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Wonderful Stray
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Perhaps
we have said and no doubt others have
said 'If they come back in boxes best
to dispose of them'. Here obviously I
am referring to that phenomenon of the
sport known as 'The Stray' or that pigeon
for whatever reason never returns after
a training toss or a race. Of course I'm
not referring to those who disappear because
of predators or guns, etc, but those who
appear to be healthy and yet do not return
to their lofts.
Are these necessarily bad pigeons or if
lacking orientation ability could they
surprise us by producing the goods via
breeding? From my own experience I knew
of a fancier long gone to the great loft
in the sky but known as Joe 'Gurnay' Smith
who raced in the Limavady RPS, in Co.
Derry, who in the 50s of the last century
got in a black cheq stray rung IUUF(?)
who won 1sts and other positions from
119 to 345 miles week after week in all
elemental conditions including races across
the Irish sea and the St. Georges channel.
In fact if my memory serves me right my
late father then won the inland and cross
channel averages with a team of birds
and 'Gurnay' Smith was runner up with
points accrued by his famous stray alone.
Then for about two years until the bird
was sold the competition in the Roe valley
was between the rest versus Smiths 'Dominator'.
I also recall another pigeon a red cheq
which was picked up as a young bird racer
on a building site in Limavady which when
transferred to my father was unbeatable
in blow homes into the town. In fact in
one two hundred mile race or thereabouts
it set a record which perhaps existed
for years if it was ever broken of just
under 3,000 yards per minute.
This
piece however is about another stray which
came into a loft on the European mainland
to a fancier who saw right away that the
bird looked sickly in appearance, whose
tail was very long in relation to other
bodily proportions, and he could not define
its gender- 'a henny cock or a cocky hen'.
Upon doctoring it he kept it for a few
days until it appeared better but instead
of releasing it he gave it to a fancier
friend who upon handling it
rejected it. The original fancier was
not of the culling type in fact he hated
killing anything so as he knew that his
nephew had started in the sport he gave
the stray to the latter who then reported
it and was told to keep it.
The
bird in fact belonged to a Mr. Desprets
who was the son-in-law of the famous fancier
Mr. Commine. The nephew was called Andre
and he bred the stray with a hen which
he had obtained from a Mr R. Benoot.From
the pairing a pigeon was bred which began
to win races and make a reputation in
the local area. Then one day at basketing
for another race Mr Commine arrived and
asked Andre where he had got the bird
and upon being told that it was bred from
a stray of his son-in-law Andre was told
that he was a lucky person for the father
of the stray was Commines favourite 'Napoleon'.
Yes the famous 'Napoleon' bred what appeared
to be a dunce or a freak of the pigeon
world. Yet in turn a champion was born
for Andre was no other than Andre Vanbruaene
and the son of the stray was the famous
'Bull' who at the age of 15 years produced
the 'Young Bull' who won 1st National
Libourne and 1st International Pau in
the same year.
Followed a year later by the 'Bull' producing
a son named 'Tarzan' who went on to win
1st International. San Sebastian. Of course
this is not the end of the story for a
daughter of 'Young Bull' produced a son
from a mating which when bred with 'Tarzan'
produced a 1st International Barcelona
winner in 1966. And yet it is still not
the end of the story for the 1966 International
Barcelona winner was the ancestor of at
least 3 other International Barcelona
winners in 1984,1995 and 2003. All carrying
the bloodlines of an ugly, ill formed
wanderer of the skies- the original stray.
Thus what greatness would have been denied
if Andre Vanbrauene's uncle rather than
doctoring the stray had pulled its neck.
Which
leaves me wondering how much greatness
is destroyed each year at culling time
or how much potential greatness lies in
the genes of those racing pigeons which
have taken up an abode with the common
or feral pigeons of our highways and byways.
No! please don't respond in this context
with the old adage that 'One swallow does
not a summer make' for there are many
other examples out there. Of course I
am not suggesting that we end all culling
for I believe it to be necessary but lets
get to know our birds better and hopefully
not destroy a gold mine through a lack
of knowledge and awareness. Just remember
that blood will tell and come to the fore
even within an ill shaped, ugly looking
stray.
by: Liam O Comain
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