About
On The Day Racing Association
Historical Background of the racing (Carrier) Pigeon
As a method of communication, it is likely as old as the ancient Persians from whom the art of training the pigeons probably came. The Mughals also have used them as their messengers. The Romans used pigeon messengers to aid their military over 2000 years ago. Frontinus said that Julius Caesar used pigeons as messengers in his conquest of Gaul. The Greeks conveyed the names of the victors at the Olympic Games to their various cities by this means.
By the 12th century, messenger pigeons were used in Baghdad. Naval chaplain Henry Teonge (c. 1620–1690) describes in his diary a regular pigeon postal service being used by merchants between İskenderun and Aleppo in the Levant.
Before the telegraph, this method of communication had a considerable vogue amongst stockbrokers and financiers. The Dutch government established a civil and military system in Java and Sumatra early in the 19th century, the birds being obtained from Baghdad. In 1851, the German-born Paul Julius Reuter opened an office in the City of London which transmitted stock market quotations between London and Paris via the new Calais to Dover cable. Reuter had previously used pigeons to fly stock prices between Aachen and Brussels, a service that operated for a year until a gap in the telegraph link was closed.
Details of the employment of pigeons during the siege of Paris in 1870-71 led to a revival in the training of pigeons for military purposes. Numerous societies were established for keeping pigeons of this class in all important European countries; and, in time, various governments established systems of communication for military purposes by pigeon post. After pigeon post between military fortresses had been thoroughly tested, attention was turned to its use for naval purposes, to send messages to ships in nearby waters. It was also used by news agencies and private individuals at various times. Governments in several countries established lofts of their own. Laws were passed making the destruction of such pigeons a serious offense; premiums to stimulate efficiency were offered to private societies, and rewards given for destruction of birds of prey. Before the advent of radio, pigeons were used by newspapers to report yacht races, and some yachts were actually fitted with lofts.
During the establishment of formal pigeon post services, the registration of all birds was introduced. At the same time, in order to hinder the efficiency of the systems of foreign countries, difficulties were placed in the way of the importation of their birds for training, and in a few cases falcons were specially trained to interrupt the service during war-time, the Germans having set the example by employing hawks against the Paris pigeons in 1870-71.
No satisfactory methods
No satisfactory method of protecting the weaker birds seems to have been developed, though the Chinese formerly provided their pigeons with whistles and bells to scare away birds of prey. However, as radio telegraphy and telephony were developed, the use of pigeons became limited to fortress warfare as early as in the 1910s. As an example, the British Admiralty discontinued its pigeon service in the early 20th century, although it had attained a remarkably high standard of efficiency. Nevertheless, large numbers of birds were still kept at the great inland fortresses of France, Germany and Russia at the outbreak of the First World War. There are many all too familiar stories to be told to confirm the usefulness of the then carrier pigeon and suffice to be said that pigeons were extensively used and sacrificed during the 2nd world war.
Since then the expediency of the racing pigeon became evident in modern day racing of the birds for the pleasure of mankind, be that good or bad because there are no other role that the racing pigeon can fulfil today. Meaning that if the NSPCA is successful in their efforts to outlaw pigeon racing the existence of the specie would become extinct and that would surely be a very sad day to outlaw such a brave and courageous animal. However the racing pigeon sport worldwide should take note of complaints aimed at them and clean up their act and this is exactly why Odra was formed by caring pigeon fanciers to address these wrongs whilst providing a right of existence to both the sport and the pigeon.
The need and use of modern technology in the form of CCTV surveillance and weather forecasts in planning races and during transportation and the basketing process as well as to overcome the NSPCA’s justified complaints and allegations of;
- Overcrowding to save transport costs.
- Lack of food and water whilst in transit
- Racing under-developed young birds to extreme distances
- Knowingly and wilfully liberating race birds to face extreme distances and weather conditions, forcing them to “overnight” in life threatening circumstances.
- Using stimulant drugs and antibiotics to improve performance
Has been realised by Odra and forms an Integral part of the security, regulations and other requirements by Odra within the management functions and the requirement of membership to the Co-Op as described in this manual.
