THE THANKLESS TASK
CONVOYER'S SERIES - PART 2.
NIGEL RIGIANI
Nigel Rigiani is one of the sport's "workers" as he has held many offices within the British Barcelona Club and is at present Chief convoyer for both the BBC and the Central Southern Classic Flying Club. As if that was not enough he also constructs transporters!!
Nigel has kindly agreed to cooperate with the making of this series on the "life and times" of the much maligned, but rarely praised pigeon convoyer. I hope that ,at the end of this series, the fanciers out there whose first recourse on experiencing a bad race is to criticise the convoyer, will reflect for a while and see things from another's perspective.
Q, Do you keep pigeons yourself or have you ever raced pigeons.
A, Yes I started keeping pigeons in 1964 and then started racing in
Partnership with Andy Parsons in 1966.
Q, How long have you been convoying pigeons.
A, I first started as assistant convoyer with the CSCFC in 1992 .
Q, What organisations have you convoyed for.
A, I began as stand in convoyer for the Wilts & Solent Feds and then went on to become chief convoyer for the CSCFC, BBC and NFC .
Q, Who was your first major influence in your time as a convoyer.
A, Derry Nurse chief convoyer for the CSCFC and son of the then secretary Mr Peter Nurse.
Q, Which convoyer would you say was your "mentor" - the man who taught you "best practice" in the care of the pigeons.
A, My “mentor” is without question Peter Willcox who convoyed the BBC for 41 years without missing a race. There’s not another convoyer in the country to come anywhere near that record of service.
Q, Have you convoyed pigeons on various race routes i.e. North road, South Road, East to West.
A, All of my convoying has been on the South road across the English channel but when standing in a little was from the East.
Q. What would be your typical day as a convoyer:-
collection of birds.
A, Classic and National collections are somewhat different to club and Fed collections as the crates are delivered to the marking stations the day before basketting i.e. Wednesday’s for the shorter channel races and earlier as the distance increases, whereas the clubs have their crates already, so their days starts after the birds are marked.
Q, Travelling to race point and care of birds on ferries etc.
A, At every opportunity I put water in front of the birds especially at the docks and after disembarkation off the ferry. We always water at the docks before we set off through France, no matter how far we are going.
Also I always request to put the transporter on the top deck or at the rear of the main deck for maximum fresh airflow. Normally the
loadmasters are very obliging but sometimes you can have a few words because they do not understand the needs of the birds.
Q, Can you give an outline of your day and the care of the birds on day of liberation.
A, As an advocate of early morning liberations my day starts at first light and as the season progresses it will be before dawn. I try to position the transporter for liberation the day before so at first light the birds have all the water in front of them even though not many will drink first thing but I believe the option should be there for them to drink if they wish.
Then it’s a flurry of phone calls to get a picture of the weather en route.
Q, Assuming an early morning liberation - what would be the latest that you would feed the birds on the eve of liberation.
A, As previously stated it’s always the earliest possible liberation time and the birds in my care are always fed at 3.00 pm for liberation the next day where possible but never later than 5.00 pm .
Q, On hold overs do you vary the amount of food that each bird is fed from day to day.
A, This varies from day to day, if it’s cold and wet then they will want more whereas you may be held over in the south of France due to bad weather back at home yet the temperature on site may be in the 30’s and they are nowhere near as hungry. Also feeding in troughs on full view in the corridor you can monitor their needs.
Q, What is your impression of the new "state of the art" transporters.
A, What some people’s impression of so called “state of the art transporters” are not always in the best interests of the birds.
Q. What, if any improvements would you recommend to transporters.
A, With the way the sport is declining, Feds are not in a very good financial position to go spending thousands of pounds on new transporters. We get to see a lot of lorries at the docks and the main improvements need to be Ventilation, and Natural Light where the feeders and drinkers are situated. So many transporters are like "the black hole of Calcutta” inside including some “state of the art transporters”.
Q, Weather forecasting- do you have access to your own weather info'.
A, Convoying for the BBC and the CSCFC we have some very good forecasters also I have my laptop at all times so I can log on to the local weather. Also there is a very good French newspaper that I buy which gives an excellent 3 day forecast.
Q, What weather factor do you think is essential for a good liberation and consequent race.
A, The first part of this question is easy “Sun on the baskets” will nearly always give a good clearance providing the birds have been given time enough to orientate themselves. As for the race route - favourable winds and a lack of fog and rain will always help.
Q, Can you give your thoughts on how the sport can progress with regard to weather forecasting, convoying facilities and transportation.
A, “Progress” may be the wrong word to use as we all know our sport is in decline. I sit at the docks on a Saturday afternoon waiting for the ferry home and we are surrounded by transporters from all over the UK and speaking to the convoyers none of these transporters were full. A lot later in the season they were not even a quarter full. Twenty years ago I said that our governing body the RPRA should have made a rule that after a certain date ALL transporters will have a specific crate size to fit ALL transporters that way rather than there being seven transporters at for instance “Messac” with most less than half full, which I have seen, there could be three transporters full to capacity thus cutting ferry costs, convoyers costs and fuel costs for all the organisations concerned.
In addition, there would be no need for double handling of the birds which would be better for all.
Q, Please feel free to add any thoughts that you think would be of interest to the "lay man" pigeon fancier sitting comfortably at home on race day!!
A, To answer Gareth’s final question, so often all convoyers hear is “Did you water the birds because when they got back the first thing they did upon arrival home was bury their head in the drinker?”. Please bear in mind that any good pigeon, whether flying sprint to mid distance, is going to give it’s all and stop for nothing until it hits the trap board. As Bill the driver I work with said “I have run in excess of 20 marathons and the first thing I want after crossing the finish line is a long cold drink" so please bear this in mind when applied to your returning race birds. In the longer races all birds stop for a drink that’s a fact.
Finally having been in and around pigeons for most of my life I would like to say that the pigeons in my care whilst convoying them, will be given the same care and attention as I would give to my own pigeons.
These are just my views and observations and I am fully aware not all reading this article will agree with them.
Nigel Rigiani
Many thanks Nigel for giving us a comprehensive insight into the convoyer's responsibilities.
Gareth Watkins
CONVOYER'S SERIES - PART 2.
NIGEL RIGIANI
Nigel Rigiani is one of the sport's "workers" as he has held many offices within the British Barcelona Club and is at present Chief convoyer for both the BBC and the Central Southern Classic Flying Club. As if that was not enough he also constructs transporters!!
Nigel has kindly agreed to cooperate with the making of this series on the "life and times" of the much maligned, but rarely praised pigeon convoyer. I hope that ,at the end of this series, the fanciers out there whose first recourse on experiencing a bad race is to criticise the convoyer, will reflect for a while and see things from another's perspective.
Q, Do you keep pigeons yourself or have you ever raced pigeons.
A, Yes I started keeping pigeons in 1964 and then started racing in
Partnership with Andy Parsons in 1966.
Q, How long have you been convoying pigeons.
A, I first started as assistant convoyer with the CSCFC in 1992 .
Q, What organisations have you convoyed for.
A, I began as stand in convoyer for the Wilts & Solent Feds and then went on to become chief convoyer for the CSCFC, BBC and NFC .
Q, Who was your first major influence in your time as a convoyer.
A, Derry Nurse chief convoyer for the CSCFC and son of the then secretary Mr Peter Nurse.
Q, Which convoyer would you say was your "mentor" - the man who taught you "best practice" in the care of the pigeons.
A, My “mentor” is without question Peter Willcox who convoyed the BBC for 41 years without missing a race. There’s not another convoyer in the country to come anywhere near that record of service.
Q, Have you convoyed pigeons on various race routes i.e. North road, South Road, East to West.
A, All of my convoying has been on the South road across the English channel but when standing in a little was from the East.
Q. What would be your typical day as a convoyer:-
collection of birds.
A, Classic and National collections are somewhat different to club and Fed collections as the crates are delivered to the marking stations the day before basketting i.e. Wednesday’s for the shorter channel races and earlier as the distance increases, whereas the clubs have their crates already, so their days starts after the birds are marked.
Q, Travelling to race point and care of birds on ferries etc.
A, At every opportunity I put water in front of the birds especially at the docks and after disembarkation off the ferry. We always water at the docks before we set off through France, no matter how far we are going.
Also I always request to put the transporter on the top deck or at the rear of the main deck for maximum fresh airflow. Normally the
loadmasters are very obliging but sometimes you can have a few words because they do not understand the needs of the birds.
Q, Can you give an outline of your day and the care of the birds on day of liberation.
A, As an advocate of early morning liberations my day starts at first light and as the season progresses it will be before dawn. I try to position the transporter for liberation the day before so at first light the birds have all the water in front of them even though not many will drink first thing but I believe the option should be there for them to drink if they wish.
Then it’s a flurry of phone calls to get a picture of the weather en route.
Q, Assuming an early morning liberation - what would be the latest that you would feed the birds on the eve of liberation.
A, As previously stated it’s always the earliest possible liberation time and the birds in my care are always fed at 3.00 pm for liberation the next day where possible but never later than 5.00 pm .
Q, On hold overs do you vary the amount of food that each bird is fed from day to day.
A, This varies from day to day, if it’s cold and wet then they will want more whereas you may be held over in the south of France due to bad weather back at home yet the temperature on site may be in the 30’s and they are nowhere near as hungry. Also feeding in troughs on full view in the corridor you can monitor their needs.
Q, What is your impression of the new "state of the art" transporters.
A, What some people’s impression of so called “state of the art transporters” are not always in the best interests of the birds.
Q. What, if any improvements would you recommend to transporters.
A, With the way the sport is declining, Feds are not in a very good financial position to go spending thousands of pounds on new transporters. We get to see a lot of lorries at the docks and the main improvements need to be Ventilation, and Natural Light where the feeders and drinkers are situated. So many transporters are like "the black hole of Calcutta” inside including some “state of the art transporters”.
Q, Weather forecasting- do you have access to your own weather info'.
A, Convoying for the BBC and the CSCFC we have some very good forecasters also I have my laptop at all times so I can log on to the local weather. Also there is a very good French newspaper that I buy which gives an excellent 3 day forecast.
Q, What weather factor do you think is essential for a good liberation and consequent race.
A, The first part of this question is easy “Sun on the baskets” will nearly always give a good clearance providing the birds have been given time enough to orientate themselves. As for the race route - favourable winds and a lack of fog and rain will always help.
Q, Can you give your thoughts on how the sport can progress with regard to weather forecasting, convoying facilities and transportation.
A, “Progress” may be the wrong word to use as we all know our sport is in decline. I sit at the docks on a Saturday afternoon waiting for the ferry home and we are surrounded by transporters from all over the UK and speaking to the convoyers none of these transporters were full. A lot later in the season they were not even a quarter full. Twenty years ago I said that our governing body the RPRA should have made a rule that after a certain date ALL transporters will have a specific crate size to fit ALL transporters that way rather than there being seven transporters at for instance “Messac” with most less than half full, which I have seen, there could be three transporters full to capacity thus cutting ferry costs, convoyers costs and fuel costs for all the organisations concerned.
In addition, there would be no need for double handling of the birds which would be better for all.
Q, Please feel free to add any thoughts that you think would be of interest to the "lay man" pigeon fancier sitting comfortably at home on race day!!
A, To answer Gareth’s final question, so often all convoyers hear is “Did you water the birds because when they got back the first thing they did upon arrival home was bury their head in the drinker?”. Please bear in mind that any good pigeon, whether flying sprint to mid distance, is going to give it’s all and stop for nothing until it hits the trap board. As Bill the driver I work with said “I have run in excess of 20 marathons and the first thing I want after crossing the finish line is a long cold drink" so please bear this in mind when applied to your returning race birds. In the longer races all birds stop for a drink that’s a fact.
Finally having been in and around pigeons for most of my life I would like to say that the pigeons in my care whilst convoying them, will be given the same care and attention as I would give to my own pigeons.
These are just my views and observations and I am fully aware not all reading this article will agree with them.
Nigel Rigiani
Many thanks Nigel for giving us a comprehensive insight into the convoyer's responsibilities.
Gareth Watkins