National pigeon show wraps up on West Side

The Super Bowl of pigeon shows has come and gone from Clark County.

Over 3,000 pigeons were shipped into the Clark County Event Center at the Fairgrounds for the National Pigeon Association’s 2017 Grand National Show. At the event, pigeon enthusiasts showed off their painstakingly bred and thoroughly cared-for birds.

More than 300 breeds of pigeon were present and included exotic and unfamiliar varieties, such as the Pacific Modena or Norwich Carrier. They were judged by their height, feathers, angle they stood at and other features. Another 100 were brought in for sale, and at one point the doors were closed after concerns that someone stole a bird.

This year’s Best in Show award went to a Komorn Tumbler, a “fancy” breed of pigeon that was raised by Guido Madrusan, of Simcoe, Ontario.

“This is one of my proudest moments,” he said.

Cam Datanagan, chairman of the western USA district of the association, said the attendees came primarily from the western U.S., but some came as far away as Rhode Island, Florida or even Australia. All had one thing in common: Raising pigeons is not just a hobby, but a passion.

“It’s the thing for older guys that gets them out of bed,” he said.

Orrie Moore, president of the Puget Sound Pigeon Club based in Longbranch, said that he, like others at the show, developed his interest in pigeons early in life.

“They’re family-oriented, just like you and me,” he said. “They take care of their babies.”

Lennie Mefferd, an attendee, said it’s easy to care for the 1,300 pigeons he has back home in Southern California. He said he’s been to shows all over the world, and found it easy to bond with others over the unusual hobby.

“It’s like you have an instant friendship,” he said.