Gordon & Dot Allen

When you live down South in SA Pigeon Racing you either have to be a very clever Flyer or a very frustrated one. When you consider that Races on the North-West Line have a distance of about 60 Kilometres from the front and backmarkers, its not hard to see that living where Gordon & Dot Allen do makes it more than a Challenge.

But that hasn't stopped the Aliens. They've won two Association Races from Glendambo and Coober Pedy with other near misses from Maria, Mt. Willoughby and Canberra.

When their Blue Hen won this year's Farina Classic, there were no hard luck stories entertained from any beaten Loft. To win from the Southern Vales is a Super Effort.

Gordon started flying 40 years ago in the West Torrens Club. The shift down South 22 years ago meant that some patience was needed. "It has its moments," Gordon says.

In fact the Southern boys have done better than expected. Among the SAHPA Winners have been Ray Hinton, Trevor Langsford and Gavin Harris.

The Allen's Winner is mostly Janssen bloodlines. Gordon liked her Dam very much after she was Group placed on three occasions and last year mated her to several different Cocks and the progeny showed up from both. There is a little Cattrysse in the family but mostly Ponderosa Janssens. He knew he had chosen well when a half-sister to his Winner finished in the SAHPA placings from the Farina Derby.

Gordon candidly gives credit to John Cock for loaning him a Romain Legieste Cock imported by Neil Young, one of Victorian Pigeon Flying's great characters.