The Thoroughbred Racing Pigeon

This vintage volume contains a comprehensive guide to thoroughbred racing pigeons, with information on their natural history, breeding, selection, types, and more. Containing a wealth of interesting and practical information, this timeless handbook will be of considerable utility to the modern fancier, and would make for a worthy addition to collections of allied literature. Contents include: “Racing”, “The Breathing System”, “The Digestive Organs”, “The Bird’s Eye”, “The Homing Faculty”, “Bird Flight”, “Marey’s Experiments”, “Genetics”, “Breeding”, “Apropos Origins”, “Pure Strains”, and “Your Questions Answered”. Many vintage books such as this are becoming increasingly rare and expensive. We are republishing this vintage book now in an affordable, modern, high-quality edition complete with a specially commissioned new introduction on pigeons.

In this publication I present brief insights into and profiles of some of the best European lofts of long distance and marathon pigeon racing presently operating as we traverse the initial years of a new millennium. I also include an appendix relating to master pigeoners who have now departed to the large loft in the heavens but whose families, strains and dynasties positively impacted upon the sport of those now breeding and racing the thoroughbreds of the sky.

Jim Emerton bred and raced birds for 40 years and had birds return to the loft from as far as 879 miles away. Now in retirement from active racing, he devotes his time and energies to sharing his experiences, his observations and his expertise with the rest of the fancy. Here in one volume is a comprehensive collection of his thoughts about pigeons and pigeon racing, ranging from short pieces originally written for the leading fanciers' magazines to full-length articles and interviews. "What unites us in principle is the common good of the sport, and with this in mind I do what I can for others - it all oils the cogs of the sport. Some will see me as a know-all, yet I am a quiet little man making my mark, that's all. What is true is that I have made a life study of pigeons, and as a teacher I like to impart knowledge and experience...My aim is purely to tell it as it is to me, and if this is illuminating to others, then so be it."ÿ

Jim Emerton is one of the most respected figures in pigeon racing, having bred and raced birds for 40 years and had birds return to the loft from as far as 879 miles away. Now he writes on the subject for magazines and websites, sharing his expertise and his musings with all who enjoy this absorbing hobby. This comprehensive collection of his writings on pigeons covers everything from feed regimes and choosing stock to his experiences with racing from many exotic locations around the world. We are a motley crew of mad monks, illuminated by a shared dream. It is an extension of the old, traditional values, of the old sage, pipe in mouth, corn tin in hand, sunning himself in a deckchair in his rose garden. That is how the iconic birds in folklore and history were raced.

This early work on Pigeon Racing is an engrossing read for any pigeon racer of historian of the sport, but also contains a wealth of information and anecdote that is still pertinent and practical today. Recommended for inclusion on the bookshelf of the pigeon fancier. Contents Include: Pigeon Racing; The Armadale Lofts; My First Visit to Belgium; Leading Belgian Fanciers; English Fanciers I have known and Visited; A Method of Founding a Loft of Racing Pigeons; Notes on Racing Pigeon Types with Special Reference to Superficial Anatomy; Condition; Breeding; Heredity and its Application to Improvement of Stock; Widowhood (or Veuvage) The Study of the Eye and the Eye Theory; Old Belgian Strains or Families; Orientation; Pigeon Shows; Long Race Distances; Winners of Scottish National Races from 1894 to 1947; and a Conclusion. Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.

This early work on Pigeon Racing is an engrossing read for any pigeon racer of historian of the sport, but also contains a wealth of information and anecdote that is still pertinent and practical today. Recommended for inclusion on the bookshelf of the pigeon fancier. Contents Include: The Homing Pigeon in the Long Ago - The Homer Becomes Standard Equipment for Post and War - Peacetime Pigeon Service in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries - Pigeons of World War I - Pigeons of World War II - The Racing Pigeon: Mixture of Many Feathers; The "Looks" of the Racing Pigeon; Pigeon Behaviour; Plumage and the Mold; General Care of Racing Homers; The Racing Loft; Breeding Methods; Training Young Birds; Racing Young Birds; Training Old Birds; Unusual Methods of Flying: Night and Two-way; The Homing Urge; Representative Racing-Pigeon Magazines: American and European; Important Books on Racing Pigeons; Racing-Pigeon Literature; and an Index. Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.