Sky sports champions: Racing pigeons
They are sky racing pigeons-the "athletes of the sky"; from the very beginning they astonished hobbyists with magic endurance, homing behavior, and spirits of competition. Beyond simply petting this bird, it is a glorious athlete bred and trained to run fast and long with an instinctive sense of direction. Sure enough, pigeon racing has an incredibly rich colorful history and is an enthusiastic hobby for thousands of enthusiasts worldwide.
History of Racing Pigeons
Racing pigeons have been serving as messenger carrier birds for thousands of years. In the case of ancient Egypt, they were carrying messages. The Roman Empire made use of them mainly for military communications. In modern times, pigeon racing has its roots at the beginning of the 19th century in Belgium, where pigeon fanciers first organized races competitively.
As a matter of fact, it was supposed to be Belgium's haven and home for pigeon racing with thousands of pigeon fanciers dispersed in the country. Today, the sport has spread out from Europe to the United States, China, and many other countries worldwide. Due to this technological advancement, more completion pigeon racing came into existence where millions of dollars became considered as prize money for the prestige races that now exist.
What's so special about racing pigeons?
Not all pigeons are racing pigeons. They are the birds specially bred from the homing pigeons which have unbelievable capability of homing from great distances. Surrounding their homing instinct, however, there is something mysterious, though pigeons actually found to navigate by the position of sun, magnetic field of the Earth and by their acute sense of smell.
The pigeon might physically be scheduled traveling for hundreds of miles at best. Such a long distance is not weird enough to see a pigeon and get covered at miles per hour over 60. Then, this covers the aspect of home orientations. Their strong endurance has catapulted this bird to becoming a wonder of the animal kingdom.
How Pigeon Racing Works
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Trained pigeons are released from a known location but not from home. Hence, the bird has to work out its way back home in the shortest possible time. A small band or chip is fitted on each pigeon that enables them to trace their arrival time. The pigeon with the minimum time after estimating the distance will be declared the winner.
Actually, training a racing pigeon requires someone to have devotion to those beautiful birds. Fanciers spend hundreds of hours every day to ensure their birds achieve the best physical conditions. This requires special diets, regular exercises, and practice flights. Pigeons are just like human athletes who require training, rest, and proper diet for maximum performance while in competition.
The Thrill of the Race
The incredible thing about the kind of relationship between the owner and his pigeons is what makes this unbelievable experience of those really close to pigeon racing. That should create exciting competition, but all the efforts made into training, expectations on race day, and happiness when your pigeon returns after a long journey justify this sport.
Races vary from very short sprints of 50 miles to ultra-marathons of 500 miles more. Isn't it exciting when those little athletes fight nature to cover such huge distances just for getting back home? So, for a pigeon enthusiast, that is the fun of it all.
Challenges and Controversies
Although pigeon racing has received the widest support, it does not go without being challenged. The welfare of the pigeons is given paramount importance, and genuine pigeon fanciers do everything possible to keep their pigeons healthy and well cared for. However, the other side has not gone without being criticized on an occasion or two where pigeons lost while on long-distance races. Such a case is mainly attributed to severe weather or predators.
This is also related to pigeon maltreatment especially in those countries where the game is a lucrative business based on huge sums of bets raised. The pigeons are too under pressure, and there should be some legislation that protects the welfare of animals in any competition sport.
Conclusion
They have to, for themselves, demonstrate that intangible tie between human beings and beasts and, of course, with those magical powers with which those feathered athletes are imbued. For pigeon fanciers, sport can also be a means to achieve that deep rapport among birds as well as among like-minded people that feeling of fraternity. Whether you are a seasoned pigeon fancier or a newcomer to the sport of racing pigeons, it must have its appeal that somehow survived the ages.
As this sport of pigeon racing continues further with new technologies and the increasing interest the world over, so will it be one of the unique and most interesting sports displaying the incredible capabilities of one of the nature's most resilient and intelligent creatures.
