Each season my enthusiasm for Jacobins gets greater, but due to the pressure of running my busiiness my serious showing time comes into one month, January, where we pack in as much as possible; January 2008 was an exceptional one.
Early January it was over to Dublin to give Jim McGarrigle some competition and Pat McKiernan the judge a good entry on the day to sort out. Always a great atmosphere in Ireland and a very friendly bunch of very keen fanciers. The Jacobin judging was nearly a friendly with plenty of discussion going on during judging, but Jim thrashed me in adults to take Show Champion, but I thrashed him back in the young bird classes to take Best Young with a red to say 'watch out Jim, I am on my way'.
The next day Heather and I, and Jim and Rita enjoyed a great day at Jim's lofts and home and were treated to a great Irish pub meal at one of his locals - it was one of the best and many thanks. Back on the ferry with three extra birds of course and after a very rough crossing, we arrived home to think quickly about our next adventure to the European Jac Show in Germany.
The European Show is held every five years and like five years ago, I was the only one flying the flag for Britain. Pat McKiernan represented Ireland by being one of the judges, Jim McGarrigle sadly could not make it as his Tumbler Club Show was the same date in England.
I showed a small team of 16 birds as the original plan was to fly the birds out with us but in the twelfth hour, paper work and permits went mad, the swan dead in Dorset not helping and the shipping agent backed out leaving me high and dry. Never one to be beaten I said to Heather, 'You fly out with Pat and I'll drive the birds the 15 hours to the show. I've got the permits, the vet's certificates and the birds look good so I'm off.'
Then a brainwave, a friend in the transport business, who goes to Europe - has he got a van going to Germany? A quick phone call resulted in a yes, we are in France the day before the show pay the extra and we deliver the pigeons to Germany and collect after the show same deal. What a result and off they went, so we all flew together, where we were met with full hospitality from the German fanciers. Two men with a picture of a Jacobin on a stick waiting in the airport - that's us and off we went to a wonderful show hall in Schopfloch an hour from Stuttgart. What a sight as we walked in, a hall full of Jacs, up on the balcony also and large aviaries very attractively done out and full of Jacobins in every colour and even more amazing for Jacs they were agreeing with each other, they must have been drugged!
Several languages were being spoken, the entry was mainly from Germany and France but five other European countries were showing and a lot of fanciers were heavily in discussion pre-judging and comparing. A couple of hours later my birds arrived and all eyes were on the Englander's birds, it felt a real pressure and Pat and Heather both gave me a helping hand to get the birds sorted, syringe a drink into them and get them penned after their long journey.
Read the full article in the March 2009 issue of Feathered World
