LEINSTER NORTH ROAD FEDERATION
by Francis Corcoran
It’s been a quiet time of late, with not a lot going on in the pigeon world around here. Our prize presentation evening is coming up shortly and then I suppose we will be having our annual general meeting for both the club and the federation. Hopefully we will have both done and dusted before the Christmas holidays, and that will enable fanciers in our area, the time to concentrate on the breeding side of things early in the new year or maybe even before that in some instances. Although I have noticed over the last couple of seasons that people are not nearly as eager to get going as they have been in the past; even the darkness system has taken a bit of a battering of late with more and more fanciers opting out of the system, however I cannot see that lasting, as most who give up the darkness system are now finished racing their young birds well in advance of the rest. It’s fairly obvious that if you want to compete right through the season then it will be back to the system within a couple of years. Most fanciers get tired of all the work involved, tired of the routine, and tired of the compulsion to stick to a timetable; they become more like dairy farmers that have to be on site morning and evening to make sure that all’s well with the system, and although they make up all sorts of excuses for giving it up, I still believe that they know well that they are going to be more or less out of the results in the coming young bird season and yet they choose to opt out.
Having chosen to opt out some fanciers get a taste of freedom away from their pigeons, and they begin to realise that there is more going on in the world than pigeon racing, they don’t have to be up at seven, eight, nine or whatever time to see to their birds and they don’t have to be home by five or six o clock in the evening to see them all tucked up in bed well before the evening closes in.
Derek O Shea
The thing I find amusing is that some of the older fanciers have realised this quite some time ago, and having been there and done that they too have opted out and are quite happy just to keep and race their birds on a system that suits them and their families. They haven’t lost their ability to race pigeons as some of the younger generation might suggest but rather they have just decided to opt out of the rat race. There is however a benefit to clubs in these situations, because the older generation have always kept and raced their pigeons and have supported their club through thick and thin. They continue to carry out administration work and help out in most activities promoted by the club. They bring in their bird for the breeder / buyer and a bird for the club fund raising event. Cleaning the baskets is not a problem as they don’t have to be at home locking up the young birds. They stay for a chat after the race results because they don’t have to rush home and get in the widowhood cocks or the celibate hens, no, they will ramble home at their ease and close down their lofts whenever the fancy takes them. These people enjoy their sport, maybe not in the winning of races but there are many and varied ways to enjoy this great sport and it’s something that the younger generation should understand for they too will become older and even a bit tired along the way, at which point they might then realise that there is more to life than pigeon racing, and don’t forget that some of these older fanciers have achieved results in the past that due to changing circumstances the younger generation will never be able to replicate. Along with that, they should also remember that without these folk doing most of the donkey work, the younger generation would not be able to devote so much time to their beloved sport if they had to put in the same amount of work for the club as do the also rans.
Susan O Shea
Buying and selling seems to be another facet of our pigeon lives that seems to bother some people. Speaking as one that does a fair bit of both, I do wonder what it is that bothers people when they hear of fanciers spending their hard earned cash. Do they ever give a thought to the fact that some people just like spending a few bob, if only for the craic. I personally know plenty of people that buy both products and pigeons for the sake of it. There’s no big deal to it, they just like to try a new bird or maybe a new product just to see how they get on with it. I have often seen people buying blind. That’s not to say that they did not know what they were doing or that they were being parted from their money without their consent, rather they have done it because they wanted to do it. They are not all fools, and who are we to belittle them for what they do, or enjoy doing. Its there’s to do what they want with it. Are the righteous always right? I don’t know. But if the shoe was on the other foot and these so called fools were going around saying that anybody that didn’t buy a product or a new pigeon was a right tight git, those that comment about the fools and their money wouldn’t take too kindly to that. We need to understand that it takes all kinds to make the world go round.
It is also a myth to believe that all retail merchants are making a fortune off the backs of pigeon fanciers. Whether you believe it or not, commercial branded corn has the ability to break some retailers, with as little as 65c to be made on a 25Kg bag of corn or less than 25 on a pallet. Some retailers are no more than a convenience to fanciers and apart from the fact that a customer might buy something a little more profitable on their visit, corn is hardly worth stocking at the best of times. OK, if you are selling a few ton every day, but I’m afraid that for most retailers that’s more wishful thinking than a reality. There is a saying that you get what you pay for and that it needs to cost the earth for it to be worth anything, I don’t think so. Just reading through the books and talking to fanciers shows that some of the best pigeons have been bought initially for little or nothing. One example was in last week’s book where that fantastic bird of Peter Wells’ was bought for the princely sum of £10 and it went on to win fifty two first prizes.
Frank Archbold, 562 miles on the day from Lerwick, a record that will take some beating. Right is Tom Kelly. Both are members of Barrow Valley RPC.
Not too long ago we called on a fancier in Belgium to collect some young birds for a friend of ours. He had studied the results of this fancier and had purchased a round of young birds from him that we were to collect. When we called this guy had meticulous records and had the results of all the races in his province to hand, and we were absolutely amazed to see his name at or near the top on most of the races, but, as amazing as that was, it was also incredible to see the amount of household names that figured in the result well below this man’s positions. His whole team was based on a single purchase, a white grizzle cock that produced a dynasty of winners at all levels of competition and they were a sight to behold. Did this bird cost thousands on the internet? I should say hardly, no, it was bought on the Lier market and again for the princely sum of 10. There are lots of examples of this kind to be found, and that fact is what keeps a lot of fanciers believing in the future.
I seem to have had a peculiar thought chain today, so just as well to get it out and be done with it. To finish, I would just like to wish one of my best friends and his lovely lady wife Susanne the best of luck in the future. Derek & Sue have decided to move house, and as usual with Derek he has no idea of where they are heading. Not far I hope. But in the meantime they have decided to sell up everything including the pigeons, lofts and all accessories. If anybody out there is interested in any of the stuff offered please get in touch on the contact details below.
That’s all for this week, any news or views to.
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Elimar - December 2014
