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Re: The thing is about the sport.
Posted: Tue Dec 31, 2024 5:34 pm
by PeteDerby
Diamond Dave wrote: Mon Dec 30, 2024 11:13 am
I am a realist but I guess that also makes me a loser! I realised some time ago that I could never compete at club/fed level. I dont have the resources, time or the wherewithall to do so. My family always take priority and up until recently ran a business.
To hear you guys talk about what you need to do to get to the prize table leaves me with no illusion that I don't even want to join you at that table.
The legend Anthony Webster once described ppl like me perfectly in a post on the old chat, more or less saying that I was indeed a loser. I don't disagree with any of it but one thing I never do is make excuses for me or my birds.
I enjoy the club banter, company and craic but I rarely have a clock set for club races.
My only aim, goal, dream, whatever you want to call it is to get a bird in the clock from Barcelona and simply getting them home from any of the races leading up to it gives me absolute pleasure and makes me a winner in my eyes.
We are all very different.
I like that Dave
Re: The thing is about the sport.
Posted: Tue Dec 31, 2024 5:57 pm
by king
Diamond Dave wrote: Mon Dec 30, 2024 11:13 am
I am a realist but I guess that also makes me a loser! I realised some time ago that I could never compete at club/fed level. I dont have the resources, time or the wherewithall to do so. My family always take priority and up until recently ran a business.
To hear you guys talk about what you need to do to get to the prize table leaves me with no illusion that I don't even want to join you at that table.
The legend Anthony Webster once described ppl like me perfectly in a post on the old chat, more or less saying that I was indeed a loser. I don't disagree with any of it but one thing I never do is make excuses for me or my birds.
I enjoy the club banter, company and craic but I rarely have a clock set for club races.
My only aim, goal, dream, whatever you want to call it is to get a bird in the clock from Barcelona and simply getting them home from any of the races leading up to it gives me absolute pleasure and makes me a winner in my eyes.
We are all very different.
Very true Dave. I had pigeons before I raced, and I've still got some now I don't race. I've met a few fanciers over the years who have said 'If I wasn't winning, I'd get rid of the birds'. I often thought how childish that sounds, if I can't win, I aren't playing?
Pigeons for many are an escape from daily life. To relax with birds you enjoy keeping.
Re: The thing is about the sport.
Posted: Wed Jan 01, 2025 1:39 pm
by king
NeilA wrote: Wed Jan 01, 2025 10:41 am
MIL wrote: Wed Jan 01, 2025 10:31 am
It's a genuine concern Neil
You work hard all ends up to find super-talented pigeons that can get clear and win - and those that win repeatedly are harder to find
Then, when you do get them you take your chance every time they go to work
That's beause the good pigeons do what other pigeons don't - they get clear and pigeons that are clear are a target
That’s exactly what Mark was saying to me mate
he said the best sprint birds win at the race point they clear and go and then there the ones that get hit as they break in little groups from the pack
I've never understood that statement Neil, in a good sprint race the birds are finishing together, clocked within a few secs (some in a large group to a single fancier) so how are they winning the race at the start? I've been to many race libs and NEVER seen a single bird break away from the pack, the birds have always left the race point in one or more big groups.
Re: The thing is about the sport.
Posted: Wed Jan 01, 2025 3:03 pm
by king
MIL wrote: Wed Jan 01, 2025 2:20 pm
I could give you loads of examples of sprint races being won by a large margin to my own loft (at Fed level)
For instance my cock "Lee" won the Fed by almost 5 min from 140 miles. He was literally miles clear
My Pitbull Queen won the NMCC from Portland by almost 5 mins - again miles clear
I can also give you numerous examples at other lofts
Just let me know if you want them - not documented them at this moment 'cos I wouldn't wanna bore you
I too have won by a clear 10 mins inland and so have many others Mike, but NOBODY knows when that bird broke clear? What is fact that birds fly faster in a flock, so somewhere on route these breakaway winners leave the pack they are racing with and head for home. And since a fancier can only see the end of the race he is only guessing when or where his winner LEFT the flock. It it very unlikely that it's at the race p[oint as a single bird could not possibly fly quicker the whole way home than the racing pack and still be mins in front of them?
Re: The thing is about the sport.
Posted: Wed Jan 01, 2025 3:08 pm
by king
MIL wrote: Wed Jan 01, 2025 3:02 pm
NeilA wrote: Wed Jan 01, 2025 2:50 pm
When my cocks is are really right and I train they don’t circle they scare me as there low just above head height when there not right they circle 2/3 times I notice
I remember year before last I had never seen them leave the lib point so fast about 15 feet off the floor I let 11 go
I had 7 drop to win the fed on the Saturday so would that not work at a race point
I have a pal that use to convoy a 6 bird club and a fed the 6 bird is the money races he tells me it’s remarkable the difference in the speed of the two libs I imagine the cream is in the 6 bird
In my opinion if birds are not clearing the liberation site instantly then their heads are not right and I'd be treating them
Cos I tell you mine would clear without looking sideways and if yours circle 3-4 times I'm the best part of a mile up the road and you aint gonna catch that up without help from a BoP
How would you know this Mike?
Re: The thing is about the sport.
Posted: Wed Jan 01, 2025 3:17 pm
by king
NeilA wrote: Wed Jan 01, 2025 3:12 pm
king wrote: Wed Jan 01, 2025 3:03 pm
MIL wrote: Wed Jan 01, 2025 2:20 pm
I could give you loads of examples of sprint races being won by a large margin to my own loft (at Fed level)
For instance my cock "Lee" won the Fed by almost 5 min from 140 miles. He was literally miles clear
My Pitbull Queen won the NMCC from Portland by almost 5 mins - again miles clear
I can also give you numerous examples at other lofts
Just let me know if you want them - not documented them at this moment 'cos I wouldn't wanna bore you
I too have won by a clear 10 mins inland and so have many others Mike, but NOBODY knows when that bird broke clear? What is fact that birds fly faster in a flock, so somewhere on route these breakaway winners leave the pack they are racing with and head for home. And since a fancier can only see the end of the race he is only guessing when or where his winner LEFT the flock. It it very unlikely that it's at the race p[oint as a single bird could not possibly fly quicker the whole way home than the racing pack and still be mins in front of them?
[/quote
Was it 10 min clear in the fed king ? What kind of vels
No it finished 3rd Fed 1600s
Re: The thing is about the sport.
Posted: Wed Jan 01, 2025 3:26 pm
by king
MIL wrote: Wed Jan 01, 2025 3:17 pm
king wrote: Wed Jan 01, 2025 3:08 pm
How would you know this Mike?
I practice what I preach King
I'm a 2 x West Midlands Region Sprint Champion in the 0-250 miles category and in 2005 I was 2nd National Ace Sprint Champion of the UK
People can liker or loathe me (it doesn't keep me awake at night) but I know sprinting
Mike I'm not doubting your racing ability, and certainly don't loathe you, (if I did I wouldn't bother replying on the thread) I asked how you would know if your birds circled the race point or not? And does it matter if they are still winning the race?
Re: The thing is about the sport.
Posted: Wed Jan 01, 2025 3:42 pm
by king
MIL wrote: Wed Jan 01, 2025 3:35 pm
My birds don't circle in training so why should they on a Saturday?
Whenever my birds went in the basket to them its a race. They don't know they're only "training"
Ha Mike so you assuming they do the same as training? and you really don't actually know what they do when racing.
Re: The thing is about the sport.
Posted: Wed Jan 01, 2025 3:51 pm
by king
NeilA wrote: Wed Jan 01, 2025 3:39 pm
You do get crap races like that Andy we had one this year a lad who hadn’t won a club card all year won the fed
We don’t really know why it happened we suspected peregrines at the site scaring the ybs but we don’t really know
I've watch countless libs around York. York/Wetherby/Selby(Bubwith) on both good and bad days and I've never seen the birds leave the transport and head straight for home. So the good & bad birds have left the site together. Now everybody will agree that between the lib point and home end the good birds get to the front.
Re: The thing is about the sport.
Posted: Wed Jan 01, 2025 3:55 pm
by king
MIL wrote: Wed Jan 01, 2025 3:45 pm
king wrote: Wed Jan 01, 2025 3:42 pm
MIL wrote: Wed Jan 01, 2025 3:35 pm
My birds don't circle in training so why should they on a Saturday?
Whenever my birds went in the basket to them its a race. They don't know they're only "training"
Ha Mike so you assuming they do the same as training? and you really don't actually know what they do when racing.
The result sheet tells me what I need to know
In my day there wasn't tracking but Gary and Niall Gordon track their birds with great effect
How do you explain when you are beaten Mike? (It must have happened) If you are correct and your birds don't circle at the race point and head straight for home, how do they get overtaken?