Parkinson L.J.
I suppose it’s always going to happen when we get near to the racing season, yes the old story about ETS cropping up and if we sit back and think about it the comments are nearly always fictional and one sided by those who do not want the system, having said that I do know a fancier who has the ETS but would prefer the old way of taking the rubber off the leg and into the cock. I also know about that view first hand because when we have been talking about the two systems and comparing them Elizabeth has always said she prefers the excitement of seeing the pigeon drop and going into the loft, catching the pigeon and putting the rubber in the thimble and then into the clock. As we know we don’t even have to use thimbles anymore, that is if the clocks have been modified. When the ETS first came to these shores Darren from Unikon called here to see me about the new systems and at the time Ray Lunt was here so a good discussion took place. Ray was making the point that the lads would clock in faster than a pigeon going through the ETS system. Now we are talking about the first pigeon here, you know the one that matters, the one that some say is the only one we are looking for, the winner. I must add that’s not my view because I was racing pigeons as a hobby and they all counted whether first or last which is just one of the good reasons why I like the ETS system, you know when they have come back. Going back to what Ray was saying about clocking in faster, he was of course referring to the fact that more often than not when a pigeon drops from a race the first thing it does is shake itself and look round, that happens more often than not. While this is going on Ray was saying their pigeons had gone through the open door and into their box where they were ready to remove the rubber into the thimble and put it into the clock. Yes their system was a team effort but in reality how many fanciers sit there waiting for pigeons on their own, not a lot, there is more often than not someone following up with the clock.
In my latest series of reviewing articles from the past I came across an article where the fancier said he clocked 6 pigeons in separate thimbles in 35 seconds, this was on the clock sheet so proven, whether he was on his own I have no idea. Yes after the first one you can clock a lot more through the ETS system in a fraction of that time but even though I disagree going back to what I mentioned earlier they say it is the first one that matters. Why do I disagree, well pigeon racing is a team effort and without that team you are dead in the water. Another point about how many birds are clocked how many fanciers do we see clocking multiple birds in a minute, not many. There are some real good fanciers out there who live for their pigeons and they work hard to win, they put the time in with the pigeons doing whatever they need to do to get that team home in as short a time as possible. You are always going to have the fanciers who have the extra time and money to put into their pigeons than others do but isn’t it good when you beat them, makes it all worthwhile. Look at the Premier League this year, little old Leicester have spent a lot of time at the top against the big boys who are spending millions to win the title. Are they going to be the winners after the last game of the season we have yet to find out but let’s be fair about this they have done a good job to date on a much smaller budget! They are doing this against the odds which is the same as the small back garden loft against the big boys of pigeon racing, the ones who have the money and time that many of the working fanciers do not have. No matter what the competition there are always going to be those who have better facilities and let’s face it be more dedicated than others. The best season we had was when I was working, getting up at 5am taking the pigeons training, dashing home, cleaning out and a quick coffee before going to work. Coming home basketing the pigeons and going off down the road again training, coming home cleaning out and then when the old birds had dropped letting the young birds out and eventually getting our evening meal after 9pm. The one benefit for me is we are not too far from the M6 and they were never going to beat me home, for some reason the pedal always got stuck to the floor when I was training pigeon. I must admit the following year I took early retirement and decided to concentrate on the web site but I did lose a certain amount of excitement and never flew a full race programme again until 2014 which was a 14yr gap, racing in between in the National races.
Anyway getting back to ETS against any other way of clocking, a system where the fanciers have to justify where the pads are set within the framework of the loft, or that’s where they should be. I have brought the subject of stall traps up before, if ETS has to be within the framework of the loft or in the specially made traps at a further cost to the fancier why are stall traps acceptable, nobody has yet properly answered the question. When anyone clocks into a stall trap the pigeons have not entered the loft or even the framework of the loft so why is the ETS system victimised against when it comes to where it should be set. You will never change my mind on ETS, it is a benefit to the sport and too many fanciers in the sport for various reasons and not and I repeat not because it is faster clocking the first bird, the one that many say matters, you have to get the pigeon home and through the trap first.
Why is pigeon racing so good, because no matter what, we love the competition no matter how many times we sit there scratching our heads as to why they were behind this week or any other week. Pigeons are in the blood; we eat, sleep and drink pigeons, how many times have you woke up in the night thinking about the pigeons, what you need to do or what you have done wrong. Yes the neighbours think we are mad standing out there in all weather scraping lofts out and even talking to the pigeons, or that’s what they think, at the end of the day it’s all good stuff. Yes we all have our views on whatever we do in the sport and we are all entitled to our opinion, if we didn’t have an opinion what a sad world it would be.
The North West Classic Club is having 8 races this year plus a special Anniversary race from Carentan on the same weekend as Niort. There will be 3 Open races, yet to be arranged, with the club having 5 club races as follows.
Old Bird:
Carentan 28th May.
Fougeres 11th June.
Ancenis 25th June.
Niort 9th July
YB:
Carentan 17th September.
The anniversary race will be a 4 bird limit at £25 a bird with £1000 to the winner plus pools and there will be 1 prize guaranteed every 6 birds. Due to health issues the AGM is late and will be held on the 10th April at the Boars Head Hotel Middlewich, starting at 12:30pm. I have also added a few more photos from the Fugare Show.
Fugare Show.
Young Master Vanneste with grandmother Regina - Group of youngsters at the Fugare Show
A happy group at the Fugare Show with main man Guillaume Vanneste in the middle.
Les J Parkinson. 11 Rushton Drive, Middlewich, Cheshire, CW10 0NJ.
Tel 01606836036 Mobile 07871701585.
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