This story is about a little bird with a gigantic heart. This little bird was hatched on June 17,2000 in Violet Hill, Arkansas, USA. Stubby is a Grey Grizzle, Mexican Janssen and Silver Bar Stassart cross. He is a homing pigeon hatched out in the possession of Guy Stirling proprietor and caretaker of "lalofts".
As with any young bird, "Stubby's" sex was questionable until he reached the age of sexual maturity. It is at this time that characteristic sexual behavior allows a fancier to become fairly certain about the sex of a bird. "Stubby" looked like a hen when he was young because of his slight build, and frankly, it was quite a surprise to find out that he was indeed a cock!
"Stubby" came along about the time that breeding at "lalofts" was just about finished for the year 2000. The other birds that were to fly as young birds that year were already trained, but Guy decided that he would add one more bird to the team in order to include "Stubby".
Training needed to be restarted in order to accommodate the little bird. Guy had gotten the rest of the birds out as far as 100 miles before "Stubby" even made his first flight. Therefore, Guy used one training basket with ten older birds to begin training "Stubby". They started out within sight of the barn that housed the lofts, which served as home for all of the birds. Several successful short trips, and the birds were ready to go a couple of miles. On the very first two-mile trip, the older birds immediately headed home, but "Stubby" flew up into a tree near the gravel road upon which they had traveled. Oh crap, this is a very aggravating situation. Guy was on his way to work, and he did not have the time to try to coax the little bird down. After several futile attempts to get "Stubby" to return to the truck, Guy just drove off and left him in the tree.
Guy arrived home shortly after 6 P.M. that afternoon, and he saw a bird on a wire running adjacent to the highway two miles South of "lalofts". He decided to get the training basket out of the truck to try to entice the bird down from the wire. The bird was definitely excited, but he would not come down from the wire. Guy was very tired and not very patient, after all he needed to get home and feed and water all of his birds before dark. As Guy drove through the gate next to the barn, a bird landed on the roof. Of all things, it was indeed "Stubby", he had been out all day, and then he just followed the truck back to the house! WOW, from that day on, it was said that "Stubby" had good sense!
After that one incident "Stubby" readily adapted to the training process, and earned a spot on the young bird fly team at "lalofts" in the year 2000. "Stubby" began to show his speed during training flights as he was noted to be among the top ten returnees throughout the remainder of the training season. It is worthy of note that his slight build did in no way impair his ability to keep up with the older, stronger, and larger birds. "Stubby" felt almost weightless when handled. Guy did not have that much experience as a pigeon fancier, but it was the first time he had had a bird that just seemed to get home quickly under any circumstances!
The first race in the year 2000 was flown from Jacksonville, Arkansas. This race was flown on September 19,2000 with 106 young birds in the competition. "lalofts", surprisingly, placed third, fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth in the race. "Stubby", however, was not among the birds who placed. The second race, or 150-mile race, was flown on September 30, 2000 from the Malvern Junction release point. Surprisingly, again, "lalofts" did very well in the race placing third, fourth, fifth, sixth, and ninth. There were 115 birds included in this race, but again, "Stubby" was completely outclassed.
The next race was flown on October 7,2000 from Prescott, Arkansas which is 232 miles from "lalofts", and 134 birds participated in this race. "lalofts" did not fare so well in this race as they only clocked three birds which came in fifteenth, sixteenth, and seventeenth. "Stubby" had indeed lost his luster! However, the next week or on October 14, 2000, 126 birds flew from Nash, Texas. This time "lalofts" eclipsed the field by taking the first five places. Stubby was number five as he sailed in at the rate of 1281.013 ypm. The first bird clocked in at 1297.436 ypm or three minutes and fifty nine seconds before "Stubby'. The final race of that 2000 young bird season was flown on October 21,2000, from Marshall, Texas. This race included 115 birds, and "lalofts" placed eighth, ninth, eleventh, twelfth, and thirteenth. "Stubby", again, was an also ran, and his life as an active young bird flyer was over. So, "Stubby" only placed once in the five races, and his life as a stud was in jeopardy!
Stubby's Story, page 1 | Stubby's Story, page 2 | Stubby's Story, page 3 | Stubby's Story, page 4 |
