Life in Bendigo.

[Andy]

Great to hear you have renewed enthusiasm. Doesn’t matter if they are pets. If they are good pigeons they will still perform well, probably better for their extra love for home. I don’t think birds perform so well, certainly over a period of time, if treated to regimentally.

[Murray]

Great to hear you have renewed enthusiasm. Doesn’t matter if they are pets. If they are good pigeons they will still perform well, probably better for their extra love for home. I don’t think birds perform so well, certainly over a period of time, if treated to regimentally.

I agree with that, Andy, to a large degree. I do remember something an old racehorse trainer told me when I was a jockey.

He told me that the horses need to be under a certain degree of stress to perform at the top level.
If that sounds wrong, let me explain. The winners of the Derby, the Cheltenham Gold Cup and the Melbourne Cup are not trained out of a field. They aren't dozing under a tree in the afternoon. They are in a stable, their training schedule is mapped out. They are ridden in their gallops by professional riders, their diet is formulated by experts, and they are weighed daily. They are under the sort of stress that an elite athlete must face to succeed at that level.
They are given the best care that money can provide, but they need to follow a system all day, every day.

The same thing with the pigeons. When I had my good widowhood team, they had a system, week in and week out.
These pigeons are just living a life of leisure. Starting very soon, they will be beginning to have fixed exercise periods, fed all that they need, and no more.
What will really annoy them is they are getting separated. The young cocks are starting to lure the hens into the corners.

The birds are going to be racing pigeons.

[Andy]

Great to hear you have renewed enthusiasm. Doesn’t matter if they are pets. If they are good pigeons they will still perform well, probably better for their extra love for home. I don’t think birds perform so well, certainly over a period of time, if treated to regimentally.

I agree with that, Andy, to a large degree. I do remember something an old racehorse trainer told me when I was a jockey.

He told me that the horses need to be under a certain degree of stress to perform at the top level.
If that sounds wrong, let me explain. The winners of the Derby, the Cheltenham Gold Cup and the Melbourne Cup are not trained out of a field. They aren't dozing under a tree in the afternoon. They are in a stable, their training schedule is mapped out. They are ridden in their gallops by professional riders, their diet is formulated by experts, and they are weighed daily. They are under the sort of stress that an elite athlete must face to succeed at that level.
They are given the best care that money can provide, but they need to follow a system all day, every day.

The same thing with the pigeons. When I had my good widowhood team, they had a system, week in and week out.
These pigeons are just living a life of leisure. Starting very soon, they will be beginning to have fixed exercise periods, fed all that they need, and no more.
What will really annoy them is they are getting separated. The young cocks are starting to lure the hens into the corners.

The birds are going to be racing pigeons.

I understand what your saying Murray, and when I raced widowhood I was very regimental with them and had a lot of success. But 3 years racing them on that system was about as much as I could get from them. By that time they had had enough.
Not disagreeing with what your saying about horses and horse racing and we did have 2 top racing stables on the estate I worked on back in the 80s & 90s. The big difference with horses and pigeons is the jockey. The jockey is there to control the horse, to hold it back and let it go, and to get the best out of the horse. Although we can control our pigeons to a certain degree once in the sky there is little we can do. They have to want to get home and this is where we can get an advantage by making them as happy and content as we can.

[Murray]

Andy, thanks for your reply.
I totally agree with what you say, while disagreeing, if you know what I mean.
The pigeons must have a deep love of home. Mine do. Spoilt things.
But they need to be strong and fit and experienced and determined to win races.
They might look terrific in pictures sunning themselves under a tree. They might still be there when someone else is winning the money.

[Trev]

004.JPGMy wife did not like that picture.
This one is better

Looks lovely Muzza, ours is a mix of dormant shrubs and perennials with a splash of colour added by the spring bulbs that are in full flower at the moment.

[Trev]

Members will have read about the new pigeons I have brought in over the past year or so.
There are some terrific pigeons, beautiful types and related closely to champions. I am very enthusiastic about them, they have renewed my interest in the sport.
But, they have grown up in my loft, with my own pigeons, and have learned to be very tame and laid back. Just yesterday I was watching them all laying about the garden, and thought, pets.
That's what I've got. Better pets.

High class pets lol, I know exactly what you mean Murray, however like me most of my pets just lack that bit of class lol

[Trev]

Andy, thanks for your reply.
I totally agree with what you say, while disagreeing, if you know what I mean.
The pigeons must have a deep love of home. Mine do. Spoilt things.
But they need to be strong and fit and experienced and determined to win races.
They might look terrific in pictures sunning themselves under a tree. They might still be there when someone else is winning the money.

A couple of good and interesting posts from both you and Andy Muzza.
I'm afraid for me these days it's my laziness that will prevent me from having a top class team, I don't have the energy or enthusiasm these days to really make my team work, I just love having them around. I will be racing them but don't expect to be up amongst the winners very often. I also have far too many at the moment which makes it very hard to manage, mine will be raced on my very own take of the absolute chaos system this yearv
Anyway good luck with the coming season mate, it is great to read your posts and to feel your enthusiasm and I look forward to following your teams progress

[Murray]

A peaceful home is a great blessing.

[Murray]

In preparation for training up, I gave the hampers a tidy up and a coat of paint.

[Andy]

The cats look very content.
A good job done on the training crates. They look very smart.