HOMING PIGEON RACING.

Taranaki Daily News, 16 April 1921, Page 8

HOMING PIGEON RACING.

NEW PLMOUTH CLUB. On Saturday last the New Plymouth Homing Club completed its first series of young bird races, which had. been arranged for qualifying birds to compete in races up to 125 miles. The chib commenced the 1921 season by flying k a race from Eltham on the 12th ultimo, being favored with ideal weather for the opening event, which enabled good times to be recorded. Twenty-eight birds competed in the event, the result being: First, J. Bellringer’s No. 550, 45min., velocity 1105 yards; second, F. Julian’s No. 608, 46 min., 1078 yards; third H. J. Moverley’s No. 604, 46jmin., 1073 yards.

The second race was flown from the same point of liberation on Saturday, the 19th ultimo, for late-'bred birds The weather was dull, with a head wind, which proved tricky for the youngsters competing, causing the birds to split up and home by various routes. Twentytwo birds competed, the, place-getters being: F. Julian’s No. 538, 1 hour, velocity 834 yards; H. J. Moverley’s No. 609, 1 hour 9 min., 720 yards; B. Linn’s No. 803, 1 hour 18 min., 638 yards.

The Easter holidays enabled the chib to arrange races from Waverley on successive days, the first hamper forwarded, /' consisting of 28 birds, being favored with good flying weather during the progress of the race, but the next morning saw a i-hange in conditions, and the 32 birds forwarded for the second event had to -face a strong northerly wind witli sudden showers of rain. Comparison of the times show how weather conditions affect the racing, the result of the first race being: F. Julian’s Overtime, 1 hour 47min., velocity 957 yards; J. Bellringer’s Silver, 1 hour 47%min., velocity 947 yards; H. J. Moverley’s No. 609, 2 hours 2 min., velocity 836 yards. The second race, under adverse conditions, with ft late liberation, resulted: F. Julian’s Ensignette, 3 hours 39min., velocity 4(‘mB yards; H. J. Moverley’s Coronet, 3 hours 40min., velocity 464 yards. The fifth race was flown from Aramoho, a distance of 83 miles, on the 2nd instant, when the No. 1 hamper birds were again fortunate in striking fine weather. Thirty competed in the event, the result being: First, F. Julian’s Foremost, 2 hours 15min., velocity 1088 yards; second, J. Bellringer’s Nervous, 2 hours 15min., velocity 1078 yards; third, H. J. Moverley’s Cloudy, 2 hours 16Jmin., velocity 1075 yards. The sixth -race flown on Saturday last contained the birds that had experienced a hard fly in the second Waverley race the previous week, and were unlucky to meet even worse weather conditions from Aramoho. The 32 birds participating were kindly liberated at 11.30 a.m. by the station-master, and encountered the heavy rain and strpng' northerly wind that prevailed during the afternoon, consequently velo. cities recorded were the lowest for the season. The first birds to home included Mr. J. Julian’s Ensignette (a previous winner this season), thus enabling this fancier to register his fifth successive win. The times recorded were: F. Julian’s Ensignette, 5 hours 29min., velocity 446 yards; H. J Moverley’s No. 882, 6 hours 27min., velocity 379 yards.

The result of these races discloses that 65 birds have qualified for future events. The first race of the second series will take place from Stratford to-day.