Nice and good? (19-11-22)

Nice and good?

In the past, when even the smallest village had one or more pigeon clubs, exhibitions were also popular. A judge gave points for eyes, plumes, back, balance and so on. Sometimes I think those shows were held out of some sort of frustration. Because during the racing season it was often the same players who won.
And indeed, in winter other names won at the shows. Like with the races, they were often the same names. They had beautiful pigeons indeed. 'Beautiful' is nice, but ‘beautiful alone’ is not enough. It takes more to win races.

GUST JANSSEN

Gust was a close friend. Visitors were always welcome, especially if they wanted to buy pigeons. I was there once with foreigners. They had a magnifying glass with them with which they looked long and carefully into the eyes of his pigeons. Until Gust got sick of it.

'Do those people from the other side of the world have to come and tell me which my better pigeons are? Come on. Wouldn't I know better myself? I know the parents, ancestors, brothers and sisters and see them every day. That gentleman who has been looking into the eyes of a pigeon for so long now can continue until he weighs an ounce, but what he is looking for he will never find. That is something which is invisible.'

So far the wise words of someone who never studied but was born with a ‘pigeon in the heart’ as they say here.