Topsy-turvy weather playing ducks and drakes with flying brigade

WEEK after week the pattern of circumstances prevailing in the local pigeon racing scenario has prevailed.

The days prior to raceday have promised fanciers, and their birds, conditions that would favour the competitors, yet come liberation time and the competing packs find themselves up against the elements. A day or so later it is back to benign conditions.

The penultimate event of the 2017 race season was flown from Uniondale, a reasonable distance for racing pigeons of 450km (to EL) with some Kowie lofts being 100km nearer to race point.

What should have proved a relatively easy flight turned into another struggle. At the release point winds were still mild but as the pigeons progressed up the Langkloof and then turned eastwards along the coast they encountered what can only be termed as the fury of exceptionally strong, to gale-force gusts of north-easterlies.

These headwinds took their toll again as many lofts struggled to post good returns on the day with a majority of the birds only reaching home in the kinder conditions which prevailed on the Sunday.

Understandably then, average flying speeds were slow with the winning bird in the Yearling event being clocked by Casey Julsing of Bushman’s River`at 66.5km/h. Second position went to Boeta Pieterse of Klipfontein in 66.3km/h with Julsing taking third spot, as well as a further two top-10 places. The first EL pigeon was clocked by the championship frontrunners of Ristow and Jamieson of Northerns at 62.5km/h with the first ‘country’ birds in the loft of Tiaan Landman in Q’town (58.5 km/h).

The Any-age race saw Julsing’s loft continue on its merry way when it picked up the top two positions, as well as fourth. Louis Rutherford on Northerns had two pigeons land together to take fifth and sixth, as well as having the satisfaction of clocking the first of the EL birds. Bossie Boshoff clocked the first ‘country’ pigeon in King William’s Town at 57km/h.

The final race of the season takes place this coming Saturday when it is a return to Touws River (750km). Many fanciers have already indicated that after the debacle of the first Touws River event they have decided to cut their season short in favour of the welfare of their pigeons and have decided not to participate. Results were: Border Homing Union/EC Pigeon Federation: Yearlings (378 birds) – Uniondale: 1, 3 and 6.-7 Cf Julsing (ECPF); 4 and 5 Mr Pain (ECPF); 8 Ristow & Jamieson (NFC); 9 B Samuel (ECPF); 10 C Benn (AFC).

EL Racing Pigeon Combine: Yearlings - Uniondale: 1 and 8 Ristow & Jamieson (NFC); 2 C Benn (AFC); 3 L Rutherford (NFC); 4 Jacobs Loft (AFC); 5D Schenk (NFC); 6 and 7 Resthaven (CHS); 9 Weimann & Sanders (NFC); 10 Drie Duiweboere (AFC).

BHU/EC Pigeon Federation: Yearlings (478 birds) – Uniondale: 1, 2 and 4 CF Julsing (ECPF); 3 B Samual (ECPF); 5 and 6 L Rutherford (NFC); 7 Drie Duiweboere (AFC); 8 S Amos Brown (AFC); 9 G Schwagele (NFC); 10 A Boucher (NFC).

EL Racing Pigeon Combine: Yearlings – Uniondale: 1, 2 L Rutherford (NFC); 3 Drie Duiweboere (AFC); 4 S Amos Brown (AFC); 5 G Schwagele (NFC); 6 A Boucher (NFC); 7 A Kmp (AFC); 8B Richter (AFC); 9 Jacobs Loft (AFC); 10 Ristow & Jamieson (NFC).

KEY: AFC – Abbotsford Flying Club; CHS – EL Comrades Homing Society; ECPF – E Cape Pigeon Federation; NFC – EL Northerns Flying.