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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This is a DYING sport here in the Chicago Illinois USA area and I imagine elsewhere in the USA. Most “NORMAL” people (I’d say about 98% of the US population) does not even know Pigeon Racing exists or that people like to keep pigeons as a hobby. Their mindset is that Pigeons hand around bridges and buildings, carry disease and should be exterminated. The Industry needs to do MAJOR Public Relations work to inform the public of this sport. I am just getting back into the sport after 40 years and do you know how many times I have heard about Pigeon Racing in those years??? – NOT ONCE! And loving the birds and sport you can bet that my ears were perked to hear anything about Pigeons. The only things I heard, usually when discussing the common pigeons around the work buildings, was that “pigeons are very dirty birds” & “they stink, who would want to keep them?” & “your kidding, people actually race pigeons?” & “they are the ‘rats’ of the air aren’t they?” & your going love this one… “Flying Rats”.
… So what has been happening in this hobby in all the years that I have been away? It seems very little – other than going with outrageously expensive electronic clocks and foot bands. Where are the clean coupes, the clean nest box designs, clean watering systems and the like? Am I missing something? – probably since I just really began to intently look at this hobby intently only a week ago. So maybe I’m being too hard on this industry but I doubt it after 40 years of hearing NOTHING in the world about pigeon racing. Oh, wait a second… I did hear (just yesterday) that Mike Tyson had a reality show where it talked about his racing pigeons. The only way I heard this was because my neighbor asked me and my son what we were building (a new Beginners Loft) and so I explained a bit about the hobby and he shared about the reality show… Where are the documentaries on how pigeons were used in the war? I can find very little on Netflix.
What have the Pigeon Unions done to educate people? Obviously very little.
I agree, when I show pictures of my birds to people, they say,,,those are pigeons?
Here by us the pigeon sports is going down because every thing here is very expensive and the young kids is not interested in the sports. The medicine is also expensive and you can not even talk about the travelling to tos the birds.
I think at the moment pigeon sport is declining. The costs involved in racing is getting out of hand. Clubs don’t do enough to advertise the sport, try to get sponsors, help youngsters getting involved. People the youngsters that getting involved is the future of pigeon racing.
I also feel that the sport is becoming to exspensive for the “man on the street” and although it has become more of a business than is relaxing past-time.
with YB SALES like the we will be holding on the 3rd of FEB 2012 where every
member sponcers at least 1 younster (± 500 members) 60% of all money made will be
Used to help pay our ever increasing transport cost.
I think the sport is in decline bcause it is becoming 2 xpensive 4 the fanciers.Many youngsters r interested in the sport but finance is a problem.We have 2 help those who have a love 4 the sport but can’t afford it.Clubs can subsidise juniors 2 encourage them 2 fly.Some of the juniors say that they would like 2 fly more than the 7 races they may fly in the start of the season cause they want 2 know what they must do the rest of the season & they have put in everything into breeding youngsters 2 race & these can only compete in these 7 races.I don’t know what other clubs do & would b interested 2 c comment on how they go about helping the juniors.
ben türkiye, manisadan yazıyorum manisada 6 dernek var 250 yarışçımız var organizasyon tek bir yerde gerçeklestiriliyor ama henüz federasyonumuz yok çalışmalar sürüyor …..yeni genç yarışçılar sürekli artıyor
In South Africa, the sport seems to showing a decline in members due to fact that prices for food, medication, racing fees and petrol are on a constant rise year on year. In addition, we seem to remain in the primitive ages as technology is not used efficiently to drive cost down and make things more affordable and to be less time consuming for the fanciers e.g. ringouts can be managed per club or union for board races at union locations, but instead fanciers are expected to drive almost 50 kilometers to attend a board ringout whereas internet and software can be used to manage the process with a higher degree of efficiency. In addition, the cost of good birds tend to be overpriced considering that not all youngsters bred from great birds turn out to be winners, so introducing new fanciers considering that losing is a given in teh sport esp in initial years(if you not educated or gifted), becomes a challenge in growing the sport.
In England Ithink the sport is dying out. When reading club reports there are only 3 or 4
members sending to races. Many people will say the number of clubs has grown thus
leaving members spread over them and reducing individual club members. I started racing pigeons in 1969 and my club had 35 flying membes, this was far from the biggest club as some had 60 and 70 flying members.At clock reading on a Saturday night after the race it often took more than 2 hours to publish a result. Today in my present club we have 13 flying members and are one of the lucky clubs. I am 57 years of age and there are only 3 members younger than me. When I was young there were no x box, computer games, or for many years even a TV. The younger generation don’t want to get involved in anything they think would be hard work. This is not a criticism of the present generation, for who knows if I had the same options maybe I would not be involved in the sport today.
Unfortunately I don’t have a solution to the decline of the sport in England, but the one thing I do know is that the older members of my club will give all the support, help and encouragement to any youngster or novice.
I’m delighted to hear that the sport is flourishing in other countrys,but sincerely hope that the fanciers don’t all grow old together as this will put them in the same position as us.
Depends on were one lives. Country I mean. Reading a lot of the previous comments I agree it is very expensive. Many are older fliers. Sometimes the cash is not there.
Younger folks have X boxes etc to play with. Easier to spend time on that than cleaning out birds.
Not the sport itself that discourages younger members the workload etc, it is the club members themselves. Not many help a new flier. Every club even with 5 members has the ego mentality. Who the hell cares who wins in a 5 member club? The birds count in the Fed or Combine. Heck some clubs have a small radius to make sure they do not get beat. Bunch of crap. I am the longest end in my club. Hour overfly from the shortest distance member. 50 mile drive to the club and back. I do not complain but gas is getting expensive. As for buying off proven generations of winners for a hefty price does not make sense. Most of these winners are from a different country anyway. Sport of pigeon racing is about holding even.Canada anyway. The future? Fewer clubs more one loft races. Bread and butter clubs, the small ones will disapear.Or amalmagate.Just my opinion.
Its a great sport that has become cut-throat business by the small % of people with deep pockets who basically corner the prizes and have driven the costs way up for the little guys to compete. The playing field is no longer level where the price of buying a good breeding stock has become unaffordable. There is very little mentoring done by those who have profited from this business. They just want moneyed partners. Unless AU and other associations discuss this unfortunate trend and take steps to encourage the small guys and other newcomers, this will become a sport only for the rich much like horse racing.