From The Chair - By Chris Williams
As I am sat at my desk jotting down the start to this article on a grey Sunday in November I have raided my book shelf and have been sat reading “A very British coop “ by Mark Collings and I must admit that some of it is laugh out loud funny and shows how diverse pigeon sport is with its veritable and vibrant cast of characters . Such things are good for the sport but then again “There is no such thing as bad publicity” according to the legendry Phineas T. Barnum, the 19th century American showman and circus owner. Who is perhaps better known to younger readers as “The Greatest Showman “thanks to the film starring Hugh Jackman.
Since becoming a fancier in my own right at the age of twelve I’ve heard the older generation moan time and again about the lack of publicity the pigeon sport receives. Thankfully though the efforts of Richard Chambers and Ian Evans have dramatically improved things , and I am sure there is more to come, after all Rome wasn’t built in a day. The thing is pigeon racing has evolved to an international sport, some like that, some don’t. But it is a fact of life things change and this always gets fanciers talking, and with “New Kim” selling for a record sum of €1.6m then talking they certainly are!
At long last the sport is hitting the mainstream media with more than just a footnote really helps to capture public imagination and all importantly, interest. Once again, the story highlighted the rise in prominence of fanciers from China who for decades have purchased the cream of the European strains and have cultivated them to what many believe to be a higher standard than their European counterparts. With according to some fanciers, birds bred in China being 50% higher quality than those of Belgium and Holland. This comes as no surprise if you use logic and take into consideration the fact that these fanciers purchase the Ace pigeon award winners. As they say , a wise man lives in the East! One of the premier pigeon clubs in China is The Pioneer International Racing Pigeon Club in Beijing, The Club's premises house 24 pigeon lofts, each populating about 150 birds. However, fanciers living outside the domain can also compete with the big names in Chinese pigeon racing. I recently saw a YouTube video showing a small feature on this prestigious organisation and was completely blown away, yes, my friends the “cloth cap” image of our sport certainly is a thing of the past!
” The Devil makes work for idle hands” well whoever coined this phrase clearly never set foot in a pigeon loft, because ours is a sport in which idleness has no place , and while I have been doing what I can in terms of planning for the 2021 season , Dad has already started making alterations to the racing lofts by adding Hermes boxes, which is something we have both wanted to do for a long time. So we made contact with Dietmar from the company and explained our requirements and from start to finish the service was excellent and it is little wonder that Hermes has such an illustrious reputation. One that is truly deserved not only for their tremendous customer service but also their master craftsmanship which all make their products well worth the money. After all there is no substitute for quality , and with Dietmar and the team at Hermes this is definitely what the fancy gets. Along with the new boxes Dad has designed and self-built new perches for our young bird loft and has made an excellent job of them.
During the winter months I often spend hours staring at my screen pondering what to write, all the while trying to contain my restless spirt that yearns for the return of racing and not to mention the warmer weather . But as they say all good things come to he who waits and before long the breeding season is in full swing and lofts up and down the country will be full of new life and with that comes the new hope of every fancier that 2021 is going to be their year. All we can do now is wait, wonder and watch to see the rising stars of the future. A future that is drawing nearer by the day and one in which dreams shall become reality and new racing stars will emerge and I for one cannot wait to see as it all unfolds in the agony and the ecstasy of Saturdays, in the sun as we partake in the glorious game of pigeon racing !
Right I’m off to see how Dads getting on with the DIY , until next time enjoy your pigeons
The brilliant Hermes boxes now in our widowhood loft a huge thank you to Dietmar for the excellent service
Dads handy work homemade young bird perches
A close up of the perches
