Yesterday I sent thirty-six birds on the club trailer for a training toss to Corin, Utah. That is just north and west of Brigham City. I got all but one home, and they all came in good time. It was not a race, but lots of club members sent birds for the toss.
The Old Bird (birds born prior to this January 1st) races begin next Saturday. Our first race is Malad, Idaho, which is just over 150 air miles for me. My team has birds as old as five years of age on it, and several birds born last spring, too. I have gotten them into good condition, and they are going to do well. At least that is my hope.
There are some very good fliers in the club, one, Jim Norton, often wins a lot of money in one loft young bird races that he enters. He pays an entry fee and then sends a baby to the person holding the race. Others do the same. So all the birds are raised and trained the same. He actually won the Snowbird Classic out of Southern California a few years ago. It netted him many thousand dollars. There is a race in South Africa (you know those South African Dutch) that is called the Million Dollar Race. You can imagine the take from winning or even placing well in that one. Some guy from Florida has won it several times! The Snowbird is a premier race in America. So my competition is tough.
Our races are not one loft and are to each club members loft. The winner is determined by the average speed the bird flew to return to your own loft. The club member having the bird with the fastest speed wins the race. Distances are determined by GPS and times are measured by an electronic chip that the bird carries on its leg. It is recorded as an entry the night before the race just before the bird is placed in the club trailer with the other entries. It electronically registers when the bird comes home and enters the loft, crossing his foot over an electronic antennae.
There will be about twenty people competing in my club this season. One of them is an assistant women's track couch at BYU. One is an artist. One is a factory worker. One is a grocer. There are lots of interesting and wonderful men who are involved.
Wish me luck.
Dad Clark
7 comments:
Good luck! Hope they all make it home. Sarah and Geoff miss letting the birds go with you~ no, they're not going to get any of their own though. A dog's enough.
Good luck with the million dollar race. Can I help you spend the winnings?
So, Chels, is Dad trying to get you to take birds, too? He's been trying to wear me down for 15 years.
Good luck, Dad! We're pulling for you.
That was my deleted post. I accidentally posted twice.
I keep telling him that I hope they don't come home - he had a guy take them to Malad for a "practice" flight - all but one came home. dang....
Well, I guess we have part of our food storage - I hear squab is very tasty. :)
I guess no one has ever told me that you bird race. Actually, I've never heard of bird racing, but I hope that your birds kick some tail. -Natalie
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