Vanavond loopt de veiling met late jongen van Combinatie Bruggeman. Er staat vermeld 'met excellente' afstamming. Hoe kan dat beter bevestigd worden dan zojuist ontvangen bericht:
Laatste nieuws 1e Provinciaal Limoges voor Stefan Leloux met de Sharon 05-0507526, aankomst op 01.30 uur midden in de nacht dus. De Sharon is de oma van koop 1, 2 en 3!!! Een halfzusje van koop 3 vliegt dit jaar als jaarling een 12e provinciaal Dax. Deze jaarling komt uit de 07-1883395 dochter 1e Nat. Montauban x 1e Prov. Limoges. Stefan Leloux speelt vermoedelijk 1, 2 en 3 provinciaal Limoges met aankomsten op 01.30 uur, 02.50 uur en 06.37 uur. Bij de eerste 19 meldingen in het NIC Goes zitten 10 duiven van Stefan Leloux (19 duiven mee).
Wilt u een bod of kooporder uitbrengen, maar registreren of inloggen lukt u niet? Stuur dan een email naar support@pigeonplaza.nl of bel naar onderstaand nummer.
Pheroz Kharegat discovers that 'kabutar-baazi,' once a leisurely hobby of the 'Nawabs,' is still being patronised by those who love its traditional charm but are also reinventing it with technology.
Pigeon racing (kabutar bazi) did not end with the era of Maharajas and Nawabs and in keeping with the times has become a technologically advanced sport.
Of the old veterans there are still a sizable number, mainly in old Delhi, Agra, Lucknow, Hyderabad and other citadels of the Mughal era. For example Allauddin Mian ( name changed to protect identity) a prosperous mithai shop owner in Chandni Chowk is a classic example of the old traditions. Kabooter bazi was a sport of Nawabs, says Allaudin and adds, Not many people are doing it the old way anymore.
Before independence, pigeon handling was the pastime of gentlemen. For men like Allaudin, a khalifa- or master - of the pigeon world, it still is. While there are thousands of pigeon handlers in old Delhi, there are only a few dozen khalifas, men who trained under earlier masters and for whom pigeon handling is a serious craft. To them, overt competition is crass. Allaudin has a veritable pigeon empire, with perhaps a dozen coops scattered across the neighborhood. He has breeding coops and coops for sick birds. He has coops full of pigeons from India, Afghanistan, Iran and places he cant even name. He has workers to help care for them.
On the other side of the spectrum, we have Dr Noel Kannan of Kottivakkam, Tamilnadu, who has returned after a stint as a dental surgeon in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, and boasts of a whopping 50 birds in his loft. In 1992, Dr Kannan took time off from his practice and travelled across Europe. He went from country to country to pick the brains of famous pigeon breeders and in Belgium bought five pairs of the famous Silvere Toye racing pigeons worth Rs 1 lakh a pair and today he has dozens of these in his lofts.
Today most of our metros have associations of racing pigeon enthusiasts and Chennai has the maximum number. There are now 300 to 500 pigeon handlers/racers at least five racing pigeon clubs in Chennai. An All India Racing Pigeons Federation has been formed to coordinate the activities of all the Indian pigeon clubs.
Next comes Kolkata with its Kolkata Racing Pigeons Club which is the oldest in India. The third place goes to Bangalore where there are around 150 professional pigeon racers. The Coimbatore Racing Pigeon Association came into being last September and is already three races old.
Pigeon racing is more of an endurance test. It involves transporting the birds from their lofts across the intended course of the race and then releasing them to see which one finds its way back to homestead the fastest. Before being released for the flight, each of the racing pigeons are tagged with a ring around their legs containing details of name, gender, age, address of the loft, and a certain identification number.
The pigeon-racing season in India runs from January to April, before the acute summer heat sets in. Pigeon owners set out in vans or on trains, carrying medical certificates and police clearances and forestry permits, and their birds in flat steel cages..
Pigeons of a good bloodline can fly a 600-mile race in a day. If a racing bird is released at six am from Allahabad, it reaches its home in Kolkata by evening. So you can imagine the speed ( nearly 50 miles an hour) at which they fly with their sense of direction Once the pigeons return, observers on the rooftops match their colour, sex, number and identification band tied to their feet with the registration details to confirm the authenticity of the pigeons ownership.
The pigeon, that clocks the fastest time to enter its own loft is declared the winner and its owner is presented with a trophy and a certificate. As the winning bird has to reach its loft first, some trainers fly female pigeons who are taking care of their young. The mothers desperate to return home, fly with increased effort. This is an exercise that may rankle animal lovers who have no stakes in pigeon racing but it goes on still. Some handlers separate males and females from their mates the day before, giving them an incentive to fly faster to be united with their loved ones.
As the age of the bird also impacts its speed, races fall under two categories divided between old birds and new birds.
There is also an open category in which birds of all ages can compete. To take care of a loft of 100 birds, one has to spend around Rs 2,000 every month, on feeding, providing medicinal help, vitamins and minerals, says Thamburaj, a pigeon breeder from Chennai His pigeons are fed mostly with mixtures of corn, ragi, maize and peas.
It is estimated that out of 100 birds released from a 100 km away, a bird racer could lose as many as 40; as on an average, only one in 10 returns. The main danger to the racing pigeon comes from predators like eagles/vultures/falcons and international pigeon racing associations are trying to find out a solution.
Today the greatest problem faced by pigeon race enthusiasts are the cell phone towers that have sprouted all over India, especially in metros. Experts believe that pigeons develop a keen sense of direction by following the position of the sun, stars and even the path of the earths magnetic field that draws or pulls them home from over hundreds of miles. With the radio signals of the the cell phone towers , all the pigeons go off track and many are lost.
JANESVILLE Some play golf. Some plant potatoes. Some collect old tractors. And then theres Chuck Stensrud of rural Janesville. He flies racing pigeons.
Stensrud and his special birds literally travel middle America for special pigeon racing events. After the birds are liberated, Stensrud drives back to Janesville. His racing pigeons, however, fly home and usually get there before he does.
Rare birds? Not really. The racing homer was developed in Europe in the 1800s. It is a blend of five different breeds of domestic pigeons. Originally they were bred to carry messages and were used by the military as recently as World War II.
Competitive sport
Today they are raced for pleasure. Stensrud belongs to a club called Gopher State Racers. Two national organizations of Racing Pigeon clubs exist in the United States. The organization that Gopher State Racers is a part of consists of about 700 clubs. Clubs are organized along geographic boundaries the intent for club members to live in proximity to each other so there is less racing advantage due to distance or prevailing winds within a club.
This unusual hobby is indeed a competitive sport. We fly in competition within our club plus there are two other clubs in our combine which we also compete against. We compete with other clubs at the state level and at the Midwest level, Stensrud said. He said there are probably a dozen racing pigeon clubs in Minnesota.
On a quiet Saturday afternoon this spring, he, his pickup and three baskets, each with eight to 12 birds, were parked along a country road near St. Clair. This is the first time out this year for my birds so this is just a warm-up flight, Stensrud said. Were only about eight to 10 miles from my house.
Baby birds must be settled to their loft upon leaving the nest. The first thing they have to learn is how to get back into the loft. As they get stronger, they make their maiden flight around the yard and back to the loft. With each passing day, they fly farther until pretty soon they are traveling for up to an hour at a time and will venture several miles into the countryside.
Homing instinct
Their homing instinct brings them to within 12 to 15 miles of the loft, but from there on they must know the area. Almost everyone breeds and raises their own birds, and each bird has an imprint of its home loft.
They always try to come back to the loft, Stensrud said. I had a bird that I had sold eight years previously that got loose from its owner and came back to my loft. That was only about 40 miles.
Stensrud said he has birds that have flown 500 miles on a single race day. A race is from a given liberation point to the birds home loft. The race winner is determined by speed, essentially yards per minute.
We know the longitude and latitude of the release point, and the same information for the home loft. We compute the distance down to one-tenth of a yard. We know the release time, the arrival time at home loft, so we compute the elapsed time. From that we figure the speed in yards per minute and the fastest bird wins.
An electronic chip fastened to a pigeons leg registers the arrival time of each racing pigeon back in its home loft. Racing pigeons average about 35 miles an hour, but they have been clocked as high as 75 and 80 mph. Ive had pigeons released in Rapid City, S.D., at 6:30 in the morning and they were home at 4:30 that afternoon, Stensrud said.
What is this homing instinct of the carrier pigeon? Scientists have experimented with the birds and theorize they can sense the earths magnetic fields. They home better on sunny days, but sunspots have an adverse effect upon returns.
Old birds, young birds
There are two seasons each year: Old Birds and Young Birds. The old bird season is for birds hatched in previous years, their races held during May and June. Young birds are those hatched during the current year, and their races are held in August and September. With younger birds, only a couple are released and they are taken shorter distances from the home loft.
During spring training for his birds, each time Stensrud takes a bird out he doubles the distance. On this day it was only about 10 miles back to the loft, but the first race of the 2010 season is 100 miles. Birds, just like marathon runners, need to be in shape.
How did Stensrud get into this unique hobby?
I first read about it as a boy when racing pigeons were used as carrier pigeons for relaying messages, he said. So I caught some barn pigeons and made pets out of them. After high school I bought some homing pigeons. I flew my first race in 1970 and Ive been racing ever since.
He doesnt know precise flight patterns of his birds but estimates theyre flying at 300 to 400 feet. That depends, however, upon winds on any given day. When the birds are flying into a headwind, they will fly low to the ground, sometimes so low that they have to go up and over fence lines. He doesnt sell breeding stock, but he does raise a few baby pigeons as gifts to folks who want to get into the sport.
He mixes his own feed, with different rations for different times of the year. Corn, wheat, millet, milo, safflower, sunflower seeds and a couple of different kinds of peas are part of the formula.
Its the only hobby Ive ever had, and it truly is a great sport. In Europe, especially Holland and Belgium, racing pigeons is as popular as baseball is in the United States. Yep, give it a try and it grows on you.
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Scientists have marveled at it. Military spies have taken advantage of it to send secret messages without figuring out exactly why it works.
It's a question to which, even after more than 50 years of working with pigeons, Dick Ausma and his wife Rockly remain unable to offer a definitive explanation.
Exactly how are homing pigeons able to uncannily return to their nests?
No road maps, no access to global positioning satellite data, no back-seat drivers offering advice. The female birds won't even stop to ask for directions. Yet somehow, the birds zero in on the correct direction in which their home loft lies and steadily flap their wings back to the roost.
Drop them off in the flatlands of Alberta or the hills of Northern California and 10 to 12 hours later, the pigeons begin arriving at the Ausma home on the northern edge of Cloverdale.
"We love to see them come home," Dick says. "Sometimes they come in high and sometimes they're low. They can come in from any direction and we usually sit in the gazebo and watch them come."
The best science can come up with to explain the phenomenon is that the birds are somehow able to tap into the earth's magnetic poles to help locate the correct direction to their home nests. Or maybe it's the location of the sun in the sky. Or the moon. Or the way the earth tilts on its axis.
The only thing scientists know for sure is they don't know for sure.
The Ausmas are certain of one thing though - the homing instincts of the pigeons are incredibly fragile and can be thrown off by a number of factors which result in the birds veering 100 kilometres off course.
Thunderstorms, fog, earthquakes, high power electrical lines, cellular phones and solar activity all affect how a pigeon flies. The appearance of a hawk or other predator will also result in a change to the pigeons' flight path.
Pigeon racers try to send the birds out when conditions are ideal but some things cannot be accounted for in advance.
"With earthquakes, birds and animals know it's coming before it happens," Dick says. "It's the same with birds - they know it's coming and they're out of the neighbourhood before it strikes. There was an earthquake around Olympia (Wash.) six weeks ago and we had a bad race come in.
"That was before the earthquake struck. The birds had a tough time coming home. I guess they were trying to get around it."
The pigeon racing bug first bit Dick Ausma when he was growing up in Holland.
Homing pigeons were illegal in Holland when the Germans occupied that country during World War II but afterwards, the popularity of the sport soared. Ausma, now 69, first became involved in pigeons when he was 14 and as he grew older, his interest grew.
He met Rockly through pigeon racing and after coming to Canada in 1952, he continued to raise and race the birds.
The hobby has changed over the years. Where once the pigeon racer would wait and catch each bird and manually remove its band to record its arrival in a special clock, things are much easier today. Now computer chips in the bands and scanners at the entry to the loft allow the bird fanciers to record electronically the exact moment each pigeon arrives home.
While technology has helped pinpoint the race times, breeding and training a champion bird remains a somewhat inexact science.
"Handling has a lot to do with it, training has a lot to do with it and so does how much of a fanatic you are with it," Dick says. "I'm not as much of a fanatic anymore as I used to be. I would go out training every morning. I know one guy who spent $600 in gas in one month just taking his birds out for training."
The Ausmas are members of the Surrey Racing Pigeon Club, a group of 24 local enthusiasts.
The club began as the New Westminster Racing Pigeon Club, but the sport began to wane in that city during the 1960s. Soon most of its members were living in Surrey prompting the name change.
The Ausmas say the number of pigeon racers in B.C. has been on a steady decline in recent years but there remains a solid core of enthusiasts in the Fraser Valley.
"There used to be a Vancouver racing pigeon club and there used to be a Westminster racing pigeon club but they're gone now," Dick says. "There's nothing left in the city, there's none left in Vancouver due to the building codes and whatever. It's the same in New West.
"Surrey is pretty good because the bylaws are quite favourable to us. We've had to do some fighting for it over the years to get it."
Racing pigeons are divided into three classes - short distance, middle distance and long distance - with annual races split into a season for older birds in the spring and early summer followed by a season for younger birds winding up in late August.
The pigeon racing clubs in the Fraser Valley send their birds as far afield as Fort St. John or Edmonton to the north, Medicine Hat to the east or Weed, California in the south. The Surrey club races almost exclusively from southern locales which means the birds have to be regularly inspected by U.S. agriculture officials.
Regardless of the start point, the distance has to suit the birds for a breeder to be successful.
"A long distance pigeon in a short race will usually finish 10 minutes behind," Dick says. "He's got a slower wing beat than the short distance pigeon that works really hard. He doesn't use as much energy on a short flight but he's slower.
"The fastest speeds we usually get is around 1,900 metres per minute. Last week we had pigeons fly from Everett (Wash.) and their average speed was 1,370 metres per minute. The average working speed is just over 1,200 metres per minute."
While the Ausmas insist their commitment to the sport is not as intense as it once was, they remain dedicated to raising and racing their birds.
The Ausma home now features three separate pigeon lofts as well as facilities to house a wide range of other exotic bird species. Currently there are more than 200 racing pigeons in the lofts.
"It's our hobby and we run the pigeons, the pigeons don't run us," Rockly says with a laugh. "With some people though, the pigeons run them."
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Racing Pigeon News
MAN BARTERS 2009-MODEL CAR WITH 2 PIGEONS
Mr Halil Kabakçıoğlu, a pigeon lover, bartered his 2009-model Ford Focus with two pigeons at an auction at Pigeon Lovers Association in Nilüfer town of Bursa, western Turkey .
Have a pigeon related article? Send it to our article archives for others to see! Send us your article to Racing Pigen Newsletter now! newsletter@racingpigeonforum.com
This is why we do it..... happy customers!!! Dear Jan, Last week we received the birds from the last shipment. We just wanted to let you know how happy we are with the beautiful birds we got from you. Your service is second to none and we will have no hesitation in recommending you and Europigeons to everyone looking for quality birds and fantastic service. And as an added bonus we feel we have made a good friend in yourself. Warmest Regards, John and Lynn Duffy USA
Pigeon Scout 24 Simply fill in the Pigeon Scout 24 form, and we start looking for you also.... Click here>>>
Comming soon... Today a batch 100% pure Gaby Vandenabeele birds (10) came in... Birds from the very best only... Bred by Adri Stroo and Andre vd Beukel... Some with results... If you are interested just send an email to sales@europigeons.nl with your wishes. We will make you an offer you cannot refuse...
Good news for Fanciers in the United States This morning all birds for the United States have left our lofts in good order. Through this way we would like to thank all buyers for their trust again. Lets hope some champion breeders are amongst them. A special thanks to Bert Oostlander (www.globalpigeon.com) who makes it possible to export birds for us.. Bert you are doing a great job, thanks a million If you have any question about us or the birds we sell call our official partner in the U.S. John Froelich at 216-970-5242 (cell) / 440-614-0210 (office) or send an email to john@pigeontv.com
Pigeon Scout 24 Simply fill in the Pigeon Scout 24 form, and we start looking for you also.... Click here>>>
Comming soon... Today a batch 100% pure Gaby Vandenabeele birds (10) came in... Birds from the very best only... Bred by Adri Stroo and Andre vd Beukel... Some with results... If you are interested just send an email to sales@europigeons.nl with your wishes. We will make you an offer you cannot refuse...
Door het succes vorige jaren organiseren de duiven maatschappijen van Groot-Temse in samen werking met het gemeentebestuur Temse, opnieuw een PROMO JEUGDDAG en DUIVENMARKTop 24 OKTOBER 2010 Dit initiatief kan steeds een mooi bezoekers aantal verwelkomen
Onze grootste nood jeugdleden en starters in de duivensport kunnen bereiken en informeren. Hiervoor komen wij bij U aankloppen om dit initiatief mee een hart onder de riem te steken. Daarom zouden we willen vragen zoals andere jaren of het mogelijk is een vermelding van deze activiteit op de site of tijdschrift te willen plaatsen.
Op deze dag willen we tevens de aanwezige jeugd iets extra aanbieden van kampioenen in de sport als ruggesteuntje en sponsorpakket ter promotie voor onze geliefde hobby, extra info, enz. Extra info steeds te vinden op de site http://www.everyoneweb.com/duivenmarkt/
Als tegenprestatie plaatsen wij Uw reclame of banner en link op onze site, ons programma boekje dat twee maal per jaar verschijnt, uw reclame in de zaal op onze twee manifestaties
DUIVENMARKT .& DE DAG VAN DE DUIF
De organisatie doet tevens zijn best zoals vorige jaren deze PROMO JEUGDDAG en duivenmarkt voldoende bekendheid te geven door het aanschrijven van vele liefhebbers, jeugdclubs, vermeldingen op uitslagen, website enz.
Extra info in bijlage evenals strooifolder, eventueel vragen, schenkingen en voor initiatieven kan je steeds terecht bij de onderstaande personen
Daarom geloven wij als organisatie erin dat U ons initiatief wil steunen zodat deze dag kan slagen in zijn opzet, danken we jullie bij voorbat en hopen U te mogen verwelkomen.
Met vriendelijke groeten van de organiserende maatschappijen en gemeentebestuur
Luc Bafort Jean De Rijck Karel DHondt Mark Verbruggen Andre verbeke Hemelaer Romain
De Veldduif De Postduif Elk zijn Recht De Reisduif Ons genoegen p.r. 037710329
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- Gemiddelde waardering: 0/5 - (0 Stemmen) Tags:The Vancouver Poultry & Fancy Pigeon Association
Daily Episode September 08 - 2010
Europigeons.nl - Quality is a choice!!!!
Dear sport friends, Did you know that we can help you find any bird?
"Just to put on record Europigeons do not only sell fixed priced pigeons, but also have assisted me in finding the pigeons I sought and provided introductions to the top Dutch fanciers who had bred and raced the birds I acquired through them. This has been an invaluable service, unsurpassed by your competitors, and for that I thank you. Jan, his wife Linda and his team at Europigeons would feature at the top of my list if I was asked to recommend a source of top bloodlines at reasonable prices. Keep it up and have a great year! Jan I am sure you dont have to worry about the future, sooner or later they will all contact you!!!" Adrian Carr, United Kingdom
Pigeon Scout 24 Simpply fill in the Pigeon Scout 24 form, and we start looking for you also.... Click here>>>
Met enige vertraging ontvangt u hierbij weer de wekelijkse nieuwsbrief van Duivensites.nl.
Afgelopen weekend was voor al diegenen die de duiven top hadden een mooi weekend. Wind op kop maakt altijd het verschil tussen top en geen top beduidend groter dan met wind mee. Helaas is de wind wind gedraaid en verwachten we komend weekend een ZW wind. Maar ook dat kunnen mooie vluchten zijn.
Het seizoen loopt voor velen ten einde en de voorbereidingen op rui, seizoensanalyse en selectie zijn her en der al aangevangen. Wij hopen zelf nog twee vluchten mee te doen en dan is het seizoen voor iedereen, uitgezonderd de taartvliegers, afgelopen.
Ik wens iedereen veel leesplezier met de bijdrages op de site.
8-9-2010- Willem Mulder Het loodzware seizoen was voor het hok van Piet de Vogel één van de meest succesvolle uit zijn loopbaan! Zijn nog jonge vliegploeg bestaande uit 30 overjarige duiven... lees meer >>
8-9-2010- Jaco van Nieuwamerongen Het laatste artikeltje van mijn hand (hoofd is beter, maar het gezegde is nu eenmaal anders) is halverwege het fondseizoen gemaakt en we hadden net de 26e nationaal Bordeaux ZLU gewonnen (1e prijs in de Fondunie 2000). lees meer >>
7-9-2010 Twee nieuwe fondveilingen online, het betreft vier duiven rechtstreeks Ludo Verstraeten (Echt) en vier laatjes hoofdzakelijk Batenburg van origine. lees meer >>
6-9-2010- Heimen Huisman Het is traditie bij Stichting Marathon Noord dat na het actieve seizoen als de eindstanden voor de kampioenschappen zijn opgemaakt de top 3 van kampioenen wordt bezocht en gehuldigd. Tot 2002 waren dit uitsluitend de kampioenen... lees meer >>
5-9-2010- Rob van Hove Wie heeft er verstand van duivenzaken? Ja, ik weet wel iemand: Nico van Veen bv. Deze duivencoach heeft me vorige week een zeer uitgebreide e-mail gestuurd met een overzicht aan adviespunten om voordelig en goed voorbereid terug te keren in de duivensport. lees meer >>
5-9-2010- Johan Hamstra Eindelijk, na vele dagen/weken van regen, regen en nog eens regen werd het dan toch eindelijk beter. Dit betekende voor mij persoonlijk dat ik een aanvang ben gaan maken voor wat het africhten van de jongen betreft. Dadelijk zal U in het verslag meer lezen over dit gebeuren!!! lees meer >>
3-9-2010- Gert Jan Beute Het seizoen zit er bijna op, nog enkele natourvluchtjes en misschien nog wat taartvluchten maar dan is het echt over en uit. Aan de ene kant ben ik het ook helemaal zat, ik ben moe, doodmoe. Maar aan de andere zijde vind ik de natour zo mooi dat ik me nog èèn keer wil opladen. lees meer >>
2-9-2010- Peter Boskamp In de afgelopen maand ontving ik een brochure van een initiatiefgroep gevormd door meerdere maatschappelijke groeperingen waaronder de Koninklijke Maatschappij van Diergeneeskunde, de Gezondheidsdienst voor dieren, LTO Nederland en andere. lees meer >>
2-9-2010 Aflopende veilingen a.s. weekend: Rondje late jonge duiven M. van Ginkel (100% Piet de Vogel) en zeven zomerjongen uit kwekers Comb. Gijsberts/Veenendaal ras Sangers, Koopman, Heremans-Ceusters en Dirk van Dijck. lees meer >>
2-9-2010- Huub Willemsen Het in Noord-Brabant gelegen Venhorst is een agrarisch dorp in de gemeente Boekel met circa 1700 inwoners. Het dorp ligt vlakbij de drukke Midden-Peelweg. De postduivenverenigingen in deze regio zijn aangesloten bij de C.C. Uden met ruim 300 leden. lees meer >>
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It is with great sorrow that we announce the passing of George Nicolaas Van Vliet on September 4, 2010 at the age of 65 years. Predeceased by his parents Jacobus and Helena Van Vliet; brothers Pete, Fred, Nick, Neil and Joe. George will be greatly missed by his family; his wife of 44 years Dina; children Cliff (Cathy), Randall (Sandra), Crystal (Shane); grandchildren Jordan, Derek, Sarah, Rachel, Riley, Tyler, Emily and Elizabeth; brothers John, Jack, Tony and Paul and many nieces and nephews. Celebration of Life will be held at 2:30 pm, Friday, September 10, 2010 at Christian Life Assembly 21277 - 56 Ave, Langley, BC. In lieu of flowers donations to Heart and Stroke Foundation would be appreciated. Bakerview Crematorium & Funeral Services 604-820-8844 or 604-857-8860
Keith BiggsThe Vancouver Poultry & Fancy Pigeon Association
Laat het ons vooraf toch maar eens hebben over de afsluitende inkorving van donderdag ll. Het werd een meer dan gezellige avond, met een meer dan voortreffelijke maaltijd, waarvoor onze oprechte dank en welgemeende felicitaties voor Anneke en Roger Vannuffelen-Goukens. Anneke en Roger het was af! De quiz over het voorbije seizoen werd door de 40 aanwezigen gesmaakt, alhoewel het soms echt gokken was, maar dat is ook quiz. Wie onder ons weet nog welke fout er in ons programmaboekje stond? Zelfs onze Walter, die de blunder het eerst opgemerkt had in maart/april, wist het juiste antwoord niet meer! En dan die Aerts-en op Tarbes. Hadden ze nu onder hun beiden de 7 eersten of was het toch 3 duiven binnen de 10 of .? Marie-Josée wist het wel, maar de anderen??? Of de afsluiter voor het 4de jaar op rij, echt waar!!!! Hoeveel golfballetjes zijn er op de maan?? Gelach, gejammer, ge , maar zeker nog menige fout!! Het juiste antwoord verklappen we lekker (nu) niet meer wie weet volgend jaar!?
In elk geval was het vlugger middernacht (of bijna) dan verwacht. En de winnaar was Gerarda Boen en dit slechts mits de bijvraag (golfballetjes hé) juist beantwoord te hebben. De 2de plaats was voor Mevr. Jules Verellen maar die had de maanvraag fout! Theo en Gerarda Janssens-Boen mogen zich dus binnen 14 dagen aanbieden bij Raf en Lars en Mieke Luyckx om een jonge duif uit te kiezen en wie weet???
Waar het uiteindelijk allemaal om draaide was dus nog Guéret van zaterdag 4 september. 4de nationale vlucht voor de jonge duiven en we hadden deze keer echt de wind wel tegen. Toch werd er in de MFC gestreden op het scherp van de snee. 51 oude duiven en 187 jongen deden deze laatste fondvlucht alle eer aan. Met dit lokaal van 238 ingekorfde duiven haalden we net het record van 2008 niet. Toch mogen we best tevreden zijn want de laatste 20 jaar korfden we maar 1 keer méér duiven in. In 2008 dus.
De winst bij de 187 jonge duiven was voor Lucien Blockx (Vorst) en Lucien voegde er nog een prima 11de plaats aan toe en dit met 2de en 1ste get van 4 mee. Ook voor de tandem Staf en Angèle Vleugels-Wuyts van Geel-Stelen is het seizoen waarschijnlijk te vlug voorbij. Zij klokten immers 2-3(1ste get)-10 van 7 mee. Met op 3 een flink gestoffeerde 10/5 en op 10 een 2/2. Een prima afsluiter. Het podium is gekend, maar ere wie ere toekomt, de uitblinker over-all was toch wel hok Renders van Geel-St.-Dimpna. Ivo en Fokke kuisten (bijna) alles op en dit niet alleen bij de jongen! In deze categorie werd het 4(1ste get) en 50/20,goed voor een klein 500 euro, 9-12-18-20-21 en 9 op 10!! Zowaar grootste onderscheiding. Nog te weten dat bij die 6 kopduiven ook 2de en 3de get aanwezig waren en voor de series weet je het dan ook wel!! Ook hier denken we dat het seizoen te kort was. Nog opvallend bij de jongen het Molse tophok van Luc, Ronny en Robby Vermeerbergen-Van Reet op 5-7-13-14-15-17-19-24-25-27 en een meer dan behoorlijke 14 op 23. Bij hen waren de 2de-3de-4de get op het appel en financieel viel het dan ook zeker mee. Op 7 een 20/10, op 13 een 10/1 en heel wat series, en op 19 een dikke serie 2A met 3de en 4de get. Bij al dit geweld viel de prestatie van Raf en Lars Luyckx wat tegen en dit al voor de 2de week op rij weet je wel. Toch kwamen zij nog aan 6-8-29-31-33-35-37 en 8 op 14. De vetste sneppen waren echter weg, ook al omdat deze keer de getekenden het wel wat lieten afweten. Het waren blijkbaar alleen de hokken met de absolute form die het laken naar zich toe haalden want bij de 21 eerste prijzen stonden slechts 6!! Liefhebbers. Buiten de al genoemde 5 hokken kon alleen Charel Janssens van Eindhout zich (een beetje) staande houden op 16. Aan 50% of meer prijs vonden wij nog enkel Robert Wilms van Meerhout met 4 op 8 en Leo Peeters van Eindhout met 2 op 3
Duurtijd wedstrijd 1u 18
Bij de 51 oude duiven zijn we (heel) rap uitverteld. Hou je vast .1-2-3-4-9-16 Ivo en Fokke Renders, alstublieft!!! Gelukkig voor Raf en Lars Luyckx op 5-6-15 pakte hok Renders naast zn 1ste get zodat Ivo en Fokke toch nog een heel klein beetje over lieten qua centjes. De gewaarborgde 5/2 ging mee naar Leschot in Geel, Staf Scheverneels van Mol korfde 1 oude duif in en pakte die op 8, Jan Vanderauwera van Meerhout deed dit na op 14, Staf Verwerft van Geel-Elsum versierde met zn enig ingekorfde duif ook een prijs. Ooms-Deckx van Dessel pakte zelfs zijn beide oudjes in de prijzen.
Duurtijd ouden: een dikke 43
Voilà mensen, 2010 zit er gelukkig of spijtig genoeg- op. Wij hopen iedereen gezond en wel aan de start te zien zowat mei 2011. We wensen ieder van jullie een probleemloze rui, een fantastische kweek en een pak kampioentjes máár vooral een ijzersterke gezondheid toe en zeggen aan allen: Tot één van de volgende weken, maanden in ons lokaal, op een vergadering of gewoon zo maar op zondagvoormiddag (voor een gezellige babbel) maar we zien jullie zeker op ZATERDAG 27 NOVEMBER aanstaande op onze NACHT VAN DE MOLSE FONDCLUB!!
Wilt u een bod of kooporder uitbrengen, maar registreren of inloggen lukt u niet? Stuur dan een email naar support@pigeonplaza.nl of bel naar onderstaand nummer.
Dear sport friends, You search, we find Pigeon Scout 24!!! Are you looking for that one special bird or strain? We are here to help 24/7... Simply fill in the Pigeon Scout 24 form and we will put all data in our system. We will check our stock to see if we have any birds for you available, you must know that not all the birds we have are listed at our website. In fact only 10% of the birds we sell come online... The other 90% is offered and sold to our known clients!!! If the bird or strain you are looking for is not available now we will ask our scouts all across Europe to start searching for that special one that you are looking for... And remember... This all for a fair and payable price... As soon as we found something for you will be contacted by us directly!!! Let us find what you are looking for click here
Good news for fanciers in the United States The birds will leave this Thurdsday!!!
Vanavond laatste mogelijkheid om te bieden op een unieke veiling met 6 rechtstreekse Sonia van der Maelen duiven. Dit jaar werd door Sonia nog de 1e Nationaal Chateauroux gewonnen. Sterker nog, een zoon van deze duif is aanwezig in de verkoop!
Een veiling voor de liefhebber van duiven waar wit en goed samengaan!
Wilt u een bod of kooporder uitbrengen, maar registreren of inloggen lukt u niet? Stuur dan een email naar support@pigeonplaza.nl of bel naar onderstaand nummer.
nog even melden dat de laatste vlucht uit Gueret ook een succes is geweest. lokaal beginnen we met de 1ste prijs en provinciaal met de 5de en 12de en 8 van de 31 per 10-tal. Het was Nathalie die de eerste prijs wegkaapte. Het is een mooie blauwe duiver en 100% Op de beeck Baetens. Dit resultaat is zeker niet slecht en een mooie afsluiter voor ons hok. Verder hieronder de lijst van duiven die uitgeselecteerd zijn en verkocht zullen worden op pitts.be 105,124,119,098,067,188,109,598,069,158,048,128,115,591,079,154,590,540,104,546,547,548,132,157,226,232,140,294,137,060,150,454,201,036,037,034,042,196,271,080,550 de voorwaarden zijn 70/30 de duiven die er niet bij staan maar toch nog op de hokken aanwezig zullen aan vaste prijs van 90 - euro verkocht worden. Ten gunste van de eigenaar.
als de verkoop start krijgt u van mij een bericht hierover, zodat jullie de biedingen op pitts.be kunnen volgen
Dear sport friends, You search, we find Pigeon Scout 24!!! Are you looking for that one special bird or strain? We are here to help 24/7... Simply fill in the Pigeon Scout 24 form and we will put all data in our system. We will check our stock to see if we have any birds for you available, you must know that not all the birds we have are listed at our website. In fact only 10% of the birds we sell come online... The other 90% is offered and sold to our known clients!!! If the bird or strain you are looking for is not available now we will ask our scouts all across Europe to start searching for that special one that you are looking for... And remember... This all for a fair and payable price... As soon as we found something for you will be contacted by us directly!!! Let us find what you are looking for click here
Testimmonial from Denmark.... Dear Jan, Thanks for a very pleasant deal. It was with a certain concern we hit the button buy. Was it safe enough? How about the transport? It was at pigeon we did not handle, so was it as good as it looked on the photo?. We got the pigeon on Saturday the 4th of September, bought it on friday the 27th August so it was a very quick delivery. The pigeon was just perfect, we liked it immediately. It have been a very positive experience and it is not the last time we have bought a pigeon from Europigeons Kathe and Flemming Pedersen, Denmark (A special thanks to Brian Madsen, who made the shipment possible for a fair price, brian Thanks a miliion)
VERKOPING DUIVEN VANAF 6 SEPTEMBER OM 13u (Brussels time zone) VENTE DES PIGEONS DES LE 6 SEPTEMBRE (Brussels time zone) SALE PIGEONS FROM 6TH SEPTEMBER (Brussels time zone) VERKAUF TAUBEN AB 6 SEPTEMBER (Brussels time zone)
pigeons are sold in groups following this calendar: Group 1: First 10 ace pigeons start Monday 6 Sept at 13.00h - end Monday 20 Sept at 13.00h Group 2 : Final from 1 until 25 start Monday 6 Sept at 14.00h - end Monday 20 Sept at 14.00h Group 3 : Final from 26 until 50 start Monday 6 Sept at 15.00h - end Monday 20 Sept at 15.00h Group 4 : Final from 51 until 75 start Monday 6 Sept at 16.00h - end Monday 20 Sept at 16.00h Group 5 : Final from 76 until 100 start Monday 6 Sept at 17.00h - end Monday 20 Sept at 17.00h
Group 6 : Final from 101 until 125 start Tuesday 7 Sept at 13.00h - end Tuesday 21 Sept at 13.00h Group 7 : Final from 126 until 150 start Tuesday 7 Sept at 14.00h - end Tuesday 21 Sept at 14.00h Group 8 : Final from 151 until 175 start Tuesday 7 Sept at 15.00h - end Tuesday 21 Sept at 15.00h Group 9 : Final from 176 until 200 start Tuesday 7 Sept at 16.00h - end Tuesday 21 Sept at 16.00h
Group 10 : Final from 201 until 225 start Wednesday 8 Sept at 13.00h - end Wednesday 22 Sept at 13.00h Group 11 : Final from 226 until 250 start Wednesday 8 Sept at 14.00h - end Wednesday 22 Sept at 14.00h Group 12 : Final from 251 until 275 start Wednesday 8 Sept at 15.00h - end Wednesday 22 Sept at 15.00h Group 13 : Final from 276 until 300 start Wednesday 8 Sept at 16.00h - end Wednesday 22 Sept at 16.00h
1.Iedereen, die lid is van zijn nationale federatie en in de schoot van deze federatie geen voorwerp uitmaken van een rechtszaak of dopingaffaire, kan deelnemen aan dit gratis kampioenschap op voorwaarde dat alle aangegane beloftes t.o.v. Msn Duivensport en zijn leden vervuld zijn.Hiermee wordt bedoeld, duivenruil, bonverkoop, schenking of betaling, correcte uitslagen ingezonden en dit gedurende de 5voorgaande jaren
2.Er kan geen verzet worden aangetekend tegen de officiële uitslag.
3.Wie deelneemt aan dit kampioenschap aanvaardt het reglement en de deelnemingsvoorwaarden zoals hierbij beschreven door de inrichter, MSN Duivensport.
4.De diverse categorieën zijn: oude , jaarse en jonge duiven. Voor Nederland: oude & jonge
5.De uitslag is pas definitief na het controleren van de officiële uitslagen en wordt dan bekend gemaakt op de site. De uitslagen moeten ter controle op aanvraag binnen de week naar msn duivensport gestuurd worden
6.Bij gelijkheid van punten wordt verder gekeken naar het % (eventueel tot 3 of 4 cijfers na de komma)
7.Voorwaarden: Per categorie 3 uitslagenwaarop je 2 duiven geklasseerd hebt van 1e, 2e of 3e getekende.Puntenverdeling: prijzen behaald per 10tal behalen 3 punten, prijzen per 6tal 2 punten, prijzen per 3tal 1 punt. (Enkel volle prijzen komen in aanmerking, vb. 11e op 108d telt niet) Zo kan men per categorie maximaal 18 punten behalen.
8.De gewonnen prijzen moetenbehaald worden op vluchten met minimum 75 duiven en een deelname van minimum 10 liefhebbers tot en met het eerste weekend van september. 04/05 sept. 2010
9.Per categorie slechts 1 uitslag per weekend, geen (mid)weekvluchten of gelijkgesteld hieraan. Uitgestelde weekend lossingen tellen wel
10.Per categorie worden 10 liefhebbers geklasseerd, de anderen worden eervol vermeld.
11.De Algemene Kampioen en de 1ste van elke categorie ontvangen een trofee. Men kan slechts één trofee ontvangen. Indien meerdere trofeeën bij eenzelfde persoon zouden terechtkomen, wordt de trofee toegekend aan de volgende in het klassement(die op zijn beurt nog geen trofee toegekend gekregen heeft), enz.. Diegene die de trofee toegekend krijgt, krijgt ook de titel van Categorie Kampioen .
12.Iedere deelnemer ontvangt een natura prijs
13.Iedereen die zich weet te klasseren ontvangt een prijs in naturavan minimum 15
14.De Algemene Kampioen en diegene die de titelCategorie Kampioen toegewezen krijgt verbinden er zich toe een bon te schenken aan MSN Duivensport voor haar kampioenschappen en werkingfondsen.
15.Wordt Algemeen Kampioen de liefhebber die de meeste punten scoort in de 3 categorieën. Voor Nederland 2 categorieën. De eerst geklasseerde Belgische liefhebber heeft dan wel de keuze tussen oude en jaarse uitslagen om in evenredigheid te kunnen vergelijken met Nederland.(Eén uitslag per weekend)
16.Het ingevulde deelnemingsformulier dient opgestuurd te worden voor 1/10/2010
meer informatie over onze activiteiten in de winter en kampioenendag.
WIST U DAT..
Ons lokaal een nationale overwinnaar heeft in 2010?
WEBSITE..
Bezoek regelmatig onze website om het laatste nieuws te bekijken van Verenigde vrienden!
KAMPIOENSCHAPPEN 2010 ONLINE....
Kampioenschappen 2010 online: De kampioenschappen van 2010 staan online op onze website www.verenigdevrienden.net Klachten/opmerkingen over de kampioenschappen kunnen tot 1 november via mail info@verenigdevrienden.net of via telefoon 0476/62.77.87. Alle standen zijn eindstanden behalve de kampioenschappen van de jonge duiven op de zware 1/2 fond, daar wordt vandaag de laatste vlucht gevlogen vanuit Gueret. Deze eindstanden mag u verwachten voor zondagavond.....
September vluchten vanuit Momignies!!! Op zondag 5 12&19 september staan de vluchten vanuit Momignies op het programma. Op deze vluchten kan je ook port gelden terug trekken, zoals beschreven in ons programma. Op onze website www.verenigdevrienden.net via het menu nieuws kan je meer lezen over deze vluchten. iedereen is van harte welkom!!
Kampioenschappen Hafo Vlaams-Brabant
Het indienen van de kampioenschappen moet voor 10 september via ons lokaal of via een bestuurslid van Hafo Vlaams-Brabant. De formulieren kan je vinden op onze website www.verenigdevrienden.net Klik op nieuws en ga naar Hafo Vlaams-Brabant.
Wie wil zijn reclame plaatsen op onze poelbrief? Reclame plaatsen op onze poelbrief? Het kan tegen voordelige tarieven, hiervoor kan u kontakt opnemen met Geert Buelens via info@verenigdevrienden.net
Nationale overwinning in 2010 behaald in osn lokaal Door de sterke deelnemende liefhebbers in ons lokaal was het uitkijken hoe lang het zou duren wanneer we die eerste nationale zege zouden behalen in ons lokaal. Wel in 2010 is deze nationale zege een feit, Jef Van Winkel uit Tielt-Winge behaald deze nationale zege vanuit Argenton. Ons lokaal kan fier zijn op deze nationale overwinning, maar is ook fier dat we zéér sterk spelende liefhebbers hebben op deze vluchten! Het niveau is dan ook zéér hoog in ons lokaal. Hopelijk brengt Gueret ons ook nog geluk, maar dat kan je allemaal volgen op onze website www.verenigdevrienden.net
Alle uitslagen online te bekijken via onze website Alle uitslagen (zonder de gelden) zijn te bekijken via onze website, we proberen de uitslagen online te plaatsen enkele uren na de wedvluchten. Ook de laatste nieuwtjes en belangrijke info kan u terug vinden via onze website, dus allen daarheen...
MOGEN WIJ U VRIENDELIJK VRAGEN OM DEZE MAIL DOOR TE STUREN NAAR AL UW DUIVENVRIENDEN?
RICHMOND A pair of Richmond residents have formed a unique partnership.
Former co-workers John Hayes and Robbie Robbins spend their free time raising and racing pigeons.
Hayes retired three years ago from his job as custodial foreman at Eastern Kentucky University. Robbins works at EKU as an operator at the heat plant.
While working together, they discovered they shared a love of pigeons, each having been raised around the birds.
Since retiring, Hayes has constructed five pigeon lofts on his property and Hayes and Robbins own roughly 300 racing pigeons.
One of those pigeons, Lucky Seven, flew earlier this month from Orlando, Fla., to Kentucky, covering more than 700 miles in two days.
That feat is a Kentucky long-distance flying record, Robbins said.
Most of their pigeons were bred around Thanksgiving and were born at the beginning of this year.
Once the pigeons were comfortable with their surroundings, Hayes and Robbins began teaching them to race.
We let them fly around here for a while, just to let them get used to the place, Hayes said. You just have to be patient with them.
When the pigeons were ready to race, the first toss was done a quarter-mile from the lofts.
After that, they released the birds five miles away, then 10 miles, then 20 miles, and finally, 100 miles away.
Pigeons fly about 45 miles per hour and have been known to reach 110 miles per hour with the right tail wind, Robbins said.
Theyre the only other animal in the world that recognizes themselves, Robbins said. They have about all the same traits that humans have.
Robbins, who often writes pigeon fiction for the magazine Racing Pigeon Digest, is like an encyclopedia of the history of pigeons.
He rattles off stories of pigeon heroics from World War I and World War II and knows the names of well-known pigeons and their breeders and racers.
Hayes spends most of his time in his backyard with the pigeons, where he has formed a strong bond with the birds.
Im out here all the time, Hayes said. I do some yard mowing on the side, but when I get done, I come out here and watch them fly around.
They have loaned their pigeons to be used at athletic events, weddings and even funerals.
At funerals, four pigeons are released, representing the Father, the Son, the Holy Ghost and the soul, said Robbins.
They search for perfect matches for breeding and isolate those pigeons in cages.
Typically, the female lays two eggs, which take 18 days to hatch. Once the babies are a few weeks old, Hayes and Robbins place a bond on their leg signifying the year of their birth, the national and local groups they belong to and a serial number that identifies Hayes and Robbins as the owners.
Inside the lofts, there are cubby holes. Each bird usually claims one cubby hole as their own, Hayes said.
When the birds are let out to fly, they often form a routing pattern and may spend hours flying around before returning to the lofts, Hayes said.
What Hayes and Robbins seem to most enjoy is racing the pigeons.
Pigeon races are conducted quite frequently and the cash prizes sometimes reach five figures, Robbins said.
Hayes and Robbins are currently training their pigeons for upcoming races.
Typically, these races may pit teams against each other, with the fastest pigeon to return to its roost declared the winner, Robbins said.
Tim Mandell can be reached at tmandell@richmondregister.com or 623-1669 ext. 6696.
When a fifteen year old boy witnessed his single entry to the Pau National dropping towards its home loft, after completing its 560 mile journey from Southern France, to eventually finish 233rd Open NFC, two things happened. The first saw the lad burst into tears with emotion, and the second was his everlasting love affair with long distance classic racing.
The fifteen year old in question was none other than Mark Gilbert of Winkfield near Windsor in Berkshire and in the 30 years that have passed since that memorable Pau race Marks passion for long distance pigeon racing has, if anything, grown rather than diminished. In the intervening years many more races have been won by this likeable forty five year old businessman, but none can surpass the pride and joy that Mark felt on that evening many years ago.
Until the year 2003 many great British fanciers had attempted to win an International race competing against the cream of European fanciers, but to no avail. However in that year, the great West Country pigeon fancier, Brian Sheppard of Trowbridge, achieved what was previously thought to be the impossible when he clocked his two year old widower on the day at 501 miles in the Dax International to win 1st NFC and 1st International Dax with 19,000 pigeons competing. A brilliant, never to be repeated performance most thought - WRONG. The very next year up comes Mark Gilbert to win 1st NFC and 1st International Dax, with once again more than 17,000 pigeons competing in a race which saw Brian Sheppard close behind at 2nd Open NFC and International with a half brother to the previous years International winner.
Mark Gilbert and Brian Sheppard are still the only British [English] fanciers to have won an International race but who knows this could soon change with the NFCs recent decision to give its members the opportunity to compete in the Tarbes International in 2010.
As I mentioned earlier, Mark Gilbert has been fortunate enough to win many races since his initial success and amongst these classic wins are 1st NFC Pau / Saintes; 1st BICC Pau; 1st BBC Messac; 1st London & South East Classic Bergerac and 1st Classic Guernsey. Add to these performances, scores of club, Federation and Open race wins and you have the CV of one of the most successful fanciers in England at the present time. Most of the aforementioned performances have been achieved in the seven years that Mark and his family have been at their present address in Winkfield.
The grass is certainly not allowed to grow under the feet of this man as the range of lofts that have developed in this short time are nothing short of spectacular. Facing south-east and measuring in total 140ft in length, with an additional 33ft brick built stock loft, they are a far cry from Marks original boyhood loft which was a 6ft x 6ft builders shed. The photographs that accompany this article will, I hope, show how impressive these Petron built lofts are. Each loft is 10 ft wide and has a 4ft wide corridor along the front allowing access to each section. The 72ft widowhood loft has eight sections that house the 86 strong team of widowers in six sections with a further two sections to house the widowers hens. The young bird loft, which stands immediately adjacent to the widowhood loft, measures 40 ft x 10 ft and has four sections which houses the 160 strong young bird team. The 2010 season will see 32 hens raced on roundabout system for the first time and these will be housed in a 27ft loft with two sections plus a central corn store. All lofts have grid flooring and automatically cleaned nest boxes so the time spent on day to day loft management is reduced considerably, which must be a godsend to Marks father Geoff, who comes around daily to see that the birds every needs are catered for.
Geoff is a successful fancier in his own right and, along with Geoff Cooper of Peasedown St John near Bath, has been one of the major influences on Marks development as a top class pigeon fancier.
Management at the Southfield lofts is kept as simple as possible with very few frills attached. Once the moult is completed the birds are gradually brought up in readiness for mating. This takes place in early December for the stock birds with the widowhood cocks mated in early February. All the racers, whether they are sprint, middle distance or long distance are mated at the same time. Once their domestic duties have been completed the widowers are gradually eased into their daily home exercise regime and when Mark thinks that they are ready they are then given just two 15 mile training tosses prior to the first race which is usually at 80 100 miles. On each of these training tosses, the hens are in the boxes awaiting the returning widowers. The training basket is rarely used thereafter as the widowers are kept up to the mark with two one hour exercise sessions each day. The cocks are locked out of the loft during these periods and exercise freely as Mark rarely has to resort to the flag. Nothing much changes for the remainder of the old bird programme, except that Mark likes the widowers destined for the long distance classics to have two weeks rest from racing in the build up to their target race. Once the channel races arrive the birds are raced on alternate weeks.
The widowers and young birds are fed the same mixture when racing, this is Versele Laga Superstar Plus with 10% barley added. They are communally fed to appetite after each exercise period and the feeding stops once the birds start to leave the barley. The widowers are fed peanuts and seeds in addition to their normal mixture, in the final days of preparation for the long distance races.
The young bird team is raced on the darkness system and are extensively trained in preparation for the young bird programme. Once racing begins they usually get two tosses each week from 35 40 miles in addition to their twice daily exercise. On talking to Mark I had the impression that he is hard but fair with his youngsters and if fit and well they are expected to complete the programme including a number of sorties across the channel from Northern France.
The medication programme employed here is minimal. Stock birds and racers are treated for canker before mating and the racers get a further three day treatment for canker before going to their designated long distance race. Mark does not favour the use of supplements but has in the past used multivitamins. However he now feels that if the corn fed is of top quality it should contain sufficient vitamins to satisfy the birds needs.
This pragmatic approach is mirrored in Marks attitude to the handling characteristics of pigeons. As he said, he would rather have a winner that handled badly than a bad pigeon that handled like a dream! Having written this I can state that some of Marks best pigeons were on the large side of massive with some of the hens on the other hand being quite small and petite. This was particularly apparent in the Deweerdt family that Mark has raced with great success, both inland and overseas through to Pau and Tarbes. The cock birds in this family tended to be generally on the large side, mostly chequers, dark chequers with a few reds. They had excellent feather quality and good strong eye colouration. Mark went direct to the fountainhead to purchase these Deweerdts and has children of all the familys best performers in International races through to 650 miles in the stock loft. These include children of Emiel, Ted, Iban etc and all are producing the goods at Southfield.
A second family introduced by Mark are the Van Elsakers and these are the pigeons that excel for Mark in the sprint and middle distance races. They were mainly blues and beautifully balanced pigeons with pronounced pectoral muscles and predominantly pearl eyes. It was a Van Elsaker widower, Southfield Supreme, that was to win 1st International Dax for Mark, proving that they can stay the course as well as sprint.
The above two families make up the bulk of the Gilbert stock with a number of additions, such as some terrific descendents of Invincible Spirit which are producing excellent all round racers when crossed with the Deweerdts .
Nevertheless, Mark is always on the look out for something exceptional that will give his racing performances an extra boost, and with his growing interest in International racing in mind, he has recently imported a number of late breds from German multi International winner Hans Peter Brockamp. These are all direct children of the Brockamp International winners and were very young but still old enough to show their class. I believe that they will be a useful addition to the Gilbert team both pure and when crossed with the ever dependable Deweerdts.
Marks breeding policy is to outcross for racing and inbreed to strengthen the family bloodlines for the stock loft. This breeding plan is based on the fact that only birds from proven National or International performers have been introduced over the past years irrespective of their family or loft of origin. The only thing that counts at Southfield lofts is PERFORMANCE.
To illustrate this point I give you the case of one of Marks best Deweerdt stock cocks, bought from the Deweerdt family as a six year old. In two seasons breeding at Southfield he sired Red Cock Southfield Pau 1st BICC Pau; Southfield Nightflight1st NFC Pau/Saintes and Southfield Darkie 1st BBC Messac, and as Mark said, he was one of the most nondescript weedy little things you could imagine. He was, however, apart from being a super stud cock, a full brother to the Deweerdts Raldo winner of 4th International Perpignan. He was mated to an Eric Cannon hen, a daughter of Culmer Bess, to breed Southfield Pau and Southfield Nightflight. When mated to a daughter of Emiel, a winner of 1st International for the Deweerdts he sired Southfield Darkie.
I cannot close this report without mentioning another top performer at Southfield Chequer cock Southfield Treble who won when racing the following prizes in long distance classic races:- 21st BICC Pau; 34th NFC Dax and 5th BICC Perpignan International all in the same season! The next year Treble went on to win 8th London & Se Classic Bergerac 1st Greater Distance Club and 12th Open BBC Palamos.
In finishing this article I should also mention that Marks generosity in donating pigeons to many causes is well known and many organisations throughout the U.K. have benefited financially from Marks gifts. He is also a committee member of the NFC and I am sure his pragmatism and business sense will be of great service to this venerable institution and any other organisation to which he might turn to help.
There you have it then, Mark Gilbert, an internationally reknowned fancier and all round good guy. Keep up the good work Mark.
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Conn. pigeons up for races, weddings -- and auction
NEW BRITAIN, Conn.If you happen to visit downtown New Britain, you will undoubtedly notice one denizen of Central Park that is as much at home as the golden winged statue of Victory. But for every compliment of the city's golden goddess, there may be 10 curses for her winged companions.
They are the park pigeons, of course.
Each day dozens, and sometimes even hundreds, of the bobble-headed birds dive from perches along the city's buildings and begin their daily of ritual of scouring the park for every edible morsel.
And also each day, a community of fans show up with bread a little too stale to be used for sandwiches and toss the crumbs to the stars of the park.
And stars they are, even if they are less tall than the average Hollywood star. They have appeared in more movies than any movie starlet, and certainly have more film credits than Woody Allen, the wisecracking New Yorker who in 1980 during a performance of "Stardust Memories" hung them with the moniker that has stuck like glue: "Rats with wings."
But not everybody agrees with Allen's viewpoint -- Joe Melluzzo for one.
"It's a terrible thing when people say things like that about pigeons," Melluzzo says. "They're a beautiful bird and very friendly."
Melluzzo should know, as he has raised pigeons, starting in Italy where his family had lofts, right up to the present. A visit to his home, pretty evenly located on the borders of Unionville, Plainville and Bristol, certainly doesn't give any indication of winged rats living on the property. In fact, the white colonial with neatly trimmed shrubbery and lawns give exactly the opposite impression.
His three pigeon lofts -- the correct term for pigeon coops -- are in his backyard and up against a wall of trees that encircle his yard.
"I like having the trees because it helps keep the hawks away," Melluzzo says as he enters one of the lofts, and 50 or so solid white birds flutter around and over him. These pigeons, his whites, are used in a side business for wedding and other celebrations.
"The idea of a white pigeon symbolizes peace, tranquility, peace and love and make them perfect for wedding ceremonies," he said.
Melluzzo trains his birds, essentially building on their natural ability to find their way home, to circle a wedding party several times before disappearing skyward where they make a beeline, or "birdline," for home, food and safety.
Another pigeon man, Andy Mechlinski of New Britain, also has been raising birds for most of his life -- but instead of using them for weddings, he has raced and shown his birds in competition.
The racing of pigeons is almost as old as history itself and started in the Middle East. Today, the racing capitol of the world is considered Belgium, where a huge number of citizens race or raise pigeons. The small country is considered responsible for developing many of the best racing breeds such as the Janssen, developed by the Janssen brothers Louis, Charel, Argaan and Sjef in the 19th century.
To make access to the birds easier, Mechlinski and Melluzzo began a pigeon auction on the first of every month at Falcon Field in the city. The bazaar-like atmosphere brings pigeon owners, or fanciers, from all over the Northeast to sell, buy or trade their birds.
Tweet 0diggsdiggYahoo! Buzz ShareThis And not just your basic pigeon, either.
Many of the fanciers drive to the park and begin pulling cages of exotic, colorful, beautifully feathered pigeons out to show off -- breeds with names like fantails, tipplers, Jacobins, pouters and dozens of others. Some are multicolored, have feathers on the feet or -- like the difficult to breed Jacobin -- sport a hood of vertical feathers that encase and hide its head from view.
"Makes it kind of hard to fly, but it looks nice," says Mike Harkley of Rhode Island, who made the drive to Falcon Field to sell the Jacobins and a pair of German Nuns. All his birds were snapped up before he made it halfway from his car to the sales tables. Like most of the others, however, the profit from selling the birds goes right back into buying more.
There are also a few racing homers on the tables. Unlike the fancy breeds, they resemble the birds that swoop and scoop at Central Park, but the resemblance ends there. These are birds especially bred for racing, with the drive to return to their home loft as quickly as possible.
One man from Bristol, who asked to not be identified, has been keen on racing for several years.
"You don't like to give your name out because some communities won't let you keep your birds if they find out you have them," he says. "It's not right, because any racer worth his salt keeps his birds and loft clean. A healthy bird wins races, sick birds don't."
The racing season for birds is now under way, and birds born in the spring may be raced up to 100 miles. Birds that are at least a year old often race distances up to 600 miles, and must make it home that day.
"You don't want them out after dark," the racer says. "Don't want them to stop and eat, or them may never come home."
According to studies, the birds are able to find their way home because of a series of evolutionary traits, including having a bit of metal in their brains. It turns out that pigeons and a number of other species, including bats, have metal deposits in their heads. These metal deposits, hematite, are a type of iron and seem to be magnetically sensitive. Essentially, pigeons have a type of internal compass in their heads.
Other researchers believe pigeons can hear ultra low-frequency sound waves, such as the ocean on one side, and air current flowing over the Rockies on the other. They also use landmarks like rivers, the angle of the sun and other methods.
"Maybe they just read the road signs," the Bristol racer jokes. "Who knows?"
Whatever the scientific reason, the allure of the birds and their ability to find their way home has made them invaluable at times. In fact, before the age of the Internet, if you wanted to get news fast, your best bet may have been a pigeon.
In the 19th century, Paul Julius Reuter founded the global news service that still carries his name today and based his news service on a line of pigeon posts in Europe that proved faster than any horse, carriage or train.
Perhaps the most famous pigeon served in World War I and saved the lives of more than 200 soldiers.
On Oct. 4, 1918, a pigeon by the name of Cher Ami, French for "Dear Friend," was released by an American officer with a message that would save his men. Although Cher Ami was seen by the Germans, who opened fire and wounded the bird, he flew 25 miles in 25 minutes before dropping to the ground.
He was found alive, but blinded in one eye and with a bullet hole in his chest. His message, however, was still attached to a nearly severed leg. That message saved the men of the 77th Infantry Battalion, and Cher Ami was awarded his own medal, the French Croix de Guerre, with palm leaf.
He died less than a year later and today, along with his medal, is laid in state at the National Museum of American History, at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington.
So the next time you find yourself in New Britain's Central Park, in the shadow of the statue of winged Victory, give a thought to the little bird that saved the lives of more than 200 soldiers, and leave an extra crumb or two.
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