Ace pigeons, awards and more (se[t 17th)
Ace pigeons, awards and more.
Foreigners who think that National Acepigeons refer tot the best birds of the nation are absolutely wrong. The owners get an award indeed, and perhaps much money for the bird from Easterners but most probably there are better birds. To have a chance to get a National Ace and at the same time a lot of money your location is just as important as the quality of the bird.
The Itegem area is supposed to be the strongest in Belgium as for short distance but still you will never find the local champions win a national award. Why not? The numbers of birds in the races are too small and the competition is too strong. That is the reason why one of those guys, Stefaan Lambrechts, moved to the little town of Nijlen. There he can race in a Fed (‘Tienverbond’) with a higher entry and the competition is less strong.
ENTRY
Undertandebly the entry should be taken into consideration to define the coefficient. But this is pigeon sport and in this sport it happens that 16 specialists enter 32 pigeons all together for a race that lasts 4 minutes only, while in another area 16 fanciers enter 500 birds. And in that ‘other area’ it may happen that a fancier wins the second prize with a bird that is even 4 minutes slower than the winner. Of course that will be one of those areas where races last ‘an eternity’ because of poor competition.
So you have more chances to have a national ace when you, as a short distance specialist, race against fanciers that have long distance birds and focus on long distance only.
EXAMPLE
There was this fancier that won 7th prize against 90 birds in a very strong ‘short distance’ combine. With the same speed this bird would have won 3rd prize against 370 birds in a neighbouring combine. The fancier preferred to race in the smaller combine because there was more money to be won. The fact that the competition in that smaller combine was much stronger with the consequence that it was more difficult to win and have a national ace there he took for granted.
Think also about those Olympiad birds from East European countries that win one first after the other against a ridiculous entry of immense amounts of birds. At an Olympiad those are crowned as ‘the best of the world’ and considering their coefficient they are the best of the world. But the owners themselves know better and champions from Holland and Belgium do not go after those birds. Neither do the buyers from the far east.
SOMETHING ELSE.
In my little home town fanciers race in two clubs. The birds in the club in which I race are ‘doubled’ in the Fed called ‘Hart van Brabant’. Others double their birds in a Fed called ‘Langstraat’. July 21st 2018 my birds won in the club: 1st, 2nd, 4th, 5th, 6th against 366 pigeons. In the Fed (Hart van Brabant) I started with 22nd prize. However, if I had raced in the other Fed (the poorer one) I would have won there 1st, 2nd, 5th, 6th and 7th. September 15th we had two races. From one I won 1st, 2nd and 3rd. In the Fed ‘Hart van Brabant’ this meant 5th and 9th against 1.363 birds. If I had raced in the other Fed (de Langstraat) like some neighbours I would have won 1st and 2nd against 1,400 birds. Orleans, same day same story. In the club I won. In the other Fed I would also have won 1st against 1,400 pigeons, but I raced in ‘Hart van Brabant and was only 6th against 1.363 pigeons. Too bad for me it was the same story week after week.
HOLLAND BELGIUM
Imagine what does would mean if the coefficient for a National Ace was at stake. With exactly the same result it may happen that you win the 1st if you race in one Fed but the same bird would not have been in the First 20 if raced in the other Fed.
Those results I referred to were in Holland, where the situation is different from Belgium. In Holland the ‘doublings’ are fixed. First you race in the club, then in the combine and then in the Fed. It is always the same combine or fed. Unlike Belgium the Dutch cannot choose.
The Belgians (in most areas) can choose where they are going to play. This is not ideal either, because what do some Belgians do? On Monday already they study the weather forecast and depending on the direction of the wind they decide where to race the next weekend. And you know what is so unfair? Not every Belgian has this opportunity. Some have no choice and cannot choose where to race. Others have 3 or more opportunities. Furthermore aged people may not feel like driving many miles to basket there birds in a club where they would like to race.
SOMETHING ELSE
In Begium it is unfair as well that fanciers can enter birds for the same race in two or 3 clubs. So they will get two or three result sheets which will enhance their chances for a good result that maybe useful for a national championship. It is so unfair since not everybody has this chance. It depends on where you live.
MORE CHANCE
After this you may understand my scepticism about national aces and championships. I played tennis till I was 55. I was the great champ then but I must admit, I only played with people in their seventies. With the same ‘tennis qualities’ I was a pitiful nobody when I played with my son and his friends. So results only do not mean that much to me. I must must know where it was won and against whom, because believe me, there are very poor competitions. Since I do not feel like finding another bomb under my bed I’d better not mention names.
LONG WAY BACK
In the town of Tilburg there were once more pigeon clubs than fanciers to-day. And one club was much stronger than all the others. A first prize in an average club mostly meant an average prize in that strong club. It was clear in which club fanciers had the best chances to have a national ace.
SUPER AGAIN
2018 Was for me a fantastic year again. And as usual there is some gossip. And again as usual it is always about magic bottles, good location and so on. And talking about ‘magic bottles’ or ‘secrets’ you should know that I even lost my believe in supplements and additives. The birds get nothing of all that shit that is advertised as indispensable. Not even vitamins. Throughout the years I tried out everything but I am still waiting for a supplement that has a positive effect on the health of the birds. And talking about jealously, that is something you must deserve. They are seldom the champions that are envious but those that vainly try to be champions. Losers !