Well, I am finally getting around to writing something in this section. I thought I would write about how I did in 2008. Although I may have had a bird do well, I typically only reference those birds that "won money." I am a firm believer in the statement "show me the money" when people want to talk about how well their pigeons did in one loft races. I don't even talk about the training tosses and will say that I don't even like to read about how a pigeon was "e1st on a 75 mile training toss or 100 mile training toss." I weary of people who want to talk results that really aren't worth noting. Ok, off my soap box and here are my the races and results from 2008:
American Grand National
ESPO's East Coast Challenge
Vegas Classic
Beaver Spring Break
Gold Cup Classic
Flamingo International Challenge
Highlander Race
Triple Crown Classic
AU Convention Race
Southwest Special 330
Here are my results in the race and my basic thoughts on the races:
I was very impressed with the efforts of the American Grand National team. Great updates on the website. Real time training results. The birds were very well trained. The final race was a tough one and there were not a lot of day birds. I understand the birds were released in overcast weather -- not perfect weather, but certainly not 'fatal' weather.
ESPO's East Coast Challenge
I had one bird in the money:
5th Place Average Speed - AU 08 UCA 435(nest mate to 434 above)
This pigeon is out of 5857 x 85134
This pigeon was also in the money on two of the individual races
I was also very impressed with the efforts of the ESPO East Coast Challenge team. Great updates on the website. Real time training results. The birds were very well trained and when I received the bird back he looked like he was still ready to fly another 350 mile race. These races were very tough races.
Gold Cup Classic
I didn't win any money in this series of races.
I am only going to say that this race was a fiasco and I have probably heard more negative comments regarding the individual who put on this race and the race itself than any other pigeon related activity in my life. Very tragic in every sense of the word for the participants in this race and it is no wonder the race series has ended.
Vegas Classic
I didn't win any money in this series of races. My best bird was 22nd -- just out of the money.
In the past, this has been one of my favorite races. I think the Vegas Classic team does a good job of caring for the birds. I think they provide good updates and train the birds hard. I must say that this year the race was very strange on many fronts and very fast. Too fast...nobody was ready for the birds. I don't get the opportunity to attend many One Loft Events, but I rarely miss this one. Super race day events.
This pigeon was also e1st (4 on drop) on the final 300 mile race
This race is another one of my favorite local races and I think Rick Marchal, the individual running this race, is one of the finest men in the pigeon game. Honest, hard working, forthright, etc. The only challenging thing I would say about this race is that it is a smaller race in that there aren't that many pigeons in the final race. I sure hope more people enter this race and enjoy the efforts that Rick puts into the race.
Highlander Race
Although I have done very well in the Highlander in the past, I did not win money this year.
This year was a very tough year for Curt Spragg in that he had numerous difficult tosses. I will say that Curt is also one of the finest most hard-working men in the pigeon sport. I hope he can keep this race together and rebuild it to be what it once was. Again, this guy does it right...I just wish he had more pigeons to compete with in the money races.
Flamingo International Challenge
I did not win money in the race.
This is a great race and great people. I decided to attend this race this year and enjoyed it immensely. I think they are going to be using the live web results program provided by Benzing and I really enjoy that program. I do not like the points format and in 2009 will only enter races that provide for an average speed component so I won't be entering this race for personal preference reasons.
AU Convention Race
I did not win money in the race.
I was very impressed with my handlers and they did well in the race, but I just didn't have the horses to win. A neat story. The bird that I thought had the best chance never returned from the race on race day. The next day, I received a call from a guy in Minnesotta who was not a pigeon guy who said he has this pigeon walked into his garage with a broken wing and through the band he tracked me down. I was very grateful for the call and called the pigeon's handler and he went and picked the pigeon up and sure enough...the pigeon had a broken wing!
Triple Crown Classic
I did not win money in the race.
I really enjoy Ron and the Triple Crown Classic, but I just do not seem to have birds that can compete in this type of series of races. I am hopeful that in the future I can figure out how to compete in this series. I think you need a "survival" pigeon as the pigeons aren't trained hard before the 1st race and then they go 100, 200, 300 miles within 7 days. I think that takes a special type of pigeon and I have also observed that the people who do well tend to have entered multiple teams. I will be back in the next few years to this race -- once I have found some "survivor" type pigeons.
This pigeon was entered in partnership with Rick Marchal and is out of a hen that was 3rd Place in the Southwest Special in 2007 out of my Van Moorsel family crossed onto a Bekeart cock from Rick.
8th Place -- AU 08 UCA 1168
Yea, I know...I said two birds above, but this pigeon is out of two of my pigeons. I loaned a pair of birds to Travis Hancock, a new flyer in our club, and he sent this youngster out of that pair to the race and it was 8th. It is 3/4 Van Moorsel and 1/4 Van Loon.
Overall, I was very pleased with the year. I made money, which is always what really counts!!!
