HOMING PIGEON CLUB.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 27 December 1913, Page 5

HOMING PIGEON CLUB.

OLD BIRD CHAMPIONSHIP.

The Masterton Homing Pigeon Club yesterday flew old bird championship race from Helemsville, a town about! thirty miles north of Auckland, and 310 miles airline distance from Masterton. The conditions of the race limit,each loft owner to 1 representative, each bird being liberated at ten minute intervals. Nine lefts were represented, and five of them clocked their birjd in before nightfall. Considering that each pigieon had to fly over 300 miles by itself, the times "of the first four birds are remarkably close. ' The following is the detailed result _, Mr F. B. Rosson's "Silver Dapple," lOhrs 30min, 1; W. JDixon'a blue ch "True Bhie" 10h is 35mins, 2nd; Mr G-/Pember's "King Dick" lOhrs 37min, 3rd; Mr W. Dowling's "Flitaway,' 'lOhrs .'.Sunn, Drake Bros.' "Endeavour" was the only other bird home in the The settling .of the strike will no datubt enable the Club to proceed at once with the remaining long-dis-tance races from tha» South. It is doubtful, however, if the Club will be able to fly the Invercargill race this season, as owing to the delay .most of the old birds are going intd their annual moult, and with Timaru, and Dunedinj. still to fly, it would be about five weeks before the Invercargill race could be flown. The big Federation race from Peranga Ranga with the Palmerston 'Notrth and Wellington Clubs, which takes place shortly after the New Year, is at present the chief concern of the local members.