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YOUTH ACTIVITY
This young man is 13 years old and just getting started with the 4-H pigeon
club.
A very gung-ho pigeon kid. He has fixed up a loft that was given to him
and only
has a hand full of pigeons.
We enjoyed posting his experience with his prize possession "1049"
James Duke
August 24,2006
MY OWN 1049
One day I went on the Internet and wanted to find out about pigeons. I saw
a lady that looked like she would be perfect, so I gave her a call. We got
to talking and she told me about a guy that lives in Dallas, real close to me.
So I gave Mr. King a call and he told me about a man by the name John Fontana.
So Mr. King gave me his phone number and I gave him a call.
He introduces himself by the name of Mr. John. I asked if I could come
over and look at his loft. He said," Come on over, James!"
His loft was so big it had an office. A loft is a place that you can walk
in, where the pigeons live. He talked to me about the loft and pigeons.
So he ended up giving me four pigeons. The pigeon I want to talk about is
one of those pigeons, 1049. My best pigeon, until something bad happened.
But you all don't want to know what happens to 1049, I mean who wants to know
why he was not good anymore? Well, he was a blue bar, I will tell you that
a blue bar is when the pigeon has a blue bar on its wing.
OK, I will tell you what happened to 1049. It was about five months ago.
I was trying to catch 1049 to put him outside. I must of broke his wing.
Because after that, he couldn't fly at all. So I called Mr. John. He
said I probably broke his wing and that I would probably have to kill it.
That made me very upset because he was my best pigeon. He came from a very
good set of breeders. I didn't kill him. I wanted to see how he
could make it without being able to fly. He couldn't even stretch his
wings. A week went by, still couldn't use that right wing. Another
week went by, still couldn't use his wing.
I took all my pigeons and got them medicated by Mr. John's grandson, Johnny.
After that medication he could hop around some and fly up about five feet.
Then go on the landing board. So one day I decided to try to let him fly.
Guess what?. he flew around the house about two times and then disappeared.
About five minutes later I saw him. He was flying so fast! I
was so happy! This was the first time I had ever seen him fly! It
was going so good, until he came in to land. 1049 was heading for a tree,
and was going way too fast. 1049 hit the tree and fell to the ground, then
walked right to me. I picked him up and felt of his wing. He was
shaking with joy, so was I. The next time I let him out he flew great.
Well until he hit the house. He survived the crash.
Now he flies with all the other pigeons. I think he is one of my best
birds. HIS NAME IS 1049, because his leg band number is #1049.
_________________________________________________________________________
Rock City Rangers 4-H Club
Homing Pigeon Project
Project Update for February 2006
February 20, 2006
On behalf of the Rock City Rangers
4-H Club, we would like to thank you for your support during the 2005 young bird
racing season. Thank you especially for donating birds to our club loft, for
allowing us to place our birds on the race trailer and especially for your
encouragement and enthusiasm. The boys really learned a lot about teamwork
during shipping nights.
We would like to specifically thank
the following people for their support.
•
John Fontana
For your leadership and devotion to our project
For your guidance and assistance in building
Addison Gomez’s new loft
•
Don Rice
For donating birds, magazines, a wind meter and
even a “good luck”
Clydesdale horseshoe for Johnny’s loft
•
Charles Dismore
For loaning our club the Blue Computer Clock
•
Durwood Parker
For loaning
us the DVD’s,
Marathon in the Sky
and Share the Blue Sky
•
North East Dallas Racing
Club For
all of your encouragement and support
•
Windlands Feed
For donating
a bag of feed
• Thank you especially to the following fliers for
donating birds:
John Fontana’s Loft Louis Lopez’s
Loft Gary Taylor’s Loft
Fred King’s Loft Charles Dismore’s
Loft Don Rice’s Loft
Dennis Plant’s Loft Melton McKown’s
Loft James Smith’s Loft
Royse Bynum’s Loft Steve Seals’s
Loft Durwood Parker’s Loft
L.B. & Jill Tiner’s Loft Vinny
Montagno’s Loft
We appreciate your continued
encouragement and involvement as we seek to teach our young fliers about the
great sport of racing homing pigeons.
These young fliers are currently
accepting young birds for the 2006 young bird racing season. If you would like
to donate a bird, please contact our sponsor, John Fontana at JFontanaloft@aol.com
to make arrangements for transport. Thank you for your interest in our club and
also for your faithful support.
Sincerely,
Johnny Gutilla and Addison Gomez
Rock City Rangers 4-H Club, Pigeon Project
Angie Gutilla and Sandy Gomez
Club Managers,
Rock City Rangers 4-H Club
Rock
City Rangers 4-H Club
Homing Pigeon Project
Project Update for February 2006
Inaugural Racing
Season
Johnny Gutilla and Addison Gomez had
a successful inaugural racing season flying birds out of Johnny’s Red Baron Loft
in Royse City. The boys learned responsibility while caring for the birds,
patience while waiting for the birds on race day and the true meaning of
friendship.
Prize Winning
Speech
The boys entered the 4-H Fall Round
Up Public Speaking Contest this past fall and won First Place both at County and
District competition with their speech, “Racing Homing Pigeons.”
Pigeon Breeding
Recently, Johnny has successfully
bred a pair of birds. His eggs hatched on February 6th.
Construction of a
New Pigeon Loft
Addison Gomez began construction on
his own
pigeon loft this winter and will soon
be ready for
a race team of his own.
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