Doug Ince 14th June 2009

Family History In 1941 Doug Ince commenced racing and one pigeon took out 4 club races and gained 2nd, 7th and 9th Federation. In 1944, flying with the Ivanhoe club, Doug achieved in 9 consecutive races, 8 X 1sts and one 3rd placing. At the time he was 15 years of age and competing against prominent and experienced flyers. So the scene was set and his passion for improving the strain began. He was inspired by the old English strains flying 500 and 600 miles. He could not see why birds in Melbourne could not achieve the same. There was great scepticism by many of the leading fanciers of the day as they did not believe that flying 600 miles could be achieved. What followed was 60 years of dedication, disappointment, joy and amazement as the family evolved into what it is today.

An overview of the performance of this strain of pigeons is that by the end of 1999, this family had won 1st place in over a hundred Open and Federation races and thousands of open Federation Positions. The basis of this great family was a blending of the old Harrison, family with the Putman, Jurion Delaney, Weilman and Lang Millar. A key pigeon at this time was a Harrison cock a blue chequer VHA-50-7163. This pigeon was the sire of “The Champ” VHA-57 18526. In 1958 “The Champ “ competed in 8 Young Bird and Old Bird Races and was clocked in 7 of them to gain 23rd Open Fed 150 miles, 21st 150 miles, 15th Fed 150 miles and 6th Fed 230 miles. “The Champ” was to become as dominant as any pigeon in the strain as he was responsible for directly breeding the famous “Unrung Hens” as well as being Grandsire of John Yates “Mildura Fed Winner”.

The Mildura Fed winner was Grandmother to three 500 miles Fed winners and two second place 500 mile Fed birds, and numerous others.

This line extends through to Gravel Eye 1, Gravel Eye 2 and Gravel Eye 3, Emmelle, The Crosbie Hen, the Ash Cock, The Hilton Hen, the Soapy Eyes, The Silks, the Mean Eyes, Everest and many others. At the same time he was developing the Harrison side of the family Doug was utilising the progeny of a Jurion cock of Sid Moore VHA-50 –7164 and its offspring 4th Cobar and the Giant that he purchased. The Giant was mated to the Bourke Hen of Bob Eaton, which was O’Brien, Harrison, and Delaney. This bred the “Odd Eye Cock.” Doug mated this to the“Red Frill”. This in turn bred “Trio “, and the Red Pied cocks that played a major role in John Yates and Bob Eaton birds. Doug was looking for an intermediary between these two lines and bought a hen that was to become known as the Dubbo Hen (VHA 55-18875). She was mainly the old Putman family. When mated to a Wielman Cock of Reg Stock it produced “North Pride” VHA-62- 22817 winner of the 1963 600 miles race. He then mated the Dubbo hen to a son of the 4th Cobar hen and