Racing Pigeon History

Racing pigeons are a modern incarnation of a very old means of communication. Pigeons were a reliable and much used means of communication in ancient times. With technology replacing the pigeon, however, the sport of pigeon racing has become the focus. Pigeon racing now is a popular international pastime, with participants in Europe, the Americas, Asia, Africa and the Australian Region.

  1. Roots of the Sport

    • Dating back to early Egypt, China, India and even the earliest Mesopotamian cultures, pigeons were used as messengers and royal pets. They were an exceptionally reliable means of communication because they could be easily trained to fly to a specific place due to their innate sense of orientation. For example, pigeons know which way is north. Delivery pigeons reduced communication times by as much as two-thirds compared to ancient methods of delivering news. Obstacles normally present in land-based communication weren't a problem for pigeons. Pigeons remained one of the most reliable means of communication until the invention of the telegraph. Even after the telegraph became popular, pigeons remained a versatile method of communication and still were commonly used.

    History

    • Pigeon racing may date back to 220 A.D. or possibly earlier. The modern method of pigeon racing, however, first began to develop around the 1810s in Belgium. It gained popularity there and spread to many places around the world. The Belgians and the Dutch were among the first to begin producing new breeds of pigeons specifically for racing. The Belgians created the racing pigeons by crossing multiple breeds to get the fastest pigeons with the most stamina. They called these super pigeons Voyageur pigeons. By the 1860s and 1870s, pigeon trainers formed the first clubs in both Europe and North America. Most participants were wealthy and raced pigeons as a hobby.

    Organizations

    • Pigeon fanciers began to form clubs to race their pigeons. In the 1850s through 1870s, these clubs evolved into national and international organizations as races grew in size and participation. Large organizations now have unified rules and requirements to standardize the races. The largest clubs include the American Racing Pigeon Union, the Central Cumberland Federation in Australia, the National Flying Club in England and the International Federation of Homing Pigeon Fanciers.

    Breeding

    • One of the most popular and successful breeds of pigeons is the Spanjaards/Jansen strain. They originated in Holland with the breeder Gerrit Spanjaards. The Jansen brothers later improved upon this strain. This breed is a variation of the homing pigeon of Belgium, which in turn came from the Cumulet of Antwerp and the Smerle of Liege. These were among the first of the racing pigeon breeds. Today's contemporary breeders build upon strains already developed and selectively breed pigeons to get the fastest offspring.

    Races

    • Pigeon races are generally longer than 100 kilometers to test the birds' stamina and sense of direction. Some races of up to 1,800 kilometers have occurred in America, but most races are less than 1000 kilometers. Pigeons are trained to always fly home, even from thousands of kilometers away. To take advantage of this, pigeons are released from a point somewhat equidistant to their homes and, upon their arrival, their average speed is calculated. Because not all distances are the same for every pigeon, average speed--not time--determines the winners of the race.