Just when it appeared that flying conditions on the west race route had improved, the most recent pigeon race from Xamdeboo (Aberdeen) proved this assumption false.
Easterly winds blowing into the faces of the competing birds meant that yet again average speeds were significantly reduced.
The any-age race, in which the birds were released at 7.45am to cover the 360km to their home lofts, saw the partnership of Ian Ristow and Les Jamieson, of Abbotsford, snatch a two-second winning margin over the second-placed pigeon flown by Mark Gendall, of Northerns, with flying speeds of 76.77km and 76.76km/h, respectively.
In terms of average flying speeds, the two birds were separated by 0.001 metres per minute.
The gap between the second and third birds home was even narrower as the Ristow/Jamieson second arrival was just one second later.
This loft went on to take a further two top-10 spots to round off a very successful race.
The yearling pigeons were released 45 minutes later and posted considerably slower flying speeds, with the first bird home registering 64.21km/h at the loft of Daryl Nel and Gerald Sansom (Northerns).
Here again, only two seconds separated it from the second pigeon “clocked” at fellow Northerner Gavin Dargie’s loft at 64.20km/h.
Third position went to the winning any-age loft, that of Ristow and Jamieson, at 64.1km/hr.
The next event is the second of the two Xamdeboo races, and fanciers surely are hoping for the usual westerly winds to assist their feathered athletes on their flight home.
The results were:
Border Homing Union, Aberdeen 1
Any-age (23 lofts, 325 birds): 1. 3. 7. & 10 Ristow & Jamieson (AFC); 2. & 6. Tubby’s Loft (NFC); 4. & 5. Bullcat Lofts (NFC); 6. TM Lofts (NFC); 8. A & L Krug (NFC); 9. Nel & Sansom (NFC).
Yearlings (23 lofts, 327 birds): 1. Nel & Sansom (NFC); 2. G Dargie (NFC); 3. Ristow & Jamieson (AFC); 4. Tubby’s Loft (NFC); 5. C & J James (NFC); 6.-8. Bullcat Lofts (NFC); 10. Speedie Lofts (NFC).
KEY: AFC – Abbotsford Flying Club; NFC- EL Northern Flying Club.
Daily Dispatch