Articles > Less Stress -More Enjoyment

Less Stress - More Enjoyment

Our club and combine experienced some very tough racing conditions this year. The last straw was the first club young bird training toss from 60 miles. It was a disaster and as a result the young bird program was cancelled.

I took the time to think seriously about the whole system and how I could make it work better for me. Hopefully my writing about it will encourage others to think about their situation and thus improve enjoyment of the sport.

First, I thought about what I enjoyed the most. In my case the most enjoyable part is just having the birds here and seeing them fly around the loft. I do enjoy seeing them return from races but I like them to have a good chance of making the journey. The competitive aspect is fine but it should not be the most important aspect. Remember the old saying "It's not the winning, it's how you play the game."

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I'm pleased that, in Canada, generally the question of prize money is not important. Where money is involved something is lost. When I was young I played rugby, first as an amateur then as a professional. The professional game was not as enjoyable. The sportsmanship was lacking; the money was more important.

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Second, I decided which I preferred, the racing or the breeding, and I chose the breeding.

Third, I took into account the fact that living on an island means a lot of time spent getting the birds to the races and then taking the clock to the club afterwards. The third consideration is not a problem for many fanciers of course.

Now, what did I decide from all this thinking? I've been racing my birds on the widowhood system, but I think for the course we race on, birds managed on a natural system would be more reliable. Also, a natural system is less stressful for me.

Adhering to a club programme forces fanciers to commit birds when it would be better to keep them at home, so I will pay more attention to weather conditions myself before taking the birds for shipping and not rely on the club liberator.

One Loft Races
There are some excellent one loft races which offer a series of races. These give the birds a good test against good birds on an equal footing. I will take advantage of the service offered by the managers of these races. The reports on the birds' progress seem very thorough.

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Le Tour de Maritimes and Alberta Classic are the one loft races I'll enter next year and I'm sure there are others.

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One big advantage of all this will be the need for fewer birds. Testing will still take place through the one loft races and a limited home racing program, but stress to both birds and myself will be much reduced. I will still be very much involved in promoting the sport and helping others through my writing and the website. I hope this article has convinced some fanciers to concentrate on enjoyment rather than competition.

Email me at laurholb@telus.net.