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Articles.
Tarbes.
It is difficult to escape an English influence as you move along the Spanish - French border and the Pyraneas from Dax to Tarbes, as this race has done. Here, in Tarbes, a main feature is the Jardin Massey a glorious English style garden. Tarbes is perhaps more famous for its military history, artillery in particular, and one of its most famous sons was Ferdinand Foch who was appointed Allied Supreme Commander to co-ordinate the allied armies activities on 26th march 1918. The house in which he was born is now a museum and a statue stands to his memory near Victoria Station, London. Foch was disappointed with the Treaty of Versatile, which effectively ended the state of war between Germany and the allied armies describing it thus "This is not a peace. It is an armistice for 20 years"
It is difficult to escape an English influence as you move along the Spanish - French border and the Pyraneas from Dax to Tarbes, as this race has done. Here, in Tarbes, a main feature is the Jardin Massey a glorious English style garden. Tarbes is perhaps more famous for its military history, artillery in particular, and one of its most famous sons was Ferdinand Foch who was appointed Allied Supreme Commander to co-ordinate the allied armies activities on 26th march 1918. The house in which he was born is now a museum and a statue stands to his memory near Victoria Station, London. Foch was disappointed with the Treaty of Versatile, which effectively ended the state of war between Germany and the allied armies describing it thus "This is not a peace. It is an armistice for 20 years"
Tarbes is close to Pau and presents a similar route. The Pyraneas again act as a backdrop to the liberation and laid out before the pigeons, as they start their journey, is a gently undulating landscape. The main difference between Pau and Tarbes, apart from what the weather brings, is the size of the field and the liberation time. The restrictions placed on the Pau entry make it a smaller and probably more experienced field while Tarbes is likely to attract a much larger entry with many on their first long flight. The difference between a midday liberation and an early one will also have an effect.
Foch Museum
Tarbes
Tarbes
This long, relatively flat flight can sort out those that can fly this distance but will it add anything to their experience for the races to come?
Tarbes 2008
By this time last year the race was over, flu had struck, the liberation point, for those who were able to compete, had moved and British hopes had been crushed. So what for 2008? A fairly healthy entry of just over 400 pigeons is an indication that the interest in International racing in Britain, though still small, is rising. From this race point with the right winds, as shown by the recent National Flying Club race, competitors from the Western and Northern sections can do well so let us hope for the weather and conditions that make this possible.
The untimely death of the B.I.C.C. President, Brian Long, though not entirely unexpected after his long and brave battle against illness, sent a wave of unease through the sport. He made a big contribution to International racing in the UK and now leaves a huge gap to be filled. The last thing he would have wanted however would have been for racing to stop, after all his efforts to allow it to continue. As I understand it the B.I.C.C. are already securing a trophy to honour his memory which will be awarded to the winner of this race, a fitting gesture in the circumstances. This means that there are now two new memorial trophies that turn on this race the first having been presented by Nigel Rigiani, in memory of his father, that will be awarded to the best Tours-Tarbes competitor in the I.P.R.R. Forum competition.
Tarbes 2008 looks like being an important race for British fanciers so lets look forward to a good race and get ready to time at least a hundred pigeons and fill our quota in the full result.
Nigel Lane
By this time last year the race was over, flu had struck, the liberation point, for those who were able to compete, had moved and British hopes had been crushed. So what for 2008? A fairly healthy entry of just over 400 pigeons is an indication that the interest in International racing in Britain, though still small, is rising. From this race point with the right winds, as shown by the recent National Flying Club race, competitors from the Western and Northern sections can do well so let us hope for the weather and conditions that make this possible.
The untimely death of the B.I.C.C. President, Brian Long, though not entirely unexpected after his long and brave battle against illness, sent a wave of unease through the sport. He made a big contribution to International racing in the UK and now leaves a huge gap to be filled. The last thing he would have wanted however would have been for racing to stop, after all his efforts to allow it to continue. As I understand it the B.I.C.C. are already securing a trophy to honour his memory which will be awarded to the winner of this race, a fitting gesture in the circumstances. This means that there are now two new memorial trophies that turn on this race the first having been presented by Nigel Rigiani, in memory of his father, that will be awarded to the best Tours-Tarbes competitor in the I.P.R.R. Forum competition.
Tarbes 2008 looks like being an important race for British fanciers so lets look forward to a good race and get ready to time at least a hundred pigeons and fill our quota in the full result.
Nigel Lane