The Pigeon & the Eagle - Part III

Tony has been competing in pigeon racing since he was a boy in New Jersey. One of the local men there introduced him to the sport and it was love at first flight. He spent his life indulging his love of the birds. In time he became a respected breeder and auctioneer known around the world for his acute memory for trivia bringing a close and personal touch to these sale events, and “a smile you could see through the telephone.”

And events they are. These grand affairs attract “birdmen” from around the world and while sale prices average between $100 and $1000, the highest known price for a racing pigeon is $225,000. It’s offspring sell for thousands of dollars.

The prices can sometimes be worth it. In competitions where entry fees can range from $100 to $1000 per bird and the field can include up to 30,000 individual pigeons, the purse will range from $30,000 to several that pay over $1 million to the winners. This is a major sport!

While there are some new youngsters coming into the sport, sadly it is becoming a diversion of the more mature men, and a few women, of the world. Sportsmen range from Europe to Japan and from Saudi Arabia to the Philippines. Obviously from the costs involved, it is also a sport of men of means.

While individuals of modest means can compete, to be a real contender you must have deep pockets. Prince Abdul-Rahman is among the devotees. The ranks of famous pigeon fanciers include Roy Rogers, Elvis Presley, Walt Disney, Paul Newman, Scott Baio and Wayne Newton.

Around the world there are thousands of devotees and the center of the sport is Belgium where 60,000 people breed, raise and race pigeons. While the Spring Hill area boasts 50 “birdmen” and the area including Brooksville and Tampa Bay is home to 150 racers, it is growing rapidly and becoming widely known as the “Little Belgium” of pigeon racing. Tony Melucca is one of the reasons for the swift growth.

I’m thankful for the opportunity to meet Tony and learn more of this interesting sport. While I had known generalities of pigeon racing, my 2 hours visiting with him resulted in a vast increase of my knowledge, and more importantly I enjoyed the pleasure of meeting this open, friendly and respected icon of the world of pigeon racing.

While the “eagle” may have saved the pigeon, the "eagle" also gained much from his encounter.

Be sure to visit Letters From Iraq