dragoon - Australian National Pigeon Association

INSIDE
Photographs from
the US Grand
National in
Salt Lake City
See Pages 8-9
NEWSLETTER
FEBRUARY 2010
visit: www.anpa.com.au
An introduction to
the Working Thief
Pouter: an ideal
sporting breed
See Pages 16-17
SHOW DATES
PAGE 24
Enter the
DRAGOON
The Dragoon Club of Australia is relatively
new, but the breed has a long and proud
history, having originally been known as the
Dragon The Australian club promotes both
the Birmingham style bird, almost extinct
elsewhere, and the London style bird.
In this issue we feature two stories on this
stately pigeon, starting on Page 10.
2009 ANPA National Champion
English Dragoon.
Exhibited by R&R Lofts.
Photo copyright: Thomas Hellman
PAGE 1 – FEBRUARY 2010
ANPA NEWSLETTER
West Pennant Hills, NSW 2125.
OFFICE BEARERS
(02) 9871 4093
[email protected]
Committee
Walter Hitchell OAM
President
Bob Grant
Kemp’s Creek, NSW 2171.
(02) 9606 0666 [email protected]
Secretary
Alan Strachan
P.O Box 330, Goulburn, NSW 2580
(02) 4822 0329
[email protected]
Treasurer
David Lewis
21 Young St, Blackwood. S.A. 5051
(08) 8178 0947
[email protected]
Ring Coordinator
Terry Darling
P.O Box 737, Loxton, S.A. 5333
(08) 8584 1339
[email protected]
Membership Coordinator
Richard Darling,
P.O. Box 1502, Loxton, S.A. 5333
(08) 8584 1268
[email protected]
Editor/Webmaster
Brad Turner
23 Alton Tce, The Gap Queensland 4061
(07) 3300 3467; 0400767489
[email protected]
Election Supervisor
Larry Horder
(02) 4995 6050
Victoria/Tasmania
Vice President
Michael Spadoni
360 Tower Hill Drive, Lovely Banks, Geelong, 3221
(03) 5275 5625; 0402 078 695
[email protected]
Committee
Joe Puglia
(03) 9775 6516
[email protected]
Mark Tung
835 Main Rd, Panton Hill. 3759.
(03) 9719 7300
New South Wales/A.C.T
Vice President
Allan Makin,
ANPA NEWSLETTER
72 North St
Katoomba nSW 2780
Bob Weekes,
P.O Box 28, Town Centre,
Mt Druitt, NSW 2770
(03) 9628 1081
[email protected]
Queensland
Vice President
Bob Kennedy
(07) 5496 4094; 0428 282 901
[email protected]
Committee
Ian Walsh
(07) 5534 7997; 0404 011 300
[email protected]
Dave Sandhoff
1 Sutton Ct
Andergrove Qld. 4740
[email protected]
Western Australia
Vice President
Dick Milner
6 Irwin Place, Maida Vale, 6057
(08) 9352 8993
[email protected]
Committee
Peter Tripoli
79 Hale Rd, Forrestfield, 6058.
(08) 9453 9172; 041 995 3239
[email protected]
Mal Bergensen
3 St Fillans Bend
Wanneroo WA 6065
South Australia/Northern Territory
Vice President
Terry Darling,
PO Box 737, Loxton, S.A. 5333 (08) 8584 1339 [email protected]
Committee
Chris Schutz
12 Alison Drive
Happy Valley. SA 5159
[email protected]
Graeme Lipsys
13 Fleetwood Dr
Blakeview. SA 5114
Ph: (08) 82845426 email [email protected]
FEBRUARY 2010 – PAGE 2
OVERSEAS JUDGES READY
FOR 2010 ANPA NATIONAL
F
ive widely respected international judges have already
confirmed they will be attending the 28th ANPA National
Show in Melbourne from July 16-18.
Jimmy Fitzpatrick and Alistair Tankard will travel from Scotland
to jointly judge the British Show Racers, while Californian
Bob Nolan is returning for the first time since 2000 and Tony
DeSantolo from New York is making his fourth visit. Attila
Piukovic of Hungary will be judging the Kings.
Bob Nolan is a NPA Master Breeder of English Trumpeters,
and a Western American Trumpeter Club Superior Breeder. He
received the NPA Life-Time achievement award for the breed.
He is a reknowned breeder of Norwich and Holle Croppers,
having won several Pageant and NPA National championships,
and is also experienced with House Pigeons, Flying Tipplers,
Parlor Rollers, Pomeranian Pouters and Helmets.
Bob visited and judged several breeds at the 2000 ANPA
National in Sydney and says he is keen to see how they have
developed in the past decade.
Jimmy Fitzpatrick of Glasgow has bred British Show Racers
for 35 years and has won Best in Show at every open show in
England, Wales and Scotland on numerous occasions.
On one occasion he was Best in Show at Old Comrades with
2000 pigeons exhibited and Best in Show at Ayrdam Park
with1800 pigeons exhibited. Both shows were on the same day
and he won with nestmates, a mosaic cock and a chequer hen.
Alistair Tankard, from the small village of Altass in the
Highlands, was a successful pigeon racer before 2004, when he
took up British Show Racers.
He has since won many major shows and his Blue cock
Highland King won first in the Old Cocks at The National
Winners Show (Doncaster 2007), first Class 2 at The East
Coast National Show (Bridlington 2008), first in Class 1 at
the Show of the Year 2009 and first in Class 1 at The Old
Comrades Show 2009.
Photograph copyright: Thomas Hellman
* NOTE: Photographs of a couple of 2009 national champions
slipped through the net in the last few editions of the ANPA
Newsletter. At top left is Damon Pownell’s Champion Pigmy
Pouter and at left is the Champion Old Dutch Capuchine owned
and bred by Bryan Robins.
The ANPA Newsletter is the official publication of the Australian National Pigeon Association Inc.
Material has been sourced from a number of contributors.
For permission to reproduce the contents, contact Brad Turner on (07) 3300 3467.
The next edition will be published in May 2010.
Send contributions to 23 Alton Terrace, The Gap, 4061, Queensland, or to [email protected]
Deadline for contributions:
April 11, 2010.
Advertising costs are $120 for a full page; $60 for a half page and $30 for a quarter page.
Printed by: Rivercity Printing, Brisbane.
Visit the ANPA website at www.anpa.com.au
PAGE 3 – FEBRUARY 2010
ANPA NEWSLETTER
Aussie judges
add sparkle to
GREAT WESTERN
John Hanson judges the
Racing Homers
By John DeCarlo
(USA)
I
am pleased to report that the 2009 Great Western Show in
Watsonville, California, from October 17-18 was the largest
show we have had in nearly 30 years, with 1814 birds.
I would like to thank all of the exhibitors because without the
exhibitors we would obviously have no show. Next I would like
to thank the judges that flew here from Australia.
They did not intend to judge but after a little pressure and
begging they finally agreed. It was a great honor to have such
qualified judges from Down Under preside over some of our
major meets.
John Hanson did the Pouters and Croppers, Racing Homers
and Classic and wattle breeds. Max Healy judged the Oriental
Frills, African Owls and German Beauty Homers.
Russell Atthowe judged the Modenas and also helped my wife
barbecue for the exhibitors. These three gentleman really added
to the show and all of the people present knew it.
The Pouters and Croppers had just over 160 birds and this can
be attributed to the fact that John Hanson renowned Pouter
breeder from Australia came over and judged. The previous
record for number of Pouter/Cropper entries was 105.
The funny thing is he was just going to come over to visit and
see the show and enjoy himself. He did not really want to judge,
but I pressured him a little and he finally agreed and we are
extremely grateful.
Once the word got out that he would be here to judge the
Pouter entries came flying in.
In Northern California we do not have the amount of breeders
that the Los Angeles area has, but many breeders who have
not shown in recent years sent in large entries and that really
helped the entries.
In fact Bob Nolan stood up at the banquet and said, “Once I
heard John Hanson was coming, I tripled my Pouter/Cropper
entry.”
Max Healy casts his
eye over the Frills
ANPA NEWSLETTER
These sentiments were also raised by Charlie Scott who has
some of the best Poms in our country, he sent in a large entry
and it paid off. Charlie was awarded best overall Pouter/Cropper
with a beautiful Blue Check Pomeranian.
The Reserve champion was a great black Norwich bred by
Kyle Christensen. I felt a little guilty during the judging because
everyone continued to thank me for bringing such a top notch
judge. I think I was getting the credit that John deserved.
John also served as our Racing Homer judge, which was old
hat to him. He could have done them with his eyes closed.
After John thought that I was done bothering him and he had
finished all of his judging we needed someone to pick best
Classic or Wattle breed at the show. Again I made him come
over and pick that. He picked a beautiful Red Bar Grizzle
Dragoon of John Heppner’s.
Max Healy judged the Oriental Frills and Ron Bordi won with a
beautiful Black Blond. Bill Fobian had reserve with a great Blue
Lace Sat. The African Owls had the biggest show we have had
here and it in fact qualified for a point meet, which was a first.
This can be attributed to the fact that we had a qualified judge
from overseas.
Everyone entered a few more due to the rarity of this honor. I
was fortunate enough to win Champion and reserve with two
red grizzle young cocks.
The reserve champ will reside in Australia in the near future.
Last but certainly not least was Russell Atthowe, who judged the
Modenas.
Gene Rose won with a Gold Schetti. Russell also proved to
be extremely valuable in the kitchen, he worked very hard and
helped my wife who was eight months pregnant at the time
prepare the food.
At the end of the show we always pick three qualified judges
to pick best Junior Bird of the show and this year the kids were
honored to have the three Australians judge this great class.
When we explained to them who would be judging they were
very excited. I think they thought Crocodile Dundee and
Steve Irwin would be the ones judging so there was a little
disappointment when Max, Russell and John came up.
They chose a beautiful American Show Racer of Brendan
Rodegerdts as Champion and a Norwich of Justin Curl’s as
Reserve.
Again I cannot express enough thanks on behalf of our club to
these three gentleman for visiting the show and also agreeing to
judge some of our major meets.
I heard nothing but good things from the exhibitors about the
quality of judging and usually they say only one person is
happy at the end, but this certainly was not the case this year.
Everyone was very happy with the placings.
FEBRUARY 2010 – PAGE 4
One of the author’s US purchases.
Memorable
MODENA
moments
in USA
By Damon Pownell
President
International Modena Club.
F
or the third time in four years, in October 2009 I headed
back to Wichita, Kansas, for one of the great Modena shows
in the world, the International Modena Club Yearling and Young
Bird Classic.
This time I had some company, Brian Pownell, Lexie Brackin,
Paul Evison, and Russell “Craig” Atthowe. This was the first trip
for Lexie and Paul, and what a trip it turned out to be!
We flew out on October 4 from Brisbane, arriving in Los Angeles
some 13 hours later. We then jumped on a plane to Salt Lake
City, then on the Minnesota, so were on the go for 22 hours.
Meeting us at St Pauls airport was Tim Taylor who is the
Secretary and founder of the International Modena Club.
Tim had booked us in to a nice motel over the road from the
world’s largest shopping mall, “The Mall of America”. We went
over and had a nice meal and a few beers to settle us back
down after such a long trip.
PAGE 5 – FEBRUARY 2010
Next morning we woke up to a very chilly day. Tim took us for a
drive around his hometown of Bloomington and showed us his
great collection of memorabilia, including baseball and other
collections, absolutely fantastic!
We drove up the highway for two hours and met up with Dave
Cooke and had lunch, said goodbye to Tim and drove another
two hours to Dave’s hometown of Spencer, Iowa.
Here we spent two-and-a-half days going through all his birds
and doing some buying. Lexie and I had our wallets out more
times than I would like to count. Nevertheless he sold us some
exceptional Modenas.
Dave and his family really looked after us and we all had a great
time. The hospitality shown to us by all of the people we met in
the States was just awesome.
After our time with Dave we jumped into three cars and headed
off on an eight-hour drive to Wichita, Kansas, to the ranch of
Willi and Jean Richert, where the show was being held.
We had the company of fellow Modena breeders, Bill Dunn,
Bruce Hoagland, and Mike “Willi Nelson” Gartner. We had
walkie talkies and had fun conversing on the highway.
We finally reached Willi’s ranch and the fun continued, the
judging didn’t start until the next day but we caught up with a lot
of exhibitors.
The next day the show started with Brad Wilcox as judge, and
the first people I ran into were fellow Australians Max Healy and
John Hanson, also over to check out the show.
That night we all went to the famous Scotch and Sirloin
restaurant for a meal and our annual IMC presentation night.
The highlight of the night for me and my father Brian (Pownell
Lofts) was to be awarded with the first-ever “Grand Champion
Modena”.
To win this award, the bird must have won Champion Modena
at three IMC sanctioned shows under three different judges.
Needless to say we had a few beers that night to celebrate.
The next day was the final day of judging. Champion Modena
(500 birds in the show) went to Max Josey with a nice Blue
Gazzi hen.
There were some great Modenas there from about 30
exhibitors, Russell, Lexie and I did some more buying and were
very happy with the quality of Modena offered to us. I am sure
Max and John did the same.
With the amount of Modenas coming into the country this year I
expect the Modena hobby to explode, never before have there
been so many breeders importing directly from the USA.
Usually one or two breeders import and everyone buys from
them, so it takes time lining up to hopefully get excess birds.
With some 12 breeders importing it should be a lot quicker for
their excess stock to be released. Hopefully in the coming years
we can also line up a show of 500 Modenas.
Anyway back to the trip. The next day we spent time with Willi
going through his loft of fine Modenas. It was very cold (about 2
degrees), so Jean made up numerous cups of hot chocolate to
help keep us warm as well as delicious lunch and dinner.
The next morning we were up early to fly back to Los Angeles to
spend a few days with Dennis Weyrauch.
We also had an opportunity to have a few Wild Turkeys with
King breeder and good friend Bill Harrison who has judged in
Australia a few times.
We also took in a visit to Jedds Pigeon Supplies and filled our
bags with plenty of goodies. No moths were coming out of any
of the boys’ wallets, everyone had spent up!
Dad, Lexie, Paul and I packed up and thanked Dennis and his
wife for their hospitality and flew home, while Craig, (I mean
Russell) went on the Great Western Show (see story page 4)
and met up with Max and John for another week with hosts
John Heppner and John De Carlo.
We all had a great trip and can’t wait to go back again this year
for another “pigeon” holiday.
ANPA NEWSLETTER
2009 ANPA NATIONAL SHOW - July 10 - 12, Adelaide
JACOBINS
Judge: Ray Hooker (NZ)
Thank you to the Australian Jacobin Club for giving me the
honour to judge 246 world class Jacobins. Even though I have
kept Jac’s for 32 years, I still read the Standard about a dozen
times.
Not knowing anybody at all to talk too made me more relaxed,
as I had absolutely no idea who kept what colours etc.
However even if I did, it still wouldn’t have influenced me.
It was unfortunate that I couldn’t stay an extra day so I could
relax and spend time with the exhibitors and birds but I’m sure I
will be back as a spectator sometime.
The A.J.C is extremely lucky to have at least one member
who still has his natural colour hair (not grey), namely Clinton
DeBoni, he appears to be a natural pigeon fancier who just
wants to give and learn, look after him!
It was also a pleasure meeting Ian, Brian, Dale, Patrick, Peter,
Gordon and Bryan and others.
My old friend Bill Whiteside often spoke of these people, so it
was great to finally meet up with them and their birds.
For those exhibitors whom didn’t think I did my job properly, I
am sorry, I can’t please everybody and I judged the birds the
way I interpreted the Standard.
It was a pity to see a number of birds with pin holes, lice and
eggs. A little more loft management needed there.
Overall most birds were completely through the moult and in
excellent body condition. Most being a pleasure to handle.
When I returned home to my own birds, I felt a little depressed
in what I saw, but then putting them thru the walking pens I think
I’m still on the right track.
If the import restrictions are ever lifted, then I would certainly be
making the trip to several lofts to purchase perhaps about four
to six stock birds.
It is extremely hard to comment on the different colour classes,
but I will try my best.
Best White - Bryan Frost
Whites: I struggled judging slight Splashes as Whites. There
were enough self Whites to hold a class on their own and
perhaps the odd Splashes should have been in the A.O.C class.
Best was an Old Cock, which I believe has won an earlier show.
Lovely station but just a little loose at the base of the mane and
chain. Well done Bryan Frost.
Blacks: Probably the nicest Black colour I saw in the entire
National. I believe the Blacks are up there with the Reds and
Yellows. Great station and length of feather. Best being a Young
Cock of Peter Smith’s, well done.
Reds: I never thought you could get so many (37 birds) of one
colour and such high quality. Most had the richest Red I have
seen with excellent strength and length of feather. The good
Champion Jacobin
- Peter Smith.
Inset: Peter is
congratulated by
AJC President Dale
Lewis.
Copyright: Thomas Hellman
ANPA NEWSLETTER
Best Andalusian - Peter Smith
FEBRUARY 2010 – PAGE 6
2009 ANPA NATIONAL SHOW - July 10 - 12, Adelaide
Best Brown - Peter Smith
Best Black - Peter Smith
A.O.C: Again some good types shown, but colour lets them
down. Best to Peter Smith, an Old Hen.
Summary
ones stood out like statues. Length of feather above the head is
important but sometimes the length pulls the rose out of shape.
(making an oval). Slender bodies with tight wing buts. I need
some! Best Old Cock owned by Peter Smith (this bird was also
Best Jacobin overall). Congratulations Peter.
Yellows: Almost as good as the Reds. Rich colour, eyes above
feet, not quite the strength of feather as the Reds. Best Young
Cock again from Peter Smith. Best Opposite Sex was a Old
Hen of Nick Mancini. Another lovely hen.
It appears Peter Smith had a good show, Congratulations Peter,
I heard a rumour that Peter was going to give up pigeons in
several years.
It will be a terrible loss to the fancy when this happens.
Thank you Ian, Brian Mac, Gordon and Dale for being my
stewards. You certainly made the job a pleasure for me.
For those of you who won, congratulations. For those of you
who didn’t, I’m sorry.
Bars: Another great line up. Slightly heavier in the shoulders in
most birds but still good station and excellent bar colour in most
birds. Best Cream Old Hen of Ian Campton, I think this bird has
won the odd show also. Well done Ian, you can send her to N.Z
when you’re ready!
Andalusian: I thought I had the best Andalusian, you guys
sure proved me wrong! Good clean colour with no or very little
bronzing. I think I could see the Black Jac’s in some of these. A
credit to you all. Best Old Cock from Peter Smith.
Almonds: When Gary Edwards visited my loft about 20 years
ago, his comment was “I wish we could have the break like
these N.Z birds”. You certainly have it 10 times better, along
with good quality and feather. Brown Almonds were really an
outstanding colour. Best Old Cock from Bryan Frost, well done. I
will remember your offer Dale!
Splashed: Another large benching (31 birds). Nice to see
Splashes with even markings. Good tall birds with excellent
station. Best Old Cock to Peter Smith.
Kites: Few in number, with just a couple standing out. Best to
Dale Lewis, an Old Cock.
Brown/Khaki: A colour I have never seen before in Jacobins.
Some lovely tall slender birds here that will be noticed in the
future. Best Young Hen of Peter Smith.
PAGE 7 – FEBRUARY 2010
Best Bar - Ian Campton
ANPA NEWSLETTER
2010 US NATIONAL SHOW
The set-up inside the show hall made it easy to locate each breed.
Above: Champion Crested Helmet, a Yellow
young hen bred by K.Mike LaCom. Right: a
Bokhara Trumpeter bred by Tally Mezzanato,
above English Trumpeter (breeder/award
unknown).
ANPA NEWSLETTER
FEBRUARY 2010 – PAGE 8
2010 US NATIONAL SHOW
Champion Fantail, a young Cream hen
bred by Amir Turkavonic.
This Argent Schietti young cock bred by
Scott McMillan was Best of Colour.
ALL PHOTOGRAPHS
COURTESY OF
TONY DESANTOLO
Middle: John Heppner’s Champion Nun, a Black
old cock, and Tally Mezzanato’s Reserve, a
Brown old hen. No information on other photos.
PAGE 9 – FEBRUARY 2010
ANPA NEWSLETTER
Above: An early German illustration of popular
Dragoon colours of the time.
By Dr G.F Hantz
Pittsburgh, USA, 1934.
T
he ideal Dragoon must have each and every one of the
Dragoon characteristic properties developed to perfection
and they must be in perfect harmony with each other.
This kind of Dragoon we are all patiently trying to breed but as
yet it has not been produced to my knowledge.
My view of the ideal Dragoon differs slightly from the views of
some of the Dragoon writers of the past.
I like a bird of greater weight than 18 to 21 ounces which some
other writers advocate. My ideal weight for hens is 21 to 23
ounces and for cocks 24 to 27 ounces.
I know that many Dragoon fanciers will say that these birds
are too large. My answer is this – that when they see a good
Dragoon of this weight they will like it and wish they owned it.
These large Dragoons with lots of quality are not easy to
produce and are always admired by all the first class Dragoon
breeders.
Now dealing with the appearance of the Ideal Dragoon. Its
general appearance should give the impression of a powerful,
bold and alert pigeon but it must not be of nervous temperament
but rather is a steady nerved disposition standing almost
immovable and staring at the judge unafraid.
It must stand firmly on its feet with no tendency of standing
on its toes. My ideal Dragoon will measure about 14 and five
eighths inches in length, with a head two and five eighths inches
long and about one and a quarter inches wide at the back of
the skull and with a very great depth of skull, about one and five
eighths inches.
This depth is about a quarter of an inch deeper than the best
of our best Dragoons of today. The neck will not measure over
ANPA NEWSLETTER
Looking
through
the lens of
HISTORY
two inches ion length. The body will be about five and a quarter
inches in length and the tail about four and three quarter inches.
The legs from hock to sole will measure one and a half inches
and will be about three eighths in thickness.
The weight of this ideal Dragoon will be 25 ounces and it will
be a cock bird as indicated by its weight. A close study of these
proportions given and also taking into consideration the weight
of the specimen we would come to the conclusion that this
specimen would have to be exceptionally cobby and be very
wide and deep and full in the chest if 25 ounces of weight must
be distributed into a Dragoon measuring 14 and five eighths
inches in length.
This indicates that my ideal Dragoon is an exceptionally cobby
pigeon. All the other proportions given also help to carry out this
same cobbiness. For example, the two inch neck would be very
full and thick and would present a bull-neck appearance.
Also the legs being one and a half inches in length from the
hock to the sole and approximately three eights of an inch thick
FEBRUARY 2010 – PAGE 10
would look short and stout which would also emphasise the
cobby appearance: the feet are also large but the toes are short
and stout.
The breast and shoulders being very broad and the body
tapering very rapidly from the shoulders to the tail is the main
feature that produces the cobby appearance.
The very short tail of four and three quarter inches likewise
gives the bird a short compact appearance.
The wings will be rather short and powerful with short broad
flight feathers.
The wings will be tucked in close to the body with the ends
resting lightly on the tail with a distance of half and inch
between the end of the flights and the end of the tail. The back
of the pigeon must be very broad and between the shoulders
very slightly hollowed out.
This gives the shoulders of the pigeon their appearance of
power. Now we have our good cobby body in conjunction with
other properties namely the neck, legs, feet and tail also of such
proportions as to emphasise this cobbiness throughout.
Next, let me speak of the head properties. The head must be
wedge shaped and cobby in appearance, just as we have our
body wedge shaped.
The measurements of the head are two and five eighths inches
long, one and five eighths inches deep and one and one and a
quarter inches in width at the back of the skull.
This head filled out properly will present a very massive head,
being wedge shaped from any angle you wish to view it.
The skull itself will have a long, graceful sweep as the length of
the head is so great.
The skull will start to rise gradually from the base of the
Famous Dragoon - Lord Nelson
wattle and continue to rise until it reaches the highest point
immediately upon the centre of the eye.
From this point it descends very gradually until the back of the
skull is reached and then the curve becomes more abrupt and it
descends rapidly into the line of the neck.
The foreskull has not the same marked degree of curvature as
the back of the skull has. This contour of skull must continue in
an unbroken curve to the back of the skull.
Also, this curve must be elliptical and not circular. The beak
should be set into the head in the proper position and at right
angles with the dividing line of the mandibles in line with the
lower edge of the iris of the eye.
PAGE 11 – FEBRUARY 2010
Alan Strachan’s 2008 ANPA
National Champion.
The beak must be straight and stout of equal substance in
both mandibles, also it must be close fitting and smooth in
appearance.
In texture it must be dense and hard and it should terminate
as bluntly as possible. In width it should widen gradually as it
merges itself into the muzzle of the head.
The muzzle must be both broad and deep so as not to weaken
the wedge shape of the head.
The wattle must be fully developed and rather large with three
dividing lines showing up plainly on each side of the wattle.
The central dividing line separating each side must be perfectly
straight.
The texture must be fine and the wattle dry and of a spongy,
resilient nature.
The cere must be fine in texture and well laced and rather small
in size with the inner edge circular.
It has a pinched appearance at the back and it does not extend
above the top of the skull likewise it does not crown upon the
wattle.
The eye is quite large and prominent for the size of the head
and must be bold and alert in appearance and since my ideal
would naturally be a blue chequer as far as colour is concerned,
I can say what colour of eye it should have.
The iris should be of a blood red ruby colour and as brilliant in
appearance as it is possible to get it.
The beak should be ebony black. The cere a lighter shade of
black with a bloom upon it and the wattle of a blue-black colour
also having a powder bloom on it.
The appearance of my ideal will be a short compact Dragoon
with good carriage and when at attention the centre of the eye
will be about half an inch forward of a perpendicular line drawn
upward from the ball of the feet.
The head will be of a compact appearance but without any
crowding of the wattle and ceres.
The picture of this ideal Dragoon, the readers will have to be
able to read between the lines and give his imagination full play,
as it is impossible to picture the Ideal Dragoon in detail in a
short article of this nature.
* This article originally appeared in the American Pigeon
Journal in April 1934 under the heading ‘My Views
Concerning the Ideal Dragoon’ by Dr. G.F.Hantz of
Pittsburgh. It recently appeared in the Dragoon Club of
Australia’s Newsletter courtesy of Allan Makin
ANPA NEWSLETTER
The DRAGOON
- its past
and its
FUTURE
ANPA NEWSLETTER
By Douglas McClary
T
he English Dragoon is one of the oldest and most respected
of breeds of pigeon, having been mentioned by Moore in
1735 in his Columbarium.
It developed from a flying breed of various crosses to a
standard show breed in the late 19th century with its first
standard being published in 1880. The breed club, The Dragoon
Club, was formed in 1886.
The Dragoon is a beautiful bird of many colours, with an upright
and regal bearing: it has dignity and in the loft is most easily
bred and managed because of its quiet disposition. Little
wonder that it has quietly maintained its popularity.
When the Dragoon Club was formed, it was titled the Dragon
Club and many fanciers still refer to the bird as “dragon” rather
than its more modern name befitting a bird of such upright
stance as the Dragoon.
Fortunes have varied considerably. In 1908 when metal marking
rings were first issued until the outbreak of the First World
War, over 5000 rings were allocated for the exclusive use of
the Dragoon Club and club shows of 1912, 1913 and 1914 all
attracted over a thousand entries.
These heady days were ended by the outbreak of war but
between the wars the club still issued over 2000 rings and
attracted a club show entry of 700.
The Feathered World of 1891 reports that there were 333
dragoon entries at the Royal Dairy show and at the National
show at Crystal Palace in London there were 353 “dragons”
plus birds entered in two competitive selling classes.
During the 19th century two types of Dragoons were being
shown, the Birmingham type and the London type. These
FEBRUARY 2010 – PAGE 12
are illustrated in the Fulton book of pigeons but over the
years the London type prevailed as fanciers preferred the
more substantial and less racy form. Amazingly, owing to its
geographical isolation, Australia seems the only outpost of the
Birmingham type.
It is generally attributed to Richard Woods, a chemist of
Mansfield, Nottinghamshire that the Dragoon grew in popularity
in the period between 1875 and his retirement in 1900.
The formation of The Dragoon Club can be credited to Woods
supported by S.P. Page of London with the great naturalist W.B.
Tegetmier as the first President. Tegetmier first produced the
damson cere which was fixed in the breed Standard.
Such was the popularity of the Dragoon that between 1895
and 1908 three substantial books were published exclusively
devoted to the breed, written by Woods, Tattersall and
Butterworth and by W.R.Fletcher.
In Germany the Dragoon was first imported in the 1880s and
caused a sensation among experts. A club was formed in 1912
but foundered owing to the war and it was not until 1921 that
the organization was revived although World War II once again
shattered pigeon showing in the country.
The 1950s and 1960s saw revival with contact and exchange
with top British breeders resulting in club shows of 250 entries
In the United States the earlier history is blurred, but by
1894 there were 60 Dragoons penned in the Boston show.
The American Dragoon club was formed in 1900. Birds were
imported from top British fanciers including Richard Woods.
So here we are in the 21st century with the Dragoon Club of
Australia, catering for both types of Dragoon, shaping the way
for the future.
It could be argued that the Australian Dragoon fancy is about
the strongest to be found anywhere thanks to having some
extremely experienced and knowledgeable enthusiasts.
In Britain, the Dragoon Club is entering into a lean patch,
however, it is far from being down and out because the British
show pigeon fancy is strong and vibrant and the club is
fortunate in having some younger members.
In the United States there is fair interest with some devoted
and keen members but they suffer the same problems as
Australians because of the vast distances. The Young Bird
National in Louisville is the main event of the Dragoon year.
In Germany the fancy is alive and well although some of the
entry numbers at the main shows are somewhat disappointing.
They show mainly young birds only so few birds have a long
shelf life for showing.
The aristocratic and upstanding demeanour of the Dragoon
is sure to appeal to many pigeon fanciers. The top colours in
Australia seem to be the grizzles and blues, but blue chequers
and red and yellow chequers are also popular, as are the
mealies and dilutes.
In the self colours of recessive reds, recessive yellows, whites
and blacks there is a growing interest and little wonder in view
of the vibrancy of colour. Other colours are to be found but
the colours mentioned above are the standard colours. This is
a rewarding breed to keep because of the very nature of the
Dragoon, but also because it is a good breeder and maintains
its condition without too much effort on the part of the exhibitors.
Work is required to keep the beaks trimmed and wattles and
airways clear of debris, but the rewards are considerable.
The Dragoon Club of Australia is a popular institution with
members able and willing to provide advice and suitable and
good stock for the future of the wonderful aristocratic Dragoon.
* For further information contact the secretary Douglas
McClary, 3 Kunyung Road, Mount Eliza, Victoria tel. 03 9708
8584 or by email on [email protected].
2009 ANPA National, Best
Young Blue Grizzle, R&R
Lofts.
NEWS AND VIEWS – OLD EDITIONS
All in mint condition - $5 each plus $3 postage and packing.
Vol.12 No.2 Jan/Feb 1998 Muffed breeds special (2 available); Vol.12 No.3 Jun/July 1998 Blower special (13);
Vol.13 No.1 Oct/Nov 1998 National show special (7); Vol.13 No.2 Jan/Feb 1999 Utility breeds special (11);
Vol. 13 No.3 Jun/July 1999 Short faced breeds special (16); Vol.14 No.1 Sep/Oct 1999 – Perth National special (8)
Autumn 2001 (3); Jan/Feb. 2002 (8)
Cheques payable to ANPA c/o Alan Strachan, PO Box 330, Goulburn, NSW 2580
Tel. 02 4822 0329 email [email protected]
PAGE 13 – FEBRUARY 2010
ANPA NEWSLETTER
On with the SHOW
By Dennis Murphy
Secretary/ Publicity Officer, ASHA
A
s most fanciers across Australia would be aware by now,
Showpen Homer breeders have formed a new group called
the Australian Showpen Homer Association (ASHA).
Following on from the Adelaide National, we have more than
doubled our membership to over 40.
This is a very exciting era for our breed, as it now unites all our
breeders from all corners of the country.
Never before have we had this amount of Showpen Homer
breeders in a National club that are coming together for a
common goal, that is promoting and showing our great breed.
Also worth noting that most of the members are currently on the
ANPA Show circuit, with a large entry as ever shown at our last
five Nationals.
By now our members have all received their first Bulletin (see
cover inset in photograph of ANPA Life Member Frank Hayes’
Blue Chequer Hen on the opposite page.
Frank has also specially designed a Foundation Member
Certificate for members.
We also have sent out Derby rings to members which will be an
added event to host in conjunction with our National Show.
Full details will be in the next club bulletin.
We also have some exciting fund raisers for the ASHA that will
hopefully get us into a healthy account.
At next year’s National (which is our breed’s major show) our
club will be awarding special colour awards and added trophies.
If anyone wishes to become a sponsor of any of these awards/
trophies, or wishes to become a member, I am only too happy to
have you contact me.
Phone 02 69285773 or email me at leonawatson1@bigpond.
com
ANPA NEWSLETTER
Some outstanding Showpens: Top left this page: ANPA
2009 Champion - Roy Gurdler; top right: Troy Muir’s Best
Pied (Young Bird) from the QSRA Show at Gympie in
2009. Above: ANPA 2009 Champion Young - Dilute Hen
- Greg Jamieson, WA. Opposite page: Top: Old Blue
Chequer Hen - Frank Hayes; middle ANPA 2009 Best
Opposite Sex - Blue Chequer Cock - Dennis Murphy,
NSW; bottom ANPA 2009 Class winner and Hunter Valley
Champion SPH - Young Mealy Cock - Frank Hayes.
FEBRUARY 2010 – PAGE 14
Exciting New Year for the
2
Bird of Dignity
010 should see more competition in Showpen Homers across
Australia than ever before.
With the introduction of both the “Derby” rings by the Australian
Showpen Homer Association and their sanctioned shows in all
states culminating in National competition at ANPA’s 28th Annual
Show in Melbourne, the scene is set for a real united effort to take
the Showpen Homer to even greater heights.
Each State is being invited to host an ASHA Championship Show
with accredited judges, leading up to the National in July where
all ASHA State Champions will compete against one another.
The first ASHA sanctioned Show is planned to be held in
conjunction with the Twin Cities Annual Show on May 1 in Albury.
This Show has traditionally seen entries around the 1000 mark,
nearly 200 being Showpen Homers and supported by 150
Modenas from the Modena Club of NSW.
I hope as many Showpen Homer fanciers as possible take
advantage of these new opportunities by supporting their State
Shows and of course the National.
The staging for that is being ably constructed by ASHA Secretary,
Dennis Murphy who will have a hard job beating Greg Kelleher’s
fantastic setup for Melbourne’s 2007 National.
We will be seeking donations for the myriad of awards planned
for the National to ensure all colour classes are acknowledged as
well as other major winners.
ANPA’s 2010 Annual will be a Show not to be missed.
- Frank Hayes
Assistant Secretary, ASHA
PAGE 15 – FEBRUARY 2010
ANPA NEWSLETTER
The Working
THIEF POUTER
By Gary Williams
A
ll pouter breeds are believed to be descended from pigeons
taken to Spain sometime after 711AD by the invading
Moors. The birds have since been developed into the various
breeds of pouters we know today.
Originally used for bringing home birds from other fanciers lofts
for food the pure breeds are now predominantly show birds.
Recent History
However, a fascinating sport has developed during the last two
centuries that requires a pigeon that can fly well, has a high
sex drive, but also have a great sense of self-preservation to
prevent it from being trapped into a strange loft.
The sport has its origins in Spain, but soon spread through
Europe and into Great Britain.
Each area developed its own type of Working Thief Pouter by
crossing available Pouters with homer types to improve the
ranging ability and homing instinct of the birds.
In Spain the Valenciano was created, in Holland it was the
Dutch Till and in Great Britain the Horseman Pouter.
Spanish immigrants to South America took their birds ensuring
the spread of the sport throughout Latin America.
Currently
The sport of flying Working Thief Pouters is still very popular in
Spain (despite Franco banning it in favour of the Suelta sport
using Picas), in Den Hauge in Holland and in Scotland and
border districts of Great Britain.
ANPA NEWSLETTER
It is also very popular in Argentina, Cuba and other Latin
American countries as well as in the USA, in particular those
states with high Latino populations like Florida and California.
The Sport
Although differing slightly from country to country, or indeed
from one back yard to the next, the principles are the same the
world over.
The cocks and hens are kept in individual boxes out of site of
other pigeons.
They are individually released with the intention of ranging in
search of a mate and then returning home with new mate in tow.
Each bird, be it cock or hen requires a high sex drive and a
natural instinct of self preservation to avoid being captured in a
strange loft.
If your birds have those attributes then you will catch more that
you lose.
The Working Thief Pouter
The birds differ throughout the world, being mainly crossbreds
designed with the sport in mind and not for exhibition.
The Working Thief Pouters differ from its show counterpart in
that looks are second to ability.
Crosses of the various Spanish breeds or Horseman Pouters
(most of which now have a high proportion of Spanish blood
unlike their show counterparts) Dutch Valenciana’s, Holle
Croppers, and even a touch of homer blood to increase the
ranging and homing ability, may well be in the make up the
Thief Pouter.
FEBRUARY 2010 – PAGE 16
The Working Thief Pouter in Australia
Several years ago I was looking at getting back into pigeons
after a break of four years.
I wanted a flying breed as I no longer had the time to travel to
shows but I also didn’t want a large number of birds as that
would then make it time consuming and also cause potential
problems with neighbours.
I had previously read on the internet about Working Thief
Pouters so I decided I would give that a go.
The next problem was getting birds suitable to use as Thief
Pouters. I remembered reading that the Dutch Thief Pouters
had a cross of Valenciana in them and I knew that Mario
Fenech had Valenciana’s so it was a phone call to Tassie.
Once Mario knew what I was after he sent me some
Valenciana’s but also gave me two cocks that have become
the cornerstone of my development of Working Thief Pouters in
Australia.
The first was a spread brown Marchenero x Valenciana and the
other was a red checker Marchenero x Norwich Cropper.
Having the birds, the next step was what to breed to what.
By this time I had joined several internet forums dedicated
to Working Thief Pouters, the best by far being Doo’s on the
Board, run by well-known British fancier Graeme Boyd.
The fanciers on this forum have been a great help to my
subsequent work towards how to achieve the required cross.
One of the key factors when creating a family of Working Thief
Pouters is what are we out to catch.
As I was the only person flying Thief Pouters, the objective had
to be catching ferals and stray homers.
Many of the flyers in England have had to resort to flying
against strays so they put me on the right path.
One fancier in particular, Anthony Keeler, had already created a
family of Thief Pouters, which he called Radar Pouters, and he
pointed me in the right direction.
Anthony’s birds are a cross of Racing homer, Laudino and
Gaditano.
I substituted Valenciana for Laudino and the Marchenero
cross cocks in place of Gaditano at the suggestion of several
members of the forum.
They had done something similar, and created a thief pouter
with increased ranging ability due to the homer blood, great
PAGE 17 – FEBRUARY 2010
powers of seduction to attract a mate and great sense of selfpreservation to prevent trapping into a strange loft.
This breeding season will give me the birds I require to
commence flying the Working Thief Pouters.
My intention is to fly about six cocks and eight hens, as this is
about the norm overseas.
I would like to promote this sport in Australia as it is perfect
for those that don’t have the time to look after a large team of
birds as with other flying varieties or may have problems with
neighbors that prevents flying big teams.
Competition would be great but is not essential as there are
plenty of ferals out there to catch and you get to interact with
those real characters of the pigeon world, the pouter pigeons.
*Gary Williams, 3 Sunnyside Ave, Horsham Vic, 3400.
Phone/fax 03 53470177, mobile 0427 297 987, email
[email protected].
Tipplering
By Jon Winchester
It must be put to paper, some things about our sport,
Some call it a life’s journey, that just cannot be taught.
The average guy just cannot see the joy that we derive,
To have our birds return from where only the strong survive.
Could be when we release a kit, it mirrors our own life,
For during our own journeys, we’ll have our share of strife.
To have the birds back in the trap, the Droppers worked just fine,
We feel a certain victory as we beat the hawk this time.
The average guy don’t understand how we become so bonded,
Or the anguish that we must endure when a team members absconded.
The many hours we spend at night,when training into dark,
Only to have the whole team spoilt from landing in the park.
If you can fly a Kit all day, the group you joins “elite”,
You sense a kind of unity with guys you’ll never meet,
They know what price youve had to pay to fly em all day long.
The times youve thought of giving up, when everything went wrong.
The average guy will never know how many times we lose,
Success is not for the “chosen few” but for the “few who choose”.
You tell your friends yours are the best and nothing else can beat em,
You know he just don’t get it when he asks you “Do you eat em ? “,
They say a characters revealed when placed under some pressure,
The average guy don’t fly the Comps, instead he fly’s for pleasure.
We watch the eggs for eighteen days, a whole new Kit is born,
At five weeks old their in the trap with Droppers on the lawn.
Then its time for “barley-mix” they eat all they can get,
Following ‘’rules”at this stage will avoid later regret.
Eventually we must endure the risk of liberation,
Its then the bird has “purpose”, a reason for creation.
Up to the heights on empty tanks like tiny specks of sand,
You think back when you held all four in the middle of your hand.
As the crew sorts out who’s leader, which one will show the way,
You scan the skies four corners, and hope the hawks away,
This noble Sport one can’t compare with that of any other,
We share the ups and downs with guys who treat us like a brother.
So if you come across a few who ridicule and fight us,
Remind yourselves “we’re here to stay” for Tipplering unites us !!!!!.
ANPA NEWSLETTER
FROM THE SECRETARY - Alan Strachan
Rings
The rings for the 2010 breeding season have been ordered
and although there was a slight increase in cost, the committee
decided to leave the cost to clubs at last year’s price.
I ask fanciers to assist your Ring Secretaries by replying
promptly to their requests.
Club Executives
Could clubs please provide me a current listing of their
executive?
It makes it difficult to direct new enquirers or make correct
contact if our listing is not up to date.
I urge club secretary’s to add “send ANPA a listing of Executive”
in their post AGM ‘to do’ memo. Don’t forget to include you Ring
Secretaries.
The 2010 National Show
All looks well for another great show in Melbourne. To anyone
who has not attended a National – give 2010 a thought. Don’t
forget to send your entries off as promptly as you can. The
Show Secretary’s task can be made so much easier with early
responses from exhibitors.
Elections
As reported in the last newsletter, nominations for positions on
the ANPA Committee this year are needed for President and
Newsletter Editor.
Several other positions must also be filled.
Also required are 3 State representatives for NSW and ACT;
4 State representatives for Victoria, plus a State representative
from Tasmania, who will be part of the Vic and Tas committee
The State representative who polls the most votes from the
voting shall become the State Vice President.
Nominations for all positions must be either in writing, or sent
via email* and close with the National Secretary on March 1,
2010.
Nominations can only be received from financial individual
members and must be seconded by a financial individual
member.
*Email nominations and seconders, must come from the
nominator’s and seconder’s own email address.
Full name, postal address and contact phone number is to be
included in the body of the email.
Incidentally, the electoral rolls work out: NSW and ACT = 60
members (3 reps).
There was only one financial ACT member as of January 1;
Victoria = 69 members (4 reps); Tasmania = 11 members (1 rep
to be attached to Vic committee).
To be independent from Victoria, Tassie needs 15 financial
members, at which time the State gets 2 reps.
The electoral rolls comprise the financial members as of
January 1, 2010
Victoria has 69 members and is entitled to 2 for the first 15 and
2 for the next 50.
Tasmania has 11 members and a new amendment passed at
the last AGM gives it one member, but that member still comes
under the Victorian Vice President.
This would mean a Victorian and Tasmanian subcommittee of 5.
Should there be no nomination from Tasmania, the members
there are added to the Victorian members, which results in an
electoral roll of 80 and works out at 4 state representatives as
there would need to be 90 for there to be 5 Vic reps.
Remember, nominations close on March 1, 2010.
ANPA NEWSLETTER
During this quarter you will receive your ballot papers. Please
give it thought and not leave it too late.
Website
Most of the teething problems of establishing the new sight
have been overcome. For those who do use the internet don’t
for get www.anpa.com.au .
There is a Buy/Sell page for your convenience plus a “what’s
on” (Show Dates) page. For those who like looking at pictures
and videos, they are there too.
BY the way, please contact me if you have any anxieties or wish
for assistance in any sphere of our hobby.
I can be contacted at PO Box 330, Goulburn NSW 2580 or by
email at [email protected]
A blast from the past
Whilst reading through an old Australasian Fancier (April 1975) I
came across the following article by the Late Les Ungvary.
For the newer fancier, Les for many years advocated the
formation of a National body and in an attempt to unite the
Fancy published a periodical magazine.
For many years a monthly publication. This must have
extremely time consuming as the publication not only had to be
typed up on a typewriter but also printed by that now forgotten
machine the Gestetner.
Subscription varied from time to time. from 150 dedicated
fanciers to near 400 at its peak.
Such dedication to our hobby.
Here is a section of the article which I found particularly
interesting.
“VOTING TRENDS AND RESULTS ON N.P.A.
In February, 1975, I as editor of the Australasian Fancier sent
out 250 questionnaires to asses your wishes regarding the
future of a N.P.A. in Australia.
“It had to be done because without investigation, I may have
never had a clear picture whether you were willing to participate
in such an important undertaking or not.
“Results: Up to date there have been 178 Questionnaires
returned.
“There is not one fancier among you who expressed any
objection against forming such an Association in Australia, what
is more you have all wholeheartedly supported the idea. 178
Fanciers voted in favour of it.
“What You Expect: Common rings, a National Show, Uniform
Standards for every breed, hard working Committee Members
with drive and dedication, full information, withholding nothing
from the rank and file members, unity among states and
fanciers, National representation towards overseas countries,
lifting of the import ban on pigeons.
“Immediate Tasks: Considering the number of fanciers in
Australia who have either refrained from voting (some still will)
and fanciers who have not heard about our investigation, all 178
of you must act as “ambassadors” for the cause.
“If you know of any fancier in your home town, or state, whereever you live, inform them about N.P.A.
“Extra questionnaires will be distributed to those who have
offered to help in this regard.”
The rest of the article outlined how Les intended to push ‘the
cause”.
I particularly found “What You Expect” interesting and ask Do
we want much more from ANPA?
FEBRUARY 2010 – PAGE 18
FROM THE PRESIDENT - Bob Grant
A
lan has covered the election process and the Rep
numbers involved: I would ask all members to get
involved in the nomination and election of dedicated
people to fill the committee positions.
ANPA membership is increasing steadily,while 5-6
years ago our mailing list wavered around 200 it is
now approaching 350, this increase is due to those
members who are dedicated to the ideals of ANPA
and the camaraderie of the Fancy.
Please nominate members who have a positive
attitude and who are willing to devote some time and
initiative to committee business, please also ensure
that nominees are willing to consider your views and
not just their own.
Most importantly, the Secretary etc. put a lot of time
and expense into the ballot process, when you receive
your ballot get involved, lodge your votes and be
counted .
L
ast year our Canadian friend Jerry Sindelar sent
me a series of questions to form the basis of an
article for a magazine in the Czech Republic.
An article was published, but since it has never been
printed in Australia I have asked our Editor to trim it
down to size.
Q. How a person can become a president of
ANPA?
A: Like all positions on the executive of ANPA, it is
democratically elected. You must be a member of
good repute and must be nominated by a member
of ANPA, and this nomination must be seconded, or
supported, by another member. If there is more than
one candidate for the position, a vote of all members
Australia-wide is conducted and the candidate with the
majority of votes becomes President.
Q. How many officers represent ANPA and how
they are elected? For how long a term?
A: There are four executive positions; President, Secretary ,
Treasurer and Publicity Officer/Editor. Each state of Australia has
a Vice-President and also a number of representatives in accord
with the number of members in that state. These positions are
elected for a two-year term. In total, about 20 people fill these
roles. There are also postions for Ring-coordinator, Membershipcoordinator, National Show organiser and a Standards review
committee. These positions are reviewed annually.
Q. Is any position a paid full time job and paid?
A: ANPA is run entirely by volunteers. The only payments
made are $500 annually to the Secretary and the Editor of the
Newsletter in recognition of the great amount of their own time
these positions demand.
Q. How many clubs/individuals are members and how many
bands are distributed.
A. There are approximately 20 All Breed Clubs and 30 Specialist
Breed Clubs affiliated with ANPA. Individual membership is over
300 with an estimated 1000 members through affiliation. About
60,000 rings are sold each year.
Q. When was ANPA established?
A: In 1981, the first National show was held in Sydney in 1982.
Q. What programs does ANPA have for its members?
A. ANPA has a Master Breeder Award that is awarded to
accomplished breeders of particular breeds, this is a most
prestigious award and only awarded after strict criteria are met.
A judge training and accreditation program is available to all
affiliated clubs. A Junior Fancier program provides trophies and
PAGE 19 – FEBRUARY 2010
incentives to any junior breeder (member or not) throughout the
country .
Q. What organisations and institutes does ANPA cooperate
with?
A: ANPA is the national body for the advancement and showing of
fancy pigeons, and thus has numerous generalist and specialist
clubs affiliated with it. It also maintains links of friendship and
cooperation with similar organisations around the world. ANPA
is affiliated with the Associated Birdkeepers of Australia, a united
group of fanciers of all feathered varieties which has a common
interest in lobbying the local, State and Federal authorities in
matters concerning our combined interest in the protection of our
hobby and ensuring input into any legislative initiative. ANPA also
has a consultative link with Australian Quarantine Service and
the Ministry of Agriculture .
Q. How is a new breed introduced and how is a standard
made/put together? Can a new breed or variety be judged at
the show without a standard in the Book of Standards?
A: No bird can be judged unless it is recognised in the
Australian Book of Fancy Pigeon Standards (Reverend Colin
Seymour, Editor) or has been newly approved by the Standards
Committee.
Q. How did you get started with pigeons, what breed and
how many breeds and pigeons do you have now?
A: I started with pigeons when I was nine years old, my older
brother had pigeons earlier in my life, and I became fascinated.
In those days nearly every second house had pigeons, though
now times have changed. My first breeds of fancy pigeons were
anything I could buy. The rest is a very long story. At one time at
my current address and when grain was cheaper I had over 1000
birds. I now have Pomeranian, Reversewing and Ghent Pouters,
Saxon Monks and Crescents, and Gimpels. I also have a large
number of selectively bred feeders, in which I maintain a large
number of genetic colour variations. Now I pretend to have less
than 500 birds and I am trying to reduce the numbers.
Q. What is/was your job, any connection with pigeons?
A: My career had little relation to my hobby , although in Afterhours
Control the shift-work allowed me more daylight hours at home
to pursue my rural interests. My profession was Electronics and
Communications and Electrical Engineering .
Q. Which system of judging do you prefer?
A: I prefer the established Australian system derived from the UK
system; birds are judged to the standard and placed (awarded)
in order of their merit. Birds that are to be judged on their
performance eg; Fantails or Croppers, should be allowed the
space of a walking-pen.
Q. Does ANPA get any financial support from the government?
A: No, there has been some support for various National Shows
from local government, but there is no other support.
Q. Is there any message that you would like to
send to the Czech breeders?
A: Australia and especially the ANPA will always
welcome you. We appreciate your friendliness and
the knowledge that we can gain from the breeders of
Europe. European settlement in Australia dates back
not much more than 200 years, and as the pigeon
hobby has been alive and prospering for so long in
Europe, the experiences and history are an asset,
particularly since the internet. In 2007 we had many
international guests at our 25th Anniversary show in
Melbourne I spent much time with Jerry Sindelar, Karl
Zausinger, Heribert Hummel and of course (the late)
Josef Svozil. We did have a problem understanding
languages but the friendship was easily understood.
ANPA NEWSLETTER
Dan Casey’s Roller and Tippler Loft
Rudolf helps get search
IAN BLACKWELL from Perth has
had pigeons in his blood from
a young age, and for the last 30
years has devoted himself to
advancing the sport of flying
Birmingham Rollers.
This is the fourth of several articles
covering all aspects of the history and
development of his beloved performers.
ROLLING
the wild side and it was difficult to produce good stable Rollers
suitable for competition.
On my first excursion interstate in June 1981, I made arrangements
to go standby to Adelaide on the midnight horror and to stay with
Alan Chapman in Taperoo.
This time was selected as it coincided with the South Australian
Poultry and Kennel Club Annual Show held at the Wayville
Showgrounds.
I met and spoke with a number of fanciers at the show including
Bob Hancock, Bob Francis, Ian Jungfer, Gordon Jungfer,
R
udolf Seljan from Nairne, South Australia, told me that in
1959 as a teenager he had obtained some Rollers from none
other than Joe Casey, who lived at Croydon Park in Adelaide.
Rudolf was very successful in the show pen and this I can verify
as I saw the prize cards he still had in the attic of his workshop
(He was a taxidermist by trade). In 1962 when Rudolf began to
take an interest in ‘birds’ of a different kind he told me he sold his
rollers to Bill Kureljak.
Back to the birds I mentioned in the last article that I located in
Western Australia.
I found an old strain of Birmingham Rollers with Eric Lumsden
up in the hills. At the time I visited Eric, the birds were at the end
of their ability to produce, so I didn’t get the chance to breed any
and test them in the air.
I also came across a pair of Rollers at Ray Clifton’s place in
Caversham. These had come from Gawler in South Australia.
Enquiries in this regard drew a blank.
Ron Banfield, who lived in Bullsbrook East, had a family of
Birmingham Rollers that he had obtained from Gordon Jungfer
in South Australia.
This line was extensively tested by myself and tried by a number
of other club members in the early 1980s.
They did not stand the test of time as their temperament was on
ANPA NEWSLETTER
Black Pied Roller cock from
Ron Banfield (1980).
FEBRUARY 2010 – PAGE 20
Len Morley, Charlie Davidovich, Neville Kakoschke, Reg Bishop
and Ron Abbott.
Ron spoke of bellneck Rollers (ex New Zealand) in the show
about 1950. I was not able to follow-up further on this advice.
Bob Hancock advised he had Birmingham Rollers nearly 40 years
ago. I visited Bob a few years later in 1984 and was advised that
he obtained his birds from Arthur Gooch, who had imported these
in a shipment of pigeons together with Harry and Joe Maude
around 1922.
Bob did not know where they came from in England. He said he
had given some to Bert Thwaites.
Gordon Jungfer had Rollers for 60 years and had another
interesting story to tell.
He obtained his Birmingham Rollers from Arthur Sibbons and
these had been imported as part of a consignment with Joe
Maude around the period 1919-21.
Joe Maude died in 1942 and his Rollers went to Arthur Sibbons.
When Arthur died in 1947 his Rollers went to Gordon Jungfer.
Note that Joe Maude’s name comes up with both these
importations.
As I understand it, Harry and Joe Maude were well off financially
and were in the fortunate position to be involved with the
importation of a range of different pigeon breeds on a number of
different occasions.
Neville Kakoschke had some Birmingham Rollers entered in the
show so I took the opportunity to make arrangements to visit his
place and see what he had.
They were mainly Blues and carried recessive Red. These were
apparently a separate strain from any other I had encountered
and a more recent importation in the 1970s.
Ric Brayford from Perth had located this strain via Len Morley
in Adelaide and before I visited Neville and had secured some
to try.
They rolled all right, too hot. I remember one day putting a
stopwatch on one at Ric’s place and it came down 28 seconds
before meeting its demise in the railway yard at Armadale.
Most went the same way and there were still problems when out
crossed with the Casey/Kureljak strain. They did not stand the
test of time.
During one of my earlier visits to Adelaide in August 1982 I
visited Dave Leaders in Brighton.
Dave’s team was mainly the Casey/Kureljak strain, however I
did note he had a few birds carrying the Grizzle factor.
Casey/Kureljak birds did not carry this factor they were Blues,
Blacks and recessive Reds.
Joe Casey did tell me that originally they had the dilute and Ash
Red factors as well, but these had been lost to him over the
years.
Joe’s younger brother Dan also kept a loft of the Casey strain
and these carried the same factors as Joe’s. I had the pleasure
of visiting Dan with Joe on one occasion and elder brother
Harold, a racing pigeon fancier, turned up as well.
Unrung Blue Bald Hen
and unrung Black Saddle
Cock (below) - Ric
Brayfords original pair of
Kakoschke birds.
Back to the grizzle factor at Dave’s place. I asked Dave where
he obtained these birds from and he said from Tony Myska over
by the airport. “Why, do you want some?”
I answered yes, as I had not up until then been able to locate
any genuine Rollers in Australia with the Grizzle factor.
* To be continued.
Dan (left), Harold and Joe (right)Casey
Red Spangle hen, mated with Black Pied
cock on Page 20, Ron Banfield (1980).
PAGE 21 – FEBRUARY 2010
ANPA NEWSLETTER
Size and Feather
By Michael Spadoni
O
ur Nun Standard specifies a medium sized bird, the height
is 9½” to the top of the head, not including the shell, and
the length is 10”.
The British Standard is very similar but is a ½” larger in these
two dimensions. Within these set dimensions the width of the
bird needs to be in proportion to emulate the standard drawing.
There are always various personal opinions on anything and
everything; these are some of my opinions. The Nun is of
Tumbler origin, so the size should resemble a Tumbler.
The Standard does specify “medium in size”, but medium is
a relative term when compared to wild type Columbia Livia. A
guide to wild type is the feral pigeon population.
Keep in mind a good Nun needs to have a fairly erect station.
To keep the bird within its height limit the bird cannot be overly
large, but it should not be too small and dainty either.
The Nun must be larger than a Helmet, but not as big as a
Show Racer (Show Pen Homer). The quest to breed bigger
shells and the more powerful looking birds has led some to
breeding larger birds, as these then appear with proportionally
more feather and structure.
setting and type. With the F1 outcross comes hybrid vigour,
these are generally larger than either parent.
I did a Nun to English Longface Tumbler cross from birds that
were under medium for their respective breed and bred F1’s
that were comparatively large.
One method to achieve reduced size is by selective breeding
of smaller samples, another is by inbreeding. I have found
brother to sister mating especially can reduce the size.
Inbreeding is often shied away from due to the closeness of the
genes in siblings but, with this closeness many hidden impure
(heterozygous) recessives become pure (homozygous), and in
this process they are exposed.
Many of the once hidden recessives will be undesirable, but
chances are you will also breed some desirable genes. By
selecting the desirable features, progress can be made.
I have found that an inbred bird out of a brother to sister mating
can have some very good results once mated to a related bird
that is not as closely inbred, or to a totally unrelated bird.
Judges have a crucial part to play in the desired size by
making comments while judging and letting the exhibitors know
their thoughts, but they must understand and stay within the
constraints of the Standard.
But are our Nuns getting too big? I’m afraid I think they are, I
have handled some Nuns that you struggle to pick up with one
hand. We need to get the feather length and type and keep the
overall package of a medium size.
Judges need to be consistent in paying attention to traits a
breed may be moving towards. It can send a message that
reinforces what the standard calls for and help the breeders set
and fine tune their “Minds Eye”.
Part of the reason for the increased size is the amount of
outcrossing done to other Tumbler breeds, mainly for beak
Otherwise it can make your head spin, a moving target does
not allow for breed consistency. As with many breeds there are
National Champion 2004-05, Black cock
owned and bred by the author.
ANPA NEWSLETTER
Stylish Blue hen owned and bred by
Trevor Joseph in 1995.
FEBRUARY 2010 – PAGE 22
National Champion 2009, Black cock
owned and bred by Anthony Wray.
National Champion 2006, Black cock
owned and bred by Anthony Wray.
Photograph copyright: Thomas Hellman
specific styles by country, state, town and breeder.
We all have our preferences, but we also must always strive to
breed to the depiction in the Standard drawing and within the
parameters set out in the Standard. Judges do play a valuable
role in our breeding efforts and focus.
National Champion 2008, Brown hen
owned and bred by Anthony Wray.
I also breed Bokhara Trumpeters and this breed in some ways
is a breed of illusions, these illusions are of size and width and
are mainly created due to their wealth of feather.
I see a good Nun in a similar way, the body should be medium
size, but appear larger due to the wealth of feather filling out
the bird, giving width and depth about the keel, with under body
feather (when long it is called skirt feather by some), covering
the thighs and helping the legs blend into the body better.
As with all things, the right balance of feather is required. I have
seen excess skirt feather almost touching the ground, which
was unsightly, and detracts from the bird’s outline. Wealth of
overall feather also leads to fuller thicker shells and manes.
This brings me to feather type, we want a feather of good
length, but also important is it must be relatively wide to get
good overlap and help fill things out.
Hardness of feather is also crucial to give the desired effect,
but do we want the same hardness all over the Nun? I think we
need a variety of feather type, such tighter harder feather over
the body and wing shields.
In the shell we want to maximise length, with the feather to be
somewhat softer, but not so soft as to be hairy feather like the
hoods on Jacobins of old. In the shell the feather still needs to
be firm enough to stand up the way we want, so the quill needs
to have some strength.
The feather filaments need to get softer as you go down the
quill; this helps fill out the voids to give a nice thick full neck,
shell and mane. Too soft a feather will create a looseness that
can lead to feather creases that can spoil the Nun. We want to
achieve a smooth appearance.
Trying to maintain a short cobby bird and a high as possible
shell is an extreme uphill battle, as that relationships goes
against nature, as there is an inherent relationship of the
various feathers throughout a pigeon.
Getting a short cobby pigeon requires short primary and tail
feathers so all the other feathers on the bird also become short.
PAGE 23 – FEBRUARY 2010
On a Nun it means we lose the desired shell height, the opposite
also occurs when you get that great shell feather length, only to
also have a long bird due to the longer flights and tail.
Breaking the link between the shell feather and the tail and
flights is what needs to be done to achieve a cobby bird with a
big shell. There are some breeds that have managed to achieve
this. English Trumpeters have great shells with short cobby
bodies.
In Jacobins, the ratio of the neck feather length to the flights and
tail shows breeders have altered the relationship, even though
they are still long in flights and tail.
The modern Jacobin is not a loose fluffy bird of years gone by,
but show excellent feather development to achieve a smooth
feather in the hood that holds itself extremely well.
ANPA NEWSLETTER
2010 SHOW CALENDAR
April 1-14: Sydney Royal Easter Show.
April 17: Queensland Pigeon Fanciers Society Autumn
Lawn Show, venue Caboolture Showgrounds. Contact:
Werner Zimmer [email protected]
May 1: Twin Cities Fancy Pigeon Club Show Albury
Showgrounds. Contact: Bill Vost 0417 990 010
May 1-2: Summerland Pigeon Club Annual Show (NSW)
Lismore Showgrounds.Contact Ricky Maslen (02) 6629
3159.
May 8: Canberra and Goulburn Annual Show at
Goulburn, NSW.
May 8: Meander Valley Pigeon Society Show
(Tasmania). Contact [email protected]
May 15: Riverina Pigeon Society Annual at Wagga
Wagga, NSW.
May 16: South Australian Canary and Pigeon Society
Young Bird Classic Contact: Richie Darling (08) 8584
1268
May 29-30: Pigeon Fanciers Society of NSW Premier
Young Bird Show at Fairfield Showgrounds. Contact:
Steven Cummins 0437 163 145 or (02) 4730 4996.
May 29-30: Queensland State Show hosted by the
Ipswich Pigeon Specialist Club at Ipswich Showgrounds.
Contact: John Wiseman 07 54643784 or john224@
bigpond.com Includes Northern Modena Classic (judge
David Lewis, SA). Contact: Warren Osborne 07 3355
9921 or [email protected]
May 30: Dandenong Fancy Pigeon Society Show,
Dandenong, Vic. Contact: Doug Evans 0412122582
May 30: Fancy and Utility Pigeon Society (WA) Open
Show, Exhibition Centre, Cnr Brand and Brae Rds, High
Wycombe. Contact: 08 9352 8993.
June 6: VSPF Southern Young Bird Pageant, hosted by
the Geelong and Districts All Breeds Pigeon Club. Venue
is Geelong Showgrounds. Contacts: Stephen Ferry
[email protected]; Michael Spadoni spudxy@
bigpond.com Mobile: 0402 078 695.
June 13: The Australian Pouter and Cropper Club
Annual Show Fairfield Showgrounds, Sydney. Contact:
Mark Wilson 02 9570 5863 [email protected]
ANPA NEWSLETTER
June 13-14: First Australian Modena show (IMC
Affiliated) Fairfield Showgrounds, Sydney. Judges: Rick
Barker (USA) and Brent Marshall (NZ). Contact: Warren
Osborne 07 3355 9921 or warrenosborne@optusnet.
com.au
June 19: Meander Valley Pigeon Society Show
(Tasmania). Contact [email protected]
June 19-20: Hunter Valley All Variety Pigeon Society
Annual Show, at Maitland Showgrounds, NSW. Contact:
Allan Haigh 02 4952 7108.
June 19-20: South Australian Canary and Pigeon Society
Young Bird Show (incorporating SA Modena Club Show)
at Wayville Showgrounds, Adelaide. Contact: Richie
Darling (08) 8584 1268
June 26-27: Pigeon Fanciers Society of NSW Eastern
Classic at Fairfield Showgrounds. Contact: Catherine
Weekes (02) 9628 1081 [email protected]
June 27: Fancy and Utility Pigeon Society (WA)
Championship Show, Exhibition Centre, Cnr Brand and
Brae Rds, High Wycombe. Contact: 08 9352 8993.
July 4: Geelong and Districts All Breeds Pigeon Club
Annual Show at Geelong Showgrounds. Contact:
Stephen Ferry [email protected]
July 4: Ipswich Pigeon Specialist Club 70th Annual Show
at Ipswich Showgrounds. Contact: John Wiseman 07
54643784 or [email protected] Includes Modena
Club of Queensland Annual Show. Contact: Warren
Osborne 07 3355 9921 or warrenosborne@optusnet.
com.au
July 16-18: ANPA 28th National Show, hosted by the
Victorian Show Pigeon Federation, venue Melbourne
Showgrounds. Contact: Michael Spadoni spudxy@
bigpond.com Mobile: 0402 078 695.
July 31: QPFS Annual Show at Caboolture
Showgrounds. Contact: Werner Zimmer wernerz@
netspace.net.au
August 5-14: Royal Queensland Show (Ekka)
August 14: Meander Valley Pigeon Society Show
(Tasmania). Contact [email protected]
August 22: Fancy and Utility Pigeon Society (WA) Young
Bird Classic, Exhibition Centre, Cnr Brand and Brae Rds,
High Wycombe. Contact: 08 9352 8993.
FEBRUARY 2010 – PAGE 24