In the year 1818 the first long distance race held with a distance of 100 miles (160 km ) in Belgium. The race begin and continued in the year 1820 a long distance race from Paris to Liege ( A city in Belgium ) and from London to Belgium in the year 1820.
The long distance race sport gained a momentum in Great Britain – France and United States of America.
The pigeon racing, also called Pigeon Flying, racing for sport the homing pigeon, a specialized variety developed through selective cross breeding and training for maximum distance and speed.
The earliest record of the domestication of pigeons is from the fifth Egyptian dynasty (about 3000 BC). The sultan of Baghdad established a pigeon post system in AD 1150, and Genghis Khan used such a system as his conquests spread. Pigeons were widely used for messenger service in Europe during the Revolution of 1848, and in 1849 pigeons were used to carry messages during interruptions in telegraphic service between Berlin and Brussels. Pigeons were used as emergency message carriers in war well into the 20th century. The record flight for a U.S. Army Signal Corps pigeon was a flight of 2,300 miles (3,700 km). Flights of 1,000 miles (1,600 km) were routine.
Racing pigeons are trained, by repeated practice, to return to their home loft when released at various distances and to enter the loft through the trapdoors. At the start of a race, competing birds are banded; they are then liberated together by a starter who records the time of release. The birds ascend rapidly, become oriented, and head directly toward their lofts. As the birds enter their home lofts, the band in the leg and placed in a timing device that indicates the time of arrival. The distance of the pigeon’s flight is divided by the time consumed to determine which pigeon has made the fastest speed. A bird is not considered to have arrived home until actually through the trap of its loft. Pigeons have been known to fly several thousand miles in returning home, and some have attained average speeds of more than 90 miles per hour (145 km/h) in races.
In BANGLADESH racing pigeon have picked up to a level of no return and hoping to see the outcome with an standard maintaining international practice. Wishing all fanciers from ARPCD –BRPEL-BRPOA-BRPFC and all other clubs in Bangladesh to join hands for coming days.