The Great Polish American Champion
************
2008 GHC Classic Winner
2009 GHC Auction Winner
2010 OB
Champion Loft, Unit 10
By Coop Kohli (coopkohli@yahoo.com)
 |
| AU Lakes Zone Director, Lee Kohli |
Cleveland, Ohio, USA, 1998. After
competing for 26 years against the likes of Vic Miller, Bobby Krzewinski, Ziggy
Wisniewski, Frank Gerris, Stanley Biesiadecki, Mike Gallo, Mike Gima, Henry
Zebrowski, and Alex Sosnowski, a far-sighted Andy Kowalewski organized a
complete dispersal sale, and sold an exceptional family of Desmet-Matthys pigeons
that he had been grooming since 1972. His
winning record in Cleveland’s Polish American Club, East Side Combine,
Independent Homing Club, and OCH Club had made him a prominent figure in Cleveland racing pigeon
circles.
But now, just retired from
Ford Motor Co., there was no time lost in looking back. He was headed for big-time pigeon racing in Springhill, Florida. The future looked bright with new challenges
and excitement. He and his wife couldn’t
wait to get down there.
I was in that crowded auction
room in 1998, and I was lucky; I got out of there with two birds. In the 13 years since, much of my own good
fortune in pigeon racing has included the potent blood of Andy Kowalewski’s Desmet-Matthys stock somewhere in the
lineage.
(The newly purchased 262 AU
97 OCH yearling cock produced 2 AU Champions, 2 first, 3 second, 2 third, and 2
fourth concourse winners. His progeny
had been in the Concourse and Federation top ten birds over 15 times. His best son was 3rd Fed 500
against 1208 birds. The ugly little 1307
AU 97 OCH dark check hen became the grand-dam to two Ohio-Penn Federation 400
winners (against 2133 and 1846 birds) and an AU Champion. I loaned her back to Andy, in Florida, then got her
back. She was also dam, or grand-dam, of
4 concourse winners, 3 second, 4 third and 4 fourth concourse positions. Thirty four times her F1/F2 progeny made it
into the concourse top ten. She became one
of the premier breeding hens in my loft.)
It was from that experience
that I came to realize that there was something extraordinary about Andy
Kowalewski and his pigeons. Then, in 2008, Kowalewski won the GHC Classic,
the most prestigious young bird race in America, against 2227 birds. He followed that up with a GHC Auction win in
2009 with an entry of only 3 birds. Having
last visited him at the AU convention in 2001, I decided it was time to know more. Perhaps you can benefit from what I learned.
“Tough Times Don’t Last. Tough People Do.”
Today in America, some
say our excessive living over the last 40 years has contributed to a lack of
drive, sacrifice, stamina and toughness in the American psychic, and a near
collapse in work ethic. I don’t know
myself. I’ve always worked too
hard. We’ll leave it for those under-worked
sociologists to figure out, but life wasn’t all that easy for Kowalewski, who emigrated
from Poland.
Andy explained. “At the conclusion of World War II, the
majority of the Polish people were imprisoned in either Germany or in Russia. Many Polish families decided not to return to
Poland,
or to chance living in a country that had not known freedom, or to chance being
caught once again in a different kind of ‘prison camp’ setting. My father was taken by force to Siberia by the Russians, where he was lucky to
survive. He later joined the Polish Army
Corps that was organized in Russia. His transition began from there as he
journeyed through Africa, Italy and
finally to Britain. From England, he decided to come to the
greatest free country in the world, the USA.”
“The majority of Polish
people coming to America
were young in age, but rich in experience.
They formed Polish social organizations, and began looking for ways to
reunite with the families they left behind.
I remember like yesterday. It
took me 18 years to emigrate from Poland to the USA to see my
father for the first time. God bless his
soul. I miss Poland. It’s a different country now, but I never
went back.”
He goes on. “When I was a young kid in Poland, there
was no chance for me to participate in the pigeon racing sport, but Poles are
very serious racing pigeon competitors on the world stage. Polish pigeon flyers place much more emphasis
on yearlings and old birds than they do young bird racing. The important thing to remember is that there
are good birds and bad birds all over the world. I do happen to have a son of the world famous
“Polish Prince” that was given to me as a surprise gift by my dear friend Mikolaj Mlynarczuk of Philadelphia, who was visiting the day we won
the 2008 GHC Classic race. It was the
biggest thrill of my life to have him in my home on such a special day.”
Palm Trees, Swimming Pools, Mosquitoes and Gators
Springhill, Florida, USA, 2001. Kowalewski had
finally arrived in full battle gear ready to race pigeons. With 25 premier late hatches rolled over from
the Cleveland
stock and stabled at close friend, Fred Robles of Tampa, the anticipation had
really surged. The blood line included
Desmet Matthys, Calia Janssens, Haveniths and Vanbruaenes, and he expected them
to be very competitive in Florida. Twelve years later, only the original Desmet
Matthys blood remains. To the mix have
been added Houbens, Van Dyck Janssens, and Vandenabeele’s from Alfonso Polanco. “In Cleveland,
I had concourse and federation winners in my loft, and some were big. You don’t
see many big pigeons in Florida.”
Kowalewski learned early in
life to be a good listener, and he found lots of flyers in both the Gulf Coast
Homing Club and the Unit 10 Club to be helpful and friendly. One of the first was Harry Shipholt who took
nearly a whole day with Andy and his wife, reviewing maps, driving the roads
and showing Andy where best to train relative to his location on the long end
of Unit 10. Saki Becarevic, an
occasional training partner, taught Andy better feed formulating. From Merle Emerson, Andy learned how to
improve and adapt his overall health program to Florida’s challenging heat. Andy credits much of his early success to the
advice, generosity and patience of these three kind gentlemen. Surrounded now by flyers that have competed
for 50 years or more, he is still almost overwhelmed by the vast knowledge and
prominence of the men that are his club-mates.
“My fellow Florida
flyers have always been extremely helpful to me, and I will always appreciate
them for that kindness.”
The Clubs.
Today, Hernando County’s
Gulf Homing Club in Springhill, having both north and south sections for
awards, is the largest and most impressive racing pigeon organization in Florida. The large facility is air conditioned,
includes guest areas, and has a kitchen that any golf country club in America would
kill for. According to Andy, “Food is
prepared by a cast of wonderful auxiliary ladies every shipping night.”
The Unit 10 Club also has a
new clubhouse, and boundaries of only a few miles. The Unit 10 Club is affiliated with the IF, has an excellent trailer, and flies
races on Wednesdays from 100 to 300 miles, a number of which are 300 mile
specials. In 2001, the Unit 10 club
hosted the IF Convention.
“Both clubs are very healthy
and growing steadily, with many young flyers joining. Everyone comes here to compete and win
against the best, so the competition is tough, and getting tougher. The younger flyers, of course, are very
energetic, which makes the work on the older guys that much more
demanding. It keeps us young. You have to work much harder in Florida than in other
areas to be on top.” He goes on, “There
are no zoning problems, and property values fell here like they did everywhere
else in the country. I’d move to Florida again in a
minute. The climate is unbeatable.”
Emphasis on Young Bird Racing
Much to the disappointment of
his friends in Ohio
and Pennsylvania,
who stay awake at night thinking about championship old bird racing, the
demanding Florida
young bird regimen has taken its toll on the 72 year old Kowalewski. “I’m no longer as serious about old bird
racing. It’s a long season here in Florida, and young birds
demand so much of our time. But, old
bird racing down here is considered big when we fly the Federation races. In Ohio,
I flew old birds on widowhood, and that’s the easiest way to fly old
birds. The loft must be set up properly
for cocks, and the hens must be housed separately. Then everything must be done
on time; feeding, training, loft flying, showing hens, and darkening the
loft. If you mess up a few times, you’re
done for the season.”
The Gulf
Coast Classic Win, 2008
One of the greatest achievements
in a great career, was Kowalewski’s win of the 2008 Gulf
Coast Classic. It all started when 78 year old Archie
Kimberlin, of Yorktown, Virginia, (757-876-3871) sent in a nice looking blue
Super 73/Hekkenklak (1/8) cock, 479 AU 08 ARPU.
Kimberlin is retired military, and flies a family of Van Loons purchased
from Jim Gabler. He was also 17th
overall in the same race with a bird from his longer distance Huskyen Van Reil
family. “I did a little research on the
situation down there. I wanted a flyer
on the long end that was honest, communicated well, knew the business, and
would truly give my bird an honest evaluation.
Kowalewski was absolutely perfect.
We have become great friends,” Kimberlin said.
After surviving all of the numerous
obstacles that a seasoned, championship young bird team goes through, the
youngster was raced 100/125/150/200, then stopped, followed by a large number
of 20 to 25 mile short tosses. Like a
great, hot-wired thoroughbred, the young cock was then allowed to rest for just
four days before going into the 300. “He
seemed to get especially motivated flying to hatching eggs, so that’s what we made
sure he was setting on,” said the experienced Kowalewski.
At the release in Louisville, Georgia,
the weather was clear; the wind from the north, and the temp was 43
degrees. At the Kowalewski home front, it
was clear, with north winds at 5 to 7 mph and 73 degrees. The distance was
321 miles. In a racing environment that usually sees nano-seconds
between contenders on the first sheet, the great young cock-bird won the race
by 1 minute and 44 seconds, flying 1364 ypm, whipping 2227 birds in the process.
“Words cannot describe the incredible feeling.
The experience was thrilling and unforgettable for me. Every pigeon flyer in the country dreams of
winning the Gulf Coast Classic. By every
measurement, the Classic is the most prestigious pigeon race in America.”
Awards Reviewed
The greatest prognosticator
in the sport, Ad Schaerlaeckens provides sound advice when he writes in his new
(2011) book, “When you want to strengthen your breed, let yourself be guided by
results, not by names.” From that
viewpoint, it is interesting to review Kowalewski’s formidable track record
performing in two of the country’s most elite clubs, despite surviving in the
midst of it all, a serious bout with colon surgery.
·
1st
Place, GHC Classic, 2008, 321 miles, 2227
Birds/123 Lofts
·
1st
Place, Unit 10 Auction Race, 2008 Young
Birds, 319 Miles, 263 Birds/54 Lofts
·
1st place, GHC Auction Race, 2009, 321
Miles, 567 birds/98 lofts
·
1st 225 miles, GHC, 2011 Young Birds, A
Series, GHC Springhill Sprint Series, 1312 birds/49 Lofts
·
1st Champion Loft, Unit 10, 2010 Old Birds, A/B Series 100-200 miles, 7635 points
·
1st Average Speed, Unit 10, 2010 Old Birds,
A Series, 100-200 miles
·
1st 300 miles, FSI Auction Race, 2010 Young
Birds, A Series, 257 Birds/44 Lofts
·
1st 300 miles, GHC, 2010 Young Bird, A
Series, South Section, 1052 birds/61 Lofts
·
1st Average Speed, Unit 10, 2007 Young
Birds, A Series, 100-500 miles
·
1st Bird of the Year, Unit 10, 2005 Young
Bird, A Series
·
1st Loft of the Year, Unit 10, 2005 Young
Bird, A Series, 3992 points
·
1st Average Speed, Unit 10, 2005 Young
birds, A Series, 100-300 miles
·
1st Bird of the Year, GHC, 2003 Old Birds, A
Series
·
1ST Loft of the Year, GHC, 2003 Young
Birds, A Series, 4609 points
·
1st Average Speed, GHC, 2003 Young Birds, A
Series, 100-500 Miles
·
7th AU Hall Of Fame, 2003, Old Birds,
61-100 Lofts
·
2003 AU Hall of Fame, 7665 AU 03 GHC, BC
Cock, Qualified Contender for Outstanding Performance, 2003 Young Birds, 61-100
lofts
OK. So, How Does
He Do It?
The first thing you figure
out about Andy Kowalewski is that you can learn a great deal more if you just
shut up and listen. He likes that, too,
so that’s what I did. I battened down
and concentrated on my note-taking.
In his own words, he started
off, “First of all, I stay with my system which I choose at the beginning of
the year, no matter what kind of distance they fly. Sometimes I get frustrated when the plans
aren’t going the way I want, but like they say, the work you love never makes
you tired. Regarding my own stock, I
separate youngsters from their parents when they are 20 to 24 days old. They then go on 17 hours of light. I teach them how to find feed and water. About 3 days later, I move them all to the
aviary so they begin to see their surroundings and can begin to learn how to
take a bath. I vaccinate them for PMV
and Pox. I give them vaccinations one
time. As yearlings, they’ll get a
booster. From then on, I let them spend
lots of time in the aviary, but no bathing is allowed for 4 more weeks. For Adeno problems, which we all suffer with,
I use Adeno Zap.”
“My time-frame for accepting
Classic entries is March and April, and that’s when the headaches start. I will usually take only 50 or 60 of
them. You can imagine the cast of
characters; different sizes, shapes, colors backgrounds and health problems. This is when the real work begins. The first order of business is to get friendly
with them. At the same time, I am
noticing sex, health and temperments.
Once again, the entries are poxed, pmv’d and wormed. I know they are feeling at home when they
begin to pick their own perches. They
continue to spend lots of time in the aviary.”
“We start by teaching the
birds to use the clocking stalls. After
a few days, I open up the aviary and let them begin to explore things on their
own. I make sure to do it before the
evening feeding. I also cross my
fingers. Settling the birds is much
easier in my neighborhood because I am the only flier, unlike those in Unit 10,
or shorter. After I notice that the
youngsters have started to route, and I don’t see them for a while, I begin also
to train them lightly, in the basket.
Starting at 2, then 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 miles, I repeat the distances
each time, until the birds head for home without circling. A great deal of patience is required. Success at this point is not measured by how
fast I can get them down the road, but by how well they break. I have to keep reminding myself of that. By June 1st, I am usually out to about 25
miles. Then I quit training.”
“For six weeks, the birds are
locked down, giving them time to cycle through a good moult. During this important time period I just watch
them, learning their personality traits and looking for health problems. Close to the end of August, I start training
the team again. By this time I know them
pretty well, they have matured, and I am full of confidence that they can
continue on down the road, straight home.”
The Loft
“The new loft is for young
birds only, and is 12’ x 24’. It has a
double floor, meaning that the birds are on welded wire, 12” above the plywood floor. The front walls are 12 feet tall. The back walls are 10 feet tall, so the roof
has a 2’ pitch from front to rear. The
ceiling is open between the rafters for easy air movement. There are 2 turbine air vents.”
“The front wall, below the
aviary, is completely open, and covered by ½” wire mesh. The front of the building is also equipped
with curtains that can be lowered when necessary to keep the loft dry. The landing board is 4 feet wide and 36”
deep. Aviaries are 24 feet long and 3
feet deep, separated, with doors so I can put in bath water, or separate the sexes.”
“All birds enter the loft
through the middle section on race day, or for training. The floor plan includes 4 sections, each with
sliding doors, and each section having enough space for 20 birds, plus
droppers. Two sections have nest boxes
and perches. Two sections have perches
only. The nest boxes are strictly for
motivation. A front 4’ hallway extends
24 feet from one end of the loft to the other.”
“All birds are fed on
trays. In Florida, the first and last consideration when
designing a loft is ventilation. We want
as much air as we can get without ending up with drafts.
 |
| Andy at his loft. |
Conformation
“After establishing a family
of birds, I try to breed essentially from those family members that have respectable
flying records. Long distance birds are
bred only to long distance birds; middle to middle; sprint to sprint. I give my breeding pairs plenty of time to
show me something, even up to 3 years. I
am not afraid to re-mate them. A fancier
with 3 good pairs of breeders is a lucky guy.”
“I am focused only on
consistency in performance from week to week, and believe me, from that
standpoint, color doesn’t mean anything to me.
I want balance in every category.
Big muscles, a big chest, big lungs, a good heart, a strong back, a healthy
keel bone, and tight vents gets it done for me.
I like to see a large roomy throat with a closed palate in my breeding
hens. In distance birds, I like to see a
½” step between the primaries and secondaries.
I also like to see space between the last three flights, and I want them
to look like steak knives.”
Feeding and Supplements
“Feed in Florida is very expensive because it has to
be brought in. I top dress my feed with
a 9 oil mix that includes Australian Poly seed oil. I use a lot of Pigeon Boost Pro-Vital. This formula has everything that pigeons
require. Twice a week, I put apple cider
vinegar in the water.”
“On shipping day I always
feed at the same time depending on distance.
For 100 and 150 mile races I feed at 9:00 AM. For distances
of 200 miles and over, I feed twice a day, at 8:00 AM and 1:00
PM. For races that exceed
250 miles, I feed at 10:00 AM
and 2:00 PM. If my regular feeding program is to feed only
once a day, the birds to be shipped get fed at 11:00 AM. For
drink, the birds are given red cell in the morning and clear water in the
afternoon. Upon arrival after the race, glutamin
powder is put in the water.”
Medications
“Most flyers I have known
tend to over medicate, in my opinion.
There is too much to choose from on the market: 4 in 1; 5 in 1; 10 in 1;
all in 1. Why don’t they just come up
with a 24 in 7? It is almost ridiculous, but it is great for the gossipers that
surround us. The typical pigeon flyer believes
everything he hears without subjecting much of it to the stink test. I like to see guys come along that are good
listeners, have some common sense, and are smart enough to listen intently to
successful trainers that have proven that their systems work.”
“The best health care advice
I could give anyone is to buy Dr. Colin Walkers Disease book. I live and die with it. I use it in-season and off-season. No serious pigeon flyer should ever be
without it.”
Final Comments
Take another good look at
Andy Kowalewski’s picture. It is the
face of a risk-taking, long lasting, hard working champion. It is also probably safe to say that 65% of
all the flyers in America
are close to Andy’s age, or older.
We all want the sport to grow
and to continue to improve into the future, but we have to recognize that some
of our very best flyers, and the bulk of our numbers, are getting considerably
older. How many of them will be flying
in 2022? I hope the AU and IF have started their
rough planning for those years not all that far ahead. When these great, aged stalwarts drop out of
the sport, or reduce their participation, a lot of our competition, and a lot
of our learning goes with them.
While it is not possible for
many of us to up-root and move to a pigeon racing hub like Springhill, Florida,
you have to be significantly impressed by what they have accomplished
there. It is encouraging to see what immense
things can be done when constructive minds come together, and persist. And then, you have to ask, what parts of the
Springhill experience can be duplicated in other parts of the country. What makes their sense of comaraderie so
strong? Where does their creativity and
energy come from?
Every one of us can assist in
furthering the sport by doing something good in between our periods of robust
second-guessing and complaining. Every
one of us has something unique to give. Most just don’t give anything. Introspectively, we should demand of ourselves
that we do just one thing constructively every 12 months to further the sport. It might be something as simple as subscribing
to, and supporting, the sports only national magazine, the Racing Pigeon Digest, but every single one of us should be doing
something, other than minimizing the efforts of others, if this great past-time
is to have meaningful survival.
These essays are written, not
for recognition or compensation, but because our group has made the calculation
that (1) these articles will increase enthusiasm and participation by rewarding
and motivating flyers, and (2) in our writings, little nuggets of truth are
logged of what these great champions do when at the top of their game. It is a time consuming effort to promote and protect
what has been learned through trial and error by these great competitors. The pigeon racing environment is fertile ground
for the yarn-spinners, snake oil salesmen and gossipers, and there is way too
much time lost re-inventing the wheel.
Perhaps a little informative reading can help manage that problem, or
get the rest of us a little closer to a Springhill-type experience.
Andy Kowalewski is one fortunate
pigeon flyer. He took a chance late in
life with his move to Florida,
and it has all worked out. “My wife
loves Springhill. I love Springhill, and
we have always been active socializing in the Florida pigeon sport, all year round. We wouldn’t hesitate to do it all over again,
and I have to say that none of this would have been possible without the courage
and support of my beautiful wife, Julie.
She has been the biggest plus in my racing career. When I was sick, she did all of the loft
work, and she did it well. When I am
tired and groggy in the wee hours during the training season, she is the one
that pokes me in the ribs and hustles me out of bed. A pigeon flyer couldn’t have a more inspiring
wife, and I really love her for all of her support through these many years. She’s a beautiful woman.”
 | |
| Andy & Julie Kowalewski |
Those of us that know Andy
and respect him are very proud to call him one of our own. Through all of his success, he has never
forgotten his old friends in Ohio,
and is still active in his support of the highly popular GNEO and OCR Futurity
races. He has become a great Gulf Coast
Champion. He is also a great Polish American
Champion.
His formula for succeeding in
this sport is very simple. “Winning
pigeon races, anywhere in America,
involves setting goals, concentrating intensely on genetics, training, conditioning,
and motivation, and then not slacking off.
You can’t lose your focus. Add a
little luck, add a little patience, and in time, things work out right.”
We agree, and the next thing
you know, somebody will show up at your doorstep, and ask to write about your unusual
racing achievements. Being bold enough
to imbibe in a little risk-taking at retirement age doesn’t have to be part of
the deal. If you need some pigeon racing
vigor, or some fresh ideas, Andy can be reached in the off-season stretched out
by his swimming pool in sunny Florida
at 813-929-0761. Good luck exploring,
and in your going forward.
**********
(About
the author: Ezra Lee Kohli is Secretary
and Publicity Officer for the USA’s
Ohio-Penn Racing Pigeon Federation. He
is a 3 time Overall Winner of the Ohio-Penn Federation 400 and has been 2nd
Overall, a fourth time. He is also
a 9 time Section Winner in the Ohio-Penn
Federation, has a BS Degree in Poultry Science from the Ohio State University, and
owns and operates a 100 year old General Store, and 2 pizza shops in Ohio’s
Amish Country with his wife and step-son.
Kohli is a certified life-time fanatic of the sport. His articles are dedicated to the memory of
his boyhood friend, the great pigeon racer Steve Schnitkey, of Archbold, Ohio.)
