In-breeding is the riskiest but may also be the most successful method provided that you have really ideal pigeons. In this system, the mating happens between a parent pigeon and its child or between a brother and a sister pigeon. Because of the closeness of the generation, any trait from any of the pigeons can be easily passed to the resulting offspring both good and bad traits. Did you ever wonder what was it like a thousand years ago, when ancient man was still one with nature and empires were just about to be built? Tribes communicated with each other through pigeons, and the racing pigeons were animals that were revered by many because of their speed and agility. The great civilizations from East to West made full use of the racing pigeons as messengers that deliver important messages coming from the emperors out to the most remote areas of their lands. I can feel pigeon racing professionals laugh in jest at this genuflection, but let's not forget that most of us have been led to the sport because of these same reasons. As someone who spent much of his childhood racing pigeons, I have learned invaluable lessons that I still find useful as an adult. The sense of responsibility that one acquires in raising these magnificent birds is something that I'll always treasure. The ability to stay in flight for long hours has provided them opportunities in developing their decision-making skills in times of fatigue. These birds also have extensive experience in dealing with any type of weather, which should be beneficial given the fact that the weather can be unpredictable at times. But the intensity of the action is more felt on the ground where fanciers and raisers of these birds await with bated breath if their winged creatures will be the first ones to cross the imagined finished line. And as soon the birds cross the designated borderline, fanciers and the enthusiasts would erupt in claps and cheers the loudest of course belong to the winning fancier. The rules of the sport, as set forth by the pigeon racing governing body the American Pigeon Racing Union mostly covers significant rules regarding how to race, how to calculate dead time, and how to time the race. Some of the most important rules are: Racing: Each race must start at the same location at the same time.