IBUTE TO A GREAT ROLLER FANCIER: FRED SCATTERGOOD
from an old Roller magazine that circulated for about three issues in the
late '70s
There was a very crucial period in my life, quite a few years ago. I was at
the crossroads and I had great difficulty in deciding which way to go with
Roller pigeons. I had decided that they must be Rollers because I had ceased
to be interested in racing pigeons and I simply had not the time for my
original favorites - Flying Tipplers.
I had spent some time with various rare variety flying breeds and though my
experiences with them were an inspiration, I decided that I must concentrate
upon Rollers. To me, Rollers were a constant challenge - something
spectacular - breathtaking and completely marvelous. Much had been written.
Articles were lively and argumentative and I could see that sufficient scope
existed for any man to explore the whys and wherefores of the entire Roller
pigeon fancy. However, as I said, I arrived at the crossroads and hesitated
before deciding which way to go.
The decision was difficult and it was one that I had to face alone.
There were two distinct ways to cultivate Rollers - both equally attractive.
I wrote down all the factors for and against so that I could ponder over the
realities and keep things in proper perspective.
Obviously, I admired the Rollers that are termed, "Birmingham Rollers."
I owned such pigeons and was always spellbound by the very best of them when
they were performing at their best.
Suddenly and without any preliminary stalling, they would throw themselves
into a tight vigorous series of uninterrupted back somersaults. They would
simply dissolve into a tightly spinning ball, falling a considerable
distance before snapping out cleanly and continuing on normal flight. I
could rely on seeing this sort of performing and as I said, I greatly
admired it. Nothing else was so marvelous. The perfect roll: faultless,
mystic, wonderful. The ideal to select for.
Now, if only all of my youngsters had developed into ideal performers, if
the rolling action had always been without hazards and serious side effects
and the best performers remaining completely stable and consistent in
action, then my choice would have been easy. Unfortunately, this was not the
case. The carnage was rather upsetting. There were hopeless cases where
these Rollers simply went into a tight solid roll and came down - quite out
of control - to hit the ground.
Some of them never reached anything that looked like the correct "Birmingham
Roll." As young birds, they lacked the perfect stability and this meant that
I had to keep them quite a long time to see how they would perform at
maturity, which could well have been at least 12 months.
Any early developers were very soon proved to be unsafe. All of this added
up to the basic fact that the correct Birmingham Roll - for all its
spectacle, its perfection and popularity - was indeed an extremely dangerous
action that in many ways would take a heavy toll. Their very actions made it
no easy matter to keep perfect kitting qualities. It was almost impossible
to get them all of one depth or frequency - so that such performers lacked
the ability to perform simultaneously as a kit. I found that the more I
selected and cultivated for the correct Birmingham Roll, the further away I
got from simultaneous performing of the entire kit. Yet, in spite of this,
in spite of the carnage, the injuries, the loss of flying character and the
ruthless slaughter of many really beautifully marked and colored birds, I
did actually maintain some Rollers that, when on form, did perform to the
correct Birmingham Roller Pigeon standard. There were times when I was
sickened by the injuries and the distress brought about by the roll factor;
but as I say, I could depend on seeing this rolling in perfection and this,
in time, became just about the only thing that would please me.
I then began to look at the other way Rollers were cultivated. It struck me
as extremely strange that so many people in Birmingham, the cradle of the
Roller fancy, did not actually worship at the shrine of the true Birmingham
Roller.
An overwhelming majority of Roller fanciers in and around the general area
of Birmingham preferred not to keep the so-called "Birmingham Roller"
because they regarded the standard actions of these pigeons to be highly
dangerous and far too difficult to stabilize as a homogeneous type of
performer.
Instead of this type, they preferred to keep what are known as the
Competition Roller.
W. Pensom, did a great deal to discredit such pigeons and would only give
them the begrudged status of common tumblers, which I personally consider to
be a most unjustified term.
Briefly, Competition Rollers are cultivated for excellent kitting qualities
and the simultaneous performance of vigorous rolling and spinning,
regardless of the probable lack of precision and concentricity that is, of
course, the ideal of the true Birmingham Roller. In fact, the actions of
Competition Rollers are considered to be safer and they have far fewer
culls. Furthermore, Competition Rollers develop their performance at a much
earlier age than do Birmingham Rollers. This, of course, is a very great
advantage.
At the present time there are two clubs in the general Birmingham area which
specialize exclusively in Competition Rollers, the South Birmingham Roller
Club and the Warley Roller Club. Total membership of the two clubs is about
fifty. The area extends from Coventry west right along through to
Birmingham, Winson Green, Yardley, Acocks Green, and northwards to Sutton
Coldfield.
The enthusiasm of these regularly contesting members has no equal.
Of course, the Competition Roller fanciers do not compete with the
Birmingham Roller fanciers, although both types of Rollers follow the ideals
of the "turns" system, and therefore the rules of both types are basically
the same.
In the same general area occupied by the Competition Roller fanciers
numbering about fifty, I know of only about six Birmingham Roller fanciers
who take part in contests with kits of Birmingham Rollers, and not very
often at that.
Doesn't this strike you as very odd?
Who are these people who contest regularly? Some are professional people,
self-employed people with rather a very good standard of living. One of them
owns a bakery - another is rather an important chap in a well-known motor
type company.
What I am saying is that these people are not street corner wallahs who
don't know what they are doing. I find they are very capable indeed. They
also have a standard of performance and from what I see it is this: their
ideal is the simultaneous performance of a kit of their particular type of
Roller pigeons. They show great preference to vigorous performing and give
less credit to sloppy performing that involves the unpopular "plate"
turning, on its own.
A great deal of the performing of the best kits is very close to the actual
Birmingham rolling and from a distance could quite easily be confused with
it. Their hallmark is performance with vigor, but they do not worry about
the solid spin - with the hole in the middle.
As I say, I was at the crossroads and after a lot of thought, I decided to
go for the Birmingham Roller - with all the hazards - and forever striving
for perfection and trying to create a safe strain. It has not been easy. I
have bred some excellent birds - but I've also bred a lot that I would not
disgrace myself to keep.
Now, in November 1976, I went along to the loft of Mr. Fred Scattergood of
Streetly. I went with Mr. Fred Barlow especially to see these competitive
birds. Fred put out one kit of 21 - and they performed so vigorously and
simultaneously in such a tight kit that both Fred Barlow and myself had to
give great credit.
This kit was brought down easily as soon as Fred Scattergood said that he'd
trap them. He then flew a second kit of 21 and these performed equally well,
if not better. Both kits were a great pleasure to behold. The pigeons were
spotless and in really beautiful condition and we had a most enjoyable talk
with Fred. He is retired. He lives for his birds. He has a beautiful home.
He has a nice, confident manner and a very sensible outlook.
He is completely straightforward and honest and everything he said made
sense. I took a different road with Rollers than Fred Scattergood. To be
honest, after seeing those two kits, I'm not at all sure that I took the
right road. I was very proud to shake his hand. He is one of the great
people who is preserving something fine and entirely English. For this at
least, he belongs on the roll of honor.