Frederic Kirsch

August 14, 1999

I started in the fancy when I first met Raymond Knaub, ten years ago. At that time he was breeding mostly Flying Oriental Rollers and Memel Highfliers. I joined the French Tumbler & High Flyers Pigeons Association in 1992 and have never stopped flying my pigeons since this date.

I have learned so much through contact with other breeders but also Oriental Rollers themselves. This breed may have something special that is not easy to define. Actually we are sure that this little pigeon is talented and is able to accomplish more that you can imagine when flying. It's a matter of origin or strain or feeding and training. Let me tell you what we're expecting from it here. I mean performances as every breeder in France and Europe prizes them as well.

We must keep in mind the Oriental Roller is a polyvalent flying breed and is able to fly very high, tumble, roll, dive and make sophisticated combinations of aerial feats. Many people would compare Oriental Rollers to Birmingham Rollers performances but it's a big mistake that could press some to outcross. Its natural beauty prompts many breeders to raise it only for shows. We should consider this last quality as the most important threat for the breed. Those who are tempted to show for beauty and standard will not go on flying and properly training their pigeons if they get some awards.

What do you think about an Oriental Roller that is able to show almost all the typical aerobatics of its breed when flying that would be disqualified when showed because its eyes are not perfectly pearled or its beak too dark ? Of course there is a standard for Oriental Rollers but we have to consider it is not this standard that is making this breed worthy of interest. If you raise a pure F.O.R.S. strain that have never been out-crossed you can be sure that only good aerial performances would make your rollers beautiful. In France and Europe we have two ways to fly our pigeons, at home first but also on portable lofts. The flying kits are always of three pigeons, never more.

The judges have a manual counter and 'clicks' every time one of the three pigeons makes a good performance. Every good performance gives one point to the kit. Isolated tumbles or side-tumbles give No Points.

• Linked up tumbles give 1 Point.

• Tight or loose back-rolls give 1 Point.

• Tight or loose side rolls give 1 Point.

• Spins and spirals give 1 Point.

• Combination of the above performances gives 1 Point.

• Combination of tumbles and side tumbles gives 1 Point.

The aerial feats are not recognizable, as the pigeons are high-flying. We give one Point to each pigeon per minute of high-flying but the birds must look like small spots in the sky above the loft. High- flying is not wished for when we compete on portable lofts and we can say that a good Oriental Roller does its best at home only, even if mobile lofts competitions are often remarkable.