Purebred Pigeon SepOct 2024

23 – Purebred PIGEON OriginsAnd Development Of The LFCL TUMBLER By Ron Teixeira In my never ending quest to better understand the English Long Face Tumbler Standard, I recently decided to research the breed’s origins and development. Interestingly, the development of the LF Tumbler began in Great Britain in the 1800’s and continued through the 1920’s. This effort involved the crossing of a select number of other breeds, some of which many might find surprising. The sources for this information were Fulton’s THE BOOK OF PIGEONS and G.L. Clark’s THE LONG FACE CLEAN LEG TUMBLER . If nothing else, reading this material leaves one struck by both the passion and sheer genius of the early developers of this breed. A partial list of these breeders include A. Williment, R. Twewhitt, J. Cooke, J.T. Griffin, R. Ludlow, and C.A. House. By feature, these are the outcrosses which transformed the “common flying tumbler” of the period into the extraordinary breeding achievement it became. EYE and CERE: In 1895, a cross was made to the Capuchin by J. Cooke and A. Williment to introduce a white pearl eye, thin cere and a small, neat wattle. BEAK AND BEAK SET: An early and common outcross was to the English Short Face Tumbler to first establish beak set and “outlook.” To add fullness (stoutness) to the beak, crosses were made to Short Face Antwerps, African Owls and English Show Homers. Later, to offset the effects of the African Owl and Show Homer crosses, as well as to add reach and “straighten the face,” there was a subsequent outcross to the Exhibition Homer. HEAD: In addition to adding beak set and outlook, English Short Face were also used to create “rise off the wattle” and a broad frontal. However, use of ESF also resulted in a significant loss of backskull. To correct this, roundness and width of skull was added through the use of African Owls. BODYAND STRUCTURE: Regarding body and structure, crosses intended to create or enhance some other feature, inev- itably affected the overall structure of the tumbler. To correct the negative impact on “type” of these matings, two particular outcrosses are of special note. The first was the use of the English Owl which, at that time, was known for its cobbiness. The second, and perhaps, the most important outcross was made in 1910 by A.Williment to the English Fantail, with the objective of: 1) caus- ing the neck to arch so the eye is positioned behind the wing butts and directly above the balls of the feet and 2) creating a bird that would stand on its toes, displaying the jauntiness, so highly valued in the show pen. And in that way, by combining genius and perseverance, the giants of the past created a breed known and admired the world over as the English Long Face Clean Leg Tumbler. Anyone interested in taking up the challenge of the LF Tumbler can join others involved with the breed by joining the Western Tumbler Club. To join the WTC, contact me at bravaloft@gmailcom.• Standard Drawing of the Ideal Baldhead LFCL Tumbler, one of many colors and patterns available in the breed.