marks page from the 1940.s

The Fascination Of Pigeon Racing

(Taken from a 1940's pigeon racing book)

There are few hobbies which have proved more universally popular than pigeon racing. For long years it has captured the interest of all classes of society. Doctors, solicitors, men of letters, artists, scientists, artisans, labourers - all have fallen for its irresistable charm. It has appealed to the rich aswell as the poor and its successes have been shared by both. The best birds have not all come from the palatial lofts of the millionaire; some have been bred on the roof of a city tenement, by men whose time and money have alike been extremely limited.

Never in the history of pigeon racing, however, has the hobby been more popular than it is today. Never has it held out such prospects of pleasure and profit for its adherents. The war has given the homing pigeon a new place in history and a new status in society. Added to the excitement of pigeon racing is the science of pigeon breeding.

What is it that makes a racing pigeon such an object of interest to such vast sections of the populace in so many parts of the world? The answwer lies very largely in the character of the bird itself. It possesses all those attributes which men have always admired most.

First and foremost is the bird's own love of home, of its own loft, of its own nest, and its own spouse. Wherever that home may be, whatever it may be like, whether it be lavishly or simply appointed, whether situate in a rich country estate or in an urban backyard, that home and all that goes with it, are the bird's most cherished dream. From distant countries, and even from foreign lands, the racing pigeon will turn uncannily, but so often unerringly, towards its own precious home. No place on earth has the same attraction for it.

But love of home and nest is only one of the characteristics of the racing pigeon. It has amazing pluck. It will battle heroically against odds of wind and rain and poor visibility. Its determination and its perseverance are un-parallelled. It will fly to its last ounce of strength. Truly has it been said that the racing pigeon soars on the power of its indomitable spirit as much as on the strength of its wing.

Wedded to these qualities are the bird's keen eyesight and its marvellous memory. No one has yet explained to the full just how the racing pigeon finds its way back home from distant points, but eyesight, memory and an indefinable sense of direction must play a big part. Those who have kept these birds, however, will testify that this combination of the almost unbelievable sensitive vision with what may be described as marvellous "photographic" memory gives to the bird a kind of intelligence which is unique.

Finally, the racing pigeon though kept outside a man's own home may be classed almost with the cat and the dog as a domestic creature. In the training of a bird, patience and perseverance on the part of the owner are quickly rewarded. The birds, too, soon come to know their keeper. They acknowledge him not by any fussy demonstation, but by the very absence of it. In a loft of well trained pigeons theere is a peace and calm which are the perfect antidote to the worries and cares of the working day.

But the sterling qualities of the racing pigeon itself are not the sole causes of its extraordinary fascination. There is, of course, the excitement of the actual racing and the natural and justifiable pride which a man feels in having bred a bird which can excel in long distance trials. Pigeon racing gives to any man or woman, whether rich or poor, all the thrills which can be obtained from a grandstand seat at the Derby. The excitement of releasing a young bird during its early days of training, or seeing an old bird come winging home through the blue at the end of a Saturday's race, is something which has to be experienced to be really known. There is nothing quite like it in the world of sport.

Little wonder than that the hobby of pigeon racing is so popular in this country. Little wonder that big money is always waiting for the outstanding performance, even though as may very well be, it has been bred in the "small man's" loft. Hundreds of thousands more will know it in the next few years.