Ambition in sport

When a person takes up a sport they do so for numerous different reasons.

From playing in a village football team for enjoyment to wanting to be in the first division.

The same applies to our sport, the happiest fancier I ever met was in our club
always helping out and always with a smile on his face, never won a race.

On the other had you had the sulkers who if behind threw their clock down and went home, and all fanciers between the two.

Tis an unfortunate fact we also have the spoilers, only thing on their mind is making money from the ordinary fancier, to cover their costs and pocket an indecent sum every year selling their cast offs or those bred for purpose.

From being a great sport in my youth it is now a shambles, just reading the BHW
today one fancier is proposing exactly what I proposed in the 1970s.

Unfortunately, tis far too late the damage has been done.

Thinking of climbing drainpipes to capture a champion and straightening nails to
help in making the loft better, what joy, now only happy memories, PITY.

Regards.

all i'm looking to do this year is have all new pairings and breed a few decent ybs

Totally different game now . Money has spoilt our sport just as much as dwindling numbers but we carry on because we love it . We love beating the top men just as much as we did the day we won our first race

[quote="peel bros"]Totally different game now . Money has spoilt our sport just as much as dwindling numbers but we carry on because we love it   . We love beating the top men just as much as we did the day we won our first race[/qu

Agree entirely, nothing wrong in wanting to win, me being the same, my aim was to win from every race point North and South with both young and old birds.

Won some many times over, but Dunbar with young birds eluded me until the very last year I raced and it gave me as much pleasure as all the others put together

Mission accomplished.

Hope you have a good season for all the hard work you put in.

Regards.

We will if the plans work out . Thanks

If I had a job I hated I'd chuck the towel in, lived in an awful street I'd move, unhappy in marriage I'd move on  
Same with pigeons, if this became a hobby I didn't enjoy I'd pack in but for now I make the best of it and can't think of anywhere else where I'd want to spend my spare time after being out at work all day.

A lot of the younger fanciers are as keen as mustard, leaving no stone unturned, modern methods, import pigeons, beating the older guys, getting a dozen drop together on race day. Many older fanciers don't like it to be honest. They complain things aren't what they were back in the day, but they weren't complaining 40 years ago when they were the young guns out there doing the same Get nothing on a plate in this game.

for me pigeons at the moment are becoming a bind.......partly because i have far too many, which takes the pleasure out of keeping them, if i could get rid of maybe 20 birds it would give me more time to enjoy the ones i had.

each year i also think should i try race a few young birds , i`d hate to pack in with pigeons without not giving it a last go at it........but as usual there is always some reason why i dont, for the last year or so its been the price of wood etc to build a yb section, i couldnt justify it .........

then again it seems like i`ll always have an excuse not to do it .

for me the training is just too much trouble

barnie wrote:

If I had a job I hated I'd chuck the towel in, lived in an awful street I'd move, unhappy in marriage I'd move on  
Same with pigeons, if this became a hobby I didn't enjoy I'd pack in but for now I make the best of it and can't think of anywhere else where I'd want to spend my spare time after being out at work all day.

A lot of the younger fanciers are as keen as mustard, leaving no stone unturned, modern methods, import pigeons, beating the older guys, getting a dozen drop together on race day. Many older fanciers don't like it to be honest. They complain things aren't what they were back in the day, but they weren't complaining 40 years ago when they were the young guns out there doing the same Get nothing on a plate in this game.

The membership of the RPRA including many who do not keep pigeons is 20% of the membership when I was young and attempting, and on occasions beating the big boys.

Tis not the same sport.

Been taken over by commercialism.

Most races are won by monied fanciers, you get the odd youngster winning but usualy backed by a grown up, or the real allotment dedicated fanciers hold their own but are few and far between.

As well as costs becoming an issue the rules and regulations are not helping.

Cannot see the sport lasting in any meaningful all inclusive way much longer.

Regards.

It appears they have not got replacements for several Region Secretaries.

Note Higgins who has been one for over 50yeas and also on the Council for that time is packing it in.

BEST NEWS POSSIBLE.

He should have been kicked off at least 40 years ago, along with his oppo Barret the two main people who have held the sport back.

Perhaps with a bit of luck things may get better.

Regards.

is this the same higgins from leeds misty .....?

That is the one David, just wish he would say something and then I could go to town on the two of them.

If both had been kicked out of the sport in the early 1970s the sport would now be in a far better place.

Regards.

can you elaborate misty ...?

Includes fabricating evidence to pervert the course of justice totally ignoring the most basic RPRA Rules for starters.

You would not believe the whole scenario.

Regards.

Was talked out of taking legal action for the name of the sport.

Regards.

Funny thing David, fanciers would rather talk about matters covered hundreds of times than attempt to sort the sports short comings out.

I'm Alright Jack syndrome prevails.

Regards.

yes misty, it seems a lot of pigeon fanciers are in their own little bubble, unless it effects them personally they dont get involved, they just follow like sheep .

David wrote:

yes misty, it seems a lot of pigeon fanciers are in their own little bubble, unless it effects them personally they dont get involved, they just follow like sheep .

attitude to

Just hope David that if they get rid of the OLD BRIGADE a new lot will take a different attitude and attempt to bring the sport into this century.

Regards.

Must admit wouldn't know what to do without my birds . Had them since 1979 and never once packed in . Lost girlfriends due to pigeons as they always came first . Different now as obviously had my family ect but pigeons sort of took a back seat but not now , I am just as much motivated but now I have more time to concentrate on them . I want to get too the top before it's too late .

And the very best luck in doing so hard work usually pays off.

Would never have parted with my pigeons if there was any way I could have kept them.

Still miss them, still think of the little dark stray hen that used to follow me to school (ten minutes down the road) refused to go to a new loft when went into partnership with a ex RAF fancier, lived on the systern in the outside toilet until I joined the Army to get out of working down the pit, did so for two years.

Served in Germany and 2 years in Japan.

Got real serious again with the pigeons in present location in the mid 1960s

Family obviously comes first but my four legged and my winged friends a close second, words cannot express the feelings,and grown men do cry.

Will look forward to enjoying your journey to the top.

Regards.

well said misty, a very good post .........family come first but dogs and birds a close second, my main priorities in my life are wife, daughter, dog and pigeons, they are who matter, i learnt long ago how two faced and shallow people were.

all the best ray for reaching the top, although i do think your well on the way and up there with them ......you compete against some good flyers and do well against them so it wont be long until you are a big name i`m sure .

always been around pigeons for years the show birds got to say it's only the birds that keep me alive i do like fly fishing but birds come first

We try our hardest we really do but we obviously can try harder but family work ect restrict you I suppose but that's life . I wish I could go all day every day but jayne would divorce me haha

when are you pairing up ray ...?

Looking back on life tis difficult to determine just what makes us tick.

Leaving friends and family out of the matter (they obviously come first) different people take up numerous different activities and feel some of the activities of others are mad.

From being given a pair of young pigeons from a game keeper friend of my father
at around five years old they have played a major part in my life, which I would not have missed for anything, however, variety is the spice of life and I have taken my son fishing from when he could walk, sea, fly and coarse, we flew as a partnership with the pigeons but he never ever handled one, I was blessed with several loyal and loving four legged friends and played both football and cricket
both at school and in the army, on retirement I joined a snooker club and with a friend played for 3 hours every week, either Monday or Friday for over 19 years cannot remember missing more than a couple of weeks, covid ended it.

Dancing was, is, my wife's enjoyment and until the pandemic went three times a week during the summer and less in the Winter.

But always knew our feathered friends as well as the four legged would be waiting with wagging tails and pea nut anticipation and you cannot beat that.


Regards