Sky racing beauties: Wings of wonder

Pigeons of the same feather they may be, but flock together they certainly don’t. And while they may have a lot in common with their other ordinary friends, they are certainly a breed apart.

Meet the UAE’s racing pigeons. With pigeon racing becoming an obsession in the region, several birds have won legions of fans among Emiratis and expats today.

These birds are masters of endurance. In fact, when the searing summer sun keeps most of us indoors, they fly non-stop for over 13 hours as their masters patiently await their return.

One such master enthusiast is an Emirati, Ali Shaba’an, who has been rearing and racing pigeons and winning competitions for nearly three decades.

"It all started when I was just five. I grew up in an area where many Pakistanis used to race pigeons. They called the sport kabootar baazi. It was then that I was bitten by the pigeon bug, which soon became a passion."

The 39-year-old Customs officer, who bought his first pigeon at the age of 12, today has a collection of around 500 birds – different breeds, colours and sizes – kept in a custom-built aviary at the backyard of his five-bedroom villa at Mizhar 1.

Racing dreams

While some are for breeding and for competing in beauty contests, it’s the pigeons that are reared for racing that get him all charged up. "It’s a decades-old sport in the UAE and involves teams from Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Ajman," said the four-time winner of the Ustadi Championship, which takes place in June and October every year.

It’s a team sport. While the number of members may vary, there can be only 11 pigeons per team. They are released one by one and their flying time is clocked and totted. The highest score is based on the average mean time taken by each team. The team whose pigeons take the longest time is the winner. All participating pigeons are stamped.

"The person who records the time is called a munsif. Appointed by the opponent, the munsif stays with the participating team from start to finish. The time is clocked from 6am when the first pigeon is released and ends when the last pigeon returns." The winner gets a cup and a certificate. However, he may also end up losing some pigeons in the process. "Every participant loses some pigeons as they either get lost on the way or just take the flight to freedom."

For some, however, the stakes are in the baazi – an individual sport where two contestants pit their best pigeons against each other. "Both contestants simultaneously release 11 pigeons each. The person whose pigeon is the last one to return is the winner," explained Shaba’an.

The yet unparalleled record for a baazi is held by Ahmad Abdullah, a 42-year-old Emirati. "I started early. My father used to buy me pigeons. I have bagged many baazis and cups. The record for the longest-flying pigeon is held by me. The pigeon was released at around 6am and returned at 7.30pm."

Investing a fortune

Shaba’an has invested in excess of Dh200,000 in pigeon racing. The return on the investment is not monetary, but comes in the form of pride, prestige and companionship. "I spend hours with them every day – more time than I spend with my family."

Abdullah, a government employee, spends around Dh2,000 a month for the upkeep of his 300 pigeons. He however, does not grudge even one fil of it. Ditto for Shaba’an. His mini refrigerator, that stocks an assortment of medicines, vaccines and supplements, is a glowing testimony to his love and care for the birds.

A breed apart

Tedy A breed of homing pigeons (pigeons that are trained for racing) that come from Lahore, Pakistan. Looks a lot like Sialkoti, but is a little lighter in colour. It is capable of long-haul flights.

Sialkoti White in colour with black patches. Good for breeding. Also known as ‘pentees’ (35), named after its market value of Rs35 (Dh3) back in the old days.

Fantail A fancy breed kept for its beauty. They are covered in a thick blanket of feathers and come in black, almond, opal and yellow colours. They have fan-shaped tails and peacock-coloured necks.

Jacobin Another type of fancy pigeon. What makes this breed stand apart is its hallmark hood of feathers which spreads to cover its head. The breed is said to be the result of years of selective breeding.

Kasoori Almost grey in colour and has scattered light patches. A lot like the domestic pigeon. Gets its name from the Kasoori area in Pakistan where it originated. It’s considered to be a great homing pigeon.

Training racers

Training pigeons for racing is a tedious and expensive process. "The rule is not to overfeed them. Training starts when pigeons are very young, have under-developed wings and cannot fly.

"At first, we tie up their wings and make them walk on the rooftop every day. Then, we bring them back to the coop where they are fed.

This way they get used to the fact that they have to return in order to get food. Once they show signs of familiarity with the pattern, we allow them to fly. At this stage, we start losing pigeons. Out of 100 pigeons, only 30 are left at the end of training," said Shaba’an. The entire training process lasts for two months.

A pigeon is not ready for racing until it is five months old. To attain race fitness it undergoes another month-long rigorous training. Out of the entire lot, the best 11 are selected for racing.

Pigeon facts

• In pigeon racing, flights as long as 1,800 kilometres have been recorded. Some pigeons can reach a flying speed of 95 km/h, though the average flying speed over moderate distances is around 48 km/h
• Homing pigeons have been used to carry paper messages in small tubes that were attached to their legs. The service was known as pigeon post
• Messengers, more commonly-known as carrier pigeons, were used as early as 1150AD in Baghdad and also later by Genghis Khan
• In 1860, Paul Reuter, who later founded the Reuters press agency, used a fleet of over 45 pigeons to deliver news and stock prices between Brussels and Aachen
• The outcome of the Battle of Waterloo was also first delivered by a pigeon to England
• The first regular air mail in the world was Mr Howie’s pigeon post service from the Auckland, New Zealand suburb of Newton to Great Barrier Island, in 1896
• The world’s first ‘airmail’ stamps were issued for the Great Barrier Pigeon-Gram Service from 1898 to 1908
• In the 21st century, homing pigeons were employed by remote Indian police departments in Orissa in order to provide emergency communication services during natural disasters. In March 2002, the system was replaced by the internet

YOU SPEAK

• Do you think pigeon racing as a team sport is an obsession in the UAE?
• Are you interested in pigeon racing?
• Do you think the sport needs more patronage?

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