RACING PIGEON NOTES

Evening Star, Issue 22031, 17 May 1935, Page 2

RACING PIGEON NOTES

[By Homer.]

Items of interest to fanciers are invited for insertion in thia column, and should reach “ Homer,” cate of this office, not later than Tuesday of each week. All correspondence must bear the writer’s name and address, not necessarily for publication, but u a guarantee of good faith. NOVICE’S DILEMMA. What a gamp pigeon racing is I. The beauty of it is that no two successful fanciers or trainers get on top by the same methods. That is what worries the novice. He asks one old fancier, and finds out his methods. Then he asks another, and gets some quit© different tips. One man tells you that hopper feeding is fatal to success; birds get fat, and won’t race if hopper-fed. Another man says hopper feeding is the only road to success. Birds won’t eat as much as when it is thrown on the floor, only take what they need, and always keep well. Take again the question of grit. Each fancier has a fad he swears by. As for food: Well, you would think, to hear some, that unless you could get small tick beans, you might just as well give up keeping long-distance birds, and others are just as emphatic about tares and peas. Out of a multitude of counsels there is wisdom, and that is what the young fancier will find if he sticks to pigeon racing long enough. He must pick up hints here and there, and map out a line for himself. There is absolutely no straight road to the top in pigeon racing. Of pitfalls there are many, of climbing there is a lot to do to get up there amongst the sweets. Pigeon racing is not one of the easiest hobbies a man can take up.

MORNINGTON CLUB’S RACE. The Mornington Homing Pigeon Club flew a flock race from Ashburton on Saturday. The 30 birds from eight lofts were liberated at 10 a.ra. in a northeasterly wind. The winning bird flew the distance of 153 miles in 2h 43min 33sec, recording a very fast performance. The first five places are as follow : W. Everett’s Ashburton Queen (1,649.9yds per minute) 1 Mrs D. Harvey’s The Tiger (1,630.2) 2 A. Fraser’s San Sope (1,629.7) ... 3 J. AspinaU’s Eris (1,616.0) ... ... 4 J. Moodie’s First Try (1,585.4) ... 5 MAINTAINING THE WINNING STRAIN. Most fanciers are aware of the existence in connection with racehorses which is known as the” Bruce-Lowe system. This system, in short, gives in figures the successes or otherwise of horses bred from direct female line known as tail female—that is, a strain confined to dam’s dam, etc.

Most authorities on strain building are of the opinion that the greater success comes from retaining the blood of the male line. However, there is no certainty of breeding winner after winner even if the male line is strictly adhered to.

It is true that the hereditary characteristics are frequently handed down from father to son, and that these characteristics are retained for many generations, but there invariably comes a time when something happens, and that particular strain or line would discontinue its succfessful sequence. For continuous success one must every now and again introduce new blood, but, as Colonel Osnihn warned us. it must be blood of proved strain. Luck is the greatest element to have on one’s side in building up a successful strain. It holds secrets which ■are not disclosed apd which are always confounding us.

Just when we think we have solved a problem fortune’s wheel turns, and most of the good work comes unstuck. If this were not so, if any one of us were fortunate enough to hit with' a particular mating that would produce winner after winner and winner after winner the bottom would bo knocked out of the sport.