Weather influences latest pigeon race results

The second of the two pigeon races from Ladysmith in KwaZulu-Natal saw a considerably reduced birdage. The results mirrored the average flying speed of the previous week’s winning birds, with the first arrivals posting yet again the slowest average speeds of the current race season at 68 km/hr. Both any-age and yearling birds were scheduled for release together at 7.30am, but the heavy mist conditions at race-point led to an almost three-hour delay with the pigeons only taking to the air at 10.15am.

This, together with the slight to fresh westerly headwind encountered, led to a result where only three yearlings (all heading for Tarkastad lofts) were ‘clocked’ within the allowable hours on the day of release, with virtually all the competing pigeons having to find a place to roost and see out the night hours. The any-age race honours went to Darryl Nel and Gerald Sansom of Abbotsford at 68,1 km/hr ahead of Northerners Ed and Stella Howard’s (Northerns) Big Z Lofts and Stuart Sanders’ Speedie Lofts at 67,9 and 67,5 km/hr respectively. The Nel and Samsom team produced a very good race with an additional two Top-10 placings.

As indicated earlier, it was in the yearling race that the three arrivals within the race-day time limits were registered to Tarkastad fanciers. However, a difference in race distance of just 20 kilometres was enough to see the first two coastal arrivals, early the next morning, take the top spots. Russel Smith and daughters, Nikita and Cammy, of the Abbotsford Club won with a speed of 68,2 km/hr with Sanders of Northerns taking 2nd position in 68,17 km/hr.

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Third place went to the first of the Saturday arrivals, at Wesley Phillips’ Tarkastad loft in 68,15 km/hr. The next, and final race on the East Route, will be flown from Newcastle, KZN, a distance of just over 600 kilometres.

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