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Re: Racing around the world.
Posted: Sat Aug 02, 2025 2:17 pm
by king
I don't know of anywhere in the World where OLR's is taking over from club racing. America was I think the first place that OLR's became popular. They have been holding them for well over 30 years. I don't ever expect they will ever be a threat to 'proper' racing in the UK or Europe.
They are successful only a few countries. The UK & Tenerife are two places where they have never been successful. When you study the vast majority of these races, even the 'good' ones, the losses from the initial entry to the final entry are stark. And while some enjoy them they don't really promote the sport of Pigeon Racing at all.
Re: Racing around the world.
Posted: Sat Aug 02, 2025 5:00 pm
by king
Devo1956 wrote: Sat Aug 02, 2025 3:23 pm
king wrote: Sat Aug 02, 2025 2:17 pm
I don't know of anywhere in the World where OLR's is taking over from club racing. America was I think the first place that OLR's became popular. They have been holding them for well over 30 years. I don't ever expect they will ever be a threat to 'proper' racing in the UK or Europe.
They are successful only a few countries. The UK & Tenerife are two places where they have never been successful. When you study the vast majority of these races, even the 'good' ones, the losses from the initial entry to the final entry are stark. And while some enjoy them they don't really promote the sport of Pigeon Racing at all.
King, i hope racing pigeon clubs carry on giving the energy to the sport. I agree it is still very strong in Europe, but more and more flyers want to test their birds in OLR. To race against some of the best flyers in the world. OLR gives them the platform to do this.
Have you any proof more and more flyers want to test their birds in OLR? I still don't know anybody local to me who has entered one? And when you enter a OLR you are NOT flying against the best fanciers in the World. You are flying against BIRDS entered by them. That's something totally different. If you enter a club race and a member enters a bird bred by Mark Gilbert, are you racing against your club mate or Mark Gilbert?
If fanciers enjoy sending to them that's fine, but don't pretend you are racing against lots of fanciers, when in reality you are racing against a team of pigeons from here, there and everywhere, by some loft manager you have probably never heard of.
Re: Racing around the world.
Posted: Sat Aug 02, 2025 5:40 pm
by king
Devo1956 wrote: Sat Aug 02, 2025 5:35 pm
king wrote: Sat Aug 02, 2025 5:00 pm
Devo1956 wrote: Sat Aug 02, 2025 3:23 pm
King, i hope racing pigeon clubs carry on giving the energy to the sport. I agree it is still very strong in Europe, but more and more flyers want to test their birds in OLR. To race against some of the best flyers in the world. OLR gives them the platform to do this.
Have you any proof more and more flyers want to test their birds in OLR? I still don't know anybody local to me who has entered one? And when you enter a OLR you are NOT flying against the best fanciers in the World. You are flying against BIRDS entered by them. That's something totally different. If you enter a club race and a member enters a bird bred by Mark Gilbert, are you racing against your club mate or Mark Gilbert?
If fanciers enjoy sending to them that's fine, but don't pretend you are racing against lots of fanciers, when in reality you are racing against a team of pigeons from here, there and everywhere, by some loft manager you have probably never heard of.
king you raise some good points, top flyers from all over the world take part in OLR. Not just birds from them, but the flyers themselves. Here is just some of the top flyers that enter OLR
https://oneloftrace.live/lofts/73/fligh ... cgAylnPosA
Top fanciers do enter birds, but how do the top fanciers actually take part themselves?
Re: Racing around the world.
Posted: Sat Aug 02, 2025 6:32 pm
by king
Devo1956 wrote: Sat Aug 02, 2025 5:57 pm
king wrote: Sat Aug 02, 2025 5:40 pm
Top fanciers do enter birds, but how do the top fanciers actually take part themselves?
Well King, that comes down to the breeding side. Then after rearing the youngsters, they then choose the best OLR they feel their youngsters will do well in. This is the same for ourselves that can not keep birds at home, due to health problems. So it does give us a chance to race against the best. but i do understand your views.
I think your grasping at straws now mate. They enter the birds full stop. They take no further part. They cross their fingers and hope the guy looking after them knows what he is doing. Many top fanciers enter huge teams to increase their chances. If they thought the birds were that good they would only need to enter a few. We both know it's a expensive lottery. The majority of all these well bred birds from top fanciers get lost before the final race. The winner of a OLR is happy with the cash. All the 1000s of birds lost in the weeks before are just collateral damage, and having a fancy pedigree doesn't mean anything when they become strays
Re: Racing around the world.
Posted: Sat Aug 02, 2025 7:11 pm
by goose1
I'd sooner buy a lottery ticket than enter a one loft 'race' and I use the word 'race' in the loosest possibly term as they aren't races their just homing events (and in most cases terrible ones at that). I can't stand the things there not pigeon racing and are built on what has been the ruination of this sport...money.
Re: Re: Racing around the world.
Posted: Sat Aug 02, 2025 7:16 pm
by jack walker
pride of the potteries sent 586 birds 77 miles today less than half back
Re: Racing around the world.
Posted: Sat Aug 02, 2025 7:53 pm
by goose1
Devo1956 wrote: Sat Aug 02, 2025 7:16 pm
goose1 wrote: Sat Aug 02, 2025 7:11 pm
I'd sooner buy a lottery ticket than enter a one loft 'race' and I use the word 'race' in the loosest possibly term as they aren't races their just homing events (and in most cases terrible ones at that). I can't stand the things there not pigeon racing and are built on what has been the ruination of this sport...money.
To be honest many people feel this way, but that is their veiw and they have the rights to do so. But then again there are others that enjoy taking part in OLR.
If there are folk who enjoy them then that's great and I wish them all the best. Won't stop me airing my views on them
Re: Racing around the world.
Posted: Sun Aug 03, 2025 7:07 am
by Anthony webster
The only one I like is Africa pro
Loads of videos
Liberation, birds arriving
And only one where u see teams of 100 plus arriving min after min they get a great percentage to the final and every race is life streamed around the world with camera action on route ,,
Few others look good like Victoria falls but my opinion Africa pro is the one for me if I was going to one loft race the birds are looked after n really worked hard to get them ready for the races ,,the ones in uk don't interest me one bit.
Re: Re: Racing around the world.
Posted: Wed Aug 06, 2025 6:57 am
by Anthony webster
What I see different in south Africa and thialand is the room and work force there u see 200,300 ft long lofts and a work force to manage the birds here in uk u see 80,100 ft loft 2 workers trying to manage 1500,2000 birds I can't see how this can be done at a professional level to get the best racing for the owners ,imagine a race horse yard with 1 trainer and 1 yard hand to get a team of horses ready to compete it would not happen unless they had just 3,4 top horses not 20 or 30 horses.