Our goal was to train today, however the weather is not good.  There are very low clouds, no sun, and rain in the area.  

We will plan to train tomorrow.  Birds have been loft flying Tuesday and Wednesday.

The activation fees for the 2023 Hoosier Classic Race are now due. 
We would like to have all payments in by Monday September 11th.  With Monday being a holiday and no postal service, this should allow for payments that are being sent through the mail to arrive. 
Again, if you plan to send using the USPS, it is highly suggested to send the payment with a USPS Service that supplies a tracking number.  Priority Mail, Certified Mail, are 2 of the less expensive options. 
Payments can also be made via Credit Card by calling the office  at 219-733-0011.  Someone will be in the office Monday from 9:00 - 1:00 pm and then the rest of the week 8:00 am  - 4:30 pm.
Payments can also be dropped off at the office during these hours as well. 
PayPal payments can be made using the link on our website.  The link is listed below for quick access. 

PayPal and Credit Card payments due have processing fees that will be added to the total. 

The birds have been resting the last few days.  We did see over 100 birds come home the 2 days after the activation. 
The birds will be allowed out to loft fly beginning tomorrow.  We will have high temperatures for the next few days.  We will have a race schedule by the end of the week.  

There are currently 13 birds available on the For Sale list.  Any bird not sold by the 1st race will be removed from the race.  If you would like to purchase a bird, please contact the office. 

To Pay By Phone:
219-733-0011

Please Mail Activation Payments to:

Hoosier Classic
10258 S 1150 W
Wanatah, IN  46390


Click here to pay by PayPal

• Activation is $600 per bird.
• This is an "All or Nothing" activation.  All birds returning must be activated. 
• Any For Sale Birds will also require the Perch Fee be paid. 
• Payments can be made via: Check, Money Order, Credit Card, PayPal 
• Processing Fees apply for Credit Card & PayPal.  Hoosier does not cover these costs.  They will be added to your total.
• If you plan to "MAIL" a payment, please do so with a tracking number.  The post office is not the most reliable and payments CAN and WILL get lost. It happens to at least 2 people every year.  Priority Mail Flat Rate Envelopes cost roughly $9.00 and include a tracking number.  Certified Mail is also an option and is probably less than $5.00.
• PayPal payment options are available on our web site byclicking here
• IF you pay by PayPal and your PayPal information does not match your Wincompanion account, PLEASE send an email or call our office to notify us.  
• Please include Loft Name when mailing a payment
• Credit Card payments can be made by calling 219-733-0011 
• Monday is a postal holiday, please keep that in mind when planning on mailing a payment.

A hand inventory was done on all birds today ahead of tomorrows activation race to check for chip rings that may have been bad, missing, loose, etc. 

The following birds have been corrected in the system:

ARPU 18628  - Zhongyi Wang
LOSG 40 - Gonzalez Family Loft
VK 2297 - Tode Novakovic
HOBO 314 - Bill Bodzianowski
ROYA 228 - EZ Lights Loft
VK 1885 - TCR Loft
TYPE R 16 - Type R Loft
ARPU - 52813 - Serrano Bros
NFL 8151 - Nanez Family

Birds had a very good working training toss today.  Majority of the birds came right online with only 2 groups coming from the west.  As of today, the birds have had 20 training tosses and will train again tomorrow 50 miles.  Our goal is to have the activation race this Thursday August 31st. 
There has been a lot of thought and consideration when it comes to this decision, and the reasons are:

• Dove Season opens in Indiana on Friday, Sept 1st.  With the 1st being on a Friday and it being a holiday weekend, we will not train the birds over these 4 days for their safety.  Many hunters will take advantage of a 4-day weekend to Dove hunt. 
• As of now, the weather for Thursday predicts temperatures in the mid 70's, with NO TAIL WIND.  Wind is estimated to be ENE 5-10 mph at the release and light and variable at the loft. (Very similar to today's weather).
• Temperatures next week will be back into the high 80's to mid 90's

We understand that some will approve of this decision, and some will not.  However, our decision is what we feel is best and safest for the birds. 

Moving forward, the Final Race Date is set for Monday October 23rd.  The race can be moved either a day before or day after the 23rd depending on weather. 

A more detailed itinerary will be provided in the coming weeks with a schedule of times for the entire weekend. 

The weather this morning in our area has been less than ideal with very gloomy skies and a light mist.  We are just now starting to see the sun peak through; however, the wind has picked up out of the north and looks to increase slightly throughout the day. 
The birds have been allowed out to loft fly again and we will try training again tomorrow.  

The weather here in Indiana is expected to be extremally hot the next 2 days with temperatures in the high 90's for Wednesday and 100 degrees on Thursday.  The birds were allowed to loft fly today and we expect to resume training on Friday as temperatures will not be quite as hot.  We will allow the birds to be out and loft fly over the next 2 days. 

We have also retrieved several birds over the last 2 days and each of those birds are being evaluated and breeders contacted on individual basis. 

Birds were released this morning in beautiful weather, sunny skies, with a slight tail wind.  Over the last 2 hours we have watched the birds return from the north which tell us they have gone past the loft.  We will continue to watch them as they seem to be slowly but steadily returning.