The Digest North American Ace Pigeon & Ace Loft Awards

General Rules for All Digest Awards

1. The Digest North American Ace Pigeon and Ace Loft Awards are open to all American and Canadian racing pigeon fanciers - subscribers and nonsubscribers are eligible.

2. There are six divisions, based on the average birdage in the races submitted. The divisions are:

Division 1 - 2001 birds or more

Division 2 - 1001 to 2000 birds

Division 3 - 501 to 1000 birds

Division 4 - 301 to 500 birds

Division 5 - 151 to 300 birds

Division 6 - 150 birds and below

3. Distances used are based on the individual's loft survey, not the designation of the race distance by the club, combine or other competing organization. All survey decimals will be rounded up. For example, 199.143 miles will be considered 200 miles.

4. A "recognized position" is defined as one in the top five percent of the total number of birds competing from all lofts in a race. Fractions will be rounded up to the next position. For example, if five percent is 13.2 positions, fourteen positions will be recognized.

5. If there is a clocking limit, or if it is obvious from all results that an informal clocking limit is in effect, the results will be considered to only be accurate until the first loft reaches the limit. When one or more lofts have reached the clocking limit before the applicant's pigeons, rather than disqualify the applicant's bird it will be presumed that one-half of the pigeons shipped by the superior lofts were clocked before the applicant's race sheet position, and the applicant's position will be lowered accordingly. If the bird is still in the top five percent, it will still be considered. For example: If a bird is sixth in a race with a two bird clocking limit, but only one loft shipping 17 birds reaches the clocking limit before the applicant's bird, then 8 birds not clocked from the better loft will be added to the sixth position and the applicant bird will be computed at the 14th position. Although this may seem unfair, it is unfair to allow a local, anti-competition rule to give an advantage to some birds over other birds which must compete in true full competition organizations, winning their positions on merit, without a man-made rule designed to falsely elevate their position.

6. With one exception, all races submitted for each division application must be from the same organization. You may not mix results from different clubs or include a combination of club with combine results. If section results are used, then all results must be for that same section. However, it is not necessary for combine results to have been flown from the same club, i.e., combine results can be submitted even if the applicant's positions were earned with two teams flown in different clubs, but the loft name must be the same in each club. The "exception" that all results be from the same organization is that one special race is allowed for any application; however, if the birdage in the special race exceeds the Division average birdage of the regular races submitted, the birdage from the special race will be limited to the highest birdage within the division. A regularly-scheduled, average speed race in another club or combine is not a special race. Examples of special races are futurities, derbies, bond, state or regional races.

7. Birds and lofts can be entered in multiple divisions, but once a bird or loft places in a higher division class, it is not eligible for that same Distance Class in lower divisions.

8. An application can be submitted by the flyer, or breeder or by a club/combine official on behalf of the bird or loft. Secretaries are urged to send in applications for deserving members or their birds, so they can receive the credit that they have earned and is due their accomplishments.

9. Legible copies of race results must be submitted with each application, with each position highlighted or otherwise identified. Do not send diplomas. Race results should show the name of the competing organization, the number of birds shipped by the organization, the survey distances flown by individual birds and/or lofts, and all positions won by birds in the race. If this information is not provided on the race sheet, a certification of the information by the race secretary is permissible.

10. All races must be flown during the calendar year submitted.

11. There must be a minimum of five lofts in a race for that race to be eligible for consideration for Digest awards.

12. RACE RESULTS MUST BE ATTACHED TO ENTRY FORM.

13. Applications completed incorrectly or improperly, or postmarked after the deadline date, or received more than two weeks after the deadline date (though properly postmarked before the deadline) are subject to disqualification; however, the Digest may allow a supplementation if it may cure an error.

14. Faxed results are allowed. The deadline for applying for Digest awards is December 31, 2002. Certificates will be awarded to winners and the results will be published in the Breeder's Edition of the Racing Pigeon Digest (April 1 the following year).

 

 

Digest "Ace Pigeon" Awards

Digest Ace Pigeon Awards were developed to recognize consistently outstanding performances by individual pigeons. In the Digest Ace Pigeon Awards there are two age groups in four distance classes of Ace Pigeons, in each of the six divisions of competition.

 

A) Age Groups -

1. Young Birds, 2. Old Birds

B) Distance Classes - to qualify, the birds must have the following:

1. Sprint - three or more recognized positions in different races at distances up to 250 miles/403 kilometers.

2. Middle - two or more recognized positions in different races at distances from 251 to 375 miles/404 to 604 kilometers. Exception: for YBs - all distances above 251 miles are considered middle distance.

3. Long - two or more recognized positions in different races at distances from 376 miles/605 kilometers or farther.

4. Overall - three or more recognized positions in races from any distances.

 

1. Place all races (sprint, middle, long) the bird scored in the top 5% for the same organization (example: all club results) on one form. We will sort the results and include the bird's results in each distance class it is eligible for.

2. If a pigeon is double banded, then the secretary must inspect the bird, and certify that he has confirmed the validity of both band numbers.

3. RACE RESULTS MUST BE ATTACHED TO ENTRY FORM.

4. The Ace Pigeon Awards are based on percentiles of the birds competing in the races and the distances flown. The race formula which will be used in each individual race for all computations will be based on the pigeon winning first place receiving points equal to five percent of the number of birds in the race, with each successive position receiving one point less, until all points are exhausted. Points equal to five percent of the mileage for the survey distance are then added to the score for the individual bird for each race. For example:

Pos. Dist Birds (Calculation of points)

10th 147mi. 736 36.8 [5% of 736 = 36.8] - 10th pos. + 7.35 [5% of 147 mi.] = 34.15

 

Click here for official ace application -- we can also mail or fax them to you. They are also published in the Oct. 15, Nov. 1, Nov. 15, Dec. 1 and Dec. 15 issues.

 

Digest "Ace Loft" Awards

The Digest Ace Loft Awards were developed to recognize outstanding team and handling performances by individual fanciers. These awards are based on the number of birds clocked in recognized positions by one loft (maximum 10), the survey distance flown in the race and the total number of birds entered in the race.

For the Digest North American Ace Loft Awards there are three classes with six divisions of competition.

A) Classes - lofts must have at least one "recognized position" in each of the following races, except that a longer qualifying race may be submitted for a shorter qualifying race. You must have the required number of races in the longer distances. For example, in Young Birds, there must be two races of at least 151 miles/243 kilometers and two races longer than 250 miles/403 kilometers.

1) Young Birds -

two races between 75-150 miles/120-242 kilometers;

two races between 151-250 miles/243-402 kilometers; and

two races 251 miles/403 kilometers and farther.

2) Old Birds -

two races up to 200 miles/322 kilometers;

two races between 201-369 miles/323-642 kilometers; and

two races 370 miles/643 kilometers and farther.

3) Overall -

No application is necessary. The Digest will select the overall winners from the Ace Lofts winning in both Old and Young Birds. The points will be totaled for consideration.

1. Applicants may submit only one race per station per day. If there are two races from different stations on the same day, both are eligible.

2. It is not necessary to have qualified for average speed to compete for Loft Awards.

3. RACE RESULTS MUST BE ATTACHED TO ENTRY FORM.

4. The Ace Loft Awards are based on percentiles of the birds competing in the races and the distances flown, adding together all individual bird points for each loft's bird in a "recognized position." The race formula which will be used in each individual race for all computations will be based on the pigeon winning first place receiving points equal to five percent of the number of birds in the race, with each successive position receiving one point less, until all points are exhausted. Points equal to five percent of the mileage for the survey distance are then added to the score for the individual bird for each race. This is the same formula used for Ace Pigeon Awards except that here the score for each bird in the top 5% is added together to determine the score for the race.

Click here for official ace application -- we can also mail or fax them to you. They are also published in the Oct. 15, Nov. 1, Nov. 15, Dec. 1 and Dec. 15 issues.