CHAMPION PIGEONS

FAST AND FAITHFULLY

If you go to Blackpool’s Winter Gardens on January 21^st or 22^nd, you will see hundreds of pigeons. They are very special pigeons. They are homing pigeons. And this is the Royal Piegon Racing Association’s BHW (British Homing World Magazine) Show of the Year.

The event attracts over 25,000 people. Awards are given to the best pigeons, and visitors can also discover everything about pigeon racing. They can meet pigeon fanciers, people who keep pigeons. And they can buy their own pigeons at auction. A champion racing pigeon can cost Euro 10,000! In Indian rupees (2lakhs)

HER MAJESTY

What is special about homing pigeons? They always fly home. You can transport them hundreds of miles, release them, and they will return home. People have used pigeons as messengers for centuries.

Pigeon racing is a traditional working-class sport in the north of England. It began during the 19^th century. Gambling was very popular at that time. The postal service used pigeons to deliver messages. So people gambled on the pigeons. Then people began to buy and race the pigeons. It was common for miners and shopkeepers to have a pigeon loft in their gardens. Soon pigeon racing became a recognized sport, with clubs all over Britain and the world. Famous pigeon fanciers include Pablo Picasso, Walt Disney and boxer Mike Tyson. Queen Elizabeth is an enthusiastic pigeon fancier. She has a pigeon loft at Sandringham in Norfolk.

War stories

Pigeons were very important during the Second World War. The military used pigeons to send messages. Resistance fighters in Europe communicated with England by pigeon, for example. RAF planes always carried a pigeon. If the plane crashed, the pilot released the pigeon with the plane’s location.

A HERO

One pigeon, White Vision, was a national hero in 1943. He received the Dickin Medal. This is the animal equivalent of the Victoria Cross. White Vision’s plane crashed in the Hebrides. The search for the plane failed because of terrible weather and fog. But White Vision flew 95 kilometers against 40 kilometer per hour winds. His message gave the location of the crash, and the crew was saved. Altogether 32 pigeons received medals for heroism.

What is a pigeon race?

The pigeons all have a special ring attached to their legs. In a race, the pigeons are released from a location about 160 to 800 kilomteres from their home. The birs then fly back to the same spot. Their time of arrival is registered with a special clock. Of course, the distance varies. So the average speed of each pigeon is calculated. The fastest pigeon wins. How do pigeons navigate? Experts think they use the Earth’s magnetic field and the sun. in fact, today’s mobile phone signals can confuse them.

A proud history

Pigeons were the first domesticated birds. Experts say the Rock Dove was domesticated 10,000 years ago. It is the ancestor of all pigeons today. People have kept pigeons for thousands of years. The Romans kept pigeons for food. In medieval time only nobles had permission to keep pigeons. They were an important source of meat during the winter. The Egyptians were probably the first to send messages by pigeon. They discovered that pigeons naturally return to their birth place. Aristotle mentions homing pigeons in his writing, so pigeon post has a long history. Pigeon racing, however, started in the 19^th century in Belgium.