Terry Townsend has a lot of respect for the pigeon.
He's spent months preparing a flock of racing pigeons for competition - and they beat their driver who released them home over 515km.
Parkes Racing Pigeons Club has just hosted its first race in nine years, with 84 birds from five states and territories competing.
The excitement was palpable as a group of owners gathered to watch them come in - and even though they've beaten Terry home on plenty of training flights, their feat was impressive.
"They were a lot quicker than I thought," Terry said.
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"I didn't expect them until about 2 and they were here at 12.40pm.
"They covered it really quick - 1500m a minute is what they were flying, they're quite an incredible little animal."
The winning pigeon was a hen owned by Len Colgate from South Australia, with second place to another hen owned by Grant Wilson and John Banfield close behind.
Third went to Carlo Pedavoli's hen.
The birds all wear an electronic tag and their result is recorded when they cross the board and it is read.
Terry has had these birds since late last year, when they were about 30 days old, preparing them for this racing season.
Participating breeders send their birds to Terry, to get acquainted with the home they'll fly back to from wherever they're released.
"You let them out every day, let them fly around home," Terry explained.
"You take them out the road and gradually increase the distance, I started them off at 25km and gradually worked up.
"They had four or five training flights from 100km then we went to 150, then they jumped into the 500."
Terry's involvement in pigeon racing goes back to his childhood and his respect for these humble birds has only grown with his understanding of them.
"There's been some phenomenal stories of pigeons - back in the war when they were using them as messengers they did some remarkable things," he said.
The Australian War Memorial features two pigeons who were awarded the Dickin Medal, considered The Victoria Cross for animals.
No. 139 attached to Detachment 55 Port Craft Company, Madang 12 July 1945 was awarded the Dickin Medal for gallantry carrying a message through a severe tropical storm thereby bringing help to an army boat with a vital cargo, in danger of foundering.
No. 879 of 1 Australian Pigeon Section, attached to the US forces, Manus Island, Admiralty Islands 5th April 1944. Awarded the Dickin Medal for gallantry carrying a message through heavy fire thereby bringing relief to a Patrol surrounded and attacked by the enemy without other means of communication.
"They're a very tough and versatile animal," Terry said.
The racing season is now drawing to a close, with a smaller number of the birds in Parkes to take a couple of longer challenges in coming weeks.
As the sport's focus then turns back to its breeding season, those birds can go home to breed or some might stay with Terry.
After overwhelming interest in this year's event, Terry will begin it all again in the new year in preparation for 2025 events.
New members would be welcome to the Parkes club, which does collaborate with clubs from Cowra, Grenfell and Bathurst.
"Hopefully we'll kick on from here, bigger and better," Terry said.
