Keith Mott

Writes about winning fanciers past and present

The Show Racers of Great Britain (Part 9)

 THOUGHTS OF THE MASTER CRAFTSMAN

DOUG McCLARY

Doug McClary is a great pigeon man! He writes his articles in the B.H.W. brilliantly, he exhibits his Show Racers brilliantly and at one time, when he lived in Exeter, he raced his pigeons brilliantly. Doug must be described as the ‘Master Craftsman’! I’ve known this Cornish gentleman for about ten years and in that time we have become very good friends, but previous to that, I admired him as one of our leading fancier in the sport. Several months ago when I first had the idea of ‘The Show Racers of Great Britain’ series for the British Homing World, the first person I contacted was Doug McClary, who now lives in Australia. Doug being the worker he is for the Show Racer world, instantly offered me any help I needed to produce this series. Although I’ve got some premier loft reports still to come, we’ve got to Number 9. and I thought we needed something different, so I emailed the man ‘down under’ for some info on the sport in Australia. A week had gone by and he sent me some of his thoughts on the Australian pigeon scene, which I think should be printed as he sent them. So this week we are going to feature the thoughts of the ‘Master Craftsman’, Doug McClary!    

Ever since our visit to Australia to visit our son in Victoria, we had thoughts about a possible move.  We were so impressed with the country, with its relaxed ways  and quality of life .The standard of living seemed to be extremely high with people seeming to have more time for leisure activities and so on.

However, when I got home from that first visit I looked at my three lofts, the birds, all the fittings, my office – which was full of pigeon literature and other books and decided that the effort at my age was just too great.  Then our daughter who had previously lived and worked in the USA told us that should we ever think of going to Oz, then she would like to do so also, but that they would not do it without us, having taken our grand daughters from us on that previous occasion when they went to the States.  We therefore made enquiries about obtaining a Visa and found that we could move on the basis of a retirement visa.  However before making a DECISION I HAD TO KNOW WHETHER SOME OF MY BIRDS COULD COME.  It is a fact that had this not been possible I would not have moved.  I had cultivated my family since 1963 and felt so attached to them that I could not imagine life without them.

Enquiry revealed that unvaccinated birds could be imported into Australia – including birds which passed a blood test showing that any residual antibodies had diminished low enough for them to enter the country.  I surmised that the best course would be to breed a large round of youngsters in 2003 and take the best of them.  However, when I took my first list of birds to the vet for blood testing, I took some of my favourite stock birds and even some yearlings.  The results were extremely encouraging opening up possibilities of birds which could accompany me.  You can imagine the trauma of selecting birds to come with me.  Never a large team fancier, nevertheless, it was sad to leave each and every one of them.

Worse still, being unable to vaccinate in 2003 I severed all ties with the showing and racing being afraid to bring any disease or virus into the lofts.  I couldn’t show, race or even judge birds for fear of this and made excuses for fanciers and friends to stay away.  I had to do this as we had no final decision on our Visa and didn’t wish to announce our move until it was certain.  It was a difficult year I can tell you.  Lists were revised frequently but finally after several visits to my vet and numerous blood tests I had the final total of fourteen pairs of my show racers and six pairs of Dragoons.  Their shipment was arranged in conjunction with a large shipment and in October 2003 I travelled up to see Colin Surtees in Co. Durham with my precious cargo of birds.

It was with heavy heart that I left them there knowing full well that they faced a long time in quarantine – two months in England and a further month in Australia before I would see them again – and then only if everything went well in the general shipment.  Worse decisions were to come because I then had to dispose of my other birds including some of my very best.  I drew up a list for an advertisement but suddenly a one-man buyer took the lot, meaning that the Kemyel family could remain together within the British Isles. However, the time came when all the birds had been taken from my lofts at Argyll Road, Exeter and I was without pigeons for the first time in over 40years.  It was all extremely sad.

We moved across to Australia in February 2004 and three days after our arrival I was notified that the birds could leave quarantine in Melbourne.  Luckily Richard Clingan, the editor of the Australian Racing Pigeon Journal had agreed to house my birds for me until I bought a house and a loft.  Together we went to collect the birds on a very hot and sunny morning.  When the outside doors of the Quarantine building were opened, a wonderful sight was there for me as I could see my lovely powder blues in the pens blinking in the sunlight.  What a relief and what a joy.  Richard took my birds home to his place about three hours down the road from where I now live and cared for them as his own.

We moved into our house on the 25th March 2004 but it wasn’t until; May 15th that my loft was ready to take the birds.  I had travelled down to see them once in that time but when I went down with Ann to pick them up I was extremely happy and so became a fancier again. Some of the birds had gone into a moult, some had not.  They were a confused bunch of birds as their world had been turned upside down literally and of course all the seasons were in reverse.  In July of that year the Australian National was in Perth, Western Australia and I went across to judge the racing homers – show type.  I was not allowed to judge as only Australian rung birds are eligible for the National.  My first egg was laid on the 31st July and the rest soon followed.  Most of the birds settled to the breeding very well but one or two did not and I bred hardly any reds or mealies in the first year. Even now I have a mealy cock which has failed to breed – a 2003 bred bird.

It was my intention to spread my birds as widely as I could and knew that only the very best would enable the breed to be accepted...  Whenever fanciers came to my loft I gave them full choice to select any birds they wished (2004 bred in Australia birds).  There were no provisos in this – I made a full and unconditional offer.  I have since seen one rather foolish English fancier proclaiming that I would have only sold birds I didn’t want myself.  He made this statement on the internet for the world to see without knowing what my intentions were or are.  It has been an odd experience, for how does one sell a product when there is no market for it.  Show racers of the British quality are unknown over here.  The only hotbed is in the Sydney area and while I have only seen a few of their birds, they are not the type we know in the show halls of the UK. In fact, the show racer scene as I have seen it so far is as follows. Victoria - There are no show racers being shown but whenever my birds have been exhibited they have been instantly admired and I feel so sure that in time we can create and manage an interest. Western Australia – where I judged at the National.  There was a good entry in the racing homers – show type – but they were mainly out and out racers.  There were two or three birds which were reasonable show racers and they easily won the show. Queensland - I judged the Queensland State show and found a small entry of racing homers – show type.  One fancier had very good birds and took most of the prizes. I was impressed by him and his birds. In general terms therefore, show racers are few and far between – or at least were.  I have sold birds to every State in the country and hopefully those buyers will do their bit in showing the birds and also in breeding and spreading them still further.

The Australian National Pigeon Association agreed to my birds being shown as British Show Racers but wanted a standard.  I am against standards but used the one in the NPA book of standards which speaks in general terms avoiding awarding set points for various qualities.  It is a standard of acceptability.

I am still working to spread my birds around.  This year already buyers coming here have been invited to choose whatever they want.  Obviously it hurts when a cherished youngster is chosen but I can never be accused of selling nonly birds I don’t want.  Indeed with fourteen pairs of old birds I have as large a team as I normally keep and could not find space for many more.  I ended the first year with a blue white flight hen and a chequer cock – the latter has won a number of Best in Shows and reserve B.I.S. I also kept a yellow hen telling visitors that she was the result of a special experiment and that I would like to further this trial for another year. They will probably now stay with me.  Furthermore, I have imported two opal mosaics to add another colour to my birds.

My task is not an easy one.  As I say, wherever they are seen at shows they are greatly admired – especially by racing enthusiasts.  I have just given a talk to a local club and when I produced my birds there were gasps of amazement and genuine questions about them and about showing.

There are not many racing pigeon shows out here.  The club I spoke to intends to have a show series and when the National is held near Melbourne in 2007 it is my intention to try to couple it with a Victorian State racing pigeon show.  In this way we might make showing popular and thus provide an opportunity for the show racer as we know it to take hold.  What I write in five years time about the show racer in Australia is a matter for conjecture but whatever, I will be doing my best to promote the breed, to promote showing and to help the racing side of the sport also.  Wish me luck!

Well did you enjoy that, because I did! The ‘Master Craftsman’ is pushing the sport forward in Australia and he is greatly missed at all the premier U.K. shows. I do know that one of the pigeons he took with him to Australia was his wonderful blue hen, ‘Georgia’, and she recorded Best in Show at the National Young Bird Show, plus many other wins in Classic shows. Next week we are featuring another outstanding Show Racer loft. I can be contacted on telephone: 01372 463480. See yer!