Winter Form
We fly our birds out in winter as part of the preparation for July racing. It keeps them alert, sharp, in good condition and they adjust to the elements of nature, as they will face rugged conditions en route from Barcelona. As long as we develop good race condition, a little keen flying in winter winds is fine. Form is a bit of a myth and a pigeon in prime psychological/physiological condition may never win a race in its life! It is a term created by man to explain why a bird or a loft of birds excel in racing and may refer to peak condition, which can be created by clever management in relation to the intrinsic quality of the pigeon. I would like to see a study of this phenomenon by a good fancier with an analytical mind. Birds out in the winter are conducive to health and a raised immune system and we always practice it and with a good quality mixture-the birds are a nice weight for pairing. I appreciate that men at work may reject this practice, yet with a little help at home I recommend it. I do not favour hungry birds, restricted of food and confined to the loft, as a continental type control measure. Birds i.e. pigeons are born to fly and that is their modus vivendi - try it, for distance/marathon races i.e. 500 to 900 miles
Jim Emerton
A NOSTALGIC LOOK AT THE PAST
Nearly 40 years after my original introductions, I reflect on many of the key pigeons that were characters in the evolution of a strain. They become the central foci of a mans contemplation and imagination. This is one of the joys of an obsessive fixation on a related group of individual pigeons. You always remember the fruits of your labour, since they are like extensions of your hopes, dreams and desires. This is the beauty of the singular act of a close breeding programme, devoid of commercial motives and it takes on a purist, almost religious connotation. It is like a monk attending to his bees in a monastery garden. The nature of the beast is both heritage and legacy, the past, present and the future. As I mark my moments in sport with birds of favour, breeding is a pursuit that inhabits a lofty place beyond the push and shove, the collective craze of day to day racing, it is the work of idealists, perfectionists, thinkers and dreamers - try it yourself.
Jim Emerton
A PLACE IN HISTORY
Fanciers we know about in the media of the times, may take their place in folklore, legend and in the collective, cultural history of the sport. Some are dominant professionals like Cooper and Gilbert, who have earned their place in the sun, yet others are the back garden heroes like Delea and Donaldson-dedicated distance specialists of the old hobbyist school of action. These are the germ of admiration, dreams and fantasies and role models for the hopes and dreams of ambitious men. Why denigrate them when they are the life and soul of the top end of the sport?? With the impetus of International racing, the benchmark of excellence is raised; open to all to take a walk on the wild side of competition. Will you forge a name in history, or enjoy low key racing as many do??
Jim Emerton
