UkPigeonRacing

Wow, sorry if I touched a nerve, all I asked was if you thought that the continental authorities were as inept as you claim the RPRA are and enquired if you had received your orders yet for the upcoming region meetings?

I bred 50 baby's bought 10 Inn
Killed 4 my own lost 2 fetched in ones of loft
Had over 50 tosses 5 transporters with fed birds 1mnfc race 44 left .

Well done Anthony, my mate had similar results, bread 60 completed the programme 48 left plus 2 injured, you can search all the OLRs data and not find retention any where near that

Murray wrote: Sat Sep 27, 2025 11:51 pm

Bowbroom wrote: Sat Sep 27, 2025 12:09 pm How do you make out that “ Almost everywhere else on earth pigeon racing is going great.” How do you support that statement?
It is an indisputable fact that membership in Belgium and Holland has fallen through the floor as in the U.K. it’s down to socio economics and unfortunately as far as I can see this decline is irreversible, I am devastated that this is the case and would be over the moon if this were not the case, when I started there were 7 or 8 clubs within 4 miles of where I live with 30 to 50 members with hardly any duplications that’s now down to 3 with single figure memberships.
Coming back to the topic, if anyone is interested I would suggest they look on the Benzing website and do the Maths, that will reveal the truth of how successful OLRs are in terms of returns

The sport is changing. Everything changes.
I believe there are about 10% of the number of lofts in Belgium and Holland that there were maybe 50 years ago. But many of those lofts have 10 times as many pigeons in them.
Here in Oz these days 200 to 300 youngsters is not uncommon in a loft. I know one bloke who has 1000 pigeons on the place, he doesn't buy feed by the bag, he buys it by the truck load.
It's the same thing with the horse racing. Where 50 years ago a big stable might have 60 horses in the yard, the mega stables have 300 or 400 on the books.
The club in the village where everyone sent their half dozen old plodders every week is becoming a thing of the past. The game is getting more advanced.
ETS. Better, faster pigeons. Modern feeding systems. Instant workout of results.
I reckon we remember the 'good old days' through rose coloured glasses. Things are better now. Just different.

If anybody thinks 'progress' is fanciers keeping and sending 100 birds, well the sport is in trouble. Many see a large birdage in a race as a good thing, but it's not how many birds are in the race that's important. It's how many MEMBERS are sending them, that's points to true competition. I remember the 'good old days', NOT through rose coloured glasses, but with local club results with 60+ members sending less than 500 birds.
Things are different now, but they ain't better.

Murray wrote: Sat Sep 27, 2025 10:13 pm

king wrote: Sat Sep 27, 2025 1:00 pm It may seem there are many everyday but many are the same race over several days

It appears there about 60 OLRs currently training or racing around the world.

Well they can't be racing everyday as was claimed then.

[/quote]
The sport is changing. Everything changes.
I believe there are about 10% of the number of lofts in Belgium and Holland that there were maybe 50 years ago. But many of those lofts have 10 times as many pigeons in them.
Here in Oz these days 200 to 300 youngsters is not uncommon in a loft. I know one bloke who has 1000 pigeons on the place, he doesn't buy feed by the bag, he buys it by the truck load.
It's the same thing with the horse racing. Where 50 years ago a big stable might have 60 horses in the yard, the mega stables have 300 or 400 on the books.
The club in the village where everyone sent their half dozen old plodders every week is becoming a thing of the past. The game is getting more advanced.
ETS. Better, faster pigeons. Modern feeding systems. Instant workout of results.
I reckon we remember the 'good old days' through rose coloured glasses. Things are better now. Just different.
[/quote]

Blimey Murray, I hope Bowbroom doesn't see this post about any sort of change - he'll probably get a nose bleed

I’m all for change as long as it isn’t just for the sake of it, the difference is I can decide what to support for myself and not wait to be instructed
The phone number on rings is a great idea how the space would be found to put a legible No on a U.K. ring I’m not so sure, I’m glad that you also accept that membership on the continent is falling through the floor, will you have time to tell us why you believe that the pigeon sport is “doing great” in the rest of the world.
Is the cost of living in Oz so much cheaper to enable the average fancier to have 200 to 300 YBs?

Murray wrote: Sun Sep 28, 2025 9:28 am

Andy wrote: Sun Sep 28, 2025 8:36 am

Murray wrote: Sun Sep 28, 2025 4:47 am One reason the sport is in a good place here is, there is no over arching body, an equivalent of the RPRA. There are several State and National bodies, formed and run by fanciers to have a forum to discuss the best interest of the sport. But none of them have the power to enforce rules or levy fees.
Every club and Fed and combine is free to do what they see is best for them. There is usually good communication and co operation between organisations, but the biggest is no more powerful than the smallest.
It's sort of the Aussie mentality. If there's no need for a governing body, why go to the expense and effort if we are going to ignore it anyway?
I don't know the full story, obviously, but from what I've seen the RPRA is just another ball and chain, a drain on the fancier's pocket, with little benefit.
I'd dump it and let the sport run itself. It can, trust me.

That is a very good point Murray. The sport here is dictated to by the RPRA. There does have to be some governing body to implement rules though. There will always be those looking to break rules or cheat because of money. This year I have had strays in with no form of ownership identification. I have reported pigeons through the RPRA and had no reply from the owners. One pigeon when putting the ring number into the system it gave me the owners loft number but then this number wasn’t recognised. Pigeons are being raced every week against the rules.

So maybe the Aussie method is simpler and better.
Every life ring simply has the club identification, the ring number and year, and the phone number of the club.
When you get a stray you call the ring secretary and report it. They have a register of who owns that that pigeon and tells them there is a stray reported , they need to sort it out.
If no one responds, you call that club back and they use the numbers to give the bloke another call.
It seems to work.

This type of ring is not allowed here in Europe. It doesn't meet the FCI standards because it hasn't got a metal core. This type of ring was only ever used in Belgium for just one year.

Andy wrote: Sun Sep 28, 2025 8:36 am

Murray wrote: Sun Sep 28, 2025 4:47 am One reason the sport is in a good place here is, there is no over arching body, an equivalent of the RPRA. There are several State and National bodies, formed and run by fanciers to have a forum to discuss the best interest of the sport. But none of them have the power to enforce rules or levy fees.
Every club and Fed and combine is free to do what they see is best for them. There is usually good communication and co operation between organisations, but the biggest is no more powerful than the smallest.
It's sort of the Aussie mentality. If there's no need for a governing body, why go to the expense and effort if we are going to ignore it anyway?
I don't know the full story, obviously, but from what I've seen the RPRA is just another ball and chain, a drain on the fancier's pocket, with little benefit.
I'd dump it and let the sport run itself. It can, trust me.

That is a very good point Murray. The sport here is dictated to by the RPRA. There does have to be some governing body to implement rules though. There will always be those looking to break rules or cheat because of money. This year I have had strays in with no form of ownership identification. I have reported pigeons through the RPRA and had no reply from the owners. One pigeon when putting the ring number into the system it gave me the owners loft number but then this number wasn’t recognised. Pigeons are being raced every week against the rules.

What authority does the ANRPB have? According to the FCI website, Australia are members

Andy wrote: Sun Sep 28, 2025 8:33 pm

Murray wrote: Sun Sep 28, 2025 10:48 am

Andy wrote: Sun Sep 28, 2025 8:36 am

That is a very good point Murray. The sport here is dictated to by the RPRA. There does have to be some governing body to implement rules though. There will always be those looking to break rules or cheat because of money. This year I have had strays in with no form of ownership identification. I have reported pigeons through the RPRA and had no reply from the owners. One pigeon when putting the ring number into the system it gave me the owners loft number but then this number wasn’t recognised. Pigeons are being raced every week against the rules.

Why does there need to be a governing body?
It's pigeon racing. All you need is two blokes and two pigeons.
What do you need to start a new pigeon club? Two fanciers and a resentment.

RPRA rules at present say that you need a minimum of 8 “eight” competing members to start a club. The RPRA also has the power to dissolve any club where membership falls below 4 “four” competing members.

Andy you are right when you say that you need a minimum of 8 “eight” competing members to start a club. But the RPRA CANNOT dissolve any club