The American Show Racer pigeon (also known as the Show Pen Racer, and nicknamed the "Bird of Dignity.") is a breed of
domestic pigeon
The domestic pigeon (''Columba livia domestica'' or ''Columba livia'' ''forma'' ''domestica'') is a pigeon subspecies that was derived from the rock dove (also called the rock pigeon). The rock pigeon is the world's oldest domesticated bird. Me ...
that began in the early 1950s with the finest
Racing Homer
Pigeon racing is the sport of releasing specially trained homing pigeons, which then return to their homes over a carefully measured distance. The time it takes the animal to cover the specified distance is measured and the bird's rate of travel ...
s, selectively bred for their breed type. Pigeon historian Wendell Levi mentions Show Pen Racers in his book ''The Pigeon''. He describes the early development of the breed in the United States and early breeders of the variety. In 1952, The
American Show Pen Racer Club was formed at the National Show held in
Des Moines
Des Moines () is the capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small part of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines, ...
,
Iowa
Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to the ...
.
As years passed, the word “pen” was removed from the club name and it was officially changed to The American Show Racer Association (ASRA).
As the breed developed, the standard was updated and in the year 2000, a new standard drawing was created and accepted by vote of the membership. Emphasis is placed on "station" (which includes an upright posture) and a powerful head. The bird should be very smooth-feathered.
The ASRA currently has approximately 150 members in 37 US states and seven other countries. It is an affiliate club of the National Pigeon Association.
The breed is popular at shows. In November 2007, at the Pageant of Pigeons held in
San Bernardino, California
San Bernardino (; Spanish for "Saint Bernardino") is a city and county seat of San Bernardino County, California, United States. Located in the Inland Empire region of Southern California, the city had a population of 222,101 in the 2020 cen ...
, approximately 150 were entered by 15 exhibitors.
See also
*
Pigeon racing
Pigeon racing is the sport of releasing specially trained homing pigeons, which then return to their homes over a carefully measured distance. The time it takes the animal to cover the specified distance is measured and the bird's rate of travel ...
*
Homing pigeon
The homing pigeon, also called the mail pigeon or messenger pigeon, is a variety of domestic pigeons (''Columba livia domestica'') derived from the wild rock dove, selective breeding, selectively bred for its ability to find its way home over e ...
*
List of pigeon breeds
This is an alphabetical list of pigeon breeds. Pigeons and doves are members of the bird family Columbidae. Doves tend to be smaller and pigeons larger, although this distinction is not consistently applied.
The birds listed here are breeds of th ...
References
External links
* http://www.americanshowracer.com
* http://show-racer.forumactif.com/index.htm
* http://www.npausa.com
* http://www.purebredpigeon.com
Pigeon breeds originating in the United States
Pigeon racing
Pigeon breeds
{{Domesticated-pigeon-breed-stub