HOMING PIGEONS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20101, 22 November 1939, Page 7

HOMING PIGEONS

YEARLING CHAMPIONSHIP STONEHAM CUP EVENT ■The Poverty Bay Homing Pigeon Society conducted two races on Saturday, one of these being for the Stoneham Challenge Cup for mature birds over an airline distance of 440 miles, and the other a 250-mile event run in connection with the New Zealand society’s yearling championship. The Stoneham Cup event was unfortunate, for only one of 43 entries, representing eight lofts, completed the distance in race time. This was R. Hall’s Desert Mystery, which was' liberated with the other 42 starters at Christchurch at 5 a.m. on Saturday and arrived at its home loft at 4.13 p.m. on Sunday. Weather conditions over Cook Strait and southwards were decidedly against good performances, and it was there, no doubt, that many birds were driven astray. A number of the entries have still to be accounted for. Desert Mystery gave R. Hall his second consecutive win in the Stoneham Cup event. The yearling race was started at Wellington at 8 a.m., and though weather conditions were not invariably good, some satisfactory velocities were established. First home was T. Crosby’s entry, clocked in at 2.3 G p.m.. and establishing a velocity of 1106.9yds per min. A. O’Neill’s entry in this race was placed second with 1104.7yds per min., and R. Hall was represented by the third place-getter, which rated 1103. G yds per min. J. McLean, M. Royds and D. Somervell were also represented in the yearling race. Next Saturday a “two-clock-two” race will be held over a distance of. 13G miles airline from Takapau.