Thursday, May 28, 2015

THE AMERICAN PIGEON MUSEUM CELEBRATES THEIR 1ST ANNIVERSARY IN OKLAHOMA CITY



Nation’s Only Museum Devoted to the 5,000 Year History of Humans Raising Pigeons
Celebrates with Special Events - June 19 & 20



Oklahoma City, OK – May 29, 2015 – The world’s first public museum dedicated to domestic pigeons invites everyone to join in the festivities in Oklahoma City.  The American Pigeon Museum is celebrating a successful year with new displays honoring the US Army Signal Corps and most especially the pigeoneers of the Pigeon Service;  Major Otto Meyer; and the daring feats of America’s pigeons that served in WWI and WWII. Lorrie Monteiro has worked with the Center of Military History in securing a loan of one of these preserved pigeon heroes from WWI. Monteiro said, “These birds that flew in  WWI and WWII saved many lives due to their strength, intelligence, and feats of valor. We are honored to be able to bring this to the American public, courtesy of the Center of Military History.”

This event will also highlight new art exhibits in the museum.
·         Bowditch+Zeltner : Quotes and illustrations by Fiona Bowditch (london, UK) & Daniel
 Zeltner (basel, CH).

·         Millard Sheets: part of a small group of painters who developed a new style of watercolor painting in the 1930's and 40's. It became known as the California Regionalist School.
·          
  •  Lucien van Oosten, artist and author :There will be discussion and book signing.
  • Michael Middleton: Photography exhibit of city pigeons around the world.

The special event, the museum’s Kick-Off Summer event, will be on June 19th from 10am to 4pm and on Saturday from 10am to 4pm as well.  Additional events during the opening include:
  • White pigeon release
  • Local food trucks will be on the grounds to offer a range of tasty treats
  • Live fancy pigeons on display
  • Children’s activities and more

The museum is located at 2300 NE 63rd, Oklahoma City, OK 73111.  Complete details on the museum and the opening events can be found at The American Pigeon Museum.



CONTACT
Lorrie Monteiro
The American Pigeon Museum

 


 

Friday, May 15, 2015

Heber Nelson, E. Liverpool, Ohio



A FEDERATION RECORD NEARLY UNBEATABLE

 2nd Overall 2009, 1st Penn-Ohio Section


By Coop Kohli  (coopkohli@yahoo.com)                         

Lee Kohli, AU Lakes Zone Director



In the long history of Ohio-Penn Federation racing, never has a modern loft flown like that of Mr. Heber Nelson of East Liverpool, Ohio.  This loft has twice been second overall winner in the 500, and in 1999, was the first overall Federation 400 winner; this against an eight year average of over 120 lofts per race.  In addition, five times, Heber has won his section, the tough, and big, Penn-Ohio.  Over the last eight (8) years, Mr. Nelson has averaged placing his first bird in the stratospheric, 99.8th percentile (better than the top 1%), against an average of 1681 birds per race, the best average percentile ranking in the history of the race.  You don’t see consistency like this year after year, unless you’re looking at a battle-tested champion who is “first among equals”!  In addition, he ranks second in the total number of birds placed in the top 1% of the race for the last eight (8) years, at 14 birds, representing 4.49% of his entire entry, the third best in this statistic.  This old bird racing achievement is remarkable, (as is his young bird racing record, which includes in 2001, First Overall of the always-hard-to-win GNEO Futurity race.)  


Clocking second overall on June 27, in the 2009 Federation 500 against 1445 birds, from a distance of 518 miles, Heber’s 2 year old cock, GNEO 2017 AU 07, flew 1143 ypm, clocking at 19:47:32.  Interestingly, the blue “2017” was bred by the AU Convention winning breeder Mr. Mark Koenig, from a son of Heber’s own famous number “200”, the overall winner of the 1999 Federation 400.  The “2017” wonder cock was sent to Mr. Nelson as an out of area bird for the 2007 GNEO Race.  You’ve heard it a million times before, and here, we see it again.  Buy performance, not paper.  And here, you can also see where the great breeders come to get their seed stock!  Great begets great.  Genetic replication in this loft is not theoretical!  


Nelson, for six or seven years, has been a dual widowhood man, but has tried in the past, all sorts of combinations in his search for effectiveness, finally deciding that “nothing beats separation.”  He likes cocks better, feeds light to heavy, and starts feeding the seeds separately when he gets to the heavy part of the week.  After the early barley, Heber likes hemp, kafir corn, safflower and wheat (on the short ones), which he blends with his regular mix.  Feed quantity is of no concern when he gets them down the road, meaning they eat all they want.  He wants fleshing.  He has tried Ganus’s 1-2-3 program, but now worries only about canker (every two weeks in season) and respiratory (for 5 days preseason).  He’s not particularly big on vitamins, and judges himself to be a little laid back regarding motivation (We may thank God for that!), and says those seeing his loft find it to be very ordinary.  His most unusual preparation procedure is to train the widowhood team every day from 15 miles, from work (third shift), but which is from the east!  He races from the west!  The birds are separated when he gets home.  “Sometimes you just have to compensate!”  What we are describing here, is an American pigeon racing champion, who knows what buttons to push, and who, in the words of Cleveland racing legend, Bobby Krzewinski, “has a regular routine that he changes every day”!  Pigeon racing for Heber Nelson is an art form.  He senses things the rest of us can’t see.  He feels things the rest of us can’t touch.  He’s a pigeon racing Picasso. 
 
Nelson flies a family of Busschaerts and Stichelbauts.  The Busschaerts were purchased from a local breeder who “believed in free-love”, without disadvantage, then sold his birds.  Heber reaped the benefits when he crossed those free-loving Busschaerts with his Stichelbaut family.  Of course, the rest is history.  Nelson’s stock can be purchased very reasonably, and has proven to be very popular at auctions.  You can reach him for advice at 330-386-5925.  He’s hard to catch, but nice, and very informative when you do.  Long distance racing pigeon specialists don’t come any better than Heber Nelson.  Seek him out while you can.  You beat your competition by studying them, getting their genetics, then out hustling them….if you will!  (Not many will!)  “There are no silver bullets” according to Mr. Nelson.  But, good luck, anyway!