Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1930-09-19
BIandy's White Kings Start 1890
Show Season With A Great Win.

An interesting talk with one of the
leading pigeon breeders of the country.
The American King Club. the larees,
and best specially club in America, held
its first district show at Egg Harbor. N. j.,
under the management of the New Jersey
State Pigeon Association the first week in
September. Many of the King breeders from
Iowa. Kentucky. Pennsylvania. Virginia.
Maryland and other States were competing
for the cash prizes and the handsome silver
cups and other trophies offered by the
American King Club and the New Jersey
State Pigeon Association.
Blandys Kings carried off the honors by
winning all six firsts. four seconds and
other places. silver cup for Champing King,
second best White King. third best White
King. silver trophy for best display and
vase for best utility bird of the show, all
varieties competing.
While talking with Mr.. Blandy about
this wonderful showing of his birds. asked
to what he attributed such an outstand-
ing winning. and he modestly replied, that
he could not have carried of so many of
these hOnors had the other exhibitors
started conditioning their birds earlier in
the season. thereby getting them through
the moult to be in fine. clean. tight feathers.
their best evening dress for the critical
eye of the judge. He said his birds were
competing with some very nice, deep
bodied typy birds, but they lost out against
his entry to certain extent owing to their
poor feathering and lack Of condition.
There were many comments at the show
on the fine appearance of Blandy's birds.
One breeder remarked they were so out
standing and well trained they reminded
him of the West Point Cadets on dress
parade. Blandy stated that during his
college atheletic days he always observed
a rigid course of training rules while pre-
pairing for the rowing and swimming races
and he considered it most important to
apply a course of training for conditioning
his show birds. not only during the show
season, but well in advance of il, working
day and night with them and he likes it.
He will coop from sixty to seventy birds
each night in wire coopS similar TO the
kind used in the show room. Each bird
has its own individual wire coop. In the
morning he will spend several minutes
with each likely show contender. handling
il and using the judging stick. and in this
way the bird is trained to be quiet and
take the correct pose. The males and hens
are kept separated during the moultine
and show season.
Every few days each class (there are six
classes in the large shows and four ella ,ses
in the smaller shOws) is placed in a large
Judging coop similar to the kind used in
the show room and course of elimination
commences, and each bird is placed &C.
cording to how it compares with the Ideal
King Standard. as adopted by the Ameri-
can King Club and when the day arrives
to make up the entry of the several differ
ent classes for shipping them to the show.
the most likely contenders are selected from
the results of the judging that has been in
progress from time TO time at the home
plant, but, he adds, the exhibitor should
not lose sight of the important fact that
all judges do not place awards alike. and
in selecting birds for the show the ex-
hibtor should not place his judgment over
the man who has been assigned to place
the awards, rather try to find out just what
points impress most this particular judge
and pick your selections to satisfy the eye
and what the judge most likes In this
breed that he is called upon TO place the
awards.
II has often been said and is quite notice
able that all Blandy Kings have dis
tinctive type. an individuality all their
own, in that they seem to be made In the
same mold, and when asked how he de-
veloped his particular strain with the
beautiful large round head. fine red eye
cere and their very deep well-rounded
bodies with tight hard feathers, he replied
that he first picked the very best out
standing males to mate up with his choice.
large COLBY deep bodied hens. birds that
most nearly approached the Standard Ideal
King. After producing pair Of young
sters from each Of these seective matings
he brakes them up and gives them differ
ent mates and this course is carried out
during the breeding season until each one
Of these selected breeding pairs has had
from four 10 five different mates. and pro-
duced from four 10 five pairs Of youngsters