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RULES
APPLE CUP 2026
Accepting birds and replacements 4 March through May 30th, 2026, all birds must have 2026 seamless bands and we advise that all breeders vaccinate their birds for PMV 2 weeks before sending and please use a new box when shipping. We will return your birds in brand new boxes at the conclusion of the race series
All birds vaccinated for PMV upon arrival, but please do it yourself at least 2 weeks before sending.
Shortly after arrival all birds will also be treated for internal/external parasites, canker, as well as bacterial diseases.
All birds will have their 9th and 10th flights pulled and regrown before training begins.
It is not necessary to contact us before shipping your birds and always try to ship on a Monday, Tuesday at the latest and as previously mentioned above, use a new box. Make sure that you have your phone number, loft name, and your first and last name on the box and that it is legible and make sure you register for our race before sending. Some of you print your own shipping labels however do not have your phone number in the address block, make sure you hand write it in if you do not have it printed on the shipping label. We try to call breeders when their birds arrive if there is a problem, if there is no number on the box do not expect a call. Again, do not forget to put your LOFT NAME on the box and remember to include your perch fees with the birds when you mail them.
Perch fees are $150 per bird and are due when you mail your birds. If you have a bird that needs to be replaced during our acceptance period then please make every effort in doing so, we will contact you if you have a sick bird that needs replaced however it is your responsibility to follow our loft flying inventories to identify lost birds that you may want to replace because we can not generate a LOST/MISSING report until all pigeons have arrived and are settled.
Entry Fees are $250 per bird due immediately after the 100 mile activation race and are optional in 2026. Pick and choose which of your pigeons you want to activate, total refund of your Entry Fee if your bird does not go to the first race in the series. Entry fees must be paid electronically within 7 days of the activation race, if mailed the envelope must be postmarked within 7 days of the activation race as well, no exceptions!
Birds not activated by the original owners may be activated by others, however the original owner retains possession of their birds at the conclusion of the series and are responsible for paying return shipping.
Payout posted under the PAYOUT TAB is based upon 2,000 birds activated, it will be adjusted if more or less birds are entered. If there are more than 2,000 birds activated their portion of the prizes will be added to the final race.
On the final 350 mile race we will pay out the top 100 positions, or the top 10% of the birds shipped to that race, whichever number is smaller. Example, 1,500 pigeons go to the final race, we will pay out 100 positions on the final, if 900 pigeons go to the final race we will pay out the top 90 positions. This is done so that if there is a large number of birds going to the final race the prizes do not get spread out too thin.
Birds sent by their owners remain property of the owners, there is no auction at the end, Shipping rates have changed by the USPS and may change again in 2026 therefore shipping costs will be announced as we get closer to the final race. Since 2020 we have shipped all breeder's birds back in brand new boxes, we feel this is the most professional method in returning birds and it helps stop the spread of disease by using old boxes which often times have been around for years and passed around the country. Shipping will be deducted from winnings so do not send a check for shipping if you won any amount of prize money because it confuses our shipping procedures, the remainder will be sent in the form of a check. If you do not win any prize money then return of the birds will only be done once we have received the appropriate shipping fees in hand via check or through our Payments Tab on our home page. Birds will only be mailed back to the breeder's address registered under their Loft Name on Wincompanion, no exceptions! Birds and checks get sent back to your Wincompanion address, this is why it is so important to keep your contact information up to date on Wincompanion. The Apple Cup is not responsible for undelivered birds if your Wincompanion address and phone number is not up to date, please make sure it is up to date when you sign up.
Birds will not be combined in the same box from different breeders, it complicates our shipping process and we have no way of being 100% sure that the person calling us has good intentions. In 2022 we shipped two breeders birds together, we later found that one guy owed the other other guy money and this was his way of collecting, by having his ex partner's bird shipped to him. When we ship birds the boxes are lined up alphabetically, we have shipped as many as 220 boxes in a single day and trying to combine breeder's birds in the same box complicates and confuses our shipping process. Please understand that shipping birds back is probably the hardest part of running a One Loft Race, especially a big one like the Apple Cup, please understand this policy from our perspective.
Any birds not claimed within 7 days after the conclusion of the race series become
the property of the Apple Cup.
September 2nd 100 M, this is the tentative date of the Activation Race and does not count in to average speed.
Tentative Race dates
September 9th 165 M
September 16th 200 M
September 23rd 250 M
September 30th 300 M
October 7th 350 M Final Race
All entered birds MUST compete in the entire race series. The ONLY birds removed from the race series will be those who the staff at the Apple Cup deem are no longer capable of continuing due ONLY to illness or injury and for no other reason.
In the event of a exact tie, prizes affected will be added together and split equally among the birds who tied..
In the event that no birds clock within 48 hours from release due to an act of God or natural disaster, prizes will be paid to the top 10% of the birds which returned on the race prior. If all prizes are not claimed within the 48 hour window of the final 350 mile race, the remaining monies will be divided equally among all of the returning birds who returned within 48 hours of release. If there are no remaining birds in the series before the final race, average speed will be computed based upon the races completed and prizes will be assigned to the birds on the last race completed.
All races end 48 hrs after release.
Any loft who won prizes will have their return shipping expenses deducted from their winnings as long as they activated their own pigeons, do not send shipping fees if you won any amount of money because it messes up our shipping process. If the breeder does not activate their pigeons and someone else does, the original breeder is responsible for paying return shipping expenses. A completed W-9 is required if you win $600 or more and a check will not be issued until we receive same, only MAIL your W-9 form, please do not text or email it as they often times are unreadable or hard to print. Prize money will be issued to one individual, not split in partnerships because it makes things very confusing on our end.
If a bird does not scan by the clocking system then they will be hand entered using the time of the last bird on that drop.
All training tosses will be published. All races will have a video done of the actual race releases and posted online.
In the event of a natural disaster before races begin, theft, or disease outbreak, the race will be cancelled and all birds will be shipped back at breeder's expense. In the event of a natural disaster, theft, or disease outbreak once races have started, remaining prize money will be divided equally amongst the top 10% of the pigeons which clocked on the last completed race if less than 1,000 pigeons were sent to that race, if more than 1,000 pigeons were shipped to that race then only the top 100 positions will be paid, please refer to the payout tab. Average Speed will also be awarded based upon races completed in the event of a natural disaster, theft, or disease outbreak.
Loft visits are welcome but must be made by appointment only at least 24 hrs in advance Monday through Friday.
Once you have registered a Loft Name and we have begun inventories, NEVER change your loft name until your birds have been returned. If you do so our clock will not recognize your new loft name and your birds will be missed in the results, this is especially a issue when we are scanning birds to be returned to breeders.
Race dates are subject to change due to adverse weather conditions or smoke in the air.
10% will be retained for expenses.
The Apple Cup retains the right to approve or refuse any participant into the race!
Apple Cup will not be held responsible for lost birds under any circumstances, including but not limited to shipping issues, state or federal mandates, illness, natural disaster, or theft.
Most of your questions can be answered by reading the updates on Wincompanion and under our UPDATES TAB which we do almost daily once we
start training, please refer to the updates before contacting us. The best way to contact us is via text at 254-247-9504. When doing so state your Loft Name in the text so we know instantly who you are. If your questions can not be answered by reading our Wincompanion updates, then please text us in the way stated above. If your question can not be answered through our Wincompanion updates or via text, then we will call you as soon as we can
The Apple Cup reserves the right to make any and all decisions.
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