By pigeon fancying
History of the binoculars
History of the binoculars
AD Schaerlaeckens
One of my defects is that I can become truly cynical when one speaks to me about pedigree. I think that these stupid documents should never be invented.
They grain the beginners and empty portes-monnaies of good but naive people.
In my youth people bought and sold less pigeons and did not speak about pedigree. But times changed.
Today, of many pigeons are sold or proposed with the sale and the pigeons without pedigree do not have any value, independently of their quality.
In the past, the pigeon fanciers wanted to see the pigeons before buying.
Nowadays, the first priority for much is the pedigree.
I find the pedigrees interesting, but not more than that.
FIRST CHOICE
For various reasons I cannot play any more but with the old pigeons since 1999.
Since 1999 I put my young pigeons in the dovecote of a partner who lives in another province known for his strong competition.
They had there incredible results until 2006.
Then the poor fellow is deceased. As I had 40 young loans for him, and as I could not play them, I decided to sell 20 of them.
I know that the amateurs want to see pedigrees, then I have make pedigrees.
When the purchasers came to obtain these pigeons, I put to the pedigrees on a table and placed 40 young pigeons, old man four week old, in baskets.
They carefully studied the pedigrees and made their choice, without very looking at young pigeons or their parents.
The 20 young people that they left me I them put in the dovecotes of Mr. Maegh in Belgium.
It was in Mars 2006.
Mr. Maegh also plays in a strong federation which gathers the many amateurs of many clubs.
“Are they of good origin”? asked Mr. Maegh.
“Of course” I say to him, by adding “all my pigeons are good origins, but that does not mean that they all are good, on the contrary, but… I cannot imagine that they all are either bad”.
When I said to him that other pigeon fanciers had already taken 20 of them it became even more skeptic, but I said to him not to worry.
It was quite simply unthinkable that the purchasers chose 20 the best and that they left me the least good.
“Brigit” the father of an excellent young pigeon in 2011
2/316px Thaon, 7/1562px GCC Angers (200km)
1/164px Thaon, 7/721px GCC Niort (300km)
Also classified well a priori on very hard Bergerac
ANOTHER PLACE
It should be said however that the departure was bad.
First to release drive was a failure with many losses.
It took several days for those which had returned to recover.
I advised to him not to play the first 2 contests and the local amateurs made fun of these Dutch pigeons.
“ Summers you already terrorized before the beginning of the season?” laughed they… but not for a long time.
When it started to play them, the pigeons flew really well and after the 4th race, I decided to go to see the return of the pigeons with some Dutch friends.
When we arrived we were amazed to see so much people in the court, but soon we included/understood why.
These people were curious to see how the '019 'and “020” (two sisters) were going to fly, because they were always in top of the prize lists of the preceding contests.
And indeed, to the 5th contest they stole the head once again.
With the room they gained 1st and 2nd places and in the Federation 2nd and 6th places.
“Of which kind of pigeons are they?” asked my comrades Belgian pigeon fanciers.
I raised the shoulders.
“I will look at” have I says and I jumped in my car in their wishing a pleasant day.
Honestly the only thing that I knew about these two super young people, it is that I had raised them.
TRUTH OR FORGERY?
Retour at the house the first thing that I made was thus to check on my notebook of breeding.
I sought the parents from the '019 and “020”, but the numbers of rings were not familiar for me. It acted of pigeons of my team of race, but where were they?
Then I remembered that I had taken some for the poulterer of them, since they were not worth anything.
Even if I had often sworn never not to eliminate the old pigeons until I know the results of their young people, once again I had made the error that I had made many times before.
However, my history is not finished yet.
You must know that apart from the pigeons and of a dog I have also a woman who turns me around.
Sometimes, that is practical, and sometimes that is less.
When you have just married you you feel as with the paradise, but little by little the things change and a man learns how to keep the closed mouth.
But, I was irritated so much for the pigeons which I had taken along in the poulterer that I could not conceal to me for the moment.
“go ahead” known as my wife: “Perhaps that the parents are still in life”.
I found this remark so stupid, but I do not know why, I took his advice and I got under way, the trembling knees, to go in the poulterer.
LUCKY
I was sure that somebody had made a good dinner with the pigeons which I had brought over there but to my great surprise, they were, quite alive always there.
When I saw them, I will have kissed the man and while leaving I thanked it by greeting it like Japanese.
At all events, the pigeons whose final destination was supposed being a restaurant, finished elsewhere… in my dovecote of breeding.
My Belgian partner was very happy but also people who hastened to reserve young people… but not for a long time.
The egg first and the second turn were broken because of the engagements.
“You do not worry” say I “the chances that they again produce pigeons which are as good as the '019 'and “020” are about null”.
“Without joke” they stammered.
“Without joke indeed” and I wished them a beautiful day.
Why was I so happy with the parents then?
Because with such pigeons, you have more chances, but… not more than that.
SEPTEMBER 2006
Then came September 2006 and my partner asked me to come to select the pigeons for the next season of contest.
“I will come, but initially, note the numbers of the rings and the results” I say.
Then I went over there, I studied the results of the 16 pigeons which had run and I advised to get rid of 6 of them.
“You do not want to see the pigeons or the origins?” T he asked.
“Not, I do not want” I answered “It is enough to only keep these pigeons. They are the best runners there. Forget the others”.
“Then we have a problem” said my partner.
“9 on the 10 that you advise to keep are females”.
I just raised the shoulders.
“Then we will play just the females in 2007. Couple with young males” say I.
“To play only the females?” asked Mr. Maegh.
“Completely, play only the pigeons which proved to their value, i.e. right the females in fact”.
“Really Believe that they can compete with males with widowhood!?” was its next question.
“Let us wait and see” answered I. “The females can not only face them, but also to beat them”.
In 2007 as yearlings these females flew incredibly well.
“We to you so grateful” are told my partner
“Thank you” I have answered by catching a cigarette.
I felt that I had deserved it.
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