NEWS FROM DOWN UNDER
by Doug McClary
June 2014
Good on you Albert!
In the letters column of the BHW some weeks ago Albert Rosebottom of Scarborough wrote a number of quotations about fair play, effort and playing the game. Those words are very much in line with the way I think about sport in general and about pigeon showing and racing in particular. I have always hated cheats and loath those who seek to gain advantage for themselves in one way and another. If ever I had to do something nefarious to have a win, I would give up showing forever. Anyway, Albert, always enjoying your contributions and perhaps you will allow me to use a quotation of my own. These are the words of Grantland Rice who wrote, ‘For when the one great scorer comes to mark against your name, he writes not that you won or lost, but how you played the game’. Good words and an excellent sentiment on winning fairly I was reading an article recently about coaching of youngsters at soccer in England and one of the coaches stated that he was only interested in winning and that any notion of giving other kids a chance in the team was communistic. I thought that this was rather odd for an English attitude, but on checking further, found that they were the words of an Australian living in England. Not surprisingly he has been sacked from his coaching role. I needn’t elaborate on that further but in my view the Aussies who are wonderful people will generally want to ‘win’ at any cost. We all enjoy winning but what pleasure is there in ‘winning’ by means other than absolute fairness?
Victorian Homing Association Show
Geoff Nelson and I travelled in for this show, the brainchild of Dr Tim Owen of Melbourne, for homing breeds and racing pigeons. There were good trade stands in attendance and many racing enthusiasts turned up for the social side of things. The racing entry was not large but for a first effort, the show was a remarkable success with plenty of relaxation and enjoyment. I took a fairly large team of show racers for the judging of Dr Colin Walker. He told me afterwards that he enjoyed his judging very much and was impressed with the overall quality of the birds. I won fourteen classes but was pipped for best in show by Gerard Thorp with his winner of the adult blue cock class. I had delivered this pigeon to him that very morning and he asked if he could enter it as he had left a blue cock at home. My good blue cock was second to it and Colin declared it to be reserve best in show. A powder blue pied hen was best opposite sex for me. All day long the racing men were interested in the show racers and several asked if they could handle one. Readers in Britain may be asking why Gerard could enter this pigeon but here in Australia there is no rule about transferring pigeons, let alone having the fourteen day period before showing transferred pigeons. The special prizes were really good silver medals and will be valued additions. All in all the show was a success and in a country where shows held by racing organisations are very much in the minority, it was a welcome first show. I just hope that the show will continue and become part of the scene down here in Victoria. Geoff and I enjoyed our day out and since then, he has had to go into hospital suddenly for heart surgery. He has come through it well and is at home recovering and thinking about what showing he will be able to do in this season.
Gerard Thorp
Dandenong show society
Rather sadly, long-time secretary and worker for the show society, John Murphy of Cranbourne died a few days before the show, after a long fight against respiratory problems. He had been on oxygen for a long time and was therefore unable to travel far from home. This brought some sadness to the members as John had been a hard worker and for years produced a good newsletter for the club. He was good at computers and often helped me out with problems. At the annual show a spot was set aside by Secretary Evan Sculley as a tribute to John, consisting of photos, some of John’s Danzig Highfliers and with one empty pen for John’s memory.
A simple tribute to John Murphy
Round O
I was sorry to read of the passing of Jim George one of the stalwarts of the Scottish scene for so many years. The tribute to him by his son Iain was excellent, reminding us all of the work of Jim, pictured as a younger man resplendent in white coat, and working ever since through the columns of the BHW and elsewhere. He was a man who combined his love of pigeon racing with his great admiration for the blowers and pouters. Such men come along rarely and will always be missed. Slan Leibh’t Jim.
The lofts
Feathers are now less of a problem and the moult is almost a thing of the past down here in the southern hemisphere. I have been spending a huge amount of time and effort with the birds and have managed to get down to manageable numbers. As always, fewer would be even better but numbers have to be balanced against the love of good pigeons and I simply enjoy having the old favourites around me. My last twentieth century-bred pigeon, the son of Mr T, finally departed a week or so ago and I felt sad to note his absence, having been mates for 15years of my life. I have continued feeding small amounts of my special tit-bit throughout the moult and the day starts with some being spread for them to enjoy. The old timers really look forward to their little treat. When Dick Lipski was across with Bob Kluss, they were most amused with Bilco’s calling out ‘sweeties’ when he delivered his treats to the anticipating birds.
A new product in Oz
I have always struggled to get hold of black minerals because my birds always seem to enjoy them in preference to the pink, freely available in this country. I recall being pulled over and questioned at Heathrow on my last visit when they discovered a kilo of the black minerals thinking that I might be a drug runner. Roland brought me across some last year so I have been fairly well off. However, I sent a sample to Hans Gaven who is the proprietor of the Mineral Energy Company and he has produced black minerals in tubs. He kindly sent me one which I was extremely pleased to have. Despite the time of the year, the birds have been enjoying the amount so far provided and I am confident that they will go for it in a big way during the breeding season. So, with the lofts clean, the nest boxes almost sparkling, all is set for the next breeding season just over a month away. Everything is stowed away in readiness.
Dandenong Show
The annual Dandenong show was a friendly and sociable event. With Geoff Nelson’s birds withdrawn, the entry was down a little but over 400 birds were assembled with fanciers travelling serious distances including from New South Wales. I had been into the airport before arriving at the show so my start to the day was a very early one. Having penned my birds, I was able to spend time looking at the other entries and later judged the Australian Show Pen Homers. It was an easier task without Geoff’s birds there but enough to present a fair morning’s work. Disappointingly, show presentation was lacking in too many cases with birds soiled and not in ideal show condition. In the event I awarded best to a light mealy young cock and reserve best to a most lovely yellow chequer young hen. She would have won except for carrying a couple of nest flights which were fretted. The SPH fanciers are a friendly lot and I considered it an honour to be asked to judge them. Eddie Kloprogge judged the show racers and I was pleased to note that when he had his final four in the walking pens, that all four were mine. Best bird he awarded to a young red cock and reserve best and best opposite sex to a good mealy hen which has done a great deal of winning for me. Eddie did a thorough job with every pigeon entered given due consideration. The presentations were done in good time allowing us a fairly early start for home. After my long day I was pleased to get the birds back in the loft and to sit down and rest. That day the PFS show for young birds was held at Sydney with Graham Bates of England as the guest judge. Best show racer was a blue owned by Tim Fairfax and reserve best, a Fred Frendo pigeon.
Contact from England
I was pleased to receive a letter from Mike Horner of Alton, updating me on his events and telling me that he enjoyed reading my columns. When I first knew Mike and met him at the shows of the late 1990s, he was often accompanied by wife Theresa and his three young sons. Tom is now 28years of age, living near London having settled after a year of back-packing around Australia. He loved this country and would love to come back. Chris is now 26, married and lives nearby in Alton so is able to help Mike with his building and also with the pigeons. George is 22 and has completed university education and works with handicapped children. I often think back to those early days in the showing sport when we all came to the shows with our children and over the years have seen them all grow and become independent. A fancier since the age of 6years, following his father as a fancier, he keeps a small team in his compact loft with just two sections. Like so many of us he finds that the pigeons provide relaxation from the stresses of work and career. Mike has always been prepared to travel to enter his birds and is now a supporter of the new Southern Counties SRS based at Gravesend and which has attracted 22members with about a dozen regular supporters. Mike was honoured to be asked to judge at Blackpool in 2014, an event he greatly enjoyed with Theresa, staying at the Hilton. His class was the young red and mealy hens with 90 entries. His winner was a mealy owned by Fitzpatrick and Fleming, second a silver mealy from the Jill and David Fisher loft and a red of the Wheatleys filled the third spot. Mike Horner is an excellent representative of the showing hobby and I have never seen him annoyed at not winning but have always seen his enjoyment when a good win comes his way. It was good to catch up with the Horners and I wish them all continued success.
Arriving early for shows
I hate rushing to get to shows and always seem to be one of the earliest to arrive. The earliest arrival at Devon County show- and probably going into the Guinness Book of records was Roland Thresher from Minehead. He got up very early, prepared his birds and drove to Exeter for the show, only to find lack of show traffic and crowds because he was a week too early. Enough said!
In conclusion
That seems to be my lot for another time. I will have some judging to report next time and then have the judging at the Australian National in Ipswich, Queensland to look forward to in July. For the time being, I am still here at 3 Kunyung Road, Mount Eliza, Victoria 3930 and my email is
Kemyel Lofts of British Show Racers
douglas-mcclary.blogspot.com.au
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