Recently I was having a conversation with my good friend, partner, affiliate, loft manager and sometimes mentor Lew Burns. We were discussing ways we could better test our SFL matings to determine the quality of these particular pairings. The recent and ongoing expansion of our breeding facilities, and the ongoing acquisition of promising breeding candidates has presented us with new challenges in our selection process for SFL breeders.
We both agreed that our ultimate goal is to build one of America's greatest performance based families. How better to achieve this than to widely disperse SFL racing candidates all over the USA with some of the best handlers and trainers in the country, flying under the widest variety of racing conditions possible. It was this line of thinking which has caused us to throw out conventional thinking and methods, and make the following offer in order to undertake a National testing program for the 2007 season. As you will see from the cost we are asking you to share with us, this is not about money, it is about getting as many people as possible to test these birds against the best this country has to offer.
Starting now, SFL will accept deposits for an 8 bird flying kit for 2007. The kits will be made available on a first come, first serve basis. These birds will be selected and sold with the intention and understanding that you will race these birds in the 2007 YB season. SFL will not accept special orders. No pedigree will be shipped with any bird, but will be available at the end of the season. Your task is to train these birds and put them through the paces. We want you to record your training and racing results and report them back to us , at which time you may purchase a pedigree for your winners, if desired.
In order to keep things simple, and provide you a YB kit at very reasonable cost, we are eliminating any frills. These birds will be from both our proven Ludo and Janssen lines and from some of our experimental hybrid pairings. It is these same kits that SFL USA will be flying in the 2007 YB season. Nothing is being held back.UPDATE
My good friend and loft manager, Lewis Burns is quite a character at times. Just the other day, many weeks into our advertised 2007 National YB Testing Campaign, he informs me that I have not articulated the quality of pigeons which are being produced by our breeding colony for our client participants.
I on the other hand am thinking, well…ah...now is a fine time to say something, but I let it go, as he states that he would write something like…. “These birds have exceptionally wide muscular chests, tapering back into a one piece tail, with above average vibrating muscle, their parents are race winners, have produced diploma winners, and have a number of famous sires and dams on both sides of the family tree…” ….and of course I try to interject a word or two .I said “Lew we are not selling pedigrees, if we start going down that road then it turns into who has the prettiest pedigrees. How many people have already gone that route, and where did that get them ?”
Liking the sound of my own voice, I continue…. “We start doing what everyone else is doing, we will end up just like everyone else” then he chimes in, “and your not telling people about the races which were won”….I said, “Lew, everyone is posting race results, heck I could just say, thousands of winners from coast to coast...…but what is the point of quoting useless and most of the time, exaggerated race winnings?” He then lowers his voice, as if disappointed or hurt. “And you used the word, experimental, they are NOT experimental. they are proven breeders !”
I said. “Lew most of these new pairings this year are from proven breeders yes, but some of the pairings are new, are they not? And some of last year’s race winners like “The Big Deal”, are breeding for the first time. Many of the combine diploma winners were from the United Pigeon Combine, so we need to demonstrate these birds produce winners in all kinds of combines, clubs, One Loft and Futurity races, and not just for us, but for others as well. In those kinds of contexts, the word experimental is not necessarily bad, is it?”
Well as you might imagine we enjoy these discussions even though we may not always see things from the same perspective. The major item on which we do see eye to eye, is the reliance on performance as the key denominator in determining quality.
My view is that ultimately, the birds themselves, and their racing performance, will be the determining factor in their success as a strain or family of pigeons. It is not going to be the result of a well written, slick magazine ad.
Lew’s concern is a valid point, we do need to break through the “noise” of advertising, and attract the attention of more highly skilled handlers, so that the effectiveness of our breeding programs can be properly evaluated.
If you are an experienced and effective handler, we want to encourage you to work with us this year. We want people who are serious about racing, and improving their race results. Bigger and better looking ads, better written descriptions, slicker magazine photos may all exist out there. But, the 2007 SFL USA YB Teams that we are placing with our clients, are anything but typical, these YBs will be among the best you have ever seen or owned. These are the birds that together with your handling skills, can turn your club and combine upside down, or as Lew would say, they will put you into that winner’s circle !
SFL-USA NATIONAL TESTING For The 2007 YB Season !