A TRIBUTE TO DOUG McCLARY (FORMALLY OF EXETER).

I was very saddened to hear of Doug McClary’s recent passing. He was a lovely man, a true gentleman and a pioneer in the world of ‘Show Racer’ pigeons. Doug McClary was a fancier I have admired for many years for his showing, racing and wonderful writing in his regular page in the fancy press, and several books he had published.  He was famous in the Show Racer world for holding the record for many years, for wins at a BHW Blackpool Show, with five first, which is now held by Petty & Crawford, with six firsts in 2018. In 2004 Doug and his wife, Ann, up sticks and moved, pigeons and all, to Australia, to start a new life down under with family that were already living there. I must say, he was greatly missed on the English showing scene, but in regular email that we exchange, it seems he was really working hard to get the Show Racer code going in Australia. Back in the mid-1990’s I went to Exeter, in Devon and had the good fortune to meet this great fancier for the first time and look at his 'Ace' team of pigeons and lofts. Doug was famous in our sport for being one of the top show men in the world, but in his last few years living in the UK had raced a small team of birds on the Widowhood system with outstanding success. He was a great worker in the Show Racer world and was a founder member and long serving secretary of the Devon and Cornwall Show Racer Society, as well as former president and founder of British Show Racers Federation.

In showing he has won most of the top shows including three years running ‘Best in Show’ at the Great Yorkshire Amalgamation, ‘Best in Show’ at the B.H.W. Blackpool ‘Show of the Year’ and many other top awards. Through the years, pigeons had taken him to many parts of the world including several times to the USA, where he judges many of the top shows on the eastern seaboard. His most thrilling experiences in the sport have been winning the GYA three years on the trot, winning his Section D in the National Flying Club, and being invited to judge so often in the USA. He first judged there at the National YB Show at Louisville, Kentucky in 1981, and after judging a huge entry of over 600 birds, he awarded ‘Best in Show’ to a cracking blue cock owned by Jim Isslehardt. That pleased Doug, greatly! Racing his pigeons, Doug had won every race point North Road to Thurso and on the south road he had won Section D of NFC twice, been 3rd Section and taken several other good positions, always with a small entry of two or four birds. Top racing pigeon at the Exeter lofts was: 'Brian' blue chequer cock: winner of nine times 1^st racing, all Devon County Championship Club Nantes races, a fantastic pigeon! The list of champion Show Racer to grace the Exeter loft would be far too many to list, but one was: the "Medallion Cock”: winner of Welsh Region RPRA showing award; Devon & Cornwall Region RPRA showing award, Supreme Champion Devon & Cornwall SRS, 1^st Old Comrades Show, 1^st and Best Opposite Sex at the B.H.W. Blackpool ‘Show of the Year’, four times ‘Best In Show’. Doug McClary was a great pigeon man! He wrote his articles in the fancy press brilliantly, he exhibits his Show Racers brilliantly and at one time, when he lived in Exeter, he raced his pigeons brilliantly. I always described Doug as the ‘Master Craftsman’! Our sincere condolences to the McClary family at this very sad time. Doug McClary RIP.

KEITH MOTT (APRIL 2025)