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The region’s best-known racing pigeon fancier, Dr. John Lamberton, shares his expertise.
Dr. John Lamberton with one of his champion racing homing pigeons at his home in west Tulsa.
Although he would never admit it, one of the most successful racing pigeon fanciers in the region, and perhaps the world, is Tulsan Dr. John Lamberton. A retired university professor, Lamberton breeds, trains and races champion homing pigeons with the help of his wife, Morgan; three sons; three stepdaughters; and 10 grandchildren on his family ranch, which is tucked away on Lookout Mountain in west Tulsa.
Pigeon fanciers across the globe look to him to learn about everything from constructing the most effective lofts to his preferred pre-race diet, and he is showing them the tricks of the trade — secrets from the sport’s fancier legends — through a comprehensive website, video blogs and instructional DVDs.
Lamberton shares how he got started in the sport and what he’s learned about the art and science of racing pigeons:
I met several new friends when I transferred to a new junior high in 1961, and one of them invited me over to his house after school. As we were playing football in the back yard, I became aware of a cooing sound. When I went to investigate, I observed a small flock of the most beautiful homing pigeons. As I watched the pigeons in the coop, something stirred deep inside me.
Several years later, at 16, I was nearly killed in a calf-roping accident. Ultimately, I lost most of the use of my right arm and hand due to permanent nerve damage. The racing pigeons God had channeled into my life years earlier helped me through the long and painful recovery process.
And after another accident injured my left hand when I was older, I found that the pigeons’ wings do for me what my hands can’t do.
After I found my way into racing pigeons, I discovered the motherland of the sport is Belgium. Once again God blessed me by pairing me with Mike Ganus of South Bend, Ind., who would later become the most influential pigeon fancier in the U.S.A. Mike introduced me to virtually all of the legends in the sport. Since 1986, I have traveled to Belgium many times to study under the tutelage of these great masters.
After one particular race in Belgium, an older fancier, who was sitting at a table full of older, well-known fanciers, slowly stood up and ambled over to my table. In broken English, he commented that he and his friends thought I was the Lance Armstrong of pigeon racing in Belgium. To this day, his remark remains the single highest achievement I have received during almost 50 years of racing pigeons.
Most fanciers would say the qualities of a good racing pigeon are physical — and physical qualities are very important — but the most important qualities are intelligence and passion. Most pigeons will fly home; only intelligent, passionate pigeons will race home.
All three of my sons have grown up in the pigeon loft. Josh raced pigeons at Holland Hall as an alternative sport. Jeremy has photographed pigeons and filmed videos for our website. And Jeff has raced pigeons by himself for about a year now.
Jeremy, Jeff and I are currently filming our first two DVDs, which we will offer to a worldwide racing pigeon fancy later this year. I write a blog and post educational videos on YouTube. We want to spread the knowledge to the rest of the world that has been passed down to us. Instead of teaching students at a college or university, we are teaching a global population of fanciers using the Internet.
Racing pigeons are …
Very clean. They like to bathe multiple times per week and preen themselves daily.
Not wild. They are tame and well educated. Fanciers spend hours training them to race several types of motivational systems, including the widowhood and natural systems. In the widowhood system, racers are celibate during the week and race home to their mates, which are waiting in the nest boxes. In the natural system, racers are mated and are raced to eggs in the nest, pipping eggs in the nest and/or youngsters in the nest. After the racing seasons are over, the racers are allowed to raise one or two sets of youngsters.
Extremely loyal. The location of their home is imprinted in the psyche, and they return to their homes of origin throughout their lives.
Smart and very strong. They can fly hundreds of miles in only a few hours.
Fast. Their speeds range from 30 to 80 miles per hour depending on the direction and speed of the wind.
Not street pigeons. True racing pigeons are genuine athletes that can traverse hundreds of miles.
Source: Dr. John Lamberton
