An alternative approach to judge the winning birds in pigeon racing

"race point"

The birth place of pigeon racing is in Europe over a century ago. It become a favourite hobby for millions of people around the globe. Breeding, training, feeding and racing techniques are also evolved with the changing and improving knowledge and technology. Nowaday, fanciers can obtain offsprings of the long dead famous stud from his frozen semen. DNA samples can be compared to that of the original parents to confirm the blood line. Check sex can be identified a few day before it was borne using chemical to test the female hormone level of in eggs flulid. Electronic clocking system using the contactless identificatiom technology is quickly replacing the conventional mechaical clocks. Now invention also makes it possible to mount a light weight GPS recording device on the back of pigeon during its flight which enables the plotting of its flight path with amazing accuracy. Computer and racing software can sort out information and data in any manner to produce and send race results on line or via cell phones. It can producee statistical references and run race simulation incorporating changes of coordinate, break points, release timea and distances,etc. Despite all these developments there is one very important aspect in pigeon racing that was caught up with time and technology. That is the method generally used to judge the winning pigeons. Presently, the most acceptable system is to calculate the fastest speed (meters per minute) by dividing direct air distance from race point to loft by the total time a pigeon took to arrive ome. This sounds a lot better and more civilized than the olden day practice of the fanciers running or riding bucycles with their pigeons or the rubber band in hand to the club.

However,we can still here fanciers saying something like, "I should have won the race If the wind not blown." This complaints is to be merits and clearly suggest that there is a dilemma in the core of pigeon racing game. That is t he wind and geographical layouts are the most important factors in seperating champions from losers especially for short and middle distance up to 500-600 km races in normal weather. There is no prat]p[ice solution. In countris where pigeon racing has evolved into serious gambling, a club's racing parameter might be limited to only 5 km frontage and 5 depth. Despite this limition, there are still arguments on location advantage. Using conventional air distance has its flaw when measuring direct distance between two coordinates accross a long span over the sea where there is pararel coastline or island close to the flight line. If pigeon are cling to te coast line. Pigeons are a good navigation facility but they are a good survival instinct also. They are also land marks in pinpointing teir flight pat as proved by many researches. Frying across a very high mountain range is neither their option if there is reacable and manageable peak or passage channel to fly through. Fighting side wind is another thing most pigeons can not manage without losing speedd to loft. Therefore, it is not fair to the pigeons or the most fanciers involved if we are to expect that the pigeons will follow te straight line drawn by human being across the sea or terrain pigeons can not fly through. It is not possible for them to fly a straight line if they flight strong side wind.

In Thailand, fanciers are moving to the west end of the club boundary to take advantage of the norteasterly wind which prevails during the main racing season from the norrth routes of Bangkok. There are also absolute advantages racing from the south because air distances are measured directly from race point along the south peninsular across the sea to Bangkok while it is not possible for pigeons to follow that line in our climatic condition. Pigeon are following the coast line nnorthwards and then enter the city from the SW end. It is difficult for faciers in the middle and the eastern end of the boundary causing most them not to participate. The end result is the dwinding numbers of fanciers. At the end of the day, there will be only a small group of fanciers racing amoung themselves in te west end zone and tey would still be arguing who get the advantages of being closer to the west border line.

In Thailand during the four months north route racing season from late October trough end of January , the monsoon wind is always from te northeast with velocity between 15-35 km/hr. This is assure as the sun would rise from the east unless there is a rare happening of off season depression or storm. Monsoon is an Arabic word meaning prevailing seasonal wind. Therefore, most of the races will be won by lofts, big and small, lining the west end boundary with speed as high as 50-100 meter per minute faster than pigeon from top lofts in the middle and eastern part which constitute majority of the total entry. However, computer stimulation using past race results and a break points coordinates from location near Supanburi show a much better distribution of prizes.

Hanicap system, this system asumes that all pigeons in the race fly to the same finish line for any specific race as if tey were all racing from the same loft. For any race point, there will be a "standard distance" which is measured from that race point to the front boundary line. The handicap given will not change the race result by that much but its give people in the back some due respect and a better feeling. This system is more or less the same method used in European national and International races.