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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?
In 2011 Tarbes suffered from the weather and was brought back to Agen. In 2012, because of La Fête Nationale or as we better know it Bastille Day the anniversary of the storming of the Bastille on 14th July 1789, when no liberation would be allowed, it has been felt prudent to move the race from France into Spain and Irun. The Tarbes race was last moved to Irun in 2007 when the French restrictions on liberations forced the move so, hopefully after three moves in the last few years Tarbes will be restored to normality next year.
Subsequent to the above decision reservations were raised about whether the Irun race point could accommodate the 5-6 expected vehicles that would form the convoy. In view of this a final decision was put off until the K.B.D.B. meeting of 10th February when it was decided to move the race to the St Vincent race point with a liberation on Sunday 15th July.
Subsequent to the above decision reservations were raised about whether the Irun race point could accommodate the 5-6 expected vehicles that would form the convoy. In view of this a final decision was put off until the K.B.D.B. meeting of 10th February when it was decided to move the race to the St Vincent race point with a liberation on Sunday 15th July.