Article Published: 16/10/2006

The racing season has come to its inevitable end for the calendar year 2006. An eerie emptiness has taken hold of my being. Involuntary my mind takes me back to the start of the season, what has gone wrong, why did my pigeons not perform as expected? Past seasons these same birds performed above average, reluctantly I have to admit that the fault is to be laid fairly and squarely at my door….Other lofts import the best that money can buy out of other countries but do they rule the roost….. I wonder…. What or where did things go wrong, was it feeding, medicating or was it just simply lack of alertness to signs of stress in the loft?
After pondering all the facets of a disappointing racing season, I have to admit that to neglect the breeding stock is to court disaster the following season. It is with a warm glow of pride that I remember the successes of seasons not to far in the distant past, but what stands out like a beacon of light in this present gloom of disappointment is the meticulous care the breeding pairs received. So there you have it, the eerie emptiness need not be, there is hope after all. Keep it simple but give your breeders all the care and attention you can muster and go forth with assurance of a more competitive racing season next time.

Apart from racing there’s also another side to this wonderful and fascinating sport of ours and that is administration. The powers that be must at all costs assure that the sport of pigeon racing is administered in an honest, fair and transparent manner. Fair not only to the fanciers but to the most important members, the pigeons themselves. Accountability is non negotiable, people in office is there because of the ordinary folk. It is here where I have my doubts and disillusionment just as in completing a really disappointing racing season.

Where should the focus of our sport be, surely on the pigeons together with honesty and transparency! Why is it then that there are so many doubts about liberations, race results, race rules and last but not the least why do the number of active participating fanciers get fewer and fewer every season? All these questions in people’s minds tell a story of enormous concern over this beloved sport of ours. Please, let’s forget about all the trivia and direct our focus totally on the enhancement of this beautiful hobby that was entrusted to us.

C.J Richter.