Under the cover of darkness, pedigree pigeons with razor-sharp homing instincts are released, while their owners wait back at their roosts for the winner to clock in.

This is pigeon racing, a passion, a sport, an 'ego thing', as one breeder-racer called it. You can't do it for the profit.

Junior Gopaul, who lost some of his prized pigeons to theft two weeks ago, said, "Pigeon-racing can be a family sport…It can be a great way to keep the youths interested in something positive, instead of them being idle enough to get into crime. We do it because we love it, not for the profit."

Pigeon racing is a complicated study of the birds' habits and abilities, and breeding a winner is no easy task.

There are seasons for racing different types of birds and different categories of races.

A winning male, especially one with a successful lineage, can fetch up to $2,000 locally, and owners must ensure adequate security for their prized racers.

Gopaul, 41, took up the sport four years ago when he was able to afford it. As a boy, he loved pigeons and he is now realizing his dream of becoming a fancier, which is the term used for someone who races pigeons.

Gopaul now breeds his own birds but initially imported from a breeder in Belgium, which he referred to as the mecca of pigeon racing.

"This is very big in the United States and Europe," he said. "There are millionaires in Europe who gained their fortunes through this sport. "And although we are small in the business, Trinidad is the biggest source of the sport in the region."

There are three racing seasons. The young birds are raced from July to October and the older birds from January to May. The section known as the 'widowhood' is raced during the mating season while hatchlings are still in their parents' care.

"In this case, one parent is locked up with the young, and the other released from a point to see how fast he or she can get back to the nest. It's a natural race of both speed and parenting instincts," Gopaul explained.

"The same is done in the mating season, where the males are sent after their females."

Anyone who has looked up to the sky recently and seen what appears t be hawks soaring with a steady purpose might be surprised to know that these are 'weather casts' for pigeon racers.

"We don't race pigeons when the hawks are in town, small birds like pigeons are exactly what they look for," Gopaul said.

Pigeons eat a variety of seed and corn and need medication and vitamins to keep them in top form.

Gopaul himself has experimented with crossbreeding at his Bocus Avenue, Lange Park roost.

The most common types of racers in Trinidad are Janssen, Beauchart and Janardens, all named after the fanciers who pioneered the sport in Europe.

Gopaul belongs to both the Trinidad Pigeon Club, and the National Commission for Pigeon Racing, where, along with other racers, he is working to "bring the sport all under one umbrella".

Membership is up to about 125 people, though the fan base is much bigger.

"The sport was much more vibrant years ago, when I was a spectator. The lack of funding has brought things to a sort of standstill and this is why we are looking for corporate sponsorship."

A top racer can cover hundreds of miles, and the farthest Gopaul has ever raced is from Barcelona to Venezuela.

"The pigeons are released and tagged with removable rubber band, bearing a number on one leg, and they also have a permanent ID band on the other leg.

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