| Author: Peter Bryant | Title: View from the Reddings - 13th March 2006 |
| Date: 2006-03-13 18:00:48 | Uploaded by: webmaster |
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AI Update
It has been a busy couple of weeks at the Reddings as AI continues to dominate the talking point in the pigeon world. Firstly, although it seems to have relatively quiet on the continent with new outbreaks there have been repercussions elsewhere. Spain and Portugal have closed their borders for external racing pigeons, putting paid to the annual Mira one loft race in Portugal that members of the RPRA usually support. Then the Channel Islands, in consultation with DEFRA, have decided that, for the time being, they will not allow GB pigeons to enter the islands. They are concerned about the Islands close proximity to the French mainland. I am trying to clarify the situation for our Channel Island fanciers as to whether they can race from the UK mainland. Denmark has also proposed to the EU that pigeon racing be contained to internal racing only, that is, no racing across another EU country’s borders. So that puts paid to going to Belgium for the present also. Certainly, in my discussions with DEFRA, they are only talking about the immediate future, so Old Bird racing. We will have to see how things pad out during the summer but the good news from France is that their fanciers are now allowed to exercise their birds. Once this cold weather clears from Europe we are into a different cycle of migratory birds. Summer visitors to the UK come from Africa and with the outbreak of AI in Nigeria it means that the UK is not out of the wood yet.
Advent of Racing
Racing starts on 25th March and there has been a lot to do in preparation for this. We must follow the licence conditions set by DEFRA. One of these is for the Area Health Office of DEFRA to be advised of all liberations in the region. An area office covers several counties. I believe that this could be quite an onerous task not just for racing organisations but also for AHDOs. Therefore the Racing Support team at the Reddings will be advising the AHDOs as per the licence conditions on your behalf. In order that all clubs and organisations are totally aware of the licence conditions we have produced as small booklet outlining the licence conditions and the contact numbers of the AHDOs. We have also sent a poster with the biosecurity advice. I suggest that this is displayed at the club or the marking station because again it is a licence condition that all entrants to the race are made aware of the biosecurity measures.
It perhaps wants spelling out about training your pigeons. If you are training pigeons from more than one loft so, a gathering as defined by DEFRA, then you need to follow the licence conditions for racing. Several people have also asked about a recommended disinfectant. The DEFRA website does have a recommended list and perhaps a popular one that you may have heard of is Virkon which can be obtained from any good animal health supplier or country store.
Bad Press, Good Press
Those of you who have logged onto the RPRA site recently will have seen that I have been less than impressed by recent media coverage on AI and the misinformation that has been written about racing pigeons. I have issued 2 press releases over the last 2 weeks in an attempt to right the imbalance. I am pleased to say that Gerry Francis also agreed to be party to one of the press releases in the hope that the media would take note of his positive comments. This went out to every national and Sunday newspaper and every BBC local radio station. We did get some response from the media so it was a worthwhile effort. You will also have seen or heard about the Daily Star article about Jack Duckworth and his pigeons on Coronation Street. I therefore sent a couple of the press release to the programmes producer, just in case!
RPRA One Loft Race
With all the places for the race full several weeks ago the birds have now started to arrive at the loft. We have had a fantastic response from Regions and members who have supported schools and if they have not received them yet, they will be receiving a schools pack on pigeon racing. I am awaiting a reprint of our special ‘pigeon basket’ leaflet holders and these will then be winging their way to the schools direct or via the fanciers that have kindly sponsored birds. I am also hoping to confirm in the next couple of weeks that we have some celebrity entrants too, top names from TV, who have entered pigeons into the race. I know that many fanciers did a fantastic job with the Marie Curie Cancer Care pigeon release on 27th February that received brilliant media coverage around the country. We hope to further this marvellous publicity as we, the staff at the Reddings, have sponsored a pigeon in the One Loft Race for Marie Curie Cancer Care. Nick Orchard of Stroud has bred a pigeon for us whom we have named ‘Daffodil’ after the Marie Curie logo and symbol. We will do a formal press release on Daffodil’s arrival at the loft and the squeaker can be seen on the Marie Curie website. Don’t forget that you can find out what is happening at the loft on its website www.rpra1loftrace.co.uk (opens in a new window).
RPRA Website
Yes, at long last the RPRA website has had a makeover. I hope that you will find a big improvement in the site as it will contain a lot more information for you the member and include downloads of forms, price lists, racing support information etc. There is still a bit of work to do with it as we put the information on the site so bear with us but if there is anything that you think would enhance the site then please drop me a line to gm@rpra.org
Show Season Starting
I normally say ‘RPRA MDU on the Road’ but the first 2 shows this year have stands at shows provided by the organisers. First off on 18/19th March is the West Country Gamefair at the Shepton Mallet Showground. Thanks to Colin Bateman and his team from the South West Region for manning this stand. This is closely followed by the Kent Gamefair held at Maidstone on 1st and 2nd April and it is thanks to Allan Cecil for manning this stand again.
Imperial War Museum
We have been asked by the Imperial War Museum to loan them some exhibits for an Animals in War exhibition due to take place at the museum later on in the summer. They will be borrowing a couple of items from the Reddings plus some exhibits from the RPRA’s Pigeons in War exhibition at Bletchley Park, near Milton Keynes. This collection was of course put together by the late Dan Humphries and I am sure he would have been very proud to think that his exhibits were to appear at such a prestigious museum. The collection is very much part of the Bletchley collection and it is thanks to local fancier Colin Hill who keeps an eye on the display. If you have not been to see it is a great day out, not just for the pigeon exhibition but also to see the location of the Enigma code breaker machine.
Training lunacy!
I have received a report of someone releasing a basketful of pigeons from a lay-by on the A14 at Godmanchester near Cambridge Needless to say the birds flew straight across the carriageway and were slaughtered by a lorry. The lorry driver, a friend of a fancier, reported the incident, was pretty shaken up. I would be very surprised to think that this was a fancier but I know that many of you give a basket to a friend to release their trainers. Sadly on this occasion few of this old bird team will have got home but I wonder if the perpetrator has told the owner of the owners!
PMV Vaccination
Several fanciers have suggested to me that, as we not racing from France, then is there a need to vaccinate against PMV. Well the simple answer is a definite YES. All racing pigeons that are raced or shown MUST be vaccinated annually. No ifs, no buts.
Peter Bryant
General Manager
The Royal Pigeon Racing Association
The Reddings
Nr. Cheltenham, Glos. GL51 6RN
Tel: 01452 713529 Fax: 857119
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