by D Warrener [Click Here for PDF Version]

After reading the recent well thought out and presented article in the CNTU newsletter regarding the standard for the flying tippler I spoke to some of the guys here in the UK who have judged flying tipplers at both club and National level. The question was simple “is there a standard for the flying tippler”. The overwhelming response was yes. The article in the CNTU newsletter pointed out near enough exactly what the judges here in the UK look for in a flying tippler at show level. The guys I spoke to pointed out if there were no standard it would be impossible to judge some of the comments were.

A tippler should have a pearl eye a bull eye is acceptable but it would lose points
Any adornments foot feathers tufts etc would not be accepted
A tippler regardless of size needs to be the right shape
It’s very important the bird is well feathered and holds condition
Colouring and markings are not so important but can in some cases cost points

On a personal note having bred and flown flying tipplers for close to 50 years now and having occasionally shown judged and point marked for judges in flying tippler shows I would have to agree of course there is a standard for the flying tippler. Where it may be impossible to pick out some crosses by eye most are easily spotted by the experienced fancier and a flying tippler at height on the wing is easy to spot no other pigeon is shaped the same way. Mother Nature has designed her fish, animals, plants and birds to a standard best suited to their needs and over the past 150 years tippler fanciers have done the same with the flying tippler. Without a standard there would be no flying tippler shows if time on the wing were the only criteria for the flying tippler then the bird in the show with the best recorded time would always win first place. Davey Warrener