By Dennis Ison

The recent German Press has a detailed report on a few more club shows. The 38th Cauchois Club and European Show in Kleinoslheim mustered 763 entries in the whole range of colours. This is a breed that we have seen from time to time over the years in the UK, but not very often. The Maltese had their show in Augsburgh, blue bar led the way with 30 entries followed by yellow at 28. Except for the late Harry Wheeler, I cannot ever recall another fancier here having that breed. The 20th Komorner Tumbler Show had 335 entries; yellows led with 55 birds on show. A photograph showed a rich red 'V' grade, wonderful eye ceres, very powerful shell and massive rosettes.

The Voorburger Croppers in Ockstadt had 560 birds in the whole range of colours including many barred and lace marked. The four colour photographs of 'V' grade birds showed a black, mealy, blue barred and a yellow and all looked real class birds, but the mealy was a real eye-opener, as I have never seen such depth of colour on any Blower as this bird had, indeed, better than many colour breeds. Red had the largest entry with 113 birds with just two 'V' grade entries. This year's show is in Maxhutte, sadly no date was given. There are also good illustrated articles on the Saxon Swallow, a breed we rarely see at our shows. Very similar to the Fairy Swallow, but fully head marked. The Thuringer Wingpigeon also had a detailed illustrated write-up by Michael Neubauer, with high-grade birds from the 1998 Leipzig Show, in black and blue white chequer. We still see some of the blacks, rather thick and coarse in the neck, and feathering not as tight as one would wish. Also in some blues where the flights are not dark enough. A smaller article covers the Gotenborgh Tumbler, written by Bernd Gjiering. This is a flying breed, slippered, shell-crested with rosettes, not widely seen outside its native homeland, Sweden. Even in its homeland it does not have very many breeders.

In Austria a good entry was on show for the 26th German Colour Pigeon and Trumpeter Show. Of the photographs, the red Saxon Priest took my eye, very good body, excellent colour, crest and rosettes. In fact some of the white bars were some of the best I have ever seen on a red Priest. The Thuringer Wingpigeons had 57 birds. The Thuringer Spots 31, Saxon Whitetails 28, Saxon Priests 31 and 23 Saxon Storks.

See the December issue of Feathered World for the complete article