Gordon Harrison Part 2

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This month we resume with the profile on my very good friend in Australia ‑ Gordon Harrison. Just to remind readers Gordon emigrated to Australia 30 years ago and is married with three children and I newly acquired granddaughter. Last month we read how Gordon started up with pigeons and the breeds he currently has ‑ now read on.

A. My aims are the same now as they were 25 years ago, firstly to breed better quality West's and more of them, to mould a stud that is more uniform in style/type and quality and subsequently have less culls. Develop new colours that are not currently available in Australia as previous mentioned. Promote the 'West of England Flying Tumbler" to the pigeon fanciers here in Australia and New Zealand, and to anybody that will listen. I hope that one day I am able to import a number of high quality West's from the UK perhaps as part of a syndicate. This way we can spread the cost and maximise the number birds from of different lofts and or bloodlines, and between the syndicate members swap and or loan the original imports or their offspring. Latter this year John Graves will be here in Australia, and whilst here will be judging a number of pigeon breeds at our National Show (July 2000) which is to be held in Sydney. I have approached John and he has agreed to judge the West's. With this in mind I have again purchased a hundred rings and am planning on a big breeding season, my hope and intention is to pen a larger number than my usual entries, and display a line up of quality West's for John to critique.

Q. What are your personal views on the fancy in general, shows, bird fanciers etc.?

A. The fancy here is very buoyant at present as a result of the importation of new stock for our existing breeds and also new breeds from both Canada and UK. Prices for imports are naturally high in the initial years but will find their own level with the market pressures of supply & demand. Entries at our major shows especially the National seem to be increasing each year, but there seems to be a trend to hold back the best birds for these major events at detriment of the regional shows. I don't know whether or not you've noticed pigeon fanciers seem to be getting older, its very unfortunate that our hobby is not attracting enough new fanciers to replace the ones that move on to that loft in sky. The juniors we see are few and are usually a son or daughter of an adult fancier, and quite often loose interest on reaching puberty. Bird fanciers, and especially fancy pigeon people on the whole I find extremely interesting, friendly, and passionate about their hobby. On visiting Los Angeles in I995 I called up some local pigeon people who were on a list of names and address's I had been given. These complete strangers were only to happy to drive me from loft to loft all day and I'm sure this is true of many fanciers all over the globe. A special thanks to Frank Soto & Danny Chagola of Los Angeles.

A. Firstly I look for really good quality and width of feather, these I find are the qualities most difficult to get and maintain in subsequent generations. I have a great dislike for long tailed birds, and as a rule I find these birds with one and a half to two inches tail protruding beyond the last primary are unbalanced in the hand and in appearance. I believe that if we are to maintain the dual‑purpose properties of the West we must at least have a bird that has appearance of a Tumbler. Broad and stocky up front rapidly tapering to a tail that is tightly folded showing the width of 1½ feathers and no more than an inch beyond the primaries. This gives us the appearance of a tri‑angle when viewed from above. In pairing for breeding I look at all the parts that make up the 'West type" i.e. head, eye, neck, leg height & setting, in the show pen birds must be alert, stand well, preparation for the show West's must be in good body condition (muscle not fat) and free of any lice, pin holes and frets. Finally making sure they are spotlessly clean (Omo Bright in fact)

A. Build your loft so that it will always be dry, no leaks or condensation, make sure it is well ventilated but not draughty. If possible have a flight where birds can bathe and mate. Research what breed you wish to keep, then find out who are the consistent winners and with what colours. Be prepared to pay for quality. Better to buy one pair premium birds than a hundred also rans. Learn about the basic pigeon genetics, its not as difficult as you think. Only buy quality feed, do not be tempted by cheap mixes, always keep it dry and inaccessible to insects and rodents. Keep the feed and water containers clean, disinfect weekly, I soak mine in a bleach solution over night. Never feed wet grit it may contain bacteria, if necessary cook it in a microwave and don't forget to allow it to cool. Buy a few quality books on pigeons and study the diseases and their medications. Visit like-minded pigeon fanciers talk out problems and concerns, listen but don't be afraid to get a second opinion

Q. I know I should not ask this but what are your views on a standard for West's?

A. This is always a controversial subject, and you will probably say what the hell does he know about the West's in the UK. I would say your right to a degree, but my knowledge includes the keeping of West's for many years, visiting West fanciers lofts whilst back in England, corresponding and the exchange of hours and hours of video tape devoted to this magnificent pigeon, so please here me out. Over the years I have been a staunch advocate for the "NO" vote in regards to a standard, in 1993 at the time when the Australian NPA was putting together a book of Australian Pigeon Standards. We were approached on behalf of the standards committee, and some pressure was applied into accepting either the USA West standard or put together our own Australian version. I and the other serious West breeders of the time were adamant that our West's would remain "Non Standard". In an effort to gather evidence to support our position we wrote to, and received correspondence from members of the B.S.W. Tippler & Tumbler Society and also the late Jeffrey Oldham. I now have mixed feelings regarding a standard, As someone visiting from outside the country I have seen the West change dramatically on each visit, to my eyes West's have got progressively larger and others long and ungainly. On a recent visit my first impressions were of birds that resembled a Show Racer with West markings and others which were so long in tail that they reminded me of a Sparrow Hawk. My question is how have these changes come about over such a short period of time, who decided that West's should be bigger & longer, who were the people responsible for changing our West from a dual‑purpose to an Exhibition West of comparable size to the Exhibition Tippler & Show Racer? There is some confusion that in the USA their are two types of West. On a recent visit to Los Angeles I found that all the West's were of a flying type, I understand during the late sixties‑early seventies a Show West was created using LF Baldhead Muff Tumblers but these fizzed out and the flying type survival and won the day. I agree these flying West's are vastly different to UK West's of today, but this is only to expected when you consider that back in I929 when West's were first shipped to California their was no written standard. So for the last 70 years they have also done there own thing, and even today with their own written standard have maintained a dual‑purpose West of England Tumbler that fly's & tumbles well. My point is ‑ if we had had a written standard and I much prefer the word "Description" for our beloved "West of England High Flying Tumbler" would the subtle pressures of certain strong willed individuals or groups been able to manipulate these changes without being challenged by the written word (they say a handshake is not worth the paper its printed on). I quite like the description written by the late Mel Brooker and published the August 1996 edition of Feather World, but is this medium size bird he talks of, what we're breeding today? The only refinement to this document I would like to see is under the heading 'Tail', is a little less vagueness on its proportion to the rest of the bird. Before all the letters flood in I am as much aware as anybody that the real way to judge a West is in the hand and to write a description on balance and fitness is not easy. I do think the basic points in Mel Brookers description is worth forming the basis of keeping our West's as we all understand and want to keep.

I hope I have not bored everyone to death but I would like to finish thanking one or two people. I could probably fill this issue of Feathered World with people I would like to thank so will limit it severely. In Australia my good friend Gary Harvey for promoting our magnificent West's in our Southern State Victoria and for the serious competition he always gives me penning his birds in super condition. Larry Horder a good friend for over 26 years and is a breeder of LF Tumblers in Whiteside, Baldhead, Beards and Muffs. Larry and I have been travelling companions to shows for in excess of a quarter of a century. An example a trip from here to the National show in Melbourne is 13 hours driving each way, our routine is to take turns to drive and sleep throughout the night. 3 hours on and 3 hours off and hopefully arrive refreshed. In the UK I would like to say thanks to all the West fanciers whose lofts I have had the privilege to visit with my video camera together with their interest and friendship. I would especially like to thank the Bristol boys in particular Harry Heal and Terry Gerrish for their hospitality, friendship and their help on each of my visits home to England. Finally my old mate Dave Walters, he and I go back a long way, we first met and became friends in the second year of high school. We were both 13 and had similar interests such as birds, or should I say ornithology, the collecting of eggs and the like, both of us started out with a few street pigeons and soon became addicted to this bird and the hobby. Dave had a few years out of the hobby but on each of my visits home I would drag him over to Harry's and Terry's homes to look at the birds nothing has pleased me more to see the success he has made since coming back, he always did know a good BIRD!!!!

What more can I say I hope you all enjoyed straying slightly from the normal profile next month back to normal. To all Federation members please read my notes under Club News. I suspect that a lot of you will have eggs by now I wish you all a very successful breeding season. Yours in sport DAVE WALTERS