·         Race limited to 75 nominated pigeons plus 75 reserve pigeons. Entry restricted to users of Loft Organiser, the complete loft management system. If you have bought Loft Organiser direct from PBO Solutions or from our former distributor, or have an authorized free-issue copy given to you by PBO Solutions, then you qualify for entry!

·         Maximum entry per competing member is 2 nominated pigeons plus 2 reserves. In the event of over-subscription, entries to be determined by simple ballot and entry fees refunded where applicable.

·         For each accepted entry participants should send one reserve pigeon at no additional cost which, should loss or serious injury beset their nominated pigeon, can be activated in its place with the objective of increasing the chance of having a pigeon fly the final race on their behalf.

o        It is our aim and wishes to see every participant having a pigeon representing him or her in the final race, though of course we cannot guarantee this! Unfortunately, no matter how well bred any of the pigeons are, there are many hurdles for each pigeon to clear before making it into the Prize race.

·         Entry fee is £50 per nominated pigeon. This includes the purchase of two “Gold Rings” to attach to these pigeons. Cheque or banker’s draft (made payable to Paul O'Leary) for original entry fees to be sent to PBO Solutions by 1^st March 2004.

o        Any entries paid for and not subsequently taken up will not be refunded.

o        However any vacant positions created in the loft as a result will be offered to other customers at the discretion of the Race Promoter.

·         Entries to be shipped/brought to the race lofts between 17^th –30^th April 2004, accompanied by a printed pedigree generated from Loft Organiser.

o        It is not recommended that pigeons older than 6 weeks old be sent to the race lofts.

o        Entries not paid for, or sent without the required documentation, will be held in a separate loft pending receipt of correct payment and/or documentation.

·         Whilst participating customers are welcome to visit the race lofts we would prefer this by prior arrangement only. An “Open Day” will be arranged to enable all participants to see the pigeons in the race lofts, meet the Loft Manager, and to discuss and review the event.

·         For the security of the pigeons and the race as a whole we would ask that you keep the actual address of the race lofts confidential - we don't want any unwelcome visitors and prying eyes.

·         The race promoters will vaccinate all pigeons against Paramyxovirus. Treatments against canker, coccidiosis, and other preventable maladies will be administered as and when considered appropriate so to do. In general, though, the pigeons will be administered a simple mix of clean corn and water with no additives.

·         The race lofts being used for the event are located in South East Hampshire, from which no other racing will take place during 2004. The Loft Manager is a very experienced pigeon fancier accustomed to competing in the very highest competition available i.e. National Flying Club; British Barcelona Club. The Loft Manager is therefore able to devote as much time to the welfare and training of the pigeons as will be considered necessary.

·         Please note that whilst your entry fees are not being used to subsidize the erection of new lofts, some expenditure will be necessary to fit out each section with sufficient box perches as will be required, as well as to erect temporary (removable) aviary extensions to assist settling the pigeons to the race lofts.

·         The 2 lofts being used are fairly traditional dowel-fronted lofts, arranged into an L-shape facing roughly North and West. The lofts lie at the end of a 200ft garden, enclosed by trees and shrubs.

o        Loft 1 (the main racing loft) consists three 6’ x 6’ sections.

o        Loft 2 (which will initially house the reserve pigeons) has two similar sized sections.

o        Box perches of the exact same design will be purchased and fitted to ALL sections.

·         None of the participating pigeons will be allowed to pair and/or sit eggs. Cocks and hens will be kept in separate sections wherever possible. Hens which try to pair to another hen will be separated immediately.

·         We want to give every pigeon (and customer) the same chance of success in the final race, with no one pigeon motivated more or less than the next pigeon.

o        All participating pigeons will be put on the same “system” and, fitness and continuity permitting, will have the same training schedules. The pigeons will be allowed exercise around the lofts for an extended period before initial training commences in July. Once this initial period of basic training has been completed it is intended for the pigeons to be trained twice weekly from 50 miles up until the date of the Prize race together with other regular 30 mile tosses. Additionally at least one cross-Channel effort will be organized prior to the Prize race to familiarize the pigeons with the experience of a Channel crossing.

·         The Prize race will be from Lamballe in France (code 5022) with the British Barcelona Club on 11^th September 2004, approximately 180 miles to the race lofts.

o        Participating fanciers will be most welcome to attend the race lofts for this race. More details available on request.

·         As the Prize race is being organized within with the British Barcelona Club’s young bird race, the race promoters have arranged for every pigeon to wear a “Gold Ring” issued by that club. These “Gold Rings” will be issued to participants in sufficient time for them to be able to ring squeakers of an age suitable for delivery into the race lofts at approximately six weeks of age. Any pigeon fortunate enough to claim a share of the “Gold Ring” pool will have this money repatriated to them soon after the British Barcelona Club has made the payment to the competing member. The competing member is the Loft Manager - Tom O’Leary

o        We would insist that the “Gold Ring” is the only ring worn by your nominated and reserve pigeons when sent to the race lofts

o        Participants will not themselves be required to join the British Barcelona Club, only the Loft Manager needs to be a member.

·         All One-Loft prize money to be paid out no later than 14 days from the date of the Prize race (subject to any ongoing objections). Any British Barcelona Club Open or Section prize money earned by competing pigeons will be repatriated to breeders at the earliest available opportunity.

·         A Unikon (or similar) electronic timing system will be used throughout for training flights and any Hot-Spot races which may be organized, subject to a system being made available to us on a free-of-charge basis.

·         We need to be absolutely clear from the outset that for the Prize race from Lamballe we will employ the traditional rubber-and-thimble approach to race timing. No ETS for this race!

o        Several quartz clocks will be set to time in most of the entries. Sufficient spotters and handlers will be available on race day to ensure that pigeons are clocked on a first-through-the-trap basis, ensuring that the race result has 100% integrity attached to it.

o        Not using ETS for the final race avoids the potential problems associated with producing side-by-side but different results, which would otherwise be the case, as we must in any case time in the race rubbers if we are to qualify for “Gold Ring” prizes.

o        Also we need to remember that ETS is not yet licensed for use in England for the purposes of generating a race result. Therefore to use ETS would perhaps require special dispensation from the Royal Pigeon Racing Association, which may or may not be forthcoming.

·         From 1^st September 2004 any reserve pigeons still in the lofts, which have not yet been called into action to replace lost or seriously injured pigeons, will become available for “purchase” by participants.

o        The “purchase” price will be £60 with this money (less additional Prize race entry fees) going into the prize fund for distribution.

o        Participants must bid for specific pigeons stating their preferences in strict order. Allocation/preference to be on the following basis: -

§         First preference to breeders of pigeons supplied by them, giving them the opportunity to activate a second pigeon of their very own.

·         If a breeder declines the opportunity to activate his/her own reserve they must accept that all rights to One-Loft prize money pass to the  participant who actually activates this pigeon.

§         In the event that their breeder does not activate his/her reserve pigeons by 3^rd September 2004 then second preference will be given to participants who have lost both their own nominated and reserve pigeons. Where more than one application is received to buy the same pigeon a ballot will decide to whom the pigeon is “sold”.

§         Thereafter by ballot of all other applicants

§         Wherever possible, bidders will not be allocated a second reserve pigeon by ballot where this would mean that another bidder is precluded from having any representation in the final race.

o        Breeders of reserve pigeons “sold” to other participants in the event forfeit all their rights to one-loft prize money as well as all Open and Section prize money from the British Barcelona Club.

o        All additional fees to be paid by 3^rd September 2004.

·         Please note that all pigeons, whether activated or not, will be sent to the final race.

o        In the event of unactivated pigeons winning One-Loft prize money this money to be allocated to the next timed (activated) pigeon.

o        Any BBC Open, Section, or Gold Ring prize money won by unactivated pigeons to be added to the general One-Loft prize pool for distribution

·         All pigeons, once sent to the race lofts, remain the property of the Loft Manager and all decisions affecting the health and well being of the pigeons rest with him.

·         The Loft Manager will not be paid a wage out of the entry fees, allowing far more of the entry fees to be returned in prize money than would otherwise be possible. Rather, he will retain all pigeons in his ownership to race subsequently as yearlings in 2005 as he is restarting the sport after a two-year sabbatical.

o        Please be assured that it is not the intention for any of the retained pigeons to ever be sold for personal gain. As a measure of ongoing good faith breeders of these pigeons should note that 50% of any prize money (not pools) earned by any of the retained pigeons in 2005 and 2006 will be repatriated to them. Due credit to the breeder will always be given should any publicity ever arise from the performance of any of these pigeons.

·         Suppliers of the first three pigeons (or first three customers should one customer have more than one pigeon in the top three) in the Prize race from Lamballe will be invited to supply one pigeon each to represent a special “Loft Organiser” syndicate (made up of ALL the participants in this race) in the Europa Classic One-Loft Race in 2005.

o        Entry fees to be paid on the syndicate's behalf by PBO Solutions (expected to be £200). So regardless of the outcome of this race all participants will have a fantastic opportunity to compete for up to £100,000 in prizes in 2005!

o        Should sufficient customers consent so to do PBO Solutions will be happy to assemble one or more additional syndicates to compete in this event.

·         Please note that neither the Race Promoter nor the Loft Manager will have any entries racing for them in the Prize race and so there can be no question of a conflict of interest on their part. Additionally no other person with any “interest” in the race will play any part in the handling and clocking of pigeons in the Prize race.

·         Provision has been made within the race expenses budget for the collection of pigeons reported as found by fanciers and non-fanciers alike via the RPRA. Of course we are duty bound as RPRA members to collect pigeons notified in this way, either by professional carrier or by any other method.

o        Depending on the location of the finder we reserve the right to contact the nearest participant (only if within a 25 radius of the finder) to view and/or collect the pigeon to evaluate its physical condition before considering when and how it should be returned to the Race Lofts.

o        Pigeons repatriated to the Race Lofts will be given sufficient time to re-acclimatize before resuming training.

o        Any nominated pigeon reported twice via the RPRA will be replaced by its reserve automatically, subject to its reserve still being available.

·         The full result of the Prize race, accompanied by a detailed report, will be submitted to The British Homing World at the earliest available opportunity following the race.

·         RPRA

o        The RPRA Southern Region is fully aware of how this event is to be managed and have been sent all relevant documentation.

o        To safeguard the interest of all participants in the event the anticipated total Prize Fund (entry fees less anticipated race management expenses) will be lodged with the RPRA on or before 1^st June. Confirmation that this deposit has been made will be advised to all participants.

o        All pigeons will be correctly wing-stamped at all times in accordance with RPRA rules. Alternatively or in addition, name & address rings may be attached to each pigeon.

o        All disputes arising from the management of this event should be referred to the RPRA Southern Region.

·         The Race Promoter and Loft Manager will keep accurate accounting records for the event, which they will make voluntarily available for inspection on request.

o        The event in itself will be managed to break-even at best.