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Dunoon International Pigeon Show 2008
Dunoonpeeps Review
The 11th Dunoon International Pigeon Show was held at the Queens Hall on Saturday 15th November 2008. On arrival we could immediately sense the buzz in the air as exhibitors and owners awaited anxiously on the other side of the barricade as the judges walked up and down each row of numbered cages; stopping to examine and scrutinize each pigeon as they went. The criterion that the birds were judged on depended on whether it was a racer or a show bird. Dunoonpeeps had the opportunity to follow the judges around as they explained the process of judging each bird. They are looking for any faults that might stand out straight away. Some are taken out of the cage for closer inspection; here the judges are looking for lice and blood spots and that each bird has 10 primary feathers on each wing and the feathers are in good condition. Pigeons should have 12 tail feathers and they too are examined to ensure they are all uniform and free from faults.
Judges share a passion for pigeon keeping and their views can differ on what makes a bird a champion. With Racing pigeons, they are looking for a bird with good lean muscle, a healthy weight, short legs and a nice round head. Show birds are judged “through the wire” . This method of judging employs a pointer that is inserted into the cage. The judges here are looking at stance, reaction, and how a bird handles the exam. The ‘eyesign test’ is a ‘class’ examination which was explained as a means of determining a bird’s characteristics based on retinal colours and patterns. It should be noted though that the eyesign test is regarded by some in the pigeon community as nothing more than a theory and not an accurate and reliable means of determining bird characteristics.
All the judges that we spoke to feel that the judging system is as fair as it can be and they all do their best to maintain a level of professionalism that everyone can respect. There are no defined show standards relating to the judging process and it would seem that if it were to be standardized, it would eliminate the individuality from the pigeon. This in effect would remove the “Best in Show” class from each event.
As the judging was taking place, we could feel the tension mounting from owners and exhibitors. Sitting up in the balcony were Jackie Knox and John Mackay from Midlothian who were straining to see what the judges were doing at their pens. This was Jackie’s first ever show; having only been introduced to pigeon keeping last June by her partner John a 30 year veteran racer from Rosewell. With John’s help and the help of her local library; Jackie quickly brought herself up to speed on both the lingo and the art of raising pigeons. “I’m quite nervous” says Jackie as she attempts to count the pens over the railing to see if the judge is examining her birds or not. When asked how she feels about the event Jackie says “I take it seriously, it’s a lot of hard work and shows like this one take a lot of time to prepare for”.
Brian Massey (23) also of Midlothian is a unique exhibitor as he is the only entrant in the Dunoon show who is allergic to pigeons. Although he’s been involved in racing pigeons for 10 years, it was only last year that he was diagnosed with what Doctors refer to as ‘pigeon lung‘. This can cause someone to be more susceptible to bronchial irritation and infection through exposure to airborne pigeon particulates. This however does not diminish Brian’s passion for his birds and he still competes often. “The wait gives you butterflies” says Brian “but I’m optimistic; I think I might have 2 tickets”.
It’s now late in the afternoon and the owners are starting to mass at the barricade. The judge’s votes are in and are being tabulated. Clark Smith, Secretary for two other shows in West Lothian, was busying himself writing out the award tickets. “I’ve been involved with pigeons since I was a lad” says 72 year old Clark, “I got into the sport with my family after the war”. Clark currently cares for 56 pigeons and considers himself a “racing” man.
Iain Noble, The Scottish Homing Union President has the responsibility of judging the final award. This is a very difficult task as there are lots of good birds and there can only be one winner and two happy people; the judge and the owner. “Judging this is almost an instinct” says Iain. “I am privileged to be given this responsibility”. He takes his time as he examines each bird closely. When he has made his way down the entire line of pens, he repeats the process a second time until he has eliminated any doubt as to who the winner is. The award tickets are placed, the ribbons are attached and the crowds are allowed into the main arena. Smiles and cheers are mingled with disappointment as everyone learns the winners of each class.
Speaking with the organizers Terry Markwick and Paul Chatterton about the event, they are pleased the show went well, but they expressed some initial concern because the show clashed with another show that was taking place in England. Although there were about 100 less entrants this year; there were still 730 birds being judged with exhibitors travelling from all over the UK to brave the cold Scottish weather, some even chose to spend an evening sleeping in their car.
By the end of the show, everyone we talked to had said they enjoyed themselves and were already looking forward to next year when hopefully, for the very first time, there will be two shows on the same weekend.
The results of the 11th annual Dunoon International Pigeon Show are as follows and along with the show organizers, Dunoonpeeps would like to congratulate everyone who entered this year’s show.
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