2021 Young Bird Racing Highlights

Claymore, son of Home Boy and Black Gold

The 2021 young bird racing season has been a lot of fun with a good number of wins locally in our club but also in multiple futurities and one loft races. Now is a good time to look for recurring themes in breeding.

Kastle pigeons have been hauling in a number of impressive wins for me at the club level (big drops!) but also for other handlers in other lofts and in money races. I am admittedly in a small club, which is why I like putting my birds in other lofts in bigger clubs.

Highlights:

Won 6 of 8 races in our club.
Won Avg Speed and Champion Loft in our club.
Won 1st through 10th place champion birds in our club.
32 Equal Firsts over 8 races.
5 National Ace Pigeons flown in 3 different lofts.
Won the combine 300 mile race with a 6 bird drop, ahead by 30 minutes.
Won our club 150 mile race with the entire team of 13 birds coming on the drop.
Won Champion Bird in the Bama-Buckeye Challenge One Loft Race
Won 2nd Eq1 at 180m, 1st at 250m and 2nd Eq1 at 355m in the Bama-Buckeye
1st place Plymouth Peak Challenge One Loft Race 138 miles vs 245 birds
1st place vs. 125 at 300 miles with 1173 ypm speeds in the Aces Wild Kit band race flown by Shokri Enbawe in New York winning $3,000.
1st place 100 miles vs 319 birds flown by Terry Finnerty, Independent Homing Club
16th place 350 miles money winner in the OCR flown by Joe Rostocil, Independent Homing Club
17th place 300 miles HOF band race flown by Heber Nelson, Ohio.
Multiple top 5% finishes and Eq 1sts in local, out of area and one loft races.

As I look at the best performances, there are a couple of very clear common denominators. Two pairs of breeders dominate: Stirling Kastle x Baker’s Revenge and Claymore x Sainz 204. The two cocks are Macaloney’s bred by Paul Macaloney and Kevin Jones. Yoannys Sainz bred Sainz 204 (Picasso blood) and Dustin Baker’s Blue Miracle Janssens are behind Baker’s Revenge along with Mark Evans Gaby’s.

Here is a highlight list of what those pairs produced in the 2021 young bird season.

In our Kentucky Combine 300 mile race, I had 6 on the drop and they took the first six positions ahead of the next loft by nearly 30 minutes and against 179 birds. Of those 6 on the drop, two are children of Stirling Kastle & Baker’s Revenge, two are grandchildren and one is a great grandchild. The sixth pigeon on the drop is a grandchild of Claymore & Sainz 204.

In our club, we had 8 races this young bird season. Stirling Kastle and Baker’s Revenge are responsible for two 1sts, five 2nds, three 3rds, a 4th place and 19 Equal 1sts. Claymore and Sainz 204 are responsible for three 1sts, a 2nd and a 4th place.

Also in our club, my pigeons won the first 10 champion bird positions. Of those 10 pigeons, all but one pigeon are children or grandchildren of Stirling Kastle and Claymore.

At the Bama-Buckeye Challenge, a small one loft race managed by Mike Reeser, my pigeon won Champion Bird out of the 158 pigeons originally entered. Kastle Stingray was on the first drop on all three races in the series winning 2nd at 180 miles, first place in the 250 mile race and 2nd at 355 miles. This pigeon is a grand daughter of Stirling Kastle & Baker’s Revenge.

Five pigeons flown by me, Joe Rostocil and Terry Finnerty earned National Ace Pigeon honors. Four of those five are down from Stirling Kastle or Claymore

In the Hall of Fame Classic 300-mile futurity race, Heber Nelson clocked my pigeon first in his loft, winning 5th in his section and 15th overall in the race vs 372 birds. This same pigeon placed 13th against 462 birds at 200 miles earlier in the season. This pigeon is a grandson of Stirling Kastle & Baker’s Revenge.

Terry Finnerty is racing a few of my birds in the Independent Homing Club before their OCR money race. In a 100 mile race, my bird trapped first at his loft and won the club race against 319 birds. This same bird was 6th place vs 461 birds at 250 miles earlier in the season. This pigeon is a grandson of Claymore & Sainz 204.

Claymore and Sainz 204 are also the grand parents of King’s Gambit who won first place in the Plymouth Peak 138 mile race.

Claymore and Sainz 204 are the grandparents of the 300 mile winner of the Aces Wild Kit band race flown by Shokri Enbawe, winning $3,000.

In Larry Brock’s loft in Ohio, one of my birds won a 1st and a 2nd in his club racing. This bird is a granddaughter of Stirling Kastle and Baker’s Revenge.

In Mike Glaab’s loft in Ohio, one of my birds won a 3rd and a 5th in his club. This bird is a full sister to Baker’s Revenge.

I sense a trend. These two pairs are going to be the future of my loft. I’m very thankful to the breeders behind these pigeons and the handlers who earned the winning performances.