DIR Return Create A Forum - Home
---------------------------------------------------------
Roller Pigeons
HTML https://rollerpigeon.createaforum.com
---------------------------------------------------------
*****************************************************
DIR Return to: General Discussion
*****************************************************
#Post#: 8897--------------------------------------------------
Interesting read, What do you think?
DIR By: raul carreiro
Date: September 13, 2011, 4:54 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
Bill Pensom's Ability To Judge Rollers
By: Bruce Cooper 14 Jun 2004
All roller fanciers who can read and have the good sense to
subscribe to the APJ and read Bill Pensom articles on rollers
and the condition the fancy is in today. Before every roller
fancier dashes off into print and makes a fool of himself, let
me bring a few facts to light that may give some of you some
extra food for thought.
First of all, it is easy to condemn what you do not know or have
not had the good fortune to see. Bill Pensom to me was a near
myth that I was sure was surrounded by more foolish tales of
false ability than any one in the history of pigeon culture.
It was a stunning experience to fine out the truth. Over the
years, things that Pensom has said for the sole purpose of
enlightening the fancy have been misinterpreted, misunderstood,
misquoted, and used against him. Those he help educate in the
roller game and who became prominent, became jealous and turned
against him.
For the benefit of the many roller breeders who have heard tales
of Bills abilities and doubt they exist, let me cite a few
examples and you judge them and me, the teller of this story.
First, the thing that has got Bill into more hot water than
anything else is his insistence that you judge pigeons value on
the ground. This is so easy for him that he is beside himself to
understand why everyone cant do it. Oh, so you say he cant do it
either. Listen friend, you are in for a shock! He can do it so
fast and so easy that it leaves you blinking you eyes.
I was in Los Angeles a few years ago for the Rose Bowl game. I
had a crate of pigeons to send to the National along with me. I
was staying with my friend Dick Stephens, and the local roller
clan was in Dicks backyard. In the group of my birds was a
short, fine bodied, perfectly feathered, young badge cock. All
who viewed my birds were admiring this bird as one of the better
ones they had seen.
Bill was late arriving and as he did, I was holding this young
cock in hand. As Bill walked up, I asked: What do you think of
this, Bill? He looked at it, shoved it back with: Blimey, Bruce,
its rubbish. Surely you breed better than that.Then, feeling
embarrassed, he patted me on the neck and said, Lets have a look
at the rest.
Well Pensom, at a glance, could tell what others couldnt by
studying it, that the bird was a real roll-down as I only,
already knew. Pensom was in the Northwest this past year and
went through many lofts, picking out the good spinners while
they were perched. I've been all over the country and watched
any number of fanciers try this and they do no better than a
good educated guess.
Bill, however went into my loft and lined up my stock. He put
birds in order of there worth. He filled the hen cages first and
lined them up into the exact order of their spinning ability.
The many fanciers present were like me, mouth agape and awed.
But he had one miss I thought. She was a checkered self he had
in the twelfth hole. She was fast, light, and frequent as they
get and still fly. I question this pick.
Bill took the bird and showed us the lack of muscle on the back
and said: While this is a good spinner and still could be used
for stock, she is lacking in muscle and, if flown long enough,
will give out and kill herself coming in. Also, she will be a
little slow getting back to the kit for competition.
That about bowled everyone over as they all knew the bird and
knew I flew her for all visitors in my #1 kit, but had pulled
her on competition day. (A footnote to this story is tragic, as
she did later kill herself at the age of 2 years, three months
coming into land.)
Bill then lined up my cocks and again in the order that several
years of flying had shown me to be their true valve. Another
time, while visiting in Los Angeles I was at Ralph Hiltons
watching his young birds go. Pensom, Hilton, and I were going to
dinner. As I was already dressed, Ralph left me alone to watch
the kit. I had Binoculars and was impressed with five birds that
were exceptional.
There was a sixth bird that rolled as often as the five, but not
as tight. They were of different markings so I had it in mind to
handle the five good ones and the lesser roller when they came
in. Pensom hadnt seen Ralphs birds go yet that year and was
going to try to make it for the fly. He was delayed and arrived
just after they had landed.
The birds were extremely hungry and started to trap in, but our
greeting each other spooked a few of them up. The sixth bird I
described, as frequent but not tight enough, was among them.
Ralph who was coming out the back door as Bill was watching the
birds, caught a glimpse of the action and was asking how they
look, only to hear Pensom say rubbish, with his very English
accent.
Then Pensom dove into the loft, good suit and all, and started
catching pigeons and stacking them under his arm like ears of
corn. He emerged with five (yes, all five) of the birds I had
picked out of that young kit by 45 minutes of very close
observation. You can say what you like my friends, but to me
this is a pigeon man.
Now to work myself back to where I started with Bills statement
that you must pick them on the ground. I asked him about this
during one of our talks. What can you see in a bird on the
ground that you can’t see in the air nothing! He answered,
except that occasionally a fairly good spinner will be a little
lacking and you can choose a better type.
Now I didn’t ask him if you mated them in the air, only picking
birds for the stock loft. It is obvious they must be balance
together in the coop. Really the reason this gets Bill in
trouble with the uneducated is very simple.
One group goes off mating birds in the coop for show type, not
knowing what a good spinner looks like in the coop. Another
group says Bill is nuts no one can tell a spinner on the ground.
There is also the smaller minority that claim they can pick a
spinner in the hand.
Usually a few tests show you that they are frauds. No doubt
there are others who can do it, but my experience shows they are
few in number. To me it is pretty obvious, Pensom is criticized
and condemned by a noisy few that do not know of the great
ability with the pigeons the man really has.
Those who go to paper and pen to throw rocks will look foolish
to many of us who know the real truth about Pensom, who is no
doubt the worlds leading pigeon fancier.
Twenty five years ago there were Birmingham Rollers in America
that could spin, no question about that. There were lofts of
birds in this country for many, many years that contained
excellent birds. The fact remains unmistakable, however that
Bill Pensoms birds and words have improved the roller hobby as
no other breed has been improved by the influence of one
fancier.
I am not going to try to present Bill to you as the Messiah of
roller pigeons, or that every thing he says or has said should
be inscribe in stone. In his lifetime, he has changed his views
on certain aspects of the hobby and birds.
This is as normal and healthy as apple pie. What galls the very
soul of a person who has known Pensom, has seen his birds spin
and compared the type he keeps and advocates against the round,
little dumplings being pushed by some of the leading show men,
is to be at a show like the Milwaukee National and hear some
drippy nosed idiot of a few years experience expound on the lack
of ability and merit of Bill Pensom and his birds.
Most of the leading Roller men in the United States today, who
gained their reputation in the flying game, acclaim Bill Pensom
as the worlds foremost breeder of Roller pigeons. Ninety percent
of the country’s leading showmen claim he is far less.
That my friends, if you will think about it, ought to tell you
something.
#Post#: 8903--------------------------------------------------
Re: Interesting read, What do you think?
DIR By: Tony Chavarria
Date: September 13, 2011, 11:13 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
Hi Mumtaztic, I went ahead and took care of the post for Raul. I
know it was well intentioned. I do believe that that article has
been freely published in various media over the years and if the
family stepped forward and wanted it removed from the internet,
I know RPDC would comply. Wishing you the best! :D
#Post#: 8909--------------------------------------------------
Re: Interesting read, What do you think?
DIR By: mumtaztic
Date: September 14, 2011, 6:43 am
---------------------------------------------------------
Tony,<br><br>
Please call me by my first name Arif. I was not complaining at
all, I just thought it was funny for Raul to copy the white text
at the bottom of the page. I encourage anyone and everyone in
this group to read, enjoy, use and share any information from my
website. One of my main goals is to contribute as much as I can
to the pigeon hobby. I hope I am on the right track…<br><br>
I will leave you with one of my favorite quotes.<br><br>
“Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you
can't help them, at least don't hurt them.” Dalai Lama <br><br>
Arif Mumtaz
HTML http://mumtazticloft.com
HTML http://mumtazticloft.com
#Post#: 9017--------------------------------------------------
Re: Interesting read, What do you think?
DIR By: Tony Chavarria
Date: September 24, 2011, 10:24 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
--- Quote from: mumtaztic link ---
>
> Tony,
> Please call me by my first name Arif. I was not complaining at
all, I just thought it was funny for Raul to copy the white text
at the bottom of the page. I encourage anyone and everyone in
this group to read, enjoy, use and share any information from my
website. One of my main goals is to contribute as much as I can
to the pigeon hobby. I hope I am on the right track…
> I will leave you with one of my favorite quotes.
> “Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you
can't help them, at least don't hurt them.” Dalai Lama
> Arif Mumtaz
>
HTML http://mumtazticloft.com
HTML http://mumtazticloft.com
>
--- End Quote ---
Hi Arif, I did not think you were complaining, but yes, it was
probably a bit surprising and unusual for you to see your Google
site "code" being used elsewhere. I think only the best
intentions were in mind by the poster. All is good here! Take
care! :D
#Post#: 9049--------------------------------------------------
Re: Interesting read, What do you think?
DIR By: J_Star
Date: September 26, 2011, 8:53 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
Hello Arif. If you don't mind me asking, are you Egyption by any
chance? With a last name meaning Excellent, reminds me it is a
popular Egyption last name.
Jay Alnimer
#Post#: 9054--------------------------------------------------
Re: Interesting read, What do you think?
DIR By: Cliff Ball
Date: September 26, 2011, 9:29 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
Hey Jay,
I'm going down to judge Mumtaztic's birds this weekend. He put
up a good kit last year and I suspect this year's will be
Excellent, too! Actually, I'm looking forward to seeing all the
guys and their kits.....I see they have added a few this year.
(I believe he is Turkish....raises some beautiful Turkish
Tumblers, too.)
Cliff
#Post#: 9055--------------------------------------------------
Re: Interesting read, What do you think?
DIR By: J_Star
Date: September 26, 2011, 9:36 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
His name means "Excellently knowledgable". Arif = Knowledgable,
Mumtaz=Excellent. Say hi when you see him.
Jay
#Post#: 9071--------------------------------------------------
Re: Interesting read, What do you think?
DIR By: Cliff Ball
Date: September 27, 2011, 9:17 am
---------------------------------------------------------
Will do....you didn't happen to track down that GPS did you? LOL
Cliff
#Post#: 9090--------------------------------------------------
Re: Interesting read, What do you think?
DIR By: J_Star
Date: September 27, 2011, 7:41 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
I tryed and everyone that I know said they never were there over
the weekend. I suspected the lady's daughter that came on the
day before you left since she was left in the car alone. If you
did not purchase another one, I will send you one with the stuff
you forgot over my house which they are boxed up and ready to
go.
Jay
#Post#: 9095--------------------------------------------------
Re: Interesting read, What do you think?
DIR By: Cliff Ball
Date: September 27, 2011, 8:59 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
I think you are correct. She was my first suspect as well.
Cliff
*****************************************************
Page 1 of 2
DIR Next Page