THE RACING RULES

The Racing Rules of SA Own Loft Racing Union

THE RACING RULES 

The Own Loft International Racing Pigeon Association (IRPA) has set forth guidelines that all IRPA affiliates are expected to follow as the minimum standards of operation. These minimum standards are meant to be adhered to without deviation. However, if there is a genuine need, not just a desire to be different, for any deviation, it must be communicated in writing to the IRPA race secretary for approval. It's important to note that approval will not be withheld without a valid reason.

A.        THE AIM OF THE INTERNATIONAL RACING RULES

1.     Tetra Loft Grouping 

To determine and reward the best International Pigeon Fancier and Loft by using the TLG scorecard ( https://app.pigeonprogram.com/public/loft-grouping-calculator) as well as other approved three or Five bird LG scorecards to be developed

2.     Coefficient Best pigeon

To determine and reward the best International Racing Pigeon by using the international coefficient method of position on the results divided by the liberation size averaged over at least 10 races.

3.     To establish and record a fair and amicable set of rules and regulations to achieve the above

taking cognizance of the fact that the standard method of highest velocity, although accurate, has its limitations and unfairness when applied to an effort to calculate international results.

1.     The slogans of IRPA will at all times be prominent

a.     “In the interest of the pigeon”,

b.      “The pigeon first” and

c.       “Your loft, your birds”

B.        APPLICATION OF THE RACING RULES

1. Purpose of the racing rules

Practical aspects of the Racing rules and race control are overseen by the IRPA race committee, addressing their specific fundamental concerns. The primary responsibilities of Race Committees include:

a. Oversee the use of general rules, controlling, innovating, and supporting new ideas.

b. Supervising, guiding, and assisting the smaller-level race committees.

c. Regulating, executing, supervising, and controlling races on behalf of IRPA.

d. Servicing and revising the texts of national basic issues.

e. Reviewing appeals, addressing irregularities, and making decisions.

C.        EQUIPMENT TO REGULATE AND CONTROL THE RACE PROCESS FROM ENTERING AND BASKETING FOR THE RACE TO FINAL RESULTS.

1.     RFID Timing Devices

The following timing devices and clock systems that can record and accurately time RFID foot tags operating on the Hitag S 256 125Khz LF capable of reading and writing to an e-ring, will be accepted by IRPA

a.     All Benzing electronic timers and their antennas as well as docking stations and Live Routers.

b.     Brickon electronic timers and their antennas as well as docking stations.

c.      Taurus electronic timers and their antennas as well as docking stations

d.     Unicon electronic timers and their antennas as well as docking stations

e.     Topigeon live with antennas

f.       Konic Cloud-based timing system.

g.      Konic QR code hand timers.

2.     RFID and QR Code Foot Tags:

In the realm of electronic timing systems, compatibility with RFID and QR code foot tags is a crucial aspect. While all e-timing systems possess the capability to interact with the specified e-ring mentioned above, some systems face limitations in reading and writing to rings from other manufacturers due to closed club systems. The pricing of these rings is not always subject to typical market influencers like supply and demand. To address these considerations and maintain ethical practices, the following rules are established:

a.   Legality and Presentation:

Clocking systems and timing devices must be legally presented to users in accordance with the laws of the country where they are intended to be used.

b. Certification of Useability and Durability:

The devices' usability and durability must be certified by an international and qualified testing laboratory. Certification ensures that these devices are fit for their intended use. The International Organization for Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC), operating by ISO/International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) 17011, plays a pivotal role in accrediting conformity assessment bodies. These bodies employ ISO/IEC 17025 for testing laboratories, ensuring rigorous testing standards are met.

This rule is in place to ensure transparency, legality, and the overall effectiveness of electronic timing systems, fostering fair practices within the pigeon racing community of IRPA

3.     Club Antennas and basketing procedures

a.     If a privately owned club system does not automatically transmit a basketing list to a website straight after the loft completes race entries, meaning the club cam is not directly linked to a website during the basketing process, that type of club cam must be submitted to the race secretary of an affiliated club or basketing facility for safekeeping throughout the entire racing season. Any participant found in possession of such a private club system is subject to disqualification from all races held before the system's discovery.

b.     Club systems must be fitted with a GPS clearly indicating the coordinates on the basketing sheet of the basketing facility.

c.      The club scanner fitted with its GPS device and connected, must be switched on, at least 20 min before scanning the first entrant of the event.

d.     Basketing own baskets

i.      There must be at least 3 members present when one of the three is entering the birds in the basket allocated to him/her.

·      The member whose birds are being basketed may present the bird’s leg, fitted with the RFID tag, to the scanner, the second person must regulate the correctness of the RFID coupling to the Id-ring number and the third person must control the safe placing of the bird into the member’s allocated basket.

ii   If the owner prefers not to be present when his birds are being basketed, the race secretary and one other member may proceed with the basketing procedure.

iii  There must be at least 4 members present when the entrants are scattered- basketed across all available baskets.

Iv  If the owner prefers not to be present when his birds are being basketed, the race secretary and two other members may proceed with the basketing procedure

v   When the basketing process for a specific member is completed, the race secretary must present the member or its presentative, with a basketing list.

vi         If, after a pigeon has been placed in a race basket, due to illness or technical issues, a pigeon must be removed from a race basket before its final loading onto the transporter, a specific and controlled procedure is in place to manage this situation.

The responsibility for removing a pigeon in such circumstances lies exclusively with the race secretary or an individual officially appointed by the race secretary for this purpose. No other individuals are permitted to perform this task to maintain the integrity and consistency of the removal process.

This protocol is designed with the welfare and health of the pigeons in mind. If a pigeon is deemed unfit for the race due to illness or any technical concerns, after the bird has been placed in the race basket, the designated personnel will handle the removal, ensuring that only healthy and fit pigeons participate in the race.

vii              If it is possible to correct the matter, the bird will be put back in the basket, and if the matter requires the bird’s withdrawal from the race, the e-ring must be removed from the bird's leg, the bird can then be returned to its owner and the e-ring must be safely locked away, and only returned to the owner after the race is closed.Then the bird, if the basketing procedure allows it, must be scratched from the race, by deleting the entry. Should this not be possible the race secretary must manually record the pigeon's ring detail and ensure that it does not appear on the race results.

4.     General Conditions of Directing Races

Official races may be organized and conducted by National affiliates and their clubs as well as their members (clubs, associations). Organizers must take cognizance of: -

a.     weather, temperature, and wind predictions as forecast by the website www.windfinder.com  or a similar accurate website.

b.     The final choice of the liberation site must be confirmed to participants no later than noon on the day preceding the liberation date. Therefore, annual race programs must never indicate a liberation site, but should rather be based on average hours on the wing.

c.      A general direction of race points must be published six weeks before the first race date. Expected hours of flight must never exceed the total hours available between sunrise and sunset, less 2 (two) hours, to allow sufficient time for all birds, or at least 80%, to be home on the day of liberation.

d.     Convoyer or drivers of the transport must have access to a reputable light meter or a reputable Android application on their cell phones, capable of accurately reading the light in Lux. The above rules require the input of an experienced race secretary, capable of reading the predicted weather conditions and being able to predict the expected speed of the race fairly accurately.

e.     Liberations may not take place before a reading of 350 Lux with a clear vision of at least 5 kilometers. Keeping in mind sunrise is considered to be 400 lux. The emphasis of this rule is that participating racers must be liberated as early as possible.

f.       Separate liberations, of birds on the same affiliate’s transporter are not allowed to take place from the same liberation site.  To avoid unnecessary loss of inexperienced young birds and yearlings, they must be liberated simultaneously with old experienced racers.

g.      Where there are two or more transporters from different organizations wanting to liberate their racers from the same site, they may either release their racers at the same time or a maximum of 30 min apart. The organization racing to the furthest point racing in the same direction will have preference.

h.     Forced overnight races are strictly forbidden, and affiliates not adhering to this rule will face serious consequences.

i.        Should combine liberations with other organizations or affiliates be agreed upon, the general direction of flight to their perspective lofts must be the same should the direction of flight differ more than 45 degrees, the liberation of the last transporter may not take place for at least 1 hour after the first birds were released.

j.        No race may be considered if expected winds or gusts on the route home exceed 45 km per hour, however, the choice of liberation sites and or expected hours on the wing may be adjusted so that these conditions can be avoided.

k.      No race may be considered if the expected temperature exceeds 30 degrees Celsius, however, the choice of liberation sites and or expected hours on the wing may be adjusted so that these conditions can be avoided.

l.        No race may be considered where the on-route forecast predicts a possibility of heavy rain, snow, or hail.

m.  Transporting vehicles must remain stationary at the liberation site for a duration exceeding 1 hour for every 100 kilometers of the expected average flight time upon the return to their respective lofts.

5.     Conditions of Participation in the Races

Participation in races is open to all natural and legal entities who are members of IRPA through their National Federation. Additional conditions include: -

a)     having no outstanding debts to the race organizing committee or the announced committee

b)     no prohibition on participation

c)      acceptance and adherence to all rules, and non-interference with control.

d)     each pigeon entering a race must have a clear readable foot ring, and the owner must verify ownership with a certification card or the ring must appear on his list of electronic rings on the website of Pigeonprogram.com

e)     participating pigeons must be healthy, parasite-free, have valid veterinary vaccinations, and must show no signs of illness, like vomiting or watery droppings.

f)       the use of doping agents is strictly prohibited, with penalties for contravention as per the doping manual.

g)     affiliates and their entourage, must regularly present samples of feces from their member's birds for testing to the South African Jockey Club.

h)     the process of taking, preserving, and presenting sample droppings must comply with the methods described in the doping manual.

i)       when unannounced sampling of feces was taken from the transport baskets allocated to one fancier and the sample tested positive, that loft must be officially tested as soon as possible after the positive sample test was received in the described and correct manner.

j)       no two participants are allowed to compete with the same bird in the same race season.

6.     Accuracy of Race Results

All race results shall be calculated by the website: -

a)               www.pigeonprogram.com or shall be compatible with the website so that fair and accurate international, national, provincial, and interclub competitions are possible.

b)               Only the liberation time and time of arrival will be considered when incorporating race results into www.pigeonprogram.com. The distance displayed on the results will be computed by Pigeonprogram.com using the specific loft and liberation site coordinates, utilizing the ellipsoid model WGS-84 and applying the Vincenty formula for accurate geodetic calculations.

c)                In the event of a dispute regarding the formula used, the determination will be based on the information available on the following website: FAI World Distance Calculator

d)               This clarification ensures that the process of calculating distances and resolving any disputes is clearly explained, and it provides a direct link for reference to the World Distance Calculator on the FAI website.

e)               The WGS-84 model using the Gauss-Krüger method as specified by FCI, will not be used as you would need to specify a particular zone within the Gauss-Krüger coordinate system. Each zone has its own parameters for projection and coordinates. For example, Gauss-Krüger Zone 33 might have different parameters than Zone 34. Therefore, it will be discarded in these IRPA Rules.

f)                 The use of the Own Loft scorecard, shall be as per the formula displayed in the Tetra Loft Grouping rule book or as per the App on the site https://app.pigeonprogram.com/public/loft-grouping-calculator which uses the velocity results above to determine the winners of International, National, Provincial, and Club competitions. The App is based on the Excel formula, which can be found in the Tetra LG rule book.

7.     Rules of Transporting and Releasing of Racers (to be read in conjunction with the driver’s policies and procedures)

a)     Baskets used for transporting pigeons must adhere to specific guidelines to ensure the well-being of the birds. The formula of 60 kg live weight per cubic meter should be followed, keeping the basket height at 240 mm. The average weight of a pigeon is around 350 grams. If necessary and justified by a visual test indicating no overcrowding, the formula can be adjusted to a maximum of 70 kg live weight. For example, a basket with dimensions of 74 cm x 70 cm x 24 cm would equate to 0.1243 cubic meters. Applying the formula (0.1243 x 70 kg), we get 8.7 kg live weight. Dividing this by the weight of each pigeon (350 grams) results in a capacity of 25 birds per basket.

b)     The transporting vehicle must be able to produce a current roadworthy certificate issued by a traffic authority of the affiliate’s country.

c)      The vehicle must be fitted with a water tank of sufficient capacity to supply fresh water to all the birds being transported, three times per day for three days, using the consumption of water by the racers as 1 liter per day for 20 birds. If the method of “Allocated basket per loft” is used, each basket must be fitted with a separate water trough. If scattered basketing is allowed the trough could be communal.

d)     Should the dedicated basket per loft be used the owner may purchase spare water throughs fitted with PVA sponge (PVA Sponge does not spill water and allows the bird to drink) and fit them permanently in the top of his dedicated basket, so that his birds are exposed to water at all times. These sponges must be removable and disinfected weekly.

e)     Sufficient pigeon feed should also accompany the birds, at a rate of 35-gram feed per pigeon twice daily.

f)       Racers will be fed properly on the morning of liberation to create the need to drink water before liberation.

g)      Birds remaining in the baskets after all the other racers have vacated their baskets, should not be chased or forced to fly, it is presumed that the bird does not feel up to the effort to return home. Therefore, the baskets will be closed and the birds will be returned to their owners 24 hours after the race is closed. The transporter is responsible for feeding and watering the unwilling disqualified competitor.

h)     Transporters must be insured against loss of goods in transit at a rate of R 5000.00 per 25-bird basket. (R 200 per bird). They must also have SASRIA insurance at the same rate and value.

8.     On-site Rules for starting the race (to be read in conjunction with the driver’s policies and procedures)

a.     Arrival on site:

                                                              i.      The responsible person on site, Beit the driver, the conveyor, or a committee member must declare the arrival as safe and all baskets-seals still intact. Therefore, a thorough check of each basket and its seals must be checked.

                                                           ii.      Should it be found that there are seals that have been tampered with, that basket will not be opened with the other baskets and will be disqualified, the driver will immediately report the fraud at the nearest police station counting the number of birds, if any, still in the basket.The Transport manager will be notified of the case number so that an insurance claim may be prepared.

                                                         iii.      Should there be no sign of any fraud or theft amongst the baskets, the responsible person will fill all the relevant, water throughs and present it to the birds.

b.     The drivers must at all times be in close vicinity to the transport vehicle, if not inside the driver's cab., for the night, before liberation early the next morning.

c.      The following morning, one hour before liberation the birds must be fed again and the drivers must ensure that the water throughs are still full of water. The birds should be allowed for the remaining time, before liberation, to eat and drink at will.

d.     At the exact time decided by the race secretary, all the release levers must be pulled simultaneously to open all the race baskets at once.

e.     The baskets must remain in the release mode, without any disturbance to force the remaining birds to fly, for 15 min before the levers must be pulled to close the baskets and the driver should then inspect every basket to see if any birds remained in the baskets. (see 7 f)

9.     These rules should be read in conjunction with: -

a.     Drivers Policies and procedures

b.     Basketing Policies and procedures

c.      Dope testing policies and procedures

d.     Lodging of disputes policy and procedures.

e.     Tetra Loft Grouping rules.