HOMING NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2929, 4 May 1910, Page 58

HOMING NOTES.

Br Maust> Meal?. - . - > The Dunedin Homing Pigeon Club flew off a-race for young pigeons, from Gore on Saturday, -an air-line distance of 77 mile*. Mrs A. C. Pigeon kindly attended to' and liberated the birds. ' The race resulted as follows: P. • Clark's Charlie B. jun (time, lhr 40min; velocity, 1338yds Oft 7in) .;. ... 1 W, Ringroseu's Paris (time, lhr fegmin; velocity. 1318yds 2ft 6in) ... ... 2 P. Veiish's Bljack-and-gold' (time, lhr 42fmin; velocity, 1309yds Oft 7in) . ... 3 J. Knowles's - Blue Sneck (time, lhr 44imin; velocity, 1308yds 2ft Sin) ... 4 \V, Esquilant's bh'd (time, lhr 43imin; velocity, 1308yds lft 9in;-and A. Turnbull's Broadsword (time, lhr 44smin; velocity, 1308yds Ift 9in) equal 5 W. Niven's bird (time, lhr 45imin; velocity, 1293yds Oft 7in) ... 6 The . following also competed:—Messrs Hunt, Wilson, Risach, Watson, Mason, and Yates. Mr Clark,- the genial" secretary of the Homing Club, opened his winning account with the Gore race last Saturday. He only started keeping homers about this time last year after hl-jj left Sunwicfli House. He has now a comfortable home of his own with a small loft, stocked with some of the best birds from Mr Finnegan's loft. Mr Clark has made rapid progress in learning how to condition a pigeon, and will be a hard man to defeat in the forthcoming' racgs- Charles B. was purchased out of Charlie Bills's shop: where he came from no one knows. He was ringed with an' Adelaide ring, and looks like one of S. M. Evans's birds. He flew all stages to. Cape Campbell, when he down with a number of other good "pigeons. Mr QJark Bred the winner of laefc Saturday's race from faira and a daughter of Alex. Stone'e Belgium pair. He is a mediumsized bird, mealy colour, with weak head, but a very nice strong pair of wings, and has been one of his first arrivals in the training tosses. The second bird, Paris, was bred by T. Veitch, from Liberator ex Flitaway. Mr Ringrose, the owner, is a new member, and a pupil of Mr Veiteh's. BK?1: and Gold, the third bird, is by <"-',-'/,-.,; Dream ex Gold Lace. Blua Sneck

.11. is by Didcot Lad ex Silver Bell, and Broadsword 'is by Baker—Grannie cock ex Scotty hen. The south line i*. ju' so well patronised as the north Some owner? think it is not worth while training- birds, as the distance is not far enough, but if a, man wants to win the aggregate V)>w he must have birds on both routes Mr Hilton, of Naseb>, has again offered a prize for • a race from. Naseby; the pigeons to bo shown at the Maniototo show on June 3. Each owner's birds will be liberated separately the following day. I offer as. a suggestion to the Winton Club, for their next show, that they put on an open class for cocks and another for heniS. Mr Fred Moore is good enough for a guinea prize for a. race from Winton, and I am sure the Dunedin boys' will give sufficient entries to make the classes interesting, the entrance fee of Is per bird to make up the priee money for showing. Fifty pigeons competed in the Gore race, and if Winton has an entry of 40 or more it would pay. Pigeon pens could be obtained from the Southland Club perhaps for the cost of railage. lam sure the Invereargill boys would only be too pleased to assist the Winton Show Committee.