Purebred Pigeon Sept/October 2025

GIANT HOMER – Page 24 – Purebred PIGEON Breed of the Issue - AMERICAN GIANT HOMER Breed of the Issue -GIANT HOMER Full Circlewith theGiants By Mike Gran I grew up in the small town of Reno, Minnesota. When I was about ten years old, I used to tag along with my dad to the feed store in La Crosse, Wisconsin. While he picked up chicken feed, I found myself drawn to the flying Roller pigeons kept behind the store. One day, my dad let me bring a few home – four birds, I think. Of course, that wasn’t enough for long. Soon, I caught a couple of barn pigeons to add to the mix. My first two babies were crosses – blue check with white flights – and from then on, I was hooked. I always let my birds fly. I even tried a couple of Rac- ing Homers, but no one had explained how homing pigeons actually work. The first time I let them out, they disappeared for good. Lesson learned. A few years later, while living and working on a farm and going to school, my dad took care of my birds during the week. I’d come home every other Sunday to see them. When I was about sixteen, raccoons – likely the same ones we raised from kits the year before – got into the loft. I lost every bird. By then, my focus had shifted to motorcycles, and for a while, pigeons were in the rearview mirror. That changed around age 23, shortly after I married my wonderful wife, Karen. We moved into our first home in Caledonia, Minnesota, and I brought home a beautiful pair of Baldhead Show Rollers. Karen had never heard about my pigeon past – it was a bit of a surprise. I didn’t have a loft, so for a couple of weeks, the birds lived in a makeshift cage in the basement. She kept hearing cooing but couldn’t figure out where the sound was coming from. Lucky for me, those birds were pretty. Eventually, they were moved outside to an old tin utility shed. Karen didn’t love the birds quite like I did, but she sup- ported me anyway. She even saved up enough money for me to build a proper loft, which we still use today. It’s an 8 x16 foot structure with a couple of small fly pens – just right for the eight pairs of Giant Homers I keep now. After raising a few Rollers, I took some birds to my first pigeon show in Austin, Minnesota. I didn’t know what to ex- pect, but one exhibitor told me straight out that my birds were low quality and I should cull them and start over. I wasn’t having a great time – until another gentleman approached me and asked to take a look. He picked out one of my birds and told me it had potential. That man was Eugene Sande – a great pigeon man and a tireless promoter of the hobby. That was over 35 years ago, and we’re still friends and fellow members of the Tri-State Pigeon Club. Eugene’s encourage- ment that day stuck with me. It’s something I try to remember when I talk to young or new fanciers: one kind word about a bird can go a long way. Over the years, I’ve raised Show Rollers, French Mon- dains, and Racing Homers. Eventually, I found Giant Homers – and that’s when things really came full circle. What drew me in, beyond the beauty of the birds, was the friendliness of the Giant Homer community. People like Larry Wilmes helped me get started with my first pair and made me feel welcome. My sons got involved too. Josh liked the Giants, while my older son enjoyed racing with the La Crosse United Flyers Club. In our second year with Giants, we won the show in Des Moines, Iowa, showing under Josh’s name with an Anda- lusian cock judged by Amos Hodson. Eventually, Zach and I got more serious with the Racers, and the Giants took a back seat for a while. After the kids moved out, I started thinking about those Giants again – and the incredible people who came with them. I couldn’t stay away. After showing in New Ulm for a couple of years, I talked Josh into taking a trip to El Reno, Oklahoma, to see the Giant Homer Futurity. I didn’t bring birds that first time – just wanted to observe and soak it all in. Naturally, we brought some cash and a couple of carrying cases. We had a blast and picked up a few birds – good ones are hard to find up here. The following year, Karen and I returned to El Reno with 8 - 10 birds. I wasn’t expecting much – mostly hoping not to embarrass myself. To my surprise, my birds held their own, and I had a great time. I picked up a few more breeders at the auction and couldn’t wait to come back. When the 50th Anniversary Show rolled around at its new location, I brought 30 birds, thanks in part to encourage- ment from Clifton Padgett. I was a little nervous about the logistics after a long drive, but David Hurt met me at the door and helped me get the birds put away. That kind of camarade- rie is what makes this hobby special.