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News -> Changes to VFWCPR for the futureChanges to VFWCPR for the future 2018-01-09
How can we make the Victoria Falls World Challenge Pigeon Race better?
The VFWCPR has nearly completed its second year with the final coming up on 26th January 2018. The racing conditions that prevail under the current programme are extremely difficult and we believe that a change is needed to improve the racing environment. We believe that many good pigeons perish under these conditions.
We have no doubt that all pigeons that complete the programme have proved that they are worthy adversaries irrespective of their placing in the final race. Nevertheless we have decided that we should make a change at this stage for the better rather than continue with the current format to the detriment of the pigeons.
Our new format is as follows;
PLAN 2018/2019 AT A GLANCE
|
Final race |
26 January 2018 (410 km as advertised) |
|
Sale of top performers |
to follow as soon as is practical |
|
Race series of remaining birds (entry fees, pay-outs & rules to be announced) |
May to June 2018 - 600 km (373 miles) |
|
Sale of birds |
to follow as soon as is practical |
RACE SEASON ANNUALLY FROM HERE ON - guaranteed prize money pay-out of US$1 000 000 (split below)
(Amendments to terms and conditions will be publicised in due course)
|
Bird intake & quarantine for 2019 season |
May to September 2018 (2018 rings) |
|
Settling, orientation & training |
November 2018 to January 2019 |
|
Body moult |
January 2019 to March 2019 |
|
Training |
Mid-March to end April 2019 |
|
Racing |
May to July 2019 |
|
Final race |
End of July 2019 - 600 km (373 miles) |
|
Bird intake for 2020 season |
May to Sep 2019 (2019 rings) |
Reasons for the changes explained in more detail
The summer racing (with a January final) has extremes of conditions. The prevailing wind is a head wind and it is very often blistering hot. The average high is 30 °C (86 °F) with temperatures reaching 40 °C (104 °F). December and January are the height of the annual rains with thunderstorms and heavy downpours.
The maximum race distance has to be restricted under these conditions. Pigeons that escape and hide from the numerous hawks cannot fly back once the daytime temperature climbs. They are also easy prey when suffering from heat fatigue. The pigeons that have escaped from hawks fly back late in the afternoon or the next day once the temperature subsides, or they fail to return.
Because of the extreme heat in October and November the days available for training and racing are restricted to early morning and longer training flights only start from late November after some rain has fallen. There is not enough time for proper preparation of the pigeons for a final in January. As the birds start their body moult in January a delay even of 2 weeks is not suitable.
The breeding season of some of the most dangerous raptors (for our pigeons) is during the annual rains and they feed prolifically over this period whilst they hunt for food for their young. Breeding mostly finishes at the end of the rains in April. Some of the migratory raptors also leave the region at this time making it safer for pigeons from April onwards.
A change away from these extremes in weather and high raptor activity will give the pigeons a fairer chance and a better opportunity to show their potential. Training and racing in moderate temperatures where the average maximum in July is 17 °C (63 °F) with almost zero rain is much more suitable for pigeon racing. This is the traditional time for pigeon racing in Zimbabwe where the degree of racing difficulty is increased by flying further distances. We will therefore have our final from 600 km (373 miles) which will still be tough and fair test of the quality of the pigeons.
We sincerely hope that this will be supported by you and hope for a successful conclusion to this year’s programme.
|
PRIZE MONEY US$1 000 000 |
|||
|
2019 RACE SERIES |
|||
|
Intake 2018 Final race approx. 600km (372 miles) 2019 |
|||
|
Final Race |
US$756,000 |
||
|
Place |
No of prizes |
Prize Money |
Total pay-out |
|
1st |
1 |
225,000 |
225,000 |
|
2nd |
1 |
125,000 |
125,000 |
|
3rd |
1 |
75,000 |
75,000 |
|
4th |
1 |
50,000 |
50,000 |
|
5th |
1 |
30,000 |
30,000 |
|
6th |
1 |
15,000 |
15,000 |
|
7th |
1 |
12,500 |
12,500 |
|
8th |
1 |
10,000 |
10,000 |
|
9th |
1 |
9,000 |
9,000 |
|
10th |
1 |
7,000 |
7,000 |
|
11th - 15th |
5 |
2,500 |
12,500 |
|
16th - 30th |
15 |
2,000 |
30,000 |
|
31st - 50th |
20 |
1,500 |
30,000 |
|
51st -100th |
50 |
1,000 |
50,000 |
|
101st - 200th |
100 |
750 |
75,000 |
|
Ace Bird (5 Hotspots & Final) |
US$78,000 |
||
|
Place |
No of prizes |
Prize Money |
Total pay-out |
|
1st Ace |
1 |
25,000 |
25,000 |
|
2nd Ace |
1 |
15,000 |
15,000 |
|
3rd Ace |
1 |
10,000 |
10,000 |
|
4th - 10th Ace |
7 |
4,000 |
28,000 |
|
Hotspot Races (5 Races) |
US$135,000 |
||
|
Place |
No of prizes |
Prize Money |
Total pay-out |
|
1st |
5 |
5,000 |
25,000 |
|
2nd |
5 |
3,000 |
15,000 |
|
3rd |
5 |
2,000 |
10,000 |
|
4th - 20th |
85 |
1,000 |
85,000 |
|
Best Bird (all online flights) |
US$31,000 |
||
|
Place |
No of prizes |
Prize Money |
Total pay-out |
|
1st |
1 |
10,000 |
10,000 |
|
2nd |
1 |
8,000 |
8,000 |
|
3rd |
1 |
6,000 |
6,000 |
|
4th - 10th |
7 |
1,000 |
7,000 |
Annual Race Program (provisional) May to July
|
Km |
Miles |
||
|
week 1 |
100 |
62 |
|
|
week 2 |
150 |
93 |
|
|
week 3 |
200 |
124 |
Hotspot 1 |
|
week 4 |
250 |
155 |
Hotspot 2 |
|
week 5 |
300 |
186 |
Hotspot 3 |
|
week 6 |
100 |
62 |
|
|
week 7 |
400 |
248 |
Hotspot 4 |
|
week 8 |
100 |
62 |
|
|
week 9 |
450 |
279 |
Hotspot 5 |
|
week 10 |
100 |
62 |
|
|
week 11 |
600 |
372 |
Final Race |
Quarantine & shipping dates (provisional dates for breeding purposes)
|
Dutch Quarantine and Veterinary Services - Netherlands |
|
5th & 6th April 2018 |
|
3rd & 4th May 2018 |
|
7th & 8th June 2018 |
|
5th & 6th July 2018 |
|
2nd & 3rd August 2018 |
|
Shipping dates to Zimbabwe through respective agents World Wide |
|
1st to 4th May 2018 |
|
4th to 8th June 2018 |
|
2nd to 6th July 2018 |
|
6th to 10th August 2018 |
|
3rd to 7th September 2018 |
$1,250,000 USD Enter Now
| SUMMARY | Total | Prizes |
|---|---|---|
| Final Race | US$ 600,000 | 350 |
| Super Ace | US$ 300,000 | 100 |
| 6 Hotspot Races | US$ 200,000 | 270 |
| Grand Averages | US$ 75,000 | 25 |
| Elite Competition | US$ 65,000 | 10 |
| Knock-Out Competition | US$ 10,000 | 1 |
26th July 2024
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