High Point Racing Pigeon Club Welcomes You
We enjoy raising, training, and racing our Homing Pigeons, and the fellowship that it brings from other fanciers in our area. Our club was founded in 1999 with the intention to promote the sport and educate anyone interested in the hobby. We are affiliated with the International Federation American Homing Pigeon Fanciers, Inc. and the North Carolina Combine of Homing Pigeon Fanciers, Inc. We are located in the High Point, NC area (central North Carolina) and race our birds from varying distances up to 600 miles.
Pigeon racing is a sport for all ages and can be a family activity. There is very little publicity about the sport, so few people really understand what it’s all about and how much enjoyment can be expected. It is quite a thrill to see the bird over the horizon on race day in hopes that its speed is the fastest of the day. As soon as it lands and is properly timed in, the bird is rewarded with some of its favorite seeds and fresh water to drink. Some birds are bred for speed and some for endurance for the longer races.
There are several race classifications such as club races, futurity races, one-loft races, and derby races. The club races are scheduled to take place over a period of several weeks from locations that normally range from 100 to 500 miles. The birds from each loft are entered in the race on shipping night. They are then shipped to the release point for an early release on the next day. They race home to their own loft and are timed with official timers to determine the winning speed. On the shorter races, you may have several birds come together to the loft. The longer races normally results in one bird at a time since each has its own limitations on speed and endurance. The race stations and duration of the season is normally determined well in advance of the first race, so there is adequate time to prepare the birds for the events.
Some clubs sponsor Futurity races. These events require you (the breeder) to raise your entry until it is weaned from the parents. Then it is shipped to the club for placement in a participating loft. The bird is then trained by the loft manager and entered in the event on your behalf. Futurities normally require entry fees and perch fees to cover costs for caring for the bird during the period. The breeder shares any awards with the loft manager (handler) and the bird normally becomes the property of the handler or is auctioned off if it is one of the top five in the event.
One-loft races also require you (the breeder) to raise your entry and ship it upon weaning. However, all entries are trained from only one loft. The loft manager shares in the awards here too, but the percentage is quite small. This type of event is great as a fundraiser for clubs, as all the birds are returning to the one loft. Breeders and guests can enjoy themselves at the loft while waiting for the birds to return. Refreshments and activities can be made available to the guests. Some may even schedule seminars for early in the day.
The Derby race is much like the Club event in that each loft manager handles his/her own entries. However, the entries must be nominated well in advance of the scheduled race date. These events normally require entry fees and some require that the entries be birds auctioned by the sponsoring club. Auction races can be quite a challenge for the beginner, since you must be able to select the right type of bird for the distance of the scheduled race and you must have the winning bid for the bird of your choice. Some fanciers donate young from their best stock birds for the auction in hopes to buy back those birds when the bidding begins.
You really don’t even have to raise pigeons in order to participate in some pigeon races. You may purchase birds in the nest and request the breeder to ship them to the particular event. In some cases, a loft manager participating in a Futurity race will sell you birds from his own stock. This should also eliminate any shipping fees.
For more information, please send email to
chickman@geocities.comOur club members are all eager to help beginners to get started. We can assist with loft design and construction, quality birds, timers, and are willing to share our own loft management techniques with new members worldwide.
Links to Futurity Races of which I have information: