Pigeon racing has long history

Jace Radke

Monday, Jan. 6, 2003 | 11:12 a.m.

Pigeon racing in America dates to the 1860s when homing pigeons were imported from Europe. By 1872 the first racing club was formed, according to the American Racing Pigeon Union.

The union and its members have an agreement with the federal government that in case of a communications breakdown homing pigeons can be called upon to deliver messages.

Today pigeon races take place all over the world, with the sport enjoying its highest popularity in Belgium, England, Canada, Japan and Taiwan, Asawapornsnit said. One of the biggest races is the Vegas Race, in which birds fly from Why, Ariz. near the Mexican border to Las Vegas. The race took place Saturday.

The cost of racing pigeons begins with the birds themselves, which can cost from $200 to as much as $2,000 and are purchased through catalogs and breeders. Auctions can result in prices that exceed $2,000 for a bird.

At the Vegas Race's pre-race auction of 50 pigeons Friday night at the Monte Carlo brought in $80,500, with half of that total going to City of Hope, a cancer research center outside of Los Angeles, and the other half to the breeder.

Bird owners also must pay entry fees in order to compete in races. For the Vegas Race a $1,000 entry and a $300 "perch fee" are required. The perch fee covers one racing pigeon and two backups, and if the backup birds make it through training flights they can be entered in the race for an additional $1,000 apiece.

Each owner also pays a $50 buyback fee for each bird in they have entered into the race. If the bird finishes in the top 50 it is auctioned off, and the buyback fee is refunded to the owner. Fifty percent of the auction profits go to the organizers and 50 percent to the owner of the bird.

Owners must also pay for feed, medicine and the upkeep of their birds. There are no guarantees that once released the birds will find their way to their destination.

As of Monday only 98 of the 608 birds released for the Vegas Race had returned to the loft in Las Vegas.

For winners, prize money can help mitigate the various expenses and the cost of lost birds. Vegas Race awards $250,000 for first place and $50,000 for second. The top 55 finishers are paid, with 26th through 55th place paying $2,500 each.

This year three birds flew in together to tie for first place, so the owners will split the $250,000 prize.

The three birds were spotted circling over the loft at 3:53 p.m. Saturday, and a cheer went up from the waiting spectators. After nine hours of flying the three pigeons slowly circled down, landed and walked through small circular doorways in the roof of the loft.

Each pigeon is equipped with a small computer chip attached to its leg that registers when the bird crosses the threshold of the door. In the event that a group of birds lands together, the race is declared a tie, even though one bird may cross through the door a fraction of a second ahead of another.

Kevin Malley, a retired New York City police officer, was one of the three winning owners.

"In 10 years of flying it's the biggest win I've ever had," said Malley, 56, who traveled to Las Vegas from upstate New York with his wife. "My wife left 10 minutes ago to go back to the hotel because she was tired of waiting.

"She's not going to believe this. I can't believe this."

The other winners came from Taiwan and Austin, Texas.

Most of the competitors don't name their birds unless they win a race. Malley's friend and fellow racer Tom Gavigan had one in mind for Malley's bird minutes after it landed.

"Maybe we'll call it the Vegas King," said Gavigan, a 67-year-old retired boxer and sheet metal mechanic also from upstate New York.