NEWS FROM DOWN UNDER
by Doug McClary
May 2013
A picture of my loft taken from the decking, across the pool.
The Past
One of the greatest pleasures in writing for pigeon magazines is the friendship of fellow fanciers. Whenever one of my BHW Focus articles appears I get to know about it prior to my BHW arriving by some contact or other. Over so many years at writing, I have been able to know so many wonderful people and pigeon fanciers of all sides of the sport and hobby. So, I tell myself that all the hours spent at the typewriter and computer has not been wasted but has been positive in so many contacts. My last article featured Dick Lipski of Milwaukee and David Brown responded with an old photo showing Dick, me and David at the Edinburgh International when Dick judged there. How Dick and Donna loved their visit to the inspirational Edinburgh. The photo is reproduced herewith.
Doug, Dick Lipski and David Brown
Decorum, dress
Ann commented on the photographs which accompanied the item on the meeting of the Lancashire Social Circle where all those attending were neatly attired in shirts, ties and suits or other suitable attire. We always appreciate such standards as living here in a very relaxed and casual country where lack of dressing up is the accepted way of life. I explained to her that the Lancashire Social Circle was a most important social organisation within the British racing pigeon scene and that for any fancier to be invited to their gatherings was an honour. I note that the majority of British prize-presentations still accord respect to standards and I am all for this. Here in Australia I have attended funerals where mourners have been there in tee shirts and other casual dress including even sandals and flip flops. I attended a funeral a week or so ago when one man turned up in a casual, multi-coloured Polynesian type shirt. This shows no respect whatsoever and is one of the aspects of Australian life I find it hard to accept. Indeed funerals show the way that two cultures can be so different. They are invariably casual affairs held in funeral parlours ,where after the service or should I say procedure, the body is left in the chapel of rest and carted off to the crematorium later on, while attendees go next door to a wake for refreshments.
Lawn mower
My day started well. I decided to cut the lawns prior to cleaning the birds on a lovely sunny morning. A few yards into the mowing when there was a dreadful noise and the piston came out through the side of the casing. That was the end of my lovely machine which I had bought at considerable expense in Exeter, wide cut, battery start, mulching and most importantly for my steep garden there, self-propelled. It had given me nearly twenty years of service so I can’t complain too much but it was still an unexpected event that day.
Pecking Order
Every morning the bronzewing pigeon is waiting for me on the decking to be fed. We have named him Dreadnought as when on the table feeding, nothing else is allowed near. The doves have to wait for him to finish before they manage the small titbits left. Recently the resident Australian magpies have tried to muscle in on him but he has always seen them off by adopting an aggressive mode by the raising of his wings. The magpie is quite unlike the British magpie, in that it is rook size, black and white, and has a formidable beak. However, it does not like a smacking wing in its face. It also possesses a pleasant warbling song. The only time that Dreadnought loses out is to the rainbow lorikeets although he often stands his ground against their beaks. It is an interesting observation of pecking orders in life.
Recognising fitness
A new showman spoke to me recently about a judge who had produced his final three birds for the top honours at the show. One of these (his) was seen by the judge to be shaking its wings as what we all know is a sign of fitness. The judge remarked that he could not consider this bird because of the shaking and awarded it third best. One wonders whether some judges really know what fitness is. It reminded me of 1996 when Mark Morrison won best in show at Blackpool with a blue hen I had sold him. She showed her fitness in the loft by the wing shaking, so much so that he called her Shakey. I still have her photo looking down at me in my study, even as I write these notes.
Showing
Geoff Nelson and I travelled into Melbourne for their latest Sunday morning show and meeting. I must say that Mark Tung, former racing enthusiast recognises fitness for he judged the show racers and gave my mealy hen best and she went on to be best overall in show. I think we have done four shows so far since showing began and between us we have won them all. The barriers will soon go up to keep us out! It proved to be an enjoyable morning with a good attendance and a determination to get enjoyment out of showing. There was a breed talk by the President Mick Dunn, on parlour tumblers a most unique little character in the pigeon world.
Andy Lowe in Sydney
When Andy delivered his show report in fancy pigeon magazines I was able to be tolerant to his views, but now that it has appeared in the BHW, devoted to the racing and showing of racing pigeons I feel bound to comment. He dismisses over a hundred years of development of the show racer from the true racer(or homer as it was first known) by stating that our show racers have nothing to do with the racing pigeon and I find this offensive. His words were: My idea of a good show pen racer has nothing to do with it being a nice looking racing pigeon’. For a start there is no such breed as a show pen racer that title was dropped many decades ago in Britain. I suppose that it is excusable in a way seeing that Andy is mainly a fancy pigeon exponent and perhaps it is better if he keeps within those ranks. His words are of course the views of John Hanson, the man who paid for or subsidised the Lowes’ trip to Australia so possibly Andy felt obliged to repay some of the outlay by reiterating those views. Mr Hanson apparently wants the show racers to be large and to have ‘lovely round heads’. Andy almost casually mentions the fact that this show which was originally tabled as a National Young Bird Show, when it was not, produced judging slips which included the exhibitor’s name alongside the pen number. In all my years in the sport I have never known such a thing happen and in terms of showmanship it is almost too laughable to take seriously. It gave Andy a headache in not being able to refer to the sheets in any way, relying on Josie his wife and steward to mention pen numbers only. As John Hanson then won best and reserve best it has left Andy in a difficult position to explain away, in that the man who paid for or subsidised his trip, ran out with the top awards. Andy will have been straight I am sure but what a dreadful thing to happen and I am told that other exhibitors were questioning the so-called system which provided such embarrassment. I would have insisted on new and anonymous judging slips before I even commenced to judge. But then, I have been around the top shows long enough to know what is okay and what is not acceptable, and the identifying exhibitors to the judge by way of the judging slip has no place in any sort of pigeon showing. The show racer of today is the product of showing within the racing pigeon sport and held under the rules of the RPRA and other governing bodies within Britain. There is a long history of its development and why there has always been intent to avoid any sort of set standard. Perhaps Andy could read more about the subject in my latest book which details some of the events which have led to the bird being what it is today. Instead he chose to speak against all those who show the show racer in Britain and to echo the views of another instead.
Fanciers I have known
This month I delve back further for some information on George Hood of Plymouth. George died in 1970 and it amazes me that this event occurred nearly more than four decades ago. George of course was so well known for his donations of the two famous trophies in his name for the two matched pair breeders class at the Old Comrades. To see a class consisting of fours of one colour was a delight and a win of either trophy was much sought after. I first became friendly with George when I attended shows throughout Devon and Cornwall because he was always there with entries or as a judge. However, when I moved to Plympton in 1966 that I knew him better. I regularly called at his Mount Gould home and lofts and together with Bill Pooley and Les Dawson, we travelled to the shows. We had some wonderful times sharing in his great knowledge of the sport and of the show racer. He had been a committee member of the South West Region of the NHU (now RPRA) and held many offices within the sport. When John Robilliard, Mike Hale and I met to discuss the formation of the Devon and Cornwall Show Racer Society in 1970, George was an obvious choice to be the first president and he was elected so at the inaugural AGM in October that year. It was to be a short presidency for George died on November the 26th at the age of eighty. The weekend before his death, in the company of Bill Pooley, George and I travelled to the Monmouth Open show where he took ill and was quite poorly throughout. He had been active right up to the end, having already that year judged at the Birmingham Mail show and he was looking forward to a judging appointment at the Old Comrades show. George had been a prominent fancier in Plymouth for many years and was known by just about everyone. He preferred racing from the north road and rarely missed a race, using his small team with judicious care. His total team of show and racing pigeons was never a large one and at his clearance sale there were 13cocks and 15 hens only. He was a master of condition and fed mostly a mixture consisting of 80%tic beans and 20% wheat. He lived for his pigeons and the company of other fanciers. His services as a judge were always in demand and when not judging always managed a small entry. He would be found smoking his pipe and putting the world to rights with whoever was enjoying his company at the time. I gained a lot from his knowledge and experience and very much regret that our association could not have been longer lasting. He had a lovely habit of repeating everything he said twice and John Robilliard and I often joked about this aspect. Here was a pigeon fancier who would help anyone who asked for guidance or help. If I have one lasting memory it would be of George and his good friend George Abrahams at the Royal Cornwall show sitting in the entrance to the pigeon marquee smoking away at their pipes and prossibly talking about the young men coming into the showing sport like Doug McClary and John Robilliard!
With that look into the past I will sign off for another time. I have been photographing some of my youngsters so may be able to show some of these another time. Next month I have a little story about breeding and the unexpected. I will also talk about another fancier I have known. With that, I remind you all that I am still at 3 Kunyung Road, Mount Eliza, Victoria 3930, email
