Racing Pigeon Post

Have a go 250 Euro pool

No one can ever say Steve Patrick and his brother are not having a "Go." Like Captain Ahab from "Moby Dick" Steve has firmly nailed his silver dollar to the mast but this time it is not the "White Whale" he is after but an altogether bigger fish, "The International Barcelona."

There must be a tremendous joy just competing in an event of this size and stature for not only are there prizes for winning but a reputation can also be had for being the longest flyer, the most clocked, the best hen, 1st National and a most consistent pigeon over two or thee years. Steve and his brother are up for the challenge just as they always have been. They are the same sort of people who sailed out of Nantucket where and even if they fail with the big prize they will grow enormously because they took part. They are learning all the time and growing because of it. They have probably learned more in the last five years than in the whole of their lives. Already they are seeing the early fruits of their labours. This year they timed six of their young team in the full International result against more than 25,000 pigeons.

You can also tell the sort of race Barcelona is by examining the biggest pool. Although the pools range from 25 cents at 1 in 4 they rise to a massive 250 Euros pool also paid out at 1 in 4. Barcelona has more pigeons in this big pool than any other International race. This year for instance there were 28 pigeons -that is 7 pigeons taking money at one in four. You have to be really brave to enter this pool and bet 250 Euros (175 GBP) on a pigeon for it not just the 175 GBP you are betting - you also have to play on all the other pools leading up to the 250 Euro from 25cent to the full 250 Euros. It doesn't end there - as well as the International pools there are the NATIONAL POOLS. This year there were 15 pigeons entered in the 250 Euro National pool. Pretty big stuff 350 quid for both the National and the International in one pool alone, if you go for this pool.

What kind of pigeon is worth spending this kind of money? They must be good and must have some form for such a bet. At International level there were seven winners this year. These seven winners were in 221st place Wijnands and Son of Maastricht with pigeon 1218652.04. In 305th place was another Netherlands pigeon, belonging to the Vrosch Mijers partnership of Heerlen. In 427th was the well-known fancier from Bornival, Germain Imbrecht followed by Jos Thone in 769th place.

Next was Mark de Cock of Temse in 1094th place. The money was going down the list this year but remember there were only 28 pigeons eligible for this pool; we are talking about almost one pigeon in a thousand.

Next in 6th place was the second pigeon belonging to Wijnands and Son of Maastricht in 1114th place International. Ronald Geerdink of Heemstede in the Netherlands had the last pick up in 2016th place, he only sent two pigeons to the race. What kind of pigeon are these fancied birds? Wijnands first marked pigeon for instance was first marked in the race but was 4th to the loft. This pigeon number 2347667.01 was 30th Marseilles and 291st from Barcelona in 2006 so this pigeon has plenty of previous form. Consistent pigeons of this kind are hard to come by. The first pigeon they clocked and the first one to have a share of big pool was number 1218652.04 221st in the race and second marked. This cock had previously been 155th from Perpignan the previous year against 15,000 pigeons so he definitely had the talent. This year being 221st he has confirmed it.

Vrosch Meijers previously won the International Barcelona in 2004 so they are well adjusted to winning at the highest level. This time their 250 Euro pool pigeon was in 305th place. It had stacks of previous form - this pigeon has flown high in the Barcelona result for three years running. It was 50th in 2005 - 33rd in 2006 and this year as I have already stated 350th in 2007 - slotted in to those results was a Perpignan performance in 2005. They were 440th that year as well but obviously this cock is a Barcelona specialist. He is happy at Barcelona that is where he does best so he must be pooled from this race point but what a pigeon four times in the top 2 percent in International racing - this is the stuff of which dreams are made.

The third big pool pigeon was another cock, which we presume was on widowhood. This four-year-old cock belonging to Germain Imbrecht had previously been 105th from Perpignan in 2006; this cock was getting better as he got older. He was Germain Imbrecht's first marked pigeon; he was also pooled in the National race at the same level.

Five on the list was the famous fancier Jos Thone from Neijl bj As in the Limburg province of Belgium. This pigeon was a hen that had previously scored three times in other International races; she was 209th Marseilles in 2004, 228th Marseilles in 2005 and 228th Barcelona in 2006. She was asking to be pooled for every year of her life she had scored highly in International races and not only that, she showed she could switch direction by hundreds of miles and still do it. This hen is a thinking pigeon. It is only certified thinking pigeons that are worth 250 euros. She was also pooled in the National to the same amount.

Mark de Cock is next. His pigeon was also a hen. She was also a four year old. She had previously scored 123rd from the International Perpignan in 2005 and 422nd in the International from Barcelona a year later. This pooling business is not just a matter of sending a good pigeon it is also a test of the fancier. The question it asks is can you as a fancier prepare the pigeon exactly the same or even better a year later? In other words can you repeat your management of this particular pigeon to get a similar result? Not everyone can do it. Not everyone does do it. It's a test the fancier puts on himself for all the world to see. After all the pigeon is a year older and as everyone knows sometimes hard races damage pigeons on the inside that cannot be seen. All these questions go through the mind in International Racing.

The final pigeon belonged to Ronald Gerdink from the Netherlands town of Heemstede. Ronald is a long flyer; his distance from Barcelona is 773 miles. His pigeon was a cock taking 2016th place International. Previously this cock was 215th in the International from Perpignan in 2005. At his distance this performance is outstanding. No doubt he confirmed his quality the in the following two years but I have no record of purely Netherlands National races only international races. Anyway he was fancied to do well so he was pooled and he won.

That is the round up of the really fancied pigeons in this years Barcelona race. The Patrick Brothers were early enough to take a share providing they had pooled and providing they chose the right pigeon but pooling on this scale is not for rash judgement it is for careful consideration. The Patrick Brothers will improve still further but while they have their silver dollar nailed firmly to the mast and are as motivated as they were to up stakes and move and race in Belgium they have an outstanding chance. I will not spoil their chances by forecasting what they will do - I will only say they will be trying and one day we might all hail "There she blows" right into a head wind when few are clocked. Still when it comes to Barcelona there are more ways than one of skinning a cat. The big pool is just one of them - a good loft performance is another - winning the actual race is a third. Somehow I think winning, although very good, is not as important as some may think. Doing something from Barcelona without even a hint of luck is more impressive.

By the way the Vrosh Meijers pigeon when first sent to Barcelona in 2005 was 6th marked - out of seven sent. Every year since it was 1st marked. The Patrick Brothers first pigeon this year was 11th marked out of 12 sent. I bet it is fancied a bit more next year. Even the world best fanciers, National and International winners amongst them sometimes choose the wrong pigeon.

John Clements