THE 2008 SOUTHEASTERN OPEN

Southeastern Open web site Click Here

The Southeastern Open was started in 1985 with the intent to increase competition for our racing pigeons. The Dixie Combine consists of 4 clubs located in South Georgia and East Alabama. While competition is fierce among members, we seldom exceeded 25 lofts and 350 birds in a given race. The Southeastern Open was the brain-child of Ernie McDonald, Bill Thornton and Bob Lynch of the Dixie Combine. We approached late Waldo Slie of the New Orleans Combine with the idea and selected Cairo, IL as the race station that was approximately 500 miles from New Orleans and South Georgia.

The Southeastern Open is open to all states and has mileage divisions of 300, 400, 500, 600 and 700 miles. In most years lofts from Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana participate in the Southeastern Open. Our goal each year  is 1,000 birds, but we have exceeded this goal in only 2002 with 136 lofts and 1,085 birds. Most years we average between 850-950 birds and 100 to 125 lofts.

In 1994, Global Pigeon Supplies headed by Bert Oostlander of Savannah, GA became the corporate sponsor of the Southeastern Open. Global provides the overall winner of the Southeastern Open with a 25 inch color television and the state and mileage division winners with a Global Pigeon Supplies quartz watch or Global gift certificate. The winners are also featured in a full-page add in the Racing Pigeon Digest along with a featured article on the overall winner.

In 2003, the Southeastern Open became the first regional race recognized by the American Racing Pigeon Union. The AU provides the overall AU winner each year with a special trophy in recognition of their accomplishment in this regional race.

The 2006 Southeastern Open marks the 21st year of competition, making it one of the oldest regional races in the U.S. The Southeastern Open is always flown on the last weekend in April with the release scheduled for Friday. Our goal is the same as it was in the beginning, increased competition to test the quality of your pigeons and management system. If you really want to know how good your pigeons are, how good your health management system is, and how good your loft management/flying system is, we invite you to participate in the Southeastern Open. We have two trailers to pick up your birds. Both are equipped with facilities to feed and water the birds while in route to the race station. One trailer starts in South Georgia and travels along the Gulf Coast picking up birds before turning north at Hammond, LA to go to the race station. The second starts in South Georgia traveling up I75 to Atlanta and then I85 before going to Knoxville and then going west to the race station. We would be glad to have you participate in the Southeastern Open and pick your birds . All you need to do is give one of the following race committee members a call to arrange for the pickup:

Bob LynchReggie KingJohn Ross Helms

Race CoordinatorRace SecretaryCommittee Member

229-382-0019229-831-5235334-693-2885

E-mail robin@surfsouth.com

Come fly with us!