Mark Gilbert is a top flier and you can’t knock him. But he sends a very big team to most races, more than most have in their entire loft. He is also in an ideal position especially from the internationals. We get predominantly SW winds during the summer which take them over to his side of the country. Also in internationals where a lot of pigeons are from NE France, Holland and Belgium the drag go towards the east of our country and the channel is only 30 miles wide to cross over from France to SE of the country.killer wrote: ↑Sat May 07, 2022 5:32 pm Murray , best National flyers ,are Mark Gilbert ,he tosses on what I’ve been talon his YBS ,he as now branched out into racing sprinters ,he as 2 Sons of Kittle & his doing a lot of damage ,all because some smart arse=,knocked his distance birds in the short races ,from which he was using as training tosses ,I believe the Coopers toss there distance YBS as mark & them work together !
BICC Guernsey
Back just enjoying club racing for the time being.
It was a strange race. The birds went up at 9.15am in a NW wind. 221 members sent 2683 in open and 40 members sent 411 in section. I think there must have been a bit more West through the channel. All but one of the first 50 birds were over the East of the country with the vast majority around the Portsmouth area. The one that was further west was on the coast at Poole. The birds over the East were first drop as that is obviously where the majority went and they also fly further. 120 miles compared to my 107 miles. Mine if going over that way would then have another 80 miles of dog legging to fly.
We had the first one at 12.42 and are preliminary 29th section 198th open. This one was the blue hen from Potter who was second bird last week. The second bird at 13.24 was actually a stray. This pigeon was brought into the shop by a customer last year having been picked up in their porch. She had bad canker and although I should have got rid of her I kept her in a basket until she was better. About 3 weeks I think. I then threw her up thinking she would go having not been in my loft. But after a couple of days roughing it she came in and has been here ever since. She looked well so I decided to put her in this race. She has had no training. Third bird at 15.35 was the hen I got from Elgin 400 miles last year on the north. Fourth bird was a red 2 year old hen that wasn’t raced last year as she turned up last spring having been out all winter after getting lost from the young bird race in 2020. I left her to moult through last year. Our fifth and last bird back before I went up to the club, clocked at 15.50 was the blue cock from Potter that was first bird last week. I had 2 more while up the club. A gay pied from Trev having his first race and the hen that was our first bird from the first young bird race last year. So that’s 7/16 at present. I wasn’t far behind the Coopers or John Halstead and beat Clive and Gill Rogers, all good international fliers. I don’t expect to do much in these shorter races.
I think with these short races where the wind and drag play a big part are harder for the birds than the longer races where they have longer to sort themselves out before even hitting the French coast. Then they have a better chance of coming on a straighter line.
I’m happy with those that have returned today and hopefully a few more will over the next couple of days.
Back just enjoying club racing for the time being.
Andy I understand what your say about Nat racing ,we have 3 here one is out West ,birds must break very early for us to do ok ,if birds are not educated as YB ,they become followers ,any race birds must come straight at you ,if you wish to become competitive
Full agreement here, killer.
Breaking for home must be taught, or they become followers.
Follow the mob until it breaks up, then back track home.
I had pigeons like that years ago. Then I got sick of it.
Greetings from the land down under. 
Blessed is he who expecteth nothing, for verily, he shall not be disappointed.
Blessed is he who expecteth nothing, for verily, he shall not be disappointed.
I do agree with you both and unfortunately due to time constraints (and my waining lack of energy and enthusiasm) that is the trouble I have. Our federation predominantly races along the South Coast with just over half of the clubs on the coast (Littlehampton, Shoreham and Brighton) and two clubs further inland (Horsham & Reigate) My loft is slightly further to the North than the majority of our club members so unless my birds break from the pack early they have to fly dead time to come up off the coast to my loft. Now of course the wind will play a part and in a South Easterly wind I will stand more chance of getting an early bird. Now what you do see in our federation is that quite often the members in Reigate and Horsham will clock their birds at the same time as the clubs on the coast so those birds must have split almost at the liberation site.
I have never worried too much about training old birds but did always train my youngsters quite hard but this is something I haven't done so much since coming back into to the sport, I will have to try to remedy that this season.
I have one more back this morning so far. A 2 year old cock having his first race. He went missing for a couple of weeks from the bad trainer I had last season so never got raced. He was on the clock at 7.53am.
Back just enjoying club racing for the time being.
The trouble is that as somewhere in the channel would be the breaking point I can’t train them to break. I could take them down to the coast, Weymouth 30 miles to me, would be the ideal line, but unless they have already broken in the channel they are unlikely to come ashore there. They could already be 50+ miles either side of that. That why I say that these short races aren’t much use rather than a bit of experience. The birds yesterday and last week would have left Guernsey and been straight over the channel with their line of flight almost already determined. That’s why I say it is better when we get to 300+ miles where they have 200 miles of French countryside to split into smaller batches and get themselves more on a good line before hitting the channel. Of course also a lot of other things in the channel can determine their route. A band of fog that they may have to go round, a strong cross wind, a headwind that keeps them just above the water having to avoid waves etc.
Back just enjoying club racing for the time being.