and seek the membership who don’t want notority. In 1984 they allowed the “AU Hall of Fame” to be awarded to a person who did everything in his power to keep the Mississippi Valley Combine and the Corn Country Combine apart from flying. This person had a grudge with a member of the Mississippi Valley Combine. The two groups never did compete together. They could have been a great combine with 100 lofts flying in great competition. But this man, with a few of his cronies would not let the item on the agenda. The chairman of the hall of fame award that year was a man who had the onstage of Alheimers Diease and eventually died from it. It is sad that today, as the new members look at the AU yearbook, and view the past “Hall of Fame” they think this person was someone who was great in the sport when in fact he was a disgrace to the sport and the reason he got the award is not because the members voted on it. One man, Jimmy Rusek, the chairman, whom had alheimers, and died from the diease as my father did, gave this man the “AU Hall of Fame” award. Action like this will cause members to stop paying dues. It is just my opinion of the facts from 40 years with the pigeons. Pigeon racing in the USA cannot afford to lose “one” single Fancier with a loft of Pigeons.
I think the sport is dying due to there is not enough done to promote it. 99% of people in my area have never even heard of the sport or if they have heard of it they dont understand how or what to do. Plus I think if people helped out the new guys a little more instead of worrying about being beat by them and the new systems out there more. People might stick with it when they do try it. I love racing but I also love being able to sit in my backyard and watching them fly. It is very relaxing to me.
hey guyz enjoy your hobby(poor man or rich man must be enjoy!!!!
I have been our of the “loop” for a couple of years now, but I do think there will be times when the sport will have it’s up’s & downs, but over all, it has been around from the dawn of history and has no doubt with-stood the true test of time.
I fell even with today’s electronic age, it will remain strong for a very long time.
To John Narciso,
Go to http://www.redroselofts.com/steps_1.html and it will give you a step by step on a small loft to start with and to give you some idea on building one. I am new in starting a loft as well, but my step dad been in pigeon racing for 50 plus years and his dad as well. I am 55 and now I have the time on my hands to give my full attention to the pigeons.
Yes, Things cost are high so start out small by having others in your club raise your bird and race them to help cut your cost, this might help for a while because some of the bigger lofts will have the room and if your pigeon wins you share the winnings. There are other ways you can save money go in with another person and share the cost. It a matter now days of trust and thats why clubs are a good way to start and learn. My frist action in March of 2010 I have learn a lot, I have bought 4 pigions and place them in another club members loft.
So if you really love the sport, then you find a way to fly and keep racing your pigeons. Show others, let them hold the pigons, let them see the babies in the nest and take them to a race and or action, Then maybe the sport wont die!
I think its dead only in certain brackets (FINANCIALLY). In my bracket its dead. In MIKE TYSON’S bracket the sport is like the superbowl. YOU FEEL ME….MONEY
I am a newby, so I can’t really give too much comment as of yet. I am still in the “homework” phase of the sport.I do see much concern with the comments posted as to the cost of the hobby and the cost of competing on top of that. It’s always money, isn’t it? I am in the sport of dogs as well, and it’s all about money. I try to not let that hamper my spirit. For me, it’s about your pation(s) and having fun klnowing you are doing the best you can…
I am still going to build my loft(small) and try to start with the best stock that I can afford and just have fun and do it responsibly…Any loft suggestions or plans for a small loft would be a huge help!!.
John Narciso-san Jose,Ca.
[email protected]