PIGEON FLYING.

Press, Volume LXIX, Issue 20909, 17 July 1933, Page 6

PIGEON FLYING.

PREMIER CLUB'S ANNUAL SOCIAL. The annual social and prize-giving of the Christchurch Premier Pigeon Club was held in the club's rooms in Stanley street on Saturday night, the patron, Mr Arthur Smith, presiding over a large gathering. Replying to tne toast of the patron, proposed by Mr S. Mallard, Mr Smith gave some reminiscences of early days in pigeon flying and said he hoped the younger generation of today would carry on the sport in the spirit of its founders. He himself had exhibited at 58 shows and his partner in the sport, Mr T. J. McQuarrie, had been a noted breeder and exhibitor since 1873. As a memento of his past connexion with the club, and as a mark of his continued interest m its affairs, he offered a trophy to be known as the McQuarrie and Smith Bracelet for a single bird competition, birds to be nominated by women friends of the club. i Before asking Mr Smith to present the prizes won during the year, the- ; secretary, Mr Mallard, gave a brief I report on the season's work. Although ! economic conditions during the year i had been as bad as, if not worse than, they were during the previous 12 I months, he said, the'club had increased its prize money from £9O to £ll2. Beside that, two valuable trophies, the Free Holmes Challenge Cup and the C. M. Walden Rose Bowl, had been presented for competition. The club had conducted an open race from Napier, but it had not been well supported and only two birds had got through. This had been disappointing, but there was some compensation in the reflection that there had not been a void race. Mr Mallard paid tribute to the achievements of Mr P. Crooke, Mr B. Pegley, and Mr W. Gray, and said that the quality of the birds bred by members of the club was demonstrated in the recent race conducted bv the Christchurch Poultry, Pigeon. Canary, and Cat Club, when Premier birds won most of the major prizes. Trophies were then presented to Messrs P. C. Crooke (Free Holmes Challenge Cup), A. Fransden (C. M. Walden Rose Bowl), and A. Goslin 'Young Bird Championship Cup), and I cash prizes to Messrs A. W. Jones, S. Mallard. H. Evans. H. Woods, B. Pegley, A, Green, W. Gray, A. Pegley, O. Manson, G. Anderson. W. Drury, W. Clark. F. Iggo. A. O'Brien, L. Wrenn, W. Henry, L. Brown, R. Bradley. L. Gay. M. Newell, L. Rolton, and A. Cotton.

Other toasts honoured during the evening were: The prize-winners, proposed by Mr G. Anderson and responded to by Mr W. Clark; the Premier Pigeon Club, coupled with the name of the president, Mr B. Pegley, proposed by Mr M. Green and responded to by Mr Pegley: Kindred Societies, proposed by Mr J. Green and responded to by Mr M. Green: and the Press, proposed by Mr J. Green Items were given by Mrs S. Mallard and Messrs E. R. Pitman, S. Hood, and F. S. Jackson.