1. Birds entered in Solent Federation races will be accepted on official race entry forms and also on ETS basketing print outs. The forms/print outs must be signed and contain a declaration of vaccination.

 

1a.            ALL RPRA rules apply.

 

  1. The Solent Federation may have separate liberations when convoying outside organisations.

 

  1. Affiliated clubs shall have the management of marking of its club members’ birds and shall pay the cost of their birds and returned empties to and from the collection centre. Each container to be sealed. Front flap and drop door are to be sealed with two seals and top door with one. All to be sealed with RPRA seals. Affiliated clubs shall be responsible in sending all containers of their consignment correctly sealed. Failure to comply with correct sealing will entail the whole consignment being disqualified. Affiliated clubs shall be responsible for ensuring that their birds are delivered to the point of collection stipulated by the Secretary of the Federation. The Federation will not be responsible for non delivery, loss or damage, the birds and property being entirely at the owners  risk.

 

  1. The convoyer, who shall be an experienced pigeon fancier will accompany and be responsible for race birds at all liberations.

 

  1. All Federation races shall be flown on the system of velocity proper. All races up to 250 miles from Federation HQ close on the second day of liberation at 2200hrs OB, and 2030hrs YB. Races above 250 miles from Federation HQ to close on the third day after liberation. The hours of darkness shall be 2200hrs to 0500hrs for old bird races and 2030hrs to 0600hrs young bird races.

 

  1. The bird making the highest velocity shall be declared the winner, except when in the opinion of the committee, after having given full consideration to the circumstances and conditions prevailing at the time, a pigeon returns an improbably velocity. Then that pigeon be disqualified from the race.

 

6a

All birds sent to Federation old and young bird races by affiliated clubs shall be fully competitive with exception of race rule 6b. The birds are deemed to be entered for competition as soon as they are loaded on to the transporter. The race containers to be lined with clean, new corrugated cardboard cut to size for the containers, corrugation facing upwards. Label on drinker end with name of club, number of birds and whether cocks or hens. Race containers not conforming to this standard will not be accepted on to the transporter. The management committee shall decide the number of birds per crate for racing, subject to the limits in race rule 6c. Any club not abiding by their decision may be disqualified from the race in question. Federation officials have the right to open any container.

6b Old hens may be transported to all young bird federation races as trainers and will be charged at the same tariff as young birds on the transporter. Race entry sheets must be provided for all old hens sent as trainers.

6c

The maximum number of birds placed into a container at the club house/marking station shall not exceed the following limits:

24 birds for a planned 0-1 night in the basket

20 birds for a planned 2 nights in the basket

18 birds for a planned more than 2 nights in the basket.

These limits comply with R.P.R.A. rule 127b and are not to be exceeded by any club. On a race where a large send is expected/anticipated federation containers mat be topped up by the loading team as follows:

Any containers that have less than the above club house/marking station limits should be topped up to the club house/marking station limit first. If all 114 containers are at the club house/marking station limit stated above then containers may be further topped up by no more than 2 birds per container.

These limits comply with RPRA Rule 127b and are not to be exceeded by any club or federation official.

 

7. Prize money shall be paid out at the end of each season in the following proportions: – 1st 40%, 2nd 25%, 3rd 15%, 4th & 5th 10% each race to be equal.

Fifty diplomas to be awarded to each race where 1,000 or more birds are entered. For races where less than 1,000 birds are entered 30 diplomas shall be awarded.

 

Pools shall be A – 25p, B – 50p, C – £1. Single Nomination – £2. 10% to be retained from each series by the Federation and the remainder to be paid out at 15 – 1 ratio where possible.

Should there be insufficient birds timed in to absorb all pool money on a 15 to 1 ratio, the balance shall be shared equally amongst those members who have timed in the respective pools. Single nomination shall be paid out as one prize. Where no birds are recorded pools shall be returned to clubs less 10%. Affiliated clubs disqualified from races shall forfeit all pool money. Pools will be paid out within 14 days of the close of race unless there is an objection to the published result.

 

  1. Affiliated clubs shall forward to the Federation Secretary a consignment note with the details of the number of birds and containers, together with a copy of the club members’ race entry sheets on the day of marking. The club result must go to the Federation Secretary either on the form supplied, or in the form of a computer generated race result, which fully complies with RPRA race rule 189. Clock dials, variation charts, race rubbers and counterfoils or ETS arrival sheets of all birds listed on the race result, must accompany the race result. These must either be posted by recorded delivery during the first available postal day after the close of the race or can be delivered personally by hand to the Federation Secretary’s home up to 2100hrs, the first available postal day after the close of the race. Clubs where all members are using ETS may email race arrival sheets and result to the secretary, if preferred, with a date/time stamp no later than 2100hrs on the first available postal day after the close of the race. Failure to comply with these requirements may entail disqualification.

 

  1. A sterilising agent will be added to the water in the transporter tanks.

 

  1. Details of liberation or holdover will be advised to each clubs designated representative and entered on to the Solent Fed website by the secretary as soon as possible after confirmation from the race controller. The Federation will not be responsible for any non-receipt of the liberation advice/message. No club official or club member shall telephone the Federation Secretary on a race day, except in exceptional circumstances.

 

  1. No fancier or competitor or club member in the Solent Federation shall be left in sole charge of any pigeon after they have been race marked at any time. All affiliated clubs not sending to any race shall notify the Federation Secretary previous to the marking date. Failure to comply will be under penalty of £4.

 

  1. The management committee of the Federation shall have the power to visit any affiliated club on race marking night.

 

  1. The convoyer will liberate Solent Federation pigeons as early as practicable at all race points Old and Young bird races. The longest old bird race will be scheduled for Friday liberation.

 

  1. Federation birds will be fed a propriety mixture.

 

 

  1. Pick up points to be arranged by Federation Secretary or Committee.

 

  1. A crate seal sheet must be submitted by all clubs on all races. This sheet must accompany the consignment of birds and be handed to the Federation Secretary or nominated official at the loading station.

 

  1. Claims for Federation averages and points trophies must be made within 28 days of the last young bird race. All claims to be made through the club and submitted and signed by the Club Secretary (Note:- see required details listed after the listed trophies).

 

  1. There will be a minimum of one blank week between Old and Young bird racing.

 

  1. The Federation Committee have the power to instruct that Drug testing be carried out on any winning pigeons.

 

  1. In all races or training organised by the Solent Federation all birds must be vaccinated against paramyxo virus during the last 12 months previous to the date of entry. 

 

  1. A Race Advisor shall be elected annually at the Solent Federation A.G.M. He/she shall be responsible for gathering weather forecast information and contacting other organisations on the line of flight of the Solent Federation to arrange liberation times, the purpose of which being to limit any potential clashing with those organisations. In the event that the Race Advisor, after taking in to consideration his/her weather forecast information, is of the opinion that a liberation before 2pm on race day is unlikely he/she will, by 6pm the day before basketing, instruct the Solent Federation secretary to contact member club secretaries for their clubs preference to either change a basketing night, a race point or to cancel a race. The clubs will respond to the federation secretary no later than 8am the following morning (day of basketing) with their preference. An overall majority on the basis of one club one vote will decide any change or alteration to the scheduled race.The above to apply to Solent Federation races only. Any changes to a race flown in conjunction with The South Coast North Road Combine will be decided by the race advisers of the participating organisations.

 

  1. A minimum of four fully paid up members must be present at marking and clock strike on/off. If less than four members competing, the names of members present with signatures must be sent on the consignment note. In the event of too few members present they must attend another club to mark their birds and set/strike off clocks. (NB All members must attend the same alternative club).

 

  1. All federation trophies must be returned by the delegates meeting after the last young bird race. The member or club winning the trophy or trophies will be responsible for the return of the trophy or trophies. Penalty clause :- £10 per trophy will be charged for any trophy submitted after specified date for their return to the Federation.

 

  1. The Convoyer’s report is to be posted to the federation website within 7 days of the close of the race.

 

  1. Where birdage restriction is imposed, each club shall be limited to the number of crates allocated to them. The secretary will calculate allocation of crates to clubs based on the total number of birds sent by a club in the previous year, divided by the total federation birdage.

 

  1. As well as the annual prize fee paid by members in their annual fees a charge of 5p perbird will be made to all race entries, which shall be added to the prize fund and distributed as per Race Rule 7

 

  1. If a club has 15 birds or less they must travel in a top up crate, not a Federation crate except to the two longest Old Bird races.

 

  1. All club secretaries shall report to the federation secretary by text, email or telephone the first three positions of their club result before 10.30am the day after any race. The federation secretary shall compile a provisional result which will be posted on the Solent federation web site forum, and update the federation lib line with the first ten provisional positions.

 

  1. A maximum of 6 positions per individual member per race will be included in the federation result. Any birds recording the same velocity to count as one position.

    Individual members who hold memberships in more than one affiliate club will be entitled to the above for each club of which they are a member.

    In the event that the federation race sheet is not filled under the terms of this rule then competitors clocking more than 6 birds will be entitled to have the additional birds included on the result.

  1. All racing to be self supporting. No existing funds will be used to subsidise racing.
  2. A race result shall be produced weekly and circulated by email to club secretaries. Any individual club member submitting a request, together with a valid email address will also receive a result. For all races with 1,000 entries or more the result will consist of the first no 100 places. For races where there are less than 1,000 birds the result shall consist of the first 60 places .

 

Clock Rules

 

  1. All Royal Pigeon Racing Association standard rules apply.

 

  1. The management committee shall have the power at any time to visit affiliated clubs when clock setting and checking is taking place. The management committee have the right to call for any club member’s clock for inspection, checking and testing.

 

  1. DELETED

 

  1. Affiliated club members clocks must be checked against the club master timer on the same day as the birds are timed in, the clock opened, rubber rings verified by club officials and clock reset if required.
  2.  No flying member’s entries may be marked on any ETS system to an unspecified race. Any bird clocked after 20:00 hours by ETS may be read off the next day if the time is confirmed by text or email to the federation secretary on the same day as clocking.