Wednesday 31 July 2013

Rasbull Share Syndicate

The 2nd Hotspot takes place tomorrow from 85 miles in the Somerset One Loft Race. I am pleased to report we have both '10122' and '10124' in the marked list! We were missing '10124' from a bad training toss they had in midweek. 439 birds have been sent this week, which is 123 birds down on the 1st Hotspot. The 1st Hotspot winner is also not on the marked list! Keeping the birds in the race through the early Hotspots is the key to success. There really is no point peaking too early and the birds I have sent down this year dont have the zip and speed of the birds the last 2 occasions but hopefully this will allow for a better final race should they make it! Good luck.

The Pigeon Pixels One Loft Race hold our 2nd Hotspot on Saturday also. The distance is again 103 miles and hopefully our 3 birds in the race will do well.

We also have the Welsh Classic Challenge. Unfortunately half the birds were lost in a massive smash for the Welsh South Road Fed, but we did have a gallant bird return the following morning to live to fight another day. Well that day starts on Saturday and hopefully he can do well!

Saturday 27 July 2013

3rd, 4th and 5th Club Newbury!

The young birds were trained every day in the lead up to the race from 34 miles. After going twice Monday they went Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday with rest on Friday. They performed very well throughout the week and we got all the injured birds back in the basket. We did drop 1 injured bird returning and also 1 race bird - no idea how we dropped him! We sent 18 to this weeks race from Newbury 97 miles. (17 from the previous weeks race and 1 recovered injured bird) We clocked 9.17am, 9.21am and 9.21am to claim 3rd, 4th and 5th club from 134 birds! I am very happy with this performance as once again we did not have the wind to help us. The South winds can only be a matter of time!! We currently have 17 from 18 birds and are missing the bird that was 1st for us last week!
The Pigeon Pixels One Loft Race had our first Hotspot today from 103 miles, and 3 of our birds were in the line up. Our two in the Pixels OLR were 10th, 11th in the Open (30 birds).The other bird is a Irish Classic Challenge bird and also timed in.
The Welsh Classic Challenge also had their first race today and they had a bad one! We had 4 in the line up but as we speak none have been timed in. They are sitting at 29 from 75. Rain has pulled in this afternoon and I doubt many will make it home tonight so could be a nightout! I will update as I hear the returns but hopefully out 4 can make it!

Friday 26 July 2013

New Star - 'Rasbull Aquaflight'

Can't believe my luck! Have been following the Somerset One Loft Auction and one pigeon stood out for me by a mile.

She is a Hermans Ceusters x Ad Schaerlaeckans pigeon

Grandfather on both sides was Breakaway Boy - 1st Open BBC National Vire 2010
Grandmother was Somerset Dawn - 1st Open Somerset One Loft Race, 310 miles in 2010 beating 2nd pigeon by 1hr and 39 minutes!

She has flown Belgium 3 times in her short racing career and has produced the following results:-

52nd Open Young Bird Final, Somerset One Loft Race 2012, 265 miles, 549 birds
18th Open Yearling Race 2nd Hotspot,  Somerset One Loft Race 2013, 265 miles, 113 birds
2nd Open Yearling Race Final, Somerset One Loft Race 2013 - 389 miles, 79 birds (Beaten by 37 seconds winning £6,450 and clear of the 3rd bird by 27 minutes!)

So I have a double Granddaughter of BBC National Vire 2010 and also a Granddaughter to 1st Open Somerset One Loft Race 2010. She has flown Belgium 3 times and was herself 2nd Open Yealing Race, 389 miles winning £6,450! Here is the link to the Breeders website and this pigeon is from his 'Ace Pair' http://heritagepigeonlofts.com/page6.htm

Over the moon is not the word!

Monday 22 July 2013

Work Again!

The birds were trained twice today - both times from 38 miles! The first toss I sent the 17 race birds from Saturday and 2 birds recovering from injury so having their first toss in a good few weeks. The second toss I put in another having his first toss since being injured. In all 22 birds were sent and we are missing just 1 at nightfall. I am fully expecting him to make his way back home tomorrow. I am hoping to take the birds again training tomorrow from the same place but this will depend on the weather.
In the Somerset One Loft race '10122' arrived safe and sound and clocked in 429th position. There are still around 100 birds adrift tonight. Maybe a few more will work in tomorrow.

Somerset 1st Hotspot

The 1st Hotspot has taken place this morning and our bird WHU13N 10124 finished 222nd from the 562 birds entered. They have been well split up. WHU13N 10122 has not timed yet on the first published result showing 308 pigeons.
I am not to sure what to think with this years birds. In the past they have bombed home in training only to perform quite poorly in the Final race. So I am hoping this years birds are saving more for the final race. It seems to be the birds that produce in the early races are the ones that struggle come the final. Hopefuly if they can stay around the middle of the pack and get some extra fitness from arriving a little behind they will be in better stead come the final. I am very disappointed we lost two prior to the 1st Hotspot but that is life. Maybe '10121' can still arrive back as he was only lost in the toss prior to the 1st Hotspot. I was looking at the chap who won today. He entered 30 in to the race at the start, had 27 after the flyaway and got 15 to the 1st Hotspot so he has dropped quite a few like the rest of us.
I think I have made a mistake with this years pairings. The birds that have produced the goods for me in the past 2 years I have not sent down youngsters from them. I will certainly use these results to ensure the best possible pairings go next year. My timings were out for this year and I split the pair that had produced to see if they could further improve. 'Rasbull Trish' has laid 12 eggs this year and not one have been full! I have now changed her back to the old pairing of 'Rasbull Mr Perfect' and she is currently sitting two eggs that are due to hatch any day. I have reduced the stock birds to a bear minimum and they will be under close scrutiny over this season with their off spring in the Somerset One Loft race, Pigeon Pixels One Loft Race and the Welsh Classic Challenge.

Sunday 21 July 2013

Pleased!

The birds came quite well yesterday from Swindon (2). They liberated at 9.00 and I expected them at 10.30 and sure enough I clocked at 10.30.25! Hows that for calculating the velocity!!
I finished with 17 from 22 so down 5 of which 2 I am very surprised have failed to come. At the club I was 6 minutes behind the winner and 1 minute behind 4th place. I am very pleased with that as the wind failed to suit I think this was always going to limit us but they performed well.
After last weeks rest they will now be back to work this week with daily trainers from 28-34 miles. I am hoping the wind changes for next week with a bit of South in it. If it is then I think they will go very close! I will update if anything happens in the week.
Tomorrow is the first Hotspot in the Somerset One Loft Race and we have 2 birds marked and entered in the Gold Ring. Hopefully they will produce a good performance for the Rasbull Syndicate share holders. Good luck to us and everyone else for tomorrows race!

Friday 19 July 2013

22 gone tonight!

This week has been very hot so I have decided to give the birds a complete rest to reserve energy and recoup after their extensive training programme to date. They have had the bath in front of them for the past 4 days and have been allowed to lounge around in the loft. They have only been out for 10 minutes and trapped quickly due to the heat and being too hungry.
I have sent 22 tonight to the race from Swindon tomorrow (76 miles). The birds are looking and handling very nice and I fully expect a good race tomorrow. I have treated them for lice this week and apart from that they have had complete rest. I will update tomorrow with news on how they get on!
The 1st Hotspot takes place in the Somerset One Loft Race on Monday as we have at least 2 birds in the race and possible 3. (N10121 was not recorded on todays trainer from 40 miles but I feel he will be showing when the basket list is placed on the site). I hope they perform well in the Hotspots.

Tuesday 16 July 2013

So much to catch up on!!

Wow, seems like ages ago since I updated here! Infact it has only been 10 days but so, so much has been happening!

Firstly we have given the birds a hammering in training:-

30th June - 9 miles
1st July - 9 miles
1st July - 9 miles - immediately after the 1st toss
4th July - 18 miles
4th July - 18 miles - immediately after the 1st toss
5th July - 18 miles
5th July - 18 miles - immediately after the 1st toss
6th July - 28 miles - 2pm
6th July - 28 miles - 6pm
7th July - 34 miles
8th July - 34 miles
9th July - 61 miles
12th July - 18 miles
14th July - 76 miles - 1st Race
15th July - 44 miles

As you can see the birds have been trained very hard this year. They went to Shirenewton twice since the last time I updated and all came very well. Then I decided to do something that I have never done before and cross the Severn Bridge and liberate in England. I went to Hullavington (83 miles by road and 61 miles line of flight) It is the first race point in the Federation I was in last year! I let 58 go and on return only had 2 back! By nightfall I had 13! The following day they returned all day up to 7.30pm. We had 30 so down 18! They had a days rest after this and then went to 18 miles for a short one.
I basketed 30 for the first race of the season from Swindon (76 miles) and they raced on Sunday 14th. I was expecting them at 9.00-9.15am and clocked 9.14, 9.15, 9.15, 9.16! I ended up being 5th and 6th Club from 90 birds. Just two minutes separated the top 6 positions so I was very pleased with this. I had 25 out of 30 on the day so dropped 5 which have no arrived as yet.
I then finished work on Monday and found another bird that was lost 6 days ago from Hulavington in the garden. He had been hawked. Within 5 minutes I had a phone call from a vet in Portishead (North Somerset on the other side of the Severn Bridge) which to me shows the 58 birds from Hullavington were hit prior to entering Wales. I went to collect the bird who had also been hawked. I decided to take the 25 birds that had returned from the previous days race with me for further experience of crossing the Bristol Channel. I let all 25 go and they cleared very well. On return home I was down 4 which were the later ones from the race. I also noticed another bird in the loft from Hullavington so I ended up with 3 on the day after having nothing for 4 days! Sadly today the one collected from the vets was dead in the loft when I got home from work. He didnt look that well and must have been more injured that first thought.
I have rested the birds today as they are completely worn out and have spent the day in the bath and lounging in the sun. I will see how they are tomorrow before deciding whether to train again or another day rest. We are racing again this week from the same race point - Swindon. I have quite a few on the injury list and out of the 29 we have in the loft only 22 are fit and healthy and in a position to race.
In the Somerset One Loft Race we still have 2 birds in the loft and hopefully the 3rd will turn up. They had bad training toss yesterday from 30 miles with around 210 still yet to get home! In the Welsh Classic Challenge we still have all 4 birdsand they are looking to go to 22 miles tomorrow. In the Pigeon Pixels One Loft Race we have 3 out of the 4 still in the loft and these have been to 50 miles. I will keep you updated on all topics as they happen!  I will update soon - good luck to all!

Saturday 6 July 2013

Increasing the distance

We have had another youngster return this morning that we were missing from the double trainer two days ago. He is injured though but will recover. We are now back up to 53 young birds and 2 old cocks. We have another who is injured on his neck and I suspect he did it trapping on return from yesterday. Quite a nasty injury. The injured bay is slowly creeping up and I suspect 5 birds will not go to todays double trainer from 28 miles. I will check over all birds prior to basketing and update here later tonight.

Friday 5 July 2013

Twice again today!

We ended up dropping 2 in yesterdays double trainer. We went again this afternoon in exactly the same way. One toss straight after the other - both at 18 miles. 100% returns in both trainers today and we captured the 2nd toss on camera with the birds hitting the trap like rockets. I think if I hadt of been stepping out of the loft at that moment the birds would have hit the landing board direct. We will now step them up to 28 miles starting tomorrow. The video of the birds arriving is here:- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYrshARwXZE

Thursday 4 July 2013

Training regime increasing!

The two teams are now in full training mode. They went to 12 miles on Wednesday and came very well. Today they have been increased to 18 miles and went twice. I had a ring check and confirmed we had 54 young birds in the loft plus the 2 old race cocks. All were basketed up and 10 minutes after their return they were basketed again and taken to the same place. We are missing 3 from the both tosses with 53 birds in the loft as I write this. Hopefully the remaining 3 will return by tomorrow. They have had a good feed tonight and they will be taken again tomorrow afternoon, again to the 18 mile point. Depending on time, they might infact go twice again tomorrow. If I am happy after that they will be stepped up to 28 miles. We have 9 days until the 1st race so we are going to have to give them a hammering as I want them out to at least 40 miles prior to the 1st race. I am even hoping to take them to the first point (76 miles) but this will depend on how they come in the coming week. At the moment they are answering all the questions I am asking of them.