(Continued)
By Tom Smith, Spring Hill, Florida
One of Alan’s Red Gurnay hens, 04GURNAY150, has won two races as a young bird,
188 miles and 225 miles. To win, she had to break and fly on her own. One of her sons won a
2
nd place diploma the next year. Alan’s Red Gurnays are some of his best fliers.
Another Red Gurnay hen, banded 04Gurnay1, a Gurnay USA Club band, sister of #150,
was entered in the 2004 GURNAY FUTURITY 200 mile one-loft race at Mike Anderson’s in
Georgia and won 1st Overall Futurity. The red “Coach Dorer” line, as Alan calls it, are descended
from the late George Dorer’s “Peach Tree Loft” Gurnays, many of which were imported from
Great Britain. George Dorer was one of America’s foremost Gurnay Specialists. They have
produced a number of diploma winners in recent years, but most of Alan’s racers are blues. His
Gurnay breeders are reds, dark checkers, a few splashes, bronzes, and blues. No matter what
their color is, they are all uniform in type.
Alan retired, after 32 years of being a teacher, a principal, and a superintendent, then last
year decided to return to his profession. He says he’s “having the time of his life,” but it seems
there are not enough hours in the day.
Alan only has a half dozen select widowhood cocks on his team that he is racing at a
distance. And they are performing well.
Today Alan has about 300 Gurnays! What a beautiful sight. About 100 of them are the
show type and the rest are the racing type. He has added some nice specimens from Gurnay Club
members Mike Anderson and Hal Conn with success. His foundation racing Gurnays are two
birds, one from Dr. K’s “Copper Beech Loft,” 03GCM3816 SilverSplH, line of a Scottish
National winning Gurnay, and 01OGA1613 RedC, line of the late “Coach” George Dorer’s
“Peach Tree Loft.” Both have been retired off Alan’s race team, as have all the other reds and red
splashes. He is now concentrating on ten pairs or red racing Gurnay in a separate breeding loft.
Being a former teacher, Alan always tries to give the sport good publicity by taking birds
to “4H Club” agricultural meetings and shows, and talking to anyone interested in pigeons,
especially children. He has one really tame Gurnay hen that is the image of Gurnay’s “Vielle
Bleue.” He takes her regularly to the 4H Club, and the kids love her. They touch, poke, prod,
push, pull her, but she is so intelligent and calm that she stands with dignity and just looks at
them! She is also one of Alan’s top breeding hens. He mated her to one of John K’s racing
Gurnays and has bred several top racers and show birds, so the “cross” is really working.
Breeding is the foundation of all successful lofts, so I asked Alan about his breeding
methods: “I mate the best flying cocks to the best flying hens, and so on. Then I subdivide them
into families using subtle differences such as color, body style, etc. Then I use those birds as an
“out-cross” within the family.” Thus, he doesn’t need to bring in any new birds. Of course, the
introduction of the Copper Beech Gurnays has produced the same vigor as a real out-cross would
have, but it has kept the family “pure.” Alan continues: “I still follow that basic breeding
philosophy. With the number of birds I now have, I can take longer before I need to closely mate
and breed the family as tight as I did with the original Gurnays of my family. I keep the vigor by
using these methods along with very careful selection. My main problem is that when I get a
really outstanding bird, I have to put it in the stock loft for fear a hawk will kill it. You know
they always seem to get those birds that you have at the top of your list…”
Alan has seven lofts of various sizes, but he plans on building one beautiful
racing/breeding loft, 12’ x 24.’ It will have 4’ x 8’ sections for ease of control of the birds. He
also has 15 individual mating pens for special pairs that he wants to be 100% sure of parentage.
[To Be Continued.]
Hello. We received the two boxes today with the four Hansenne pigeons. Arrived in excellent condition.
She is SOOOOO BEAUTIFUL! Thank you guys for looking out for me. Can’t say enough about how much I love the bird and birds you have sent me.
Thank you so much, i got the bird! He's so beautiful, pin tail apple body, nice wing :)
Hello there, My name is Mike and live in Az, I had racing pigeons when I was young and now Im not young haha 61, Semi retired and determined to move to a place where I can fly birds again, want to get my grandkids involved. Anyway as a kid I flew some Sions and really enjoyed your website. When Im ready would love to get a few Sions again and see how they do. Any advice for an old newbie? lol
Hey Donnie, Saw your Birds on Ipigeon and must say, those are some Beautiful Heitzmans. They are very true to what I called the real thing. Beautiful Hansennes as well. Take Care, Chuck
Hi
I have placed the pigeon recieved from you recently in a priority express shipment back to you in same box recieved. Bird was beautiful and healthy but we realized it’s nature is such that it needs to fly and be a racing pigeon. We can’t offer that life to it and realize it was a mistake to try this based on our situation
Bird has had not been outside and has been confined indoors in isolation since recieved.
Please give it the home it deserves.
Appreciate the care you took getting it to us!!!
Need some color on my team. Had some sion couple years ago when i had a partner who sick and could not care for his own birds. He liked sions so i bought some from you on pigeonauction.com. We alot of fun his sions against my team .He has since past on. His family called me and thanked me for letting fly with me he really looked forward race day. HE WON EVERY WEEK
Path: https://www.clayhavenfarms.com/pigeons/for-sale
Thank you guys so much for allowing me the opportunity to love these birds.
Thanks again for the most beautiful Pure Paul Sions pigeons ever!! The loft is full of happy sounds from the birds strutting around in their new home. Y’all were so easy to work thru my problems of birds I chose.
Thanks a million times over Pam and Donnie. Your friend Jimi
Good evening
What a surprised New Year’s gift from you guys
I received the very nice young pure white hansennes hen this pm.
I was not aware that you sent her already/
Thanks for sending 12046
I really like her.
Please keep me posted when you have bastins availabe
Wishing you a safe, healthy and prosperous New Year.
Thanks so much
I received the birds this morning.
As I expected, they are all very pretty and healthy.
I need a nice sion cock to pair up with my almost white hen.
I believed, I inquired a white splash white sion cock,
Not sure if he is still available, trying to breed out pure white sions
From your loft.
The Hansenne cock, very handsome, pls keep me posted for a solid
White hen. The hen very beautiful, can’t
Wait what they will yield.
Thanks so much
I’m super stoked for new birds!. Second new loft in Austin Texas. I’m really looking for 4 to 5 pair.
