* * * * THE RETURN * * * *
In 1997 when I left the sport, I sold "Miss Magnificent", "Sister Sue", the "Shake and Bake" cock, and seven of their youngsters to J.R. Loft, Brooklyn N.Y. In 2000 while reminiscing about the birds, I realized that I would most likely return to the sport one day. I contacted J.R. Loft, who informed me that the birds had produced well and had been very good to him in the futurity and bond races. I promptly repurchased a BB son of the "Shake and Bake" cock, that I named "Boy Blue". I then contacted Stan Culligan and purchased a few unflown yearlings which were bred similiar to "Miss Magnificent". I then reached out to some of the top breeders in the Northeast to obtain birds. I built a small little coop on my 10th floor apartment's balcony, and bred and settled a team of youngsters. It was enjoyable to sit on the balcony and watch them fly. I would occasionally toss them on weekends from the mall, park, beach or where ever I happened to be going on a given day.
The above pair were a gift from "Stan Culligan. In late 2004 I purchased a home on Long Island. I built a small loft and raised a few birds for the sole purpose of watching them loft fly. One evening in early 2009 I was riding the Long Island Railroad reading a pigeon magazine. Fortuitously, a gentleman sat down next to me. He noticed my magazine and mentioned that he was a pigeon racer. I told him that I was a "former" pigeon racer, but planned to one day return to the sport. He informed me that there was a club not too far from my residence and a pigeon man in my town with a training truck. He encouraged me to jump back into the sport and hence my return. It was a rocky start and took me a few seasons to sort through my well bred, but untested birds. All that was left was for me to re-learn how to successfully handle a team.
Lil Lily B - Huysken Van Riel bloodline. Dam to my IF 2014 QCP 1004 cock.
Ashley B - Huysken Van Riel bloodline
AU 2008 AA 25640 - Granddaughter of "Boy Blue". Verbruggen / HVR / Janssen cross.
Iron Lady - 3 Amigos bloodline. Dam to my "Pistol Pete" cock.
Susie Quattro - A good hen that became the foundation of Bishop Place Loft. Dam to my "Susie II" hen.