AU’s 2006 Showcase Loft Contest Winner

by Deone Roberts, AU Sport Development

Winners were selected from the 2006 American Racing Pigeon Union Showcase Loft Contest entries!

Mike Brown, of Chico, California, wins in the “larger loft” group and Walt Flynn of Louisburg, Kansas, wins in the “smaller loft” group. The 2006 entries were categorized as “small” or “large” in order to level the qualities of the structures for judging.

Mike purchased a new home on 1.5 acres in a rural area of Chico, California. It is zoned for pigeons, so they decided to build their dream loft. He considers it a simple design that minimizes the time and effort to keep the birds healthy all year.

Walt is a new member in the sport. He utilized loft plan ideas from the AU to build his first loft.

The lofts showed a wide array of styles, layout and size. “It is difficult to say one loft wins over another,” said Karen Clifton, AU Executive Director. “If you take a look at the photos on our web site, you will see they are all great. The buildings are attractive. The landscapes are neat. They illustrate healthy housing, and, people getting into the sport can get some great ideas viewing lofts on the web site.”

Each year AU members are invited to submit photographs, plans and descriptions of their lofts for a Showcase Loft Contest. The lofts help the public understand what is necessary for a race team setting. It is also fun for members of the sport to compare designs.

Congratulations to this years winners. They will each receive the series of limited edition prints by artist Jim Brown, and a handsome plaque to display.

Thank you to all participants for the great entries. All of them showed the quality of care AU members provide for their birds, reflecting well on the sport!

To view the contest loft entries, visit http://www.pigeon.org/showcaselofts.htm