Pigeon racing results can look complex at first glance — columns of numbers, ring codes, and timestamps. This guide explains what everything means so you can read any PigeonLink result with confidence.
How a Pigeon Race Works
On race day, all competing pigeons are transported together to a release point — called the liberation point — which may be hundreds of kilometres from home. They are released simultaneously at an agreed time. Each bird then flies home independently.
The key challenge is that every loft is a different distance from the liberation point. A bird flying home to a loft 400km away has a much harder task than one flying to a loft 250km away. To make this fair, results are not decided by who gets home first — they are decided by velocity.
The Most Important Column: Velocity
Velocity is the measure used to rank every competitor in a pigeon race. It is calculated as:
For example: a bird flying 350,000 metres (350km) in 280 minutes achieves a velocity of 1,250 metres per minute. A competitor whose bird flew 220,000 metres in 190 minutes achieves 1,157 metres per minute. The first bird wins, even though the second bird got home in less actual time — because it flew at a lower velocity relative to its distance.
This system ensures every competitor, regardless of how close or far their loft is from the liberation point, is competing on equal terms.
Reading the Results Table
A typical PigeonLink race result contains the following columns:
| Column | What it means |
|---|---|
| Position | The finishing position in the race, ranked by velocity. 1st place has the highest velocity. |
| Flier / Member | The name of the pigeon owner (the “flier”) and their loft name. |
| Ring Number | The unique identification number on the bird's leg ring. Every racing pigeon is registered and ringed at birth. The ring number identifies which bird was clocked. |
| Clocking Time | The exact date and time the bird arrived at its home loft and was recorded. In modern racing this is done electronically. |
| Distance | The measured distance from the liberation point to that specific loft, shown in miles and yards. Each loft has its own unique distance — even lofts in the same townland may differ. |
| Velocity | The bird's calculated speed in metres per minute (m/min). This is the ranking metric. The higher the velocity, the better the result. |
| Points | Season championship points awarded for this result (where applicable). Points systems vary by club and federation. |
How Distances Are Measured
Distance is not measured as the road distance — it is measured as the straight-line distance through the air, often called “as the crow flies.” In Ireland, these distances are calculated using the Airy Modified ellipsoid, the official method used by the Irish Homing Union (IHU). This is the same mathematical model used by the IHU's official Clipper software.
The GPS coordinates of each loft are recorded precisely and used to calculate the distance to each liberation point. These distances are verified by the club secretary before each race and remain on record as the official distances for the season.
Provisional and Confirmed Results
Race results go through two stages before they become official:
The result has been entered by the club secretary and is visible to members, but has not yet been officially signed off. Provisional results may still be corrected if an error is found.
The result has been reviewed and officially confirmed by the club secretary. Confirmed results are final and form part of the permanent race record.
Did Not Clock (DNC)
If a bird is entered in a race but does not arrive home during the official clocking period, it appears in the result as Did Not Clock (DNC) or is simply not listed with a time. This can happen if a bird is delayed by weather, becomes lost, or is taken by a predator. Birds frequently turn up days or even weeks after a race — pigeon racing is a sport where the unpredictability of nature plays a significant role.
Old Birds and Young Birds
Pigeon racing is divided into two main seasons:
- Old Birds — birds hatched in a previous year. The Old Bird season typically runs from spring into early summer, with races of increasing distance as the season progresses.
- Young Birds — birds hatched in the current year, racing for the first time. The Young Bird season typically runs from late summer into autumn, over shorter distances.
Club championship points are usually calculated separately for Old Birds and Young Birds, and the season champion in each category is the flier who accumulates the most points across all races.
A Note on Pools and Prizes
Many clubs operate optional prize pools alongside the race result. Fliers can enter their birds into one or more pools (typically Pool A, Pool B, Pool C) at basketing time. The pool entry fees are collected and paid out to the top-placed birds in each pool from among those that entered. A bird does not need to win the race to win a pool — it needs to be the highest-placed bird among those that entered that pool.
Pool winnings are separate from the race result and championship points. They are settled by the club secretary after results are confirmed.
Where to Find Results
All confirmed race results for clubs using PigeonLink are published on the platform and accessible to members through their club dashboard. Summary results and historical records are maintained for every season.
If you are a member and cannot find a result, contact your club secretary. If you are interested in joining a club and taking part in pigeon racing, see the How Pigeon Racing Works guide or use the Club Directory to find a club near you.