2,500 pigeons preen and strut their stuff at Blackpool’s ‘bird of the year’ show

Ryan Ponto — Wed, 25 Jan 2017 17:00:55 +0000

They came in on a wing and a prayer.

Around 2,500 pigeons preened their feathers and strutted their stuff as their owners competed for ‘bird of the year’.

For the 40th year on the run the British Homing World Show was held at Blackpool’s Winter Gardens, with an estimated 25,000 breeders and fans travelling from across Europe to be at the event.

And the bird that came out on top was presented to adoring fans by breeder John Bell of Ayrshire – who lifted the trophy for the fifth time.

The birds were judged for their good looks and general composure.“He’s the top dog in the loft and has bred some winners as well as being the Scottish champion,” John said of the winning bird.

“We’ve won that competition four years in a row.”

Linda Bruce, secretary of the Scottish Homing Union, said: “It’s a really absorbing sport but it’s time-consuming as you have to look after the birds seven days a week.

Over the last 30 years the number of members in Scotland has halved from 6,500.

“Racing pigeons was popular in mining communities. If you are down a pit all day, you want to come out into the sunshine and look at your birds flying in the sky.

“It’s also a sociable sport and most towns in Scotland have pigeon clubs. The age group is mostly middle-aged now but they take the sport very seriously and there’s a lot of competitiveness.”

While racing pigeons are lean, light and can often suffer feather damage, show pigeons are large, plump and glossy with pristine plumage.

In the weeks before the show owners keep the lofts spotless, bringing in fresh water in basins so the birds can bathe, carefully wiping off any dirt with a soft cloth and handling the birds after putting talc on their hands or wearing gloves to keep feathers oil-free.

Visitors had the chance to look around 200 stalls promoting specially designed pigeon lofts and veterinary services during the two-day event.

Pigeon racing became a sport of the masses in the early 1900s, and pigeons were used extensively as message carriers by armies on both sides during the two World Wars.

In the UK the sport probably reached its height of popularity after World War Two.

There are two million racing pigeons and 26,000 pigeon fanciers in Britain.

The sport has been a Royal hobby since 1886. The Queen keeps 200 pedigree birds at her Sandringham estate and in 2015 replaced the loft for her birds at a cost of £40,000.

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2,500 pigeons preen and strut their stuff at Blackpool’s ‘bird of the year’ show