MY LEADING CONTRIBUTORS TO THE GREATER GOOD OF PIGEON RACING
by Jim Emerton
1: ZSOLT TALABER: A Hungarian scientist and vet, his wonderful books have yielded great insights into pigeon health, diseases and treatments on a global level - a significant and great man.
2: GEOFF KIRKLAND: Geoff is a master racer up to 650 miles, with an honest and gentlemanly manner. His videos and books have been innovative and he has changed the course of modern pigeon racing. A man of great style and charisma, he commands my respect.
3: CHRIS GORDON: The best long distance UK young bird national flier, as a driven man he is a great all round racer with his own strains of birds. Active on the political/managerial front, he is a serious activist in the North-East Region. A former record holder at NFC Tarbes, his racing record is vast and diverse.
4: GEOFF COOPER: A great fancier is this chap and for many reasons with seminal wins up to international level. He has made written contributions on his expertise and mentored the brilliant Mark Gilbert. I like his expert strain building from inbred origins.
5: JIM JENNER: Now Jim from Montana oozes warmth and charm in his epoch making pigeon films of world class distinction. With a huge, erudite and spiritual personality he rules the world in his field.
6: GARETH WATKINS: Conscientious to a fault, the man from Wales is a unique reporter on fanciers and their birds via the medium of the BICC. He has popularised the BICC in an impressive way.
7: THE QUEEN’S LOFT MANAGER MR FARROW: I was a lucky boy to interview this chap as Her Majesty is the premier person in the realm of pigeon racing.
8: JOHN CLEMENTS: A serious marathon flier, journalist and author, he makes a real contribution to the cerebral depths and intellectual life of the sport with his thoughtful creativity.
9: JIM DONALDSON: An easy choice. He is the greatest marathon flier Scotland has ever produced with persistent greatness racing into Peterhead. Jim is a rugged and dogged man with a host of records behind him.
10: RONNIE WILLIAMSON. Ronnie of Ireland is perhaps the greatest racing man on earth, with a singular set of results. A master of technique, he promotes the sport in the media for all to see.
11: FRANK KAY OF BOLTON: This earthy, wise and philosophical man loves the concept of Barcelona International at 869 miles and clocked the Perpignan hen at 798 miles on the second day. A shrewd farmer, flying a small team, he is no fool.
12: NICHOLAS HARVEY OF TAUNTON: I leave my partner until last. Nick is a great diamond of a complex man, and we have enjoyed a rise from humble roots to a place where we can time out of Barcelona International into the very difficult Somerset with opposing west and south-west winds. Our essence is strain building and its free dissemination to others under the umbrella of dedicated sportsmanship.
It has been my function and pleasure to interview most of the above alumni of the sport.
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Elimar - October 2014