# Topeka



## raftree3 (Oct 16, 2010)

Anyone planning to send birds to the big race in Topeka. Didn't have much luck last year, trying to decide.


----------



## ejb3810 (May 21, 2012)

I am not flying currently, but have flown Topeka "Midwest National" many times in the past.
It is the premier old bird race in the Midwest and arguably in the U.S.
The race last year had over 4,300 birds entered, and in years past had over 7,400 birds entered. Birds released at Topeka are literally going in all directions, North-East-South&West, to reach home. Weather can be a big factor as in any race, but to win this race is to earn bragging rights like for no other I believe.
Eric Kirkwood will be flying it I would think with his Spooner,Wi club and the Heartland Federation. They offer trophies in race sections from 100 miles to 600 miles as I recall with the big trophy to the overall winner.


----------



## V-John (May 15, 2008)

Good luck Eric. Im too close or I would think about it.


----------



## raftree3 (Oct 16, 2010)

I'll probably send some but it's not an easy race even for us on the short end. I thought as short as it is for us it would just be a trapping race but the weather wasn't too good and all those birds going in every directions got to be confusing. It's a sight to see though.


----------



## ejb3810 (May 21, 2012)

Even more challenging when your distance is 563 miles. Our guy on the long end in the old Tri State Racing Pigeon Club had a distance of 618 miles. Many years it was quite an accomplishment to get a day bird.


----------



## ssyyb2 (Sep 4, 2011)

Ill have my dirty dozen down there to dazzle and befuddle the masses! My bird we named nimrod is on week old eggs with his hen right now. She will be going also I will stick a new hatch under her before the race.

I am excited two people in the black hills have won it. my grandpas goal was to win it, well he never got his chance so time to try making him smile from above!


----------



## ERIC K (Mar 29, 2010)

Thanks for the well wishes. I will have birds in this year and one guy from my club has won the 500 mile category I believe,3 times, but one of the wins didn't count because our federation held the birds an extra day and flew it on a Sunday instead of the Saturday like all the other clubs did. When they say to release the birds they go up or your out of the Mid-west part.


----------



## Crazy Pete (Nov 13, 2008)

Three years ago I took 4th place over all, that was the year several clubs let there birds out early. I think they had around 3300 birds that year, I had my bird on 10 day old babies. The year they had 7400 I was the only one in my club that wanted to fly I only had 7 birds to fly and did lousy. To see that many birds let out is really some thing.
Dave


----------



## Crazy Pete (Nov 13, 2008)

Well I didn't do that bad 23rd place in the 100 mile section with a 14 year old hen. 
WinSpeed-1 100 Mile Class 07/11/10-10:28

Weekly Race Report Page 1

Open and Sportsman Category

Name: 2010 MIDWEST CLASSIC Old Bird Race Flown: 06/26/2010

Release(A): 06:15 Birds: 224 Lofts: 14 Station: MIDWEST

Weather (Rel) CLEAR, S/SW 9-12, 79 degrees (Arr) CLEAR, E/NE 10/15, 82 degrees



POS NAME BAND NUMBER CLR X ARRIVAL MILES TOWIN YPM PT

1 Rawhide/31 109 AU 09 RRL BC C 08:49:30 141.507 00.00 1611.988 121

2 Rawhide 2639 AU 09 OMA BC C 08:52:47 2/ 31 03.17 1578.444 118

3 Rawhide 895 AU 08 OMA BB C 08:53:18 3/ 31 03.47 1573.292 115

4 Moyers Lof/11 2254 AU 08 ENRP BB C 09:04:04 151.080 04.06 1572.762 112

5 Rawhide 2025 AU 09 OMA BC C 08:53:42 4/ 31 04.11 1569.326 110

6 Rawhide 552 AU 07 OMA BB C 08:56:09 5/ 31 06.38 1545.468 107

7 Latka Loft/8 9343 AU 09 ENRP BLK C 09:10:14 153.256 07.54 1539.261 104

8 Manawa Lof/30 9047 AU 09 ENRP BB H 09:09:45 150.044 10.55 1511.221 101

9 Rawhide 4 AU 09 RRL BLK C 09:08:47 6/ 31 19.16 1433.118 99

10 Triple C L/31 443 AU 09 ER GRZ C 09:17:24 146.838 22.04 1416.855 96

11 Triple C Loft 16236 AU 09 AHPI BB C 09:17:30 2/ 31 22.10 1416.079 93

12 Rawhide 3947 AU 09 OMA BC C 09:15:09 7/ 31 25.38 1382.471 90

13 Manawa Loft 7138 AU 07 ENRP BBSP C 09:30:04 2/ 30 31.14 1353.820 88

14 Bullseye l/12 159 AU 08 LNC BC C 09:10:23 132.619 30.34 1330.900 85

15 Rawhide 823 AU 08 OMA BB C 09:22:53 8/ 31 33.22 1325.568 82

16 Triple C Loft 3101 AU 09 OMA BC C 09:32:58 3/ 31 37.38 1305.444 79

17 Feather She/5 2139 AU 08 ENRP DC C 10:07:59 171.456 45.47 1295.213 77

18 Feather Shed 2975 AU 08 ENRP DC C 10:08:12 2/ 5 46.00 1294.009 74

19 Rawhide 69 AU 09 RRL BC C 09:27:53 9/ 31 38.23 1291.206 71

20 Rawhide 622 AU 07 OMA BBTC H 09:28:12 10/ 31 38.41 1289.090 68

21 Manawa Loft 9078 AU 09 ENRP BBWF C 09:42:04 3/ 30 43.14 1275.361 65

22 Bullseye loft 748 AU 07 LNC C 09:20:34 2/ 12 40.45 1257.870 63

--------------------------------- Above are 10 percent ------------------------

23 Petracek Lo/7 6246 AU 96 LNC BC H 08:55:02 113.881 35.41 1252.460 60


----------



## Josepe (Jan 10, 2011)

23rd out of 224 birds for a 14 year old hen, now that's a Veteran Proven flyer. I would've fed her sugar coated peanuts on her return. Almost made top 10%.Was she drawing Social Security from the AU? Is she still around?


----------



## Crazy Pete (Nov 13, 2008)

Yes I still have her, I don't let her go on training tosses any more she would if I let her. I think that was her best race ever.
Dave


----------



## ssyyb2 (Sep 4, 2011)

I just took my team 100 miles today and half of them came on the drop 1450 ypm.

None of my team will be trained past 100 miles so I'm either stupid or genius!


----------



## ERIC K (Mar 29, 2010)

The long term forecast is for N or NW winds the whole race . If it stays the same and we don't get a better forecast I have my reservations about sending any birds to this years race.


----------



## Crazy Pete (Nov 13, 2008)

I'm 120 miles north, the high should only be 84f with a 10 mph north wind. If it stays that way it should be a good day for a race.
Dave


----------



## ERIC K (Mar 29, 2010)

Head winds all the way for the birds on Saturday. Good luck to any one that's entered.


----------



## raftree3 (Oct 16, 2010)

Good luck Eric! I parked mine for the season. This weeks 600 will be the last for our club this year.


----------



## ssyyb2 (Sep 4, 2011)

raftree3 said:


> Good luck Eric! I parked mine for the season. This weeks 600 will be the last for our club this year.


The north platte birds were looking good! Your guys race schedule is crazy! The speeds you had this year even crazier!

Now I'm at a motel 6 in Omaha with nothing to do but drive home!


----------



## raftree3 (Oct 16, 2010)

I think we had 3 bunches from the Combine go down. Nobody in our club wanted to send any.....just concentrating on the 600. How many did you send? I'll be watching the results. It's 500 or more for you isn't it? Win a trophy!!


----------



## Crazy Pete (Nov 13, 2008)

I wish my club would have flown the old bird season this year, with out the short races I didn't want to take a chance sending birds to the long races. It just coast too much to train them on your own, I should have got them ready for the Topeka race I'm just lazy.
Dave


----------



## ERIC K (Mar 29, 2010)

Got an e mail from the driver they we're the first to arrive in Topeka and the birds have been watered and fed and settled in waiting for tomorrow. I have 2 and my daughter has 2 birds in this year we'll soon see how they do.


----------



## ssyyb2 (Sep 4, 2011)

Yes I am 518 miles and I will propably crap a golden egg if I even get to clock a bird good luck Eric I'm sure your 4 have a much better chance than my 12  joes 13 on the other hand were wired! But they might waist their energy in the basket!


----------



## Crazy Pete (Nov 13, 2008)

Release at Topeka @6:15 am with Clear Skys, 67 degrees and NNW winds 5 mph.

I hope your birds made it past This part of Nebraska before 10:30 or so that's when the wind picked up to about 25 MPH with gusts.
Dave


----------



## ssyyb2 (Sep 4, 2011)

Unless I get something in the next 45 minutes no day birds here. Also I have not heard anything from joe... Oh well there is always next year :/


----------



## raftree3 (Oct 16, 2010)

Tough day for birds going north. We had a 600 today from Ft. Worth with no day birds across our Combine. Birds going south should have had a good ride.


----------



## Crazy Pete (Nov 13, 2008)

I just red the email from Marvin and no day birds in the combine, I cant believe that there were no birds from Topeka. The wind didn't pick up till after 9:30, the 100 mile section should have had birds in.
Dave


----------



## ERIC K (Mar 29, 2010)

Ididn't get any day birds but I new that going into this race, i did hear a guy clocked a bird a little after 3 pm somewere in Ill about 60 miles short of Belverdeere


----------



## ssyyb2 (Sep 4, 2011)

ERIC K said:


> Ididn't get any day birds but I new that going into this race, i did hear a guy clocked a bird a little after 3 pm somewere in Ill about 60 miles short of Belverdeere


Joe knows a guy in Wisconsin in the 400 category that clocked his first bird at 5 so I'm assuming 6 his time when he was on the phone with joe. I hoped to talk to you hoping you would get a bird while I talked to you but apparently you were driving to my house to see the race winner


----------



## ssyyb2 (Sep 4, 2011)

Bob Barrett was the guy in Wisconsin btw


----------



## raftree3 (Oct 16, 2010)

Crazy Pete said:


> I just red the email from Marvin and no day birds in the combine, I cant believe that there were no birds from Topeka. The wind didn't pick up till after 9:30, the 100 mile section should have had birds in.
> Dave


He was talking about the 600 from Ft. Worth. We didn't send any from our club but Platte Valley, North Platte and Omaha did so I'm sure some got birds home.


----------



## parrisc (Feb 14, 2007)

7 members of MRP sent 198 birds, only 1 day bird, I got my first bird at 5:45 this morning. We are in the 400-500 mile class.


----------



## Crazy Pete (Nov 13, 2008)

It will be interesting to find out just how many day birds came in, did they say about how many birds were let out.
Dave


----------



## Josepe (Jan 10, 2011)

Is there a Link to this race?


----------



## Crazy Pete (Nov 13, 2008)

http://midwesthpa.com/index.htm

This should be a link to the home page.
Dave


----------



## Crazy Pete (Nov 13, 2008)

I just red an article from the Topeka paper that said more than 4500 birds were released.
Dave


----------



## Josepe (Jan 10, 2011)

Got it. Thanks.


----------



## Crazy Pete (Nov 13, 2008)

I think their is another race like this but I cant find info on it. I've been told that a club down south puts on a race in April, but that's to early for me to train.
Dave


----------



## parrisc (Feb 14, 2007)

Crazy Pete said:


> It will be interesting to find out just how many day birds came in, did they say about how many birds were let out.
> Dave


I think the actaul number wont be known for a week or so. The entries are made for each club on a sheet of paper and turned in on race day. So it will be a manual process to tabulate all them up


----------



## ssyyb2 (Sep 4, 2011)

Me nor joe have any birds back ... Sounds like a smash race from what I have heard!


----------



## ERIC K (Mar 29, 2010)

I don't think I have any home either. Lost my phone in Yellowstone park the other day so I can call anyone.


----------



## raftree3 (Oct 16, 2010)

We had a 600 on the same day. Huge head winds and only had a total of 4 back in the club by the third day. Gotta think that as short as we are there were some from Topeka on the day but haven't heard since no one from our club sent any.


----------



## ssyyb2 (Sep 4, 2011)

raftree3 said:


> We had a 600 on the same day. Huge head winds and only had a total of 4 back in the club by the third day. Gotta think that as short as we are there were some from Topeka on the day but haven't heard since no one from our club sent any.


I talked to Marvin he said Topeka is 300 for them and I thought he said there were 6 or 9 day birds? 

Sounds like jay may have done well on that 600 he had 4 back by the third day but its no secret to me he is the best long distance racer in the world!


----------



## ssyyb2 (Sep 4, 2011)

ERIC K said:


> I don't think I have any home either. Lost my phone in Yellowstone park the other day so I can call anyone.


I talked to les he only had 2 out of 12 and sounded real dissapointed almost as much as me! He mentioned he had not checked your clock yet.


----------



## ERIC K (Mar 29, 2010)

It looks like our club clocked 5 birds . The resultes are upfor the ICC but a not officail yet. My daughter clocked 1 out of 2 on Monday at 8:11am.(61 out of 67 place out of the clocked birds) 0 for 2 on the clock for me.


----------



## ssyyb2 (Sep 4, 2011)

ERIC K said:


> It looks like our club clocked 5 birds . The resultes are upfor the ICC but a not officail yet. My daughter clocked 1 out of 2 on Monday at 8:11am.(61 out of 67 place out of the clocked birds) 0 for 2 on the clock for me.


So did you go to reptile gardens? What did you think if you did?

Also did you get to eat at Applebee's if you did how was your experience?

I wanted to tell you to swing by and see my loft but I was sure your wife would get ya if you did


----------



## parrisc (Feb 14, 2007)

Results are in

http://www.midwesthpa.com/Midwest Final Race Reports/2013 Midwest Final.htm


----------

