NEWS FROM DOWN UNDER
by Doug McClary
Summer in Australia
We have just experienced the hottest summer of all time in this country. We are now into autumn yet here in Victoria and Melbourne in particular we are into another very hot time. Melbourne does not normally enjoy the most settled of weather conditions but as I write, we are in the middle of a forecasted period of ten or more days of temperatures above 30 degrees (anything from 85-95f). I try to do my loft chores early in the morning such as some scraping and cleaning and removal of feathers because once the sun gets high, it is too hot to do very much. So, I am forced indoors today and to cap the uncomfortable heat, the power has just been off for an hour meaning no air conditioning and for me, no computer. I have said it before, but it surprises me just how well the birds accept and manage the heat. They are in and out of the aviary all day. The baths were put down yesterday and that produced a frenzy of activity for an hour or so. These are ideal conditions for the moult of course.
Loss to the sport
At the age of 100 years, Les Shillito of South Brent has died. Les and I had been in contact for many years both in racing and showing. Les was a pigeon-mad individual who had great pride in his wins and enjoyed his many memories. One of his proudest memories came when his son won best in show at the Old Comrades and this red chequer is pictured in my first book ‘The Show Racer’ published in 1976, between pages 108 and 109. Les had always worked for the sport and always represented it well.
Scottish (East) SRS a new record of wins
The sixth and final show of the season was held on Sunday 27th Jan at the Hill of Beath Ex-Serviceman's Club Hill of Beath. The judges for the day were David Brown of Shotts, fresh from judging the Best In Show at Blackpool the previous week, and former members Ray & Louise Bissett of St Andrews.
This was the Medley Class show and the Best in Show and Best Young Bird was a young Silver Chequer hen that had won the Young Hen Handled Class for John & Alice Bell, they were also were Reserve Champion with a Silver Blue 2 year old hen that won the Handled Coloured Hen Class. They have now won an unprecedented five Best in Shows out of our six shows.
To finish off a great season they won the A & A Clark Memorial Trophy which is for all the Best in Show`s and Reserve Best in Shows. Their winner was a dark chequer young hen that had three firsts in the season and was Best in Show at the third show.
The classes were decided as follows:
Young Cock Handled - judge Ray Bissett 1st J & A Bell - Dark Cheq
Young Hen Handled - judge Louise Bissett 1st J & A Bell - Silver Cheq Best In Show/Best Young Bird
Young Bird Pairs - judge David Brown 1st Struan Ferguson - Mealies
Combined Pairs Old Bird/Young Bird - judge Ray Bissett 1st S Ferguson - Mealies
Coloured Cock Handled -judge Louise Bissett 1st Wallace & Ferguson - Yellow
Coloured Hen Handled -judge David Brown 1st J & A Bell - Silver Blue - Reserve Best In Show
With the season now complete, John & Alice Bell won 16 trophies including The Medley trophy and Best Performance at Blackpool, the R Sandilands memorial trophy including three firsts.
Fitzpatrick & Fleming won 11 trophies with Charlie Miller winning the Team Nomination trophy, the M Frame memorial trophy.
Fraudsters
I recently mentioned the late Jed Jackson in the column and his widow Joan. I received a communication from John Tyerman who keeps in touch with Joan from time to time - typical of his caring attitude. He recently phoned Joan and it appears that she has been the victim of a conman posing as a detective from the Metropolitan Police. He phoned her last Thursday to say they had a man in custody who had been involved in a number of crimes in the Worthing area, and they had found Joan's bank details on him! Joan at 90 of course believed he was the Police and gave details, but can't remember what else she told him. He was very nice on the phone, so she agreed to talk to him again two days later. He did call back and went over her bank details again, giving another explanation for doing so. Joan just happened to mention it to Roy Oliver who also keeps a close eye on her and does her garden. He was suspicious and took her to the Bank yesterday only to find two amounts had been taken for John Lewis on-line shopping, both over £400. Jed's nephew also got involved and the Bank are now fully aware and have involved their Fraud section. I think she will get the money back but she is quite shaken by the event. John, as an ex-police officer, has given suitable advice and it is hoped that this will be the end of it. John mentioned his trip to Blackpool and owing to leaving home on the Thursday for a more leisurely journey, he missed worst of the snow. Obviously there were plenty missing at the show including some of the stall-holders. Wales apparently was severely affected by deep snow. He mentioned seeing Nick Yule there (with a class winner) but his parents Eric and Linda were absent owing to Linda being a little poorly and undergoing tests. I wish you well Linda. John states that with other members of the BICC there was work to be done at the show and I note that he also lived quite dangerously by joining his Scottish friends in the Galleon Bar. He reckoned that once in there in that company, it is difficult to get out. A likely story, John. The return home to Bracklesham Bay was a speedy one but accomplished in snowy conditions.
David Brown’s judging of the specials at Blackpool
David has kindly supplied me with some thoughts on his judging of the specials at the Blackpool Show which I am sure will be of interest to all show exhibitors. As for hanging up his white coat, no way, and may he continue to judge for many years to come. ‘Just a few thoughts about the Blackpool judging. It was a little different from some other Specials which I have judged before and indeed a great honour to be asked. First I was asked to pick out the best Show Racer Cock which I did and then was asked to pick out the best Show Racer Hen which I did and was happy with my choices of the two birds. Then I was asked to judge between the cock and hen of the various racing classes from the 500 mile, down to the 100 mile class. It was while doing this I came across a Blue W/F cock which gave me some thought as to what was best between it and the Show Racers. After checking again between them I decided to go for the Racer, although I know I would be expected to go for a Show Racer. However after it won the Supreme Champion of Britain against all the best of the British Shows I felt vindicated. I know that this is only the third racer to win this award since the start of this award. The first was a pigeon from J McGinty of Blackburn, West Lothian. The second was one which I judged as Best in Show at the SHU show in Ayr belonging to Mr McCubbin from Ayrshire so it turns out that I have picked the last two racers which have won this award. I hear that the Blue W/F has already won a few Best in Shows so I suppose that I am not the first to pick it out. I Suppose that I can now hang up my white coat as I have now reached the pinnacle by judging the specials at Blackpool. Best wishes to you all over there and I trust you are all well.’
David Trippett
I received a message from David Trippett following my comments on the Blackpool Show. I feel quite heartened by his words as they show a deep understanding of the show and its aims. I am sure that the event is in good hands. He wrote as follows: ‘I hope I find you well and continuing to enjoy your life down under. I just wanted to thank you for your kind words relating to the article in the B. H. W. They were gratefully received and valued. I was interested to read your comments regarding show bird v racer for The Best in Show and Supreme Champion. I was with David Brown when he judged the Best in Show. As you are probably aware he is an excellent and decisive judge and it was a pleasure to watch him make his decisions. The choice of B. I. S. was made by David after considerable thought. In the end he felt the racing pigeon was of such outstanding quality (a view with which I concurred) that he viewed it deserved the award, a decision not lightly taken. It was pleasing to note that when this pigeon went forward into the Supreme Champion Class judged by a separate panel of judges it triumphed again, which I think completely justified David's choice and rewarded his 'courage'. I noted your comment regarding not having one outright winner and understand the reasoning behind it, however whilst this is obviously only a personal opinion, I feel it would take something away from the overall winner and I believe people always want to see the bird in the judges’ opinion reigns supreme. We do have a best show bird and best racer special to accompany the overall award. Once again thankyou for your comments and please feel free to put forward your views, I value them and assure you that any opinion or suggestion put forward within the fancy will be raised at a Show Committee Meeting for consideration. This year we adopted a number of suggestions put forward in this manner.'
Disaster in Queensland
Here we are enjoying the heat while up in Queensland and northern New South Wales the rain has been horrendous. I mentioned a couple of articles ago that I had heard of no disasters in the pigeon circuit but now I have heard of one. Graham Maidens of North Bundeberg who has been a fancier for fifty years lost all his birds. He placed his birds and poultry on the back decking thinking that they would be safe from the floods there. However, the remnants of Cyclone Oswald gave so much water, some 21 inches in three days, that several feet of water went through the house and took all the poultry and pigeons as well as the contents of the house and the car. Graham endured a similar fate in 2011 and was re-stocked by kind fanciers but he has decided that this time is more than enough and he has decided to give up livestock completely. I am sure that we all feel sympathy for him, for his family and for those poor birds.
My Old Timers
I mentioned last time that I would try to find some photos of my old favourites to indicate how they had fared in the nine years since coming to Oz. Please remember that these photos were taken at the commencement of the moult so the birds were not at their best.
The first is D740523 bred in 1999 and looking and handling pretty good for his fourteen years. He is a son of ‘Mr T.’ the Spedding top winner. The second chequer was bred in 2002 by Tom Morgan, the only bird I brought that had not been bred by my birds. The first of the powder blues is SR0902 bred in 2000 and still good for his thirteen years. He is a son of Del Boy and Sapphire. The mealy was bred in 2003(4414) and is still breeding top quality birds. He was bred out of Carol, top mealy hen bred in 2002 which is still here, breeding and dam of some really beautiful birds. I have a couple of mealies out there from this year which excite me. Next is a silver blue hen bred in 2003(4416) and still breeding. She is a g.dtr of the late John Lock’s top winning silver blue hen and is a daughter of my Hutton Lass, 1st at Blackpool. The last one I am using is powder blue cock bred in 2003 (W4431)out of Vision 2, son of Bob, and a terrific powder BWF hen which survived a PMV outbreak in 1997. As a result she could not come to Australia with me because of her high titre reading. She ended her days with Tom Morgan. All in all I have ten of the original imports and I hope that readers will agree that the years have been good to them.
D74052 at 14 yrs
J44122
SR0902
W4416 at ten years
W4414 at ten
W4431 at ten
Concluding thoughts
My philosophy with my pigeons is a basic and simple one. The pigeon comes first, second and third in all matters and are treated with utter respect. I am without apology a pigeon lover and I am able to give every consideration to the birds, no longer being shackled to the top-notch showing requirements of the British shows.
I am still here at 3 Kunyung Road, Mount Eliza, Victoria 3930 and email
March 2013
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