HOMING NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2840, 19 August 1908, Page 61

HOMING NOTES.

Br Mausta Me all TEe Racing Committee of the Dunedin Homing Pigeon Club— Messrs Tattersfield (chairman), Esquilant, Henderson, Patereon, and Reeves— have drawn up the following schedule of races for the ensuing fteason : — September 12 from Oamaxu, distance 59 mil-es September 19, from St. Andrews, 98 miles September 26, from Ashbnrton, 150 miles * | October 3. from Amberley, 221 miles ! October 17, from Cape Campbell, 347 miles ' October 31, from Kaitoke, 411 miles November 21, from JJapier, 566 miles December 19, from Hick's Bay, 715 miles • — Second Hampers. — OctobM 10, from Oamaru, 59 miles October 24, from Ashburtoja, 150 miles ' November 7, from Culverden, 247 mil©3 November 28, from O&pe Campbell, 347 miles December 19, from Marten, 480 miles January 9, from Auckland 706 miles — South Boad.— November 14, from Clinton, 59 miles November 21, from Gore, 77 -miles December 5, from Invero&rgdll, 110 miles December 12, from Orepuki, 136 miles — Second Hampers. — January 16, from Gore, 77 miles Jiuuzwry 23, from "Whrton, 106 miles January 30, from Orepuki, 136 miles — Young Birds. — May 1, from Oamaru. 59 miles May 8, from Tima,ru, 107 miles May 22, from Aabburton (Derby), 150 miles — South <Road.— May 15, from Gore, 77 miles May 29, from Invercargill (St. Leger), 110 miles. The craze for long-disfcance races appears, from the above schedule, to have been caught by the Dunedin club's committee. My own opinion is that Napier, 556 miles, is quite far enough. Beyond that distance it is not racing. There is no sport in this over-long-distance kind of pigeon-fly-ing; it is, in my opinion, wanton cruelty to ask our 'birds to compass distances which are impossible in the one^day. Besides, when a bird has to spend c night out, there is far too -"much luck attached to it. Supposing, far instance, two birds are flying together in a very long race, and darkness overtakes them. One bird' happens to alight on a safe place for the night's rest, the other, unfortunately, does the opposite, and consequently no moro is heard of this gam© little pigeon. The first pigeon arrives home in fine style and takes a good position in the race. Again, supposing two birds are competing, and one plucky bird flies itself to a standstill the first day (but, of course, cannot reach its loft), and the other takes things easy, and goes to roost early, moderately freah. It is no certainly t'ha>t the bird that has taken every inch out of itself the first day will i beat the lazy bird, for the simple reason < that the latter will probably make an : earlier start on 'the second morning. Can : this be called racing? It is pure luck, and, 1 therefore, no test of a bird's capabilities. . I maintain that once you introduce these ] oxfcremely long distances you introduce j something like cruelty into pigeon-racing; l then good-bye to the eport. 1 hope be- j ginn-ers, who are -daily coming into the , fancy, will not be led away, but will con- ; sider their pets. Let us have racers in j which the best-conditioned pigeon on the j day can win, and not matches in which , there must always be such a tremendous j element of luck. i <