Racing > Breaking Point or Velocity

Breaking Point or Velocity

I am not sure how many clubs use the breaking point system to calculate race results. Also I am not sure how the breaking point is determined. Theoretically it is a point to which all the birds in a race fly and then "break-off" to their home lofts. This is the computer age and I think we could do better than that. I phoned Albert Einstein to see if he had any better ideas but he wasn't answering his phone and his answering machine wasn't on. Do they have phones out there, or up there where he went after he shut off his calculator for the last time? You will notice that I didn't say "down there where he went." I even checked in that great book that I have "The Will to Prepare" by Bob Kinney, but I guess they didn't think that anyone would be using the breaking point system any more. My own experiences with the breaking point are interesting, well they are to me and I am writing this, so here goes.

In 1977 I joined the Capital City Racing Pigeon Club in Victoria, British Columbia and they used a breaking point. Up to that time I didn't know what a breaking point was, I thought it was the point where you flipped after getting stressed out. I was not a new starter, I had several years of experience racing in England and in Ontario. When I won six out of nine of the young bird races the breaking point was changed. Did I have an unfair advantage? I thought I did have an advantage, good birds, plenty of good experience, and a good management system, also I worked hard at succeeding. Then I moved and was closer to the club HQ.

Somehow I continued to win even though I was on the extreme short end, and guess what? The breaking point was changed again, but I still won races. One factor had not been considered when working out the breaking point. If you have good stock, good experience, the willingness to work hard and a good management system, you will win races even if your loft is on the moon. Well maybe that is exaggerating it a bit! I will add that the Capital City Club is now using velocity to calculate their results and it is a great club.

You might have deduced that I prefer the velocity system for racing. I think it is fair but there are factors that come into play. Loft position does help. Those on the long-end and on the usual line of flight should have some advantage. Also wind direction on the race day influences the results. Those are factors which we know about and tolerate. You can overcome these by having quality stock and a good management system, and using lots of hard work, if you call racing your birds hard work?

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Email me at laurholb@telus.net.