Having had the privilege of judging Rollers three times during this season, twice 'doing' Flying Rollers and once the Show Rollers, has drawn me to reflect on this breed's development.
Viewing these two types at a show it would be obvious to anyone that they are structurally very different. How has this come about?
Wm H Pensom in his acclaimed 1945 book 'The Birmingham Roller Pigeon' devotes a short chapter to showing and the preparation for show. Type for flying and performance is Pensom's yardstick. 'We want a flying pigeon, characteristic of the true article in spotless condition' he asserts. In summary he says, 'We may say that a Birmingham Roller looks like a miniature racing pigeon.'
The late Jack Prescott in his book 'Flying Tumblers and Rollers' says not a word on the subject of showing them, a significant silence one could deduce!
In my own 50-odd years of experience with Rollers I have seen and experienced the profound changes within the two Roller types. The true performance Flying Roller remains much as it was when I first owned a small kit in 1952. Since that time the Show Roller has been developed into a 'show bird' through and through. In 1967 when 'The Northern Roller Club' was formed there were wide differences in the 'type' of the Rollers exhibited at the Club's annual shows. However, 'expression' and 'head type' were already being given overriding significance by the leading show fanciers and judges.
At my first NRC show soon after the Club's foundation, I travelled across to Leeds to show six birds. Judge John Graham hardly gave my birds a second glance and he didn't even bother to handle any of them. A poor do I thought for a 200 miles round trip. When I queried John about this he blithely told me 'They are not show type.' How right he was.
On that day I met Bill Hughes and the birds which he so kindly gave me later that year were very different from any of my previous Rollers, both in type and in the air. I liked this show type pigeon very much indeed, but although they flew and kitted well enough, tail riding was about their limit in regard to performance, no matter, I was smitten! Nowadays few Roller showmen fly their birds at all, their Rollers are SHOW birds.
When judging the Flyers, I look for the birds structurally most suited to flight and aerial performance. A well-balanced, apple-bodied bird, short in length, low on the leg with a bright eye and alert overall appearance. Strength of rump with good back cover is essential. The primary flights and the secondaries to be short to medium in length, with narrow webbing which gives less air resistance during rolling. Colour and markings are not considered, but cleanliness and body condition are important. That said, I council all fanciers of the true Flying Roller to completely disregard show pen results when mating their breeding pairs, aerial performance must be the only yardstick in this matter.
Showing Flyers is for fun and companionship and nothing more.
When judging Show Rollers I know what I am looking for and this is spelled out in the NRS Show Roller Standard, which is set out below.
