PIGEON FLYING.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume III, Issue 885, 11 December 1916, Page 8

PIGEON FLYING.

The Christchurch Homing Pigeon Society | flew off :i race from Napier on Saturday, November 25. The race, which was of special interest to the fancy, was a J yearling nominated bird race. When the j metal 1015 rings were being issued each I member nominated a ring number to breed his bird Tor this special race. Twenty i members nominated a bird each, but only j six birds were available, when the time I came to send them to the race —divided ! amongst the six owners competing. The ! birds were liberated at (i a.m. in fine wea- ! ther and at the home end a very strong | r-'east wind was blowing. Only two lofts ; i iied in a bird each in race time. The \ winner of first and special prizes v. as Mr F. Smith's Colonel Soult, which flew the distance of 3CI miles 460 yards air line in 110 hours 55 minutes 42 seconds. The fol- | lowing is the velocity of each owner's b'rd: yards per min. F. Smith's Colonel Soult 9f>9 F. Kingsford's Vanderlindrn .. .. 9('>l The soci -ty also flew off another race from Napier on Saturday, December 2. The birds were liberated at 5 a.m. in fine weather and no wind. As the birds reached j Wellington a south wind sprang up which j changed to a strong nor'-east wind at tho home end. The winner of first and spej cial prizes was Mr F. Smith's Beau Soult j which flew the same distance as the above race in lOhrs lTmin lXscc. I The following is the velocity recorded by each owner's bird:— yards per mill ' F. Smith's Beau Soult 1030 ; F. Kingsford's Iron Duke 1025 I (1. MacDougall's Kadina BUS i C. Woodhouse's All Serene .. .. 10i:i 1). Thornton's The Toff 1009 The society also flew off a race from Te Kuiti on December .'!. The birds were liberated at 4.45 a.m. in fine weather with I norther!v wind which changed to a ; nor-'east wind at the home end. Owing ' to the reverse conditions which the birds (must have flown into only two birds be- ! longing to the same owner timed in before | the close of the race. The winner of first land special prizes was Mr C. Woodhouse's I Bonnie Donne which flew the distance of 40:t miles 910 vds air line in 12hrs 4mm I27sec. The following is the velocity:— yards per min. C. Woodhouse's Bonnie Doonc .. 9XO C. Woodhouse's Bed Indian .. .. W0 The society desires to thank Mr P. Oemcke ! also Mr C. Dell for kindly attending to and : liberating *!*>- birds, also Mr (1. MacDou- ! gall and Mr Minifle Tor kindly presenting j special prizes to the above races.