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APRIL / MAY 2021 • IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT
Idahoan Kendal Nield’s pigeons are descended from
a world-renowned bloodline developed in Belgium.
Photo courtesy Kendal Nield.
They are truly incredible.”
Nield noted he is always amazed by the
birds’ athleticism and intelligence.
“Being around them has helped me deal
with major depression,” he said. “They’ve
been my therapy and really helped me heal.”
He has been captivated by the sport
since he was 12, when won his first race
competing against adults.
“Winning a race at that age increased
my confidence,” he said.
Nield said he was grateful for men-
tors’ advice and encouragement through
the years, and he does his own share of
mentoring these days. He said Idahoans
from all walks of life are attracted to pigeon
racing.
“We enjoy sharing our experiences,
advice, and love of the sport and birds,”
he said. “We are always willing to help
newcomers get started in the sport.”
DISTANCE TRAINING
Before a pigeon ever races, its handler
registers the bird with the American Racing
Pigeon Union, giving it an identification
number. When it is 6 to 10 days old, a bird
is banded with a lightweight, numbered tag.
To train their pigeons, handlers release
their birds at varying distances from
home—40 to 100 miles away, depending on
the distance of an upcoming race. Generally,
pigeons fly about 100 miles in two hours and
500 miles in 10 to 14 hours.
In the Intermountain West, competitors
have two racing seasons. During spring,
adult birds compete in races of 100 to 600
miles. In the fall, young birds in their first
year race from distances of 100 to 400 miles.
RACE DAY
On the day of a race, the birds are brought
to the club shipping location and entered into
the competition, according to Yoes. They are
placed in race crates, which are sealed and
driven to the designated race site.
“Depending on the weather conditions,
the birds are all released together and fly
together before peeling off to fly to their
own lofts,” he said. “The seasoned pigeon
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flyer studies how quickly they start home
instead of circling the release point.”
It is not the first bird home that wins the
race, but the fastest, Yoes explained. Each
loft has an electronic pad that records a
bird’s incoming time when it reaches home.
“All have had their lofts measured from
the various release points, so each loft’s
birds are flying distances that can vary 50
or more miles. By taking the flying time
and distance flown, the speed in yards per
minute is calculated to three decimal places,
and the fastest speed wins the race.”
When the pigeons reach home, Yoes said
he never tires of watching them approach
the loft.
“They often drop into the loft like a
bullet,” he said. “Whatever happens with
the season this year, I’ll be satisfied just
watching them fly.” ISI