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Australian Spotlight – creation of a strain – Ince Family
This year sees a milestone in the life of Doug Ince of Montmorency, Melbourne. With 50 years of continuously racing his pigeons, his carefully kept records show his first attempt at racing came while still at school, and in 1943, at the age of just 14 years old, and with one pigeon, he won four club races and was placed 2nd, 7th and 9th in the Federation.
In 1944, after winning five seconds – in 9 consecutive races he won 8 firsts and one 3rd prize, flying in the Ivanhoe Club against many prominent and experienced fanciers.
From an early age the long races had most appeal to Doug and he soon realised the birds needed for 500 & 600mile races must be bred from stock capable of successfully doing these distances, but more importantly of being able to transmit it on to their offspring.
Possibly the turning point came in 1956, where from Coonamble (500mls) Doug had the only 4 birds home in the Club and North Section of the Federation on the second day, only 20 birds were timed in the whole of the Federation & Doug was 11th & 12th Federation.
1st From Barringun
In 1963 he was 3rd in the Victorian Homing Association averages, & from Bourke (530mls) he was 4th & 6th Fed (only 4 birds home on the day) and two weeks later he was 1st & 4th Federation from Barringun (600mls), his winner being North Pride, a BCH ’62 22817 winning by over 3hours. 1964 saw him winning 1st Federation from Bookaloo (600mls) with a BBPdH ’63 12113...Bookaloo.
Blessing in Disguise.
1966 he was 1st & 2nd from Collarenebri (600mls) his winner being Wendy a BCPdH ’65 6325. In this race Doug had 3 out of only 8 birds home on the day his 3rd bird being Trio a BCPdH ’65 5527. The above Federation winners, North Pride, Bookaloo, Wendy & Trio are the basis of today’s birds and all figure prominently in their pedigree. The birds go back to the old Harrisons, Logans, Jurions and Ward Weilman. The Wielman blood goes back to the old Ulens of 1850, the basis of many of the best birds in Belgium.
Customs regulations stopped pigeons or eggs entering into Australia for @ 35 years. Certainly, new bloodlines have been tried today, but few survive the hard treatment expected of them. So one finds after 35years the birds are a very inbred strain capable of racing and winning from the long 500 & 700mile race points.
Finest in the World
By the end of the old bird season most birds will have competed in quite a few of these long races before the 600 & 700-mile events.
True to Type
An estimate as to how many winners this loft is responsible for is hard to figure, but 300 1st prize Federation winners could be a fair estimate, with thousands of birds winning positions in the first 30 places.
Doug is not an eyesign man, he believes there is only 1 certain way of telling if the birds are any good, and that is the basket. As one would expect the birds be true to type, the hens being small to just a nice medium while the cock’s medium sized. Mainly BC’s & BB’s with a number of Pieds & quite a few have a pink eye cere. But what did surprise me was the age of most of these big long distance winners – mere babies’ of only a few months old, still carrying most of their flights. Creating a strain over so many years cannot be easy, possibly one advantage favoring Doug is two other fanciers now have his family of birds. Godfrey Stevens is without doubt one of the best fanciers around Melbourne & the same applies to John Yates. Between them there is a free interchange of birds, all keep large teams, so between them the strain is well represented in the long races. (Another well-known fancier that has also been very successful with Doug’s birds is Dr Colin Walker of the Knox Veterinary Clinic).
The National Distance Flying Club, open to all Victoria, issued a cumulative record of their races from 700miles from 1980 to 1989, which shows Godfrey Stevens heading the list with 1656points, Doug Ince is in second place with 1580points with John Yates in seventh position.
Years & Years
1991 John Yates achieved 2nd & 4th from 700miles & also the 3 x 1st in the Federation from 500miles, surely shows the quality of this family. John Burns the winner of the 1988 race from 700miles was bred from birds bred by Doug. Dr Colin Walker’s 1st Federation in 1990 from 600miles is another bred from Doug’s birds.
Colin Walker & Doug Ince Birds
In 1992 Colin’s loft won 1st Federation Langwell (400miles) with 2,856b competing, 1st Federation Bourke (500miles) 3,444b, 1st Federation Barringun (600miles) 2,634b, 4th Federation Coongoola (700miles) 2,090b. It is the only loft in Victoria to have won 2 first Open National races with 1992 1st Langwell (9,300b) & 1st Collarenebri (5,324b) in 1990 from 600miles.
The loft is the current holder of the largest number of Federation positions won in a single season – 24 in 1991.
In 1991 Colin was invited to join the National Distance Flying Club, open to all Victoria. This club races from the 700mile stage & Colin won the averages in 1991 & 1992. Victorian fanciers will realise only the long races have been mentioned but with 1st Fed. Springhurst in 1990 (2169b) 1st Fed. West Wyalong in 1990 (4277b) 1st Fed from Hillston in 1986 (7114b) & 1st Fed from Parkes in 1991 (2330b) shows this loft can win from any distance.
Courtsey of 23July 1992 – 5th August 1992 – Pigeon Sport
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