UkPigeonRacing

True, hardly an improvement is it? I first heard the phrase fast but daft from Mike Binns of Harkers when he was describing the FVW that he had brought in via Ian Stafford when compared with his Krauths which I had at the time also direct and also from Harry Foulk of Belper and Sid Montgomery from Northern Ireland . According to the Guinness book of records the fastest recorded pigeon in a race was 110mph in 1965, 60 years ago, by the way Murray when you come to knock our heads together shall I provide a box for you to stand on or will you bring your own?

That’s the One

king wrote: Mon Aug 11, 2025 2:12 pm

Anthony webster wrote: Mon Aug 11, 2025 11:42 am I'm a dog man ,running dogs my whole life ,
There better now than ever but more injury prone ,,
I think birds are faster but weaker
I think there's 6 hour birds ,birds that fly there self out in 6 hours pure sprint that's why so many won't get up next day we see them 3 weeks later if lucky then there's ya fast middle distance birds 8 to 12 hours lovely and then there's the extra special birds bit like what Mark gilbert as that keep coming from massive distances ,
There definitely faster because 20 yrs bk u average 45 mph put wind on or deduct n you be close to what time u clock now its 50mph so there definitely faster but my opinion weaker.
Greyhounds now same ,ballyreagen bob 28 wins on trot open class probably wouldn't even grade now but a living legend the clock never lies just like the race basket.

I'd agree with everything you have written. Many birds are definitely weaker and I think many have a weaker homing ability. Many are what I'd call fast & daft. They fly fast not knowing where they are going, or just follow the pack. When they are alone they struggle to home. When races are easy they don't have to think.

I see em like premiership footballers 1 knock and you think they been shot with ak47 lol

I mean average speed is 5mph minimum quicker not on freak tail winds ,,
You only have to get a 3mph south wind and birds hit 60mph easy years ago it be 53,55 mph max on a light wind.

What’s the source of this info Anthony?

I understand what Ant is saying, but think it's very hard to prove that birds are faster. A bird can only fly as fast as the weather on that day allows. Pigeons today race on 'better' days than they used too. Holdovers are very rare, races are cancelled when a cloud is spotted in the sky or put back 24 hrs.
I've results from over 100 years ago when the birds were doing 70 mph, I've seen results this year where birds were only doing 40 mph. The difference is not the birds but the weather.

Completely agree

Bowbroom wrote: Mon Aug 11, 2025 4:29 pm What’s the source of this info Anthony?

Just what the birds hit speed wise now with hardly any help with wind there way way faster now .

So no incontrovertible data?

Pigeons, as with every other living being that competes, are getting faster, under certain circumstance, of that their is no doubt. With pigeons it's more on a head wind day, mechanically they can just fly faster now. We've every result since 1956 in our club and there's no doubt on headwind days pigeons are faster. Are they better absolutely not but they are faster. Tailwinds there's basically no difference in velocities to what we have recorded from the past.

Long distance pigeons I do feel have stalled these last few years. As you people who are older than me will know 500 mile birds in the 70s/80s were cherished by the early 2000s everyone with half an idea was getting day birds at 500 mile. I do feel because of various factors Long distance racing is as difficult as it has been at any point certainly during my lifetime and probably for a good few years before that.