Selection

[Champbourke08]

Yes it's getting worse every where nower days

[goose1]

Cheers Goose
Just thinking maybe I should have tried them as 2 year olds
We are lucky here but it’s only going one way
I had 5 good birds missing last year 8 laid up with BOP injury by May
6 or 7 years ago we had one or two hit a year
I could have 20 finish with 17/18 cocks
I can’t now
So it’s coming

There's an argument to say you maybe should had Neil, maybe even pushed them to the 500 mile mark? But like us all we make the decision we think best.
Yeah I do fear for the sport up here I really do. Once we get over 200 miles you know your gonna be waiting all day for pigeons. At one point last season we had 21 hens that had been hawked at some point in their life, and a few of them more than once.

That’s awful mate

Sorry Neil just thinking there your obviously on the North I was thinking 412 miles to us is usually our first time over the channel we've had a bit of success over the years with pigeons that have nighted out their first time over, but put back 2nd time at 450 plus they've often been a different proposition. Suppose its different again for you lads on the North.

Just edited that post I actually didn't think Thurso was as far North as it is. What route do you think they take from there Neil?

[Champbourke08]

If you give everything a chance there's a danger you end up with more "chancers" in the loft than those who can do the job

[Every pigeon has to earn the perch is what phil says ]

[CHARLTON34]

What members thoughts with regards to selection at this time of year sprint, middle or long distance whatever your discipline how do you select at your own lofts. Maybe you select right the way throughout the year.

It's a lot easier to assess a sprinter Dave
Let's say a YB (sprinter) has 4-5 races as a YB and then 12 races as a yearling. That's 16 opportunities right there for the pigeon to demonstrate that it has some kind of potential for you to work with. When I was racing a sprinter would never have made it into my widowhood team as a 2 year old without at least several efforts where it had done something of real note


For the distance I think you ultimately have to be a bit more patient, especially if its a pigeon of distance breeding.
These pigeons tend to be brought along a bit steadier as youngsters, and then progressed as yearlings
So if they are of 500 miles breeding it might be the case that they are 2 years old and not actually been out that far yet to actually judge them.

Great reply Mike thanks & a lot of common sense about sprinter's.

[Champbourke08]

What members thoughts with regards to selection at this time of year sprint, middle or long distance whatever your discipline how do you select at your own lofts. Maybe you select right the way throughout the year.

It's a lot easier to assess a sprinter Dave
Let's say a YB (sprinter) has 4-5 races as a YB and then 12 races as a yearling. That's 16 opportunities right there for the pigeon to demonstrate that it has some kind of potential for you to work with. When I was racing a sprinter would never have made it into my widowhood team as a 2 year old without at least several efforts where it had done something of real note


For the distance I think you ultimately have to be a bit more patient, especially if its a pigeon of distance breeding.
These pigeons tend to be brought along a bit steadier as youngsters, and then progressed as yearlings
So if they are of 500 miles breeding it might be the case that they are 2 years old and not actually been out that far yet to actually judge them.


[me and dad need to start being a bit harsher]

[Bowbroom]

I think that it should be remembered that not everybody keeps pigeons to win all the time but more for the pleasure of looking after and enjoying them and are happy just to compete it should also be remembered that without losers there would be no winners

[Champbourke08]

I think that it should be remembered that not everybody keeps pigeons to win all the time but more for the pleasure of looking after and enjoying them and are happy just to compete it should also be remembered that without losers there would be no winners
[Very tue and if you lose i just means you should try harder next week ]

[Bowbroom]

Yes it is Neil and I enjoyed it as much as the next bloke but some descend into despair if they’re not top of the sheet most weeks I’m sure you’ve met them

[goose1]

If yous flew in Cumbria you'd be willing to give more 'chancers' a chance I promise yous that.

I often say it, and I don't sat it to be rude to folk I say it because I mean it, a lot of these alleged top lofts down south and I'm talking the very top lofts would be packed up and finished within 3 seasons up here never mind winning.

[Steve Howells]

Cheers Goose
So I need to think about that and not judge the yearlings to quickly next time
They don’t need to cross water but I think from where Fraserburgh is located they probably cross some particularly in a west wind and similar for Thurso but could as I got around the coast
Steve will know more as he’s much more knowledgeable than me

Morning Neil please be careful banding that word knowledgeable about, remember I’m from Norfolk

As for what route they take from these race points untimely non us truly know, however I think most would accept the winners are the birds that probably take the straightest line. This year Fraserburgh winner was a lad from my club and if you draw a straight line from Fraserburgh to his loft its mostly sea, now as it happens I also know the lad who was 2nd his loft is about 25miles west of the winning loft. Now if the winning bird had taken a more costal route it would have had to flown considerable faster to have made up for the detour which I find unlikely. Same with this years Thurso the 1st and 2nd place birds several miles east and west of each other yet on the night I had to get both fanciers to send me a picture of their clocking sheets before I could confirm the provisional winner it was so close under a second, so neither bird could have deviated from their line of flight by much.