By Steve Lawler
Backstage
Several firsts were
accomplished in this, the fourth year of the Western Open races. Mother Nature
gave us a day from Winnemucca when nearly the entire western US was under clear
skies…FINALLY! Of course, with clear skies comes the heat and the southern
lofts experienced temperatures running in the low to upper 90’s,
depending on the locale. Some of the Northwest coastal lofts (Seattle and
Portland) faced a late arriving wet front which pushed some arrivals to 2nd day.
However, as has been
mentioned many times, a 360 degree release means varying conditions for the
wide variety/locations of competing lofts. Tailwinds one direction are
headwinds in the opposite; clear and cool in one locale often means clear and
hot in another; happy faces in one club usually results in grumpy pigeon men in
another. So it is, so it is.
The type and depth of
organizational entries for 2014 (from Winnemucca, especially) was so extensive
and diverse that an honest effort is being made this year to recognize
“regional” winners, along with the traditional mileage category winners.
Figuring out actual names of fanciers flying under loft names, did prove
challenging. But with numerous website
searches and some assistance from area flyers, that task is completed!
As has been the norm
over the last few years, two races were scheduled: May 25thfrom
Winnemucca, “Na-VAD-a” and from Carson City, Nevada on June 14th. A
three week spacing has proven to be just about the right amount of time of rest
between the races and also allows for natural flyers to get their prized, long
distance pairs back down on 10-day eggs after the Winnemucca race.
The Show
Act I - Winnemucca
So, here we go! Sunday,
May 25th dawned clear with a slight (6 E/NE) breeze in Winnemucca,
NV. As is always the case in Winnemucca on Memorial Day weekend, the motorcycle
extravaganza “Run-a-mucca” has been in full swing for a couple of days and VERY
few revelers were to be seen at this hour of the predawn as several trucks
gathered at the ball field complex parking lot overlooking the cemetery.
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| Randy Bean at the Carson City release. |
The 395 Concourse truck
was there with Brian Crossen and site liberator, Leonard Lee. Jon Hans and the
central California truck carried the Camellia City Combine birds along with the
northern California entries. Dr. Randy Bean was there with the southern Idaho
champs. Gene Yoes hauled the Montana delegation all the way from Emigrant! And,
Bart Fouts was there with the Eastern Washington/Oregon concourse birds on the
Spokane RPC truck. In addition, there were birds from flyers in the Evergreen
Concourse (western WA) and the Oregon Trail Combine (greater Portland area) on
the Spokane truck joining the fray.
 |
| Bart Fouts at the Carson City release. |
For the first time,
there were entrants from eastern and western Washington, and from eastern and
western Oregon, and from northern, southern, and central California, and
northern and southern Idaho, and from western Montana. (Don’t see your area
recognized? Try joining us in 2015.)
All totaled, 124 lofts
shipped 1313 birds as reported on the official AU race sheet. The birds went up
at 6am under the direction of the AU’s National Race Secretary, John Hundrup,
and the race was on.
In the 100-199 MILE
category, which was made up exclusively from the Boise and the western suburbs,
15 lofts and 268 birds competed. This group has been staunch supporters of the
Western Opens over the four years and has done very well in the process. Taking
the blue ribbon in 2014 was a repeat winner, Doc’s Loft (Dr. Randy Bean) with
AU 10 IDA 765 BBC at 1458ypm from 186 miles.
In the 200-299 MILE
category, 33 lofts and 446 birds competed. This grouping was comprised of
handlers from central Oregon (CORP), a few from the longer eastern Boise (IDA)
lofts, northern California (Shasta RPC – Redding & the Siskiyou RPC –
Yreka), and central California (Sacramento/Auburn, etc.) That’s pretty much
three of the four compass points and indicative of the fierce competition going
on in the skies as those 1300+ birds try to tug each other in their respective
homeward direction.
It takes a true champion
to compete on this stage. (Followers need not apply!) This is where your future
breeding stock should come. Constantly buying sprint pigeons and then wondering
what went wrong when the wind simply blows in the wrong direction or a hawk
chases them around won't work. Those sprint birds
are genetically enhanced to fly in big groups, all heading in the same
general direction, with best loft location dictating the “champion.” Really????
Someone has been sold a bill of goods…Get serious about what you’re breeding
from for next year’s team. You’ll never look back!
Topping this prestigious
division was longtime supporter and pigeonworkaholic, Don Chapin from Redmond,
OR with AU 11 CORP 2237 BCC at 292 miles and a speed of 1365 ypm.
In the 300-399 MILE
category, 21 lofts sent 190 pigeons. This grouping was comprised of lofts from
the Columbia Basin Combine of eastern Washington, from the Camas Prairie club
in the Lewiston-Clarkston area of extreme SE WA/NW ID, from the Idaho Falls
area, and from a longer loft in central Oregon. These are some of the toughest
competitors in the NW. They take no prisoners.
The top dog in this
section was top-notch flyer, Paul Meyer from Kennewick, WA and the Tri-Cities
club with AU 09 TCW 9850 BCH at 369 miles and a speed of 1374 ypm.
In the 400-499 MILE
category, 45 lofts sent 362 birds. This was by far the largest section and
flyers came from every direction and always bring an attitude! The Spokane RPC,
the Bridger Mountain RPC (western Montana), the northern areas of the Columbia
Basin Combine (central eastern WA), the northern sections of the 395 Combine
(southern, inland CA) and the boys from the “Washington westside” - the
Evergreen Concourse. What collection of kickbutt competitors!
Snagging the prize in
this prominent category was the 54-year veteran flyer Ed Ulbright, the
perennial Spokane RPC Treasurer. Ed clocked AU 11 SPO 1310 BCwfC at 1366 ypm
from 473 miles.
********************
OK boys and girls,
anyone see a pattern here?
Let’s review:
100-199m, a 2010 pigeon;
200-299m, a 2011 pigeon; 300-399m, a 2009 pigeon; 400-499m, a 2011 pigeon.
How many 3, 4, and
5-year-old birds can you find on your race sheets? Where did they go? How come
they aren’t capable of competing for extended careers?
What traits do these
Western Open winners have in common that aren’t shared by most pigeons year
after year?
********************
In the final category
from 500 MILES & UP, 10 brave lofts sent 47 warriors to the biggest
challenge on the West Coast. This grouping consists of an incredibly diverse
make-up. Northern lofts from the Evergreen Concourse (Everett area) joined the
southernmost lofts from the 395 combine (San Diego area) in this section. Talk
about a contrast!
These two areas, at the
ultimate ends of the spectrum, have such different climates: warmth in California and the N/Westerners have a more mild climate. Go figure! Two extremes, in two
opposite locations. Yet, racing against
each other in the same division. How cool is that!
Snagging the top spot
was Alan Tawfique sporting the Lulu’s Loft colors. Alan clocked AU 13 JEDD
36910 BCC at 11:05am the next day for a speed of 823 ypm from 567 miles.
Overall Observations
The overall results show
that the Western Idaho Invitational boys had a field day taking the top 24 of
28 positions. George Lukasik of the IDAHO RPC (same area) took the other four
spots in the top 28. Five different lofts (Randy Bean, John Lonkey, Dick
Ensley, Todd Williams, and George Lukasik – Pigeon Village) each clocked a bird
while taking the first five spots.
Directly following that
WII / IDAHO drop, three of the next four sectional winners quickly claimed
their prizes. Paul Meyer of Kennewick, WA was 28th winning the
300-399 category; Ed Ulbright of Green Bluff (SPO), WA took the 400-499
division in 31st; and Don Chapin of Redmond, OR took the 200-299
section in 32nd position.
Features on the Mileage
category winners will follow over the next several months.
As was promised in the
introduction, here’s a rundown of those regional champs who managed to beat the
local/area competition:
- In the Camellia City Combine –Sacramento, CA (13 lofts & 124 birds) Joe Neves of Neves Family loft took the blue ribbon with AU 13 FSC 1048 BBC from 249 miles at 1315 ypm.
- In the 395 Concourse – Apple Valley, CA down through San Diego, CA (20 lofts & 132 birds) Sonny Cangiarella of Fly Sonny loft was the winner with AU 13 IEIC 3324 hen at 1178 ypm from 478 miles.
- In the Shasta RPC – Redding, CA (5 lofts & 44 birds) Dan Welch of Royal Oaks Loft took the top prize with AU 11 RO 360 RCC from 238 miles at 1177 ypm.
- In the Siskiyou RPC – Yreka, CA (4 lofts & 48 birds) Tom Larson recorded the best time at 1302 ypm from 258 miles.
- In the Evergreen Combine –Seattle, WA up through, Everett, WA (10 lofts & 44 birds) George Dobre of the Blue Danube Loft was the winner through the rain on the second day at 594 ypm from 496 miles.
- In the Idaho RPC – Boise, Id area (11 lofts & 160 birds) George Lukasik of Pigeon Village was local winner at 1431 ypm from 198 miles.
- In the EWOC – eastern WA & eastern Oregon (39 lofts & 422 birds) Paul Meyer took 1stoverall with AU 09 TCW 9850 BCH from 369 miles at 1373 ypm.
- In the Western Idaho Inv. RPC – Parma, ID (6 lofts & 152 birds) Randy Bean of DOC’s Loft took home the bacon with AU 10 IDA 0765 BBC at 1459 ypm from 185 miles.
- In the Bridger Mountain RPC –Bozeman, MT (7 lofts & 84 birds) the Smetana family captured the flag with AU 12 BMT 3082 BBC at 1273 ypm from 464 miles.
- In the Snake River Valley RPC –Idaho Falls, ID (3 lofts & 46 birds) Bruce Nykamp was the only one to clock birds and won with AU 12 NYKA 2212 BBH at 1348 ypm from 351 miles.
- In the Oregon Trail Combine –Portland, OR/Vancouver, WA area - 7 lofts did ship 53 birds. Returns were scattered into wet weather. Adrian Buturoaga of A&B Loft had the first bird home from 386 miles.
Act II – Carson City
The second release from
Carson City, NV, three weeks later on June 14th, was a less diverse
affair and all but the Northern Tier lofts having been chased from the playing
fields by the summer heat. Nine clubs from four northern states Montana, Idaho,
Washington and Oregon) shipped 521 birds from 46 lofts to Carson City, NV for
the second leg of the 2014 Western Open doubleheader.
Solo clubs from western
Montana (Bridger Mountain RPC), southern Idaho (Western Idaho Invitational,
[Boise] Idaho RPC, and Snake River Valley [Idaho Falls] RPC) joined the large
and expansive Eastern Washington / Oregon Concourse (Columbia Basin Combine –
Yakima RPC, Columbia Basin Flyers RPC [Wenatchee/Moses Lake], and Tri-Cities
RPC [Pasco/Richland/Kennewick, WA]; Stateline Combine (Camas Prairie RPC &
Spokane RPC); and the Central Oregon Racing Pigeon club (CORP) for this longest
race of the season. Many lofts were over 500 miles and a substantial number were
over the 600 mile marker.
The birds went up at 6am
under clear conditions and 46 degrees with light SE breeze at 3mph. As has been
the case from Carson City, no one has taken up the offer/challenge to compete
in the 100-199 or 200-299 categories. (Where are all those championship
level lofts sitting at 100-299 miles from Carson City in mid-June?)
In the 300-399 MILE
category, Dick Ensley from Marsing, ID and the Western Idaho Invitational RPC
took top honors with AU 11 WII 1425 BCH from 339 miles at 1380 ypm. This
mileage division included the WII club along with the CORP club in central
eastern Oregon and they sent 241 birds from 11 lofts.
In the 400-499 MILE
category, Paul Meyer of Kennewick, WA and the Tri-Cities RPC took the prize
with AU 09 TCW 9850 BCH from 486 miles at 1310 ypm. If you have been paying
attention, this the same little hen that took the blue ribbon in the big
Eastern WA/OR Combine and the entire 300-399 mile category from Winnemucca
three weeks prior! This mileage division shipped 60 birds from 9 lofts coming
almost exclusively from the southern section of the Columbia Basin Combine.
In the 500-599 MILE
category, Bruce Nykamp of Idaho Falls, ID of the Snake River Valley club
clocked AU 12 NYKA 2289 BCH from 510 miles at 1488 ypm. This mileage division
additionally included the longer sections of the Columbia Basin Combine
(Yakima, Moses Lake, Wenatchee, WA), the southern sections of the Stateline
Combine (Lewiston, ID/Clarkston, WA), and a couple of lofts from the Bridger
Mountain RPC in western Montana. They shipped 120 birds from 16 lofts.
In the 600 & UP
category, the Smetana Loft from Bozeman, MT had two on a drop at 7:23pm from
627 miles!
And just to cap it off,
they had another day bird at 7:44pm. They had three more the next morning
before 10am.
That performance is from
8 birds shipped. (WHAT? Yup, guessing these birds might even breed some pretty
good ones one day soon. Imagine they might even help some of those sprint breeders
to produce YB’s that can last a season or two.) This section of serious flyers
made-up from the Spokane RPC and longer Bridger Mountain RPC shipped 100
gladiators from 10 top notch lofts.
Features on these little
champs and their handlers will be forthcoming.
Curtain call
In the final analysis,
the Western Opens continue to grow and organizers continue to invite any and
all flyers anywhere from 100-700 miles of Winnemucca & Carson City, Nevada
to take up the challenge and simply schedule a combined release on Memorial
Weekend Sunday at 6am from Winnemucca and three weeks later from Carson City….
This is the best show in the West. Get involved! We’d love to have you join us.
