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.
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I’m sorry to say but I think it’s dying ( New York )clubs are going belly up.and also I contribute it to the fact that pigeons are considered filthy vermin.
People do not have a clue how our birds are treated and how clean they are kept.
The other problem is that it is almost treated as a “Secret” sport that are for the ones in the know only, there is no promotion for the public to become aware.
I’m a new flyer and I got to tell you it took me a while before a found someone who took me under his wing and educated me to what has to be done to suceed in this game. There are too many closed mouth people in this sport.
I would like to add something to Tony’s comment, I totally agree when he says “there are too many closed mouth people in this sport”. I’m not going to name names but I have personally asked fanciers if I could post there articles on this site to help educate all of our members. I was actually told no because it would in their words “hurt their business”. But that’s just my two cents.
Thanks all 🙂
Yours in the sport,
-Chris
http://www.pigeonracingpigeon.com
its getting to be a rich man sport it cost more and more every year so for this reason i thank its dying.
I don’t think the sport will ever really die, but it is changing I was on a sabattical for 15 years and recently flew my first young bird series since that time the club members have gotten older but not nessarsally wiser and yes there are fewer of them but all you have to do is look a the # of one loft races and futurities ,not to mention the activity on the online auctions to see that there is still a strong interest in the sport perhaps it’s becoming a more Global competition.
Yep I do think it is dying cause of a number of reasons, In South Africa it has become very expensive as in the rest of the world i am sure but the mentality also has to have a drastic shift. Most fanciers here get caught up in a web of having to keep too many birds to compete effectively. They think that the more you have the better chance you have of doing well. The result of keeping too many are many negatives like overcrowding etc. We tend to chase points only and forget about thinking clearly about the birds themselves.Also the young folk today have a huge amount of other activities out there and dont want to be tied down much. W
There’s no doubt about it. It is dying. Feather merchants, mob flyers, and authors giving bad advice are killing it!
I think the sport in my area is barely holding its own ( Southwest Missouri ). Its very hard to get younger individuals interested in Pigeons when we’re competing with electronic games. It seems the younger individuals who do get involved are young family men.
Hi Chris,
In my country, The Philippines, its a growing industry. There’s a club in every nook and corner sprouting everytime. But’s its a pity that a new comer in pigeon racing is being exploited by some scrupolous individuals for profit.
The real problem lies on an individual, who will venture into the sport, without the sufficient knowledge to know what right or wrong. many new fanciers relies to much on the pedigree of the pigeons, ignoring the performance. They will discuss the line of the pigeon without giving thought if the line they’re talking about is really performing in my country.
Anyway, its for them to finally find they’re follies.
Arnold
Hello Chris
I know that the sport has declined in my area. My grandfather belonged to a club in the 80s and early 90s and there were several other clubs all around, and now they are almost non existant. I am just getting into pigeons for myself and my children. I hope that they can enjoy it as much as i did when i was young. I also think that by the way my grandfather is talking and due to the fact that I am getting pigeons that he is going to take the hobby back up as well. Thank you for all the usefull information you are providing.
Hi Chris
I believe the sport in South Africa is dying.To get quality birds are too expensive.Young poeple are not interested in the sport because it’s alot of money in the sport.Transport is getting more expensive every year.Medicines is also too expensive.
I have a WWI Army Corps of Engineers Field Manual that belonged to my grandfather…it goes into illustrated detail about how to load a pack mule with ammunition for transport, about things like digging trenches and pitching a pup tent, about how to adjust the sights on a faulty rifle by “striking the barrel sharply against a log” until the proper tragetory is attained. Damn ain’t things changed? The same goes for pigeon racing unfortunately…not many kids today want to get away from the computers and smart phones long enough to get outside for even a few minutes for a breath of fresh air much less invest the time required to house, feed and train birds. Then there’s the intial cost of getting started. As we’ve progressed, I think that many of us have over-complicated the sport as we’ve progressed…strict racing diets, expensive medications, membership fees, dues, etc.
Whenever I meet a youngster who expresses even a remote interest in my birds, I tell them about how before we had instantaneous world wide communication, the military attached messeges to the leg of one of these birds and that the bird would sometimes fly for hundreds of miles thru enemy territory while soilders armed with shotguns would fire away trying to bring the bird down and how both sides also trained falcons to bring the pigeon down to prevent delivery of the message. If the kids come back, I ask if they would like to learn more about the birds and if they do and seem genuinely interested, I make them a deal. I’ll help to build their first loft and give them a proven mated pair of birds and teach them how to train them…I get two of the offspring the following year and tell them that if they lose interest in the birds to simply bring them back. It’s working really well so far and the expression on the faces of these kids when we toss their first birds has really enriched the quality of life for this old fart…and their expressions when the birds come home is as the commercial says “priceless”. I’m simply trying to give back some of the facination and intrique that my birds have given me over the years. I have a young group thats talking of forming their own club this year and I hope that they follow my lead and do it for the love of the birds and what they do and give. No fees, no dues, just do it for the love of the sport.