Champions and others
"Why do the same fanciers always dominate the races?" some wonder.
They may sell all their birds, if they start again; they are champions again real soon.
'Others' may read all about pigeons and work hard, but will never be successful.
Do the champions know so much more about pigeons, feed, medication, training and so on?
I do not think so. But apparently there are big differences.
SELECTION
If the champion has a bird that performs poorly he eliminates it and only after that he looks at the origin/pedigree.
'Others' think and think. They look at the origin and will keep the bird only because of that stupid piece of paper, that we call pedigree.
And there is a third group today.
In the past they took their bad pigeons to the poultry, today with the Internet and the 'pedigree-craze' those junks are put in an aviary where they wait for (foreign) buyers.
FEEDING
Most champions feed differently but they are consistent.
'Others' change again and again or they give their birds additional products that they do not need.
They lack self-confidence which may also be the reason to alter their lofts again and again.
The champion is not upset so easily. He thinks 'in the past my birds performed well in the same loft and without all that additional shit' and they have patience.
Kees Bosua, a real and even more realistic champion
FELLOW SPORTSMEN
If a fellow sportsman suddenly starts performing well 'others' suspect him from having given his birds something from a 'magic bottle'.
Or they start gossiping, while the champions show respect and carefully watch such a successful new comer.
And if this man keeps on flying well he tries to get his pigeons or he tries to find out where he got them.
This is because the champions know what this game is all about: Good pigeons in the first place!
VET
If a champion doubts the health of his birds he will visit a vet. Mostly he will get medicine but it may happen these medicines do not work, since vets are human and may make mistakes.
The champion is aware of that and will go back to the SAME vet.
'Others' may go to a vet as well. But if the medicines they get are not effective they will go to another vet and that is wrong.
Poor vet who utters his doubts about the quality of the birds.
He may lose a client, because lack of quality is the last thing a fancier wants to hear! He did not pay for that.
Furthermore some 'others' take their refuge to medicine when birds are nearly dead and hard to cure, while the champion sees today if birds will be sick to-morrow.
Some 'others' know everything about medicine but nothing about diseases.
For them there is nothing more interesting than medication and the contents of the drinker.
LEVEL
The champion seeks the strongest competition, the other the poorest.
The latter knows that he races against birds that are less good but he does not care as long as he will be on the prize list.
In Holland there are so-called 'doubles'.
You can race on club level but in the Federation as well.
It may happen that some destroy the club week after week, but with the same birds in the same race they are nobody's in the Federation.
But they are blind for those poor results in a stronger competition. .
For the champions only the results in the strongest competition count and his selection is based on those results.
And thus it may happen that the same birds that the champion eliminates will be put into the stock loft by others.
TRANSPORT.
In warm weather the champion puts fewer birds in the baskets and he will put the baskets in the shade.
The 'other' ignores the heat; he puts as many birds in the baskets as usual and puts the baskets just where it is convenient for him, even in the burning sun.
The champion cares about the weather and will put the lofts more open in hot weather and close them off in windy weather.
On dark cloudy days he will switch on the lights, even in the day-time.
Others do not even think about that.
POOR RESULTS
After a poor result the champion does not lose patience or confidence.
The other complains about a bad place in the truck, a lucky race due to the weather or he blames it on the food.
After one such a race he may take refuge to medicine, mostly against respiratory problems. After that his results may improve for one or two weeks but become even worse later on.
TALKERS
Champions are no great talkers, but listeners.
Others are talkers, they complain about everybody and everything.
What they do not talk about are the good birds of the champion.
They cherish some good races in the past, the champion looks ahead, and for him the past is the past and only the future matters.
RESPECT
The champion respects successful fellow sportsmen but also treats his birds with respect. He moves slowly through the loft, he grabs a bird cautiously and then
releases it cautiously.
The other hurries through the loft, grabs the birds wildly sometimes between the legs or even against a window pane.
And when he releases it he just drops it.
He does not realise what an exertion it takes for a bird to land safely on its feet.
And he does not realise he will lose the bird's confidence forever.
Therefore they have to hide when they come from a race, while champions show themselves in order to make the birds trap faster.
I know many champions but also many others.
Others often promise themselves to better their lives but they are forgetful.
And that's a shame indeed. If they keep on racing badly this may be reason to quit.
And when many quit the champions may think they are kings but being a king without a kingdom can't be fun.