Victoria Falls World Challenge Pigeon Race 2024 intake for 2025 Race Series

General Terms and Conditions:

1. Entry and Activation
2. Quarantine and Shipping
3. Reserves and Eligible Birds
4. Training and Racing
5. Prize Money, Auctions and Pedigrees
6. General

Definitions:

Team is 5 pigeons entered by a fancier with 1 activated pigeon and up to 4 reserve pigeons.

Activated pigeon (PAID /ACTIVE) is a pigeon for which the entry fee of US$ 600 has been paid.

Activator is the one who pays the entrance fee and assumes all rights to the bird contained herein.

Perch Fee is an administration and maintenance fee per pigeon of US$ 80 each, paid at shipping.

Reserve is a pigeon in a team which will take the place of an activated pigeon if it is lost in or before the activation race.

1. Entry and Activation

1.1 Participants may enter one or more teams consisting of 1 activated pigeon and up to 4 reserve pigeons per team (see entry & payment form). An entrant may enter less than 4 reserves in a team. The Race has the right to reject entries from individuals or syndicates without explanation.

Entrants with outstanding perch fees from the previous season must first settle their account in full before entering the next edition.

1.2 The chosen name of participants as an individual or syndicate cannot be changed after the first Hotspot.

1.3 A minimum of 1 pigeon per team has to be activated at US$ 600. A perch fee of US$ 80 per pigeon must be paid for each team. Total is therefore US$ 1000 if a team of 5 birds is sent. The reserves in each team can be activated by paying US$ 600 for each. All payments must be made to Victoria Falls World Challenge Pigeon Race Ltd (see entry & payment form). Short payments from bank charges will need to be topped up.

1.4 All pigeons including For Sale ones are automatically in the Super Ace competition and Grand Averages up to Hotspot 3. After Hotspot 3 only activated pigeons remain in the Grand Averages, Super Ace, Knock-out and 7 selected for Elite.

There will be a minimum of three 100 km training flights before an activation race of 120 km. After the activation race fanciers have 7 days to activate their reserve pigeons. After 7 days the remaining reserves will be available for anyone to activate by selecting the “Buy Now” button. The pigeons for sale will show the ring number and breeder up to the basketing of Hotspot 3. At 19:00 CAT the night before liberation of Hotspot 3 all for sale pigeons (excluding Donor birds) will have a coded number replacing the ring number and the country will be shown but not the breeder’s name. If not activated the original fancier will lose all rights to the bird.

1.5 There will be no reserve pigeons after the deadline to activate reserves after the activation race. Activation fee for reserves and venture racers is $600. Any Donor Pigeons activation fee is $800 some of which goes to Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust.

1.6 Activated pigeons lost BEFORE basketing of Hotspot 1 will receive a maximum of US$ 600 credit for the portion paid for that activation. This is provided there is no reserve available to replace it. If a bird is activated from credits it cannot receive further credits. No credits will be due for lost pigeons after basketing for Hotspot 1.

Credits can only be used towards future entries in the following race season. They are not redeemable or transferrable to other entrants.

The credit under this rule will expire after one race season and is not carried forward thereafter. Any credits for lost pigeons from a previous year will be applied to pigeons in the current year in order of the birds received, in other words the credits will be used up first. Perch fees per intake will be charged first and then the initial activations for that intake.

1.7 All perch fees and one activation per team must be paid for when the birds are sent to the race. All accounts will be debited for the initial fees at intake and will be shown on fanciers’ accounts. If any accounts are not paid up the individuals pigeons will not be shown on any loft listing until the account is paid. All invoiced amounts are due and payable. Payments must be net after bank charges. If an account is not paid in full by 31 March 2025 all the birds for that fancier may either be removed from the race or converted to Venture Racers with a coded ring number and the identification of the breeder not shown. They will be offered to the first person who buys them by pressing the “Buy Now” button. The original fancier will lose all rights to the birds.

2. Quarantine and Shipping

2.1 Payment for pre-quarantine and shipping must be made by the entrant on admission to the pre-quarantine facility which will be co-ordinated by the designated agent. All pigeons must be vaccinated against Paramyxovirus at 21 to 24 days old.

Pigeons should preferably be between 45 and 60 days old when sent to the shipper. Any pigeons received into the race loft which have grown more than 5 primary flight feathers after completing quarantine will be separated and trained in a different group to the younger pigeons. This is so as not to interfere with the training of young pigeons. The groups will be mixed after thorough initial training has been done.

2.2 There will be several scheduled intakes by shippers which must be organised through designated agents. Intakes by agents will be September to December 2024. Please contact your agent for specific dates.

2.3 During the period of quarantine and prior to any pigeons being shipped to Zimbabwe an entrant will have the opportunity to send replacement birds should any die or need replacing. There will be no additional perch fee for replacement pigeons. Advice of the need to replace must come from your designated agent and onus of liaison about replacements rests with the entrant. No replacements can be shipped from abroad after the last scheduled intake organised by the respective agents. Replacement pigeons can be supplied from the Victoria Falls breeding station up to 31 January 2025 if available.

2.4 For the 2025 race season 2024 and 2025 rings will be accepted. All pigeons must bear seamless identification life rings showing the number, year and country particulars.

3. Reserves and Activated Birds

3.1 A full list of pigeons must be given to the agent and sent by email to admin@victoriafallswcpr.com when the pigeons are sent. The birds will be entered into teams randomly and the entrant can rearrange their teams in their logins up to 30 April 2025. Thereafter birds cannot be moved between teams, but an entrant has the option to change the order of their pigeons within a team up to 18:00 CAT on the fourth day after liberation of the activation race. Changes in the order of pigeons are not permitted thereafter.

3.2 Reserve pigeons only become activated pigeons if a further US$ 600 is paid for the selected reserve or automatically when an activated pigeon in the same team does not clock in race time of the activation race.

3.3 Only pigeons that have been activated will be awarded prize money. If an un-activated pigeon is timed in a prize money position it will not count. Instead, the next activated pigeon in line will earn the prize.

3.4 Venture Racers and “For Sale Birds” are eligible to compete in all competitions once they are activated birds, provided they are activated in time for each particular competition.

3.5 Pigeons once entered cannot be transferred to another entrant except in the case of For Sale birds which may be purchased by a third party as defined herein.

4. Training and Racing

4.1 The race management reserves the right to vary the training and race program which is only given as a guide, to cater for inclement or unfavourable weather conditions or for any other reason deemed necessary for the welfare of the birds or in the best interests of the events.

4.2 Training direction, frequency and distance is at the sole discretion of the Race. Training tosses may not necessarily be advertised unless they are live and online, counting towards averages. SHORT TRAINING TOSSES MAY NOT NECESSARILY BE PUT ONLINE AND ANY LOSSES THAT MAY OCCUR IS UNFORTUNATELY A HAZZARD THAT WE HAVE TO CONTEND WITH.

4.3 Minimal interference of returning pigeons will be undertaken by trainers. Pigeons will not be permitted to sit out and will be encouraged to trap by calling in or herding from a distance.

4.4 All pigeons upon entry are given over to the Race for management and care during racing and training. Ownership of the pigeons excluding any breeding rights is vested with the Race for the duration of the training and racing programme. The rights to their portion of prize money, the net sale proceeds as defined herein as well as all breeding rights to the pigeon will belong to the activator of the bird. The method of care, training and racing will be at the sole discretion of the management team.

4.5 Loss of some pigeons during quarantine, training, and racing whether by hazardous conditions, sickness or injury is to be expected and although prudent management will be used to mitigate against losses VFWCPR Ltd, or its appointed agents will not be held responsible for any losses.

5. Prize Money, Auctions and Pedigrees

5.1 In the event that not all prize positions are won then the unwon prizes will be split equally between the winning positions in the form of entry credits for the following season.

5.2 On conclusion of the race season some pigeons will be selected for sale and sold at the sole discretion of the Race. 50% of the net proceeds after sale costs will be paid to the activator of the pigeon. This will be paid after the purchase price has been paid by the buyer and when the pigeon has been delivered to the buyer. If something happens to a pigeon before delivery to the buyer, the sale of that pigeon will be cancelled, and the Race will not be held responsible for this. The sale on auction of the pigeons transfers the ownership rights as well as the breeding rights of the pigeon to the buyer thereof.

5.3 Entrants are encouraged to supply pedigrees showing a minimum of 2 generations to maximise the sale price of the birds. These pedigrees can be supplied with the birds to the agents, scanned and emailed to admin@victoriafallswcpr.com direct, or uploaded onto the website. If pigeons are supplied without a pedigree showing 2 generations there will be no pay out of sale proceeds to the activator. In this case activators will lose all rights to pigeons after the race. The deadline for the supply of pedigrees is 4 days after the Final Race and must include ring cards where applicable.

5.4 If a syndicate is registering pigeons for participation there must be one nominated individual or company for communication purposes and for receipt of prize money and after race sale proceeds. The Race will only take instructions from the appointed person about syndicate birds.

5.5 After the final race series is complete an entrant may elect to buy back their own pigeons if they are not selected for any auction for US$ 300 plus shipping and quarantine costs as per the below conditions. Only the activator of the bird may buy it back. This right is not transferable. Entrants will lose all rights to pigeons that are not selected for sale, have no bids on an auction or are not bought back by them. Pigeons that are to be placed in the Breeding Station can be bought for $150 each provided the annual fee for administration and management is paid. If pigeons are bought from VFWC and placed in the Breeding Station, there will be a 50% discount on the annual fees for those pigeons. This discount is not transferable to any replacement birds unless they are also bought from VFWC.

If pigeons are bought back by the entrant and not placed in the Breeding Station, the following conditions will apply:

5.5.1 The cost of the bird plus shipping and quarantine costs must be paid before shipping (If the pigeon is placed in the Breeding Station there will be no shipping and quarantine costs).

5.5.2 Approximate export costs can be given at the time of booking which must be done by email.

5.5.3 Shipping will only be done to destinations where we can legally, easily and safely transport pigeons. Buyers in other destinations must arrange with the respective shippers in these countries for onward shipping and pay any additional costs.

5.5.4 There will be no portion of the purchase amount due to the activator of the bird. Once shipped from Zimbabwe the buyer carries all risk of the safe delivery of their pigeon.

6. General

6.1 No person involved in the racing or training of the pigeons or any of their immediate family members may participate in the race for prize money.

6.2 The pigeons entered into the final race, and the top 10 prize money winning pigeons will be verified by independent auditors.

At basketing of the final race every pigeon will have rings checked to confirm that they co-inside with the bird being entered and not simply scanned and put in the basket. At the same time all identification rings will be covered to conceal the number.

6.3 The racing and training of pigeons prior to sending to Victoria Falls is not permitted. Many pre-raced pigeons get lost and often lead other pigeons astray resulting in some of them also getting lost. Pigeons could be checked, particularly prize winners. Proven offenders could face disqualification with no refund or prize pay-out.

6.4 For the purposes of the activation race, all Hotspots and the Final, race time will close at 18:30 on the day after the 1^st bird arrival or such other time that the Race may announce. For online training flights the flight will close at 18:30 on the day of the 1^st bird arrival or such other time that may be decided by the race management.

6.5 Upon entry of birds to the race it is deemed that the entrant fully understands and agrees to the terms and conditions contained herein.

6.6 Any dispute that may arise after any race or the interpretation of these terms and conditions must be referred in the first instance to.

Managing Director,
Victoria Falls World Challenge Pigeon Race Ltd,
Suite 4, 2nd Floor,

The West Wing,

Montarik House,

Gibraltar,

GX11 1AA

If the dispute is not amicably resolved, then it will be referred to arbitration for settlement under the laws of Gibraltar. The cost of arbitration will be split equally between the parties.

6.7 In terms of law the English version of these terms and conditions will be used as the official version.

6.8 Force Majeure

In this Clause "Event of Force Majeure" means an event beyond the control of the Authority and the Operator, which prevents a Party from complying with any of its obligations under this Contract, including but not limited to:

6.8.1 act of God (such as, but not limited to, fires, explosions, earthquakes, drought, tidal waves, and floods).

6.8.2 war, hostilities (whether war be declared or not), invasion, act of foreign enemies, mobilisation, requisition, or embargo.

6.8.3 rebellion, revolution, insurrection, or military or usurped power, or civil war.

6.8.4 riot, commotion, strikes, go slows, economic collapse or hyperinflation, lock outs or disorder, unless solely restricted to employees of the Supplier or of his Sub-contractors: or

6.8.5 pandemics, widespread or localised disease outbreaks, restrictions of air traffic; or

6.8.6 acts or threats of terrorism; or

6.8.7 veterinary or human health restrictions.

In the event of Force Majeure being declared prior to the final race:

Entrants shall be given an option to be paid a full refund of entrance fees paid to VFWCPR for the current season or to receive a credit of the paid amount for use in a later race programme.

Every reasonable effort will be made to safeguard the welfare of the pigeons and any actions taken by the Race will be at the sole discretion of management who cannot be held liable.

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