Yekaterinagrad Tumbler
By K.D.Spurling 2001
(Russian: "Yekaterinagradskaya Golubenije" or "Sverdlovski Katunije" )
Synonims: Sverdlovsk Tumbler, Ekaterinagrad Tumbler or Schmelev Tumbler
Origin: Russian Urals, city of Yekaterinagrad
Among Russia's 200 plus flying breeds, the Yekaterinagrad Tumbler is the youngest of them all.
The breed was created beginning in 1993 in the loft of the famous Statnije breeder, Ivan Schmelev of Yekaterinagrad, Urals, Russia (formerly Sverdlovsk). He blended together Moscow Frills, Petrograd Shields, Armavir Shortface Tumblers, Tashkent Shortface Tumblers and a bloodline of beak crested Taganrogs.
Being a skilled breeder with a great many years of experience, progress came quickly and effeciently with no true setbacks.
Schmelev (pers. com. Jan. 18th, 2000) provides some insight into his method of breeding:
"The greatest care was taken to select the proper birds of the root stocks. Totally I used only two cocks of the pure bred class with four hens. One cock
was an Armavir and the other, a Tashkentian. The remainder were hens and I
bred each cock to the three hens for two rounds and carefully placed these eggs
under nurses. Totally I bred 22 pigeons. In 1994, I chose 8 pairs, made up of 4 sons of each cock. These I bred to the daughters of the opposite cock and this established two groups of youngsters which I merged together for two years. In
1996, I began to seperate them by markings and colors until they were all uniform."
The breed was officially recognized in the Russian Federation in 2000.
Description:
The Yekaterinagrad Tumbler is a small pigeon of approximately 5 to 6 ounces in weight. The head is Owl like with a medium short, slightly downset beak and a fine cere. The eyes are large and expressive with no preferences to the iris color except in whites and saddles, which are bull eyed. Otherwise, the eyes are amber-orange or pearl with a fine eye cere. The neck is of medium length, elegant and tapers into a muscled, rounded, prominent breast that sweeps into a short back. The tail is short and of a normal size with the wings resting gently atop the tail.
A number of sub-varieties exist in the breed, which are as follows:
1. Plainheaded without ornaments.
2. Beak-crested with eye crests.
3. Triple crested, with a beak-crest, eye crests and a thumbprint shell crest.
4. Rose-crested with a beak-crest and eye crests.
The latter is a new mutation and gives the appearence of a beak rose placed directly on the top of the bird's skull.
5. Zipper-frilled in combination with any of the above.
Yekaterinagrads are typically clean-legged, but since 1999, grouse legged bloodlines have also been cultivated.
In addition, the following colors are cultivated: Blue barred, Silver barred, Blue Check, Silver Check, Black, Dun, Ash-Red, Ash-Yellow and Self White.
Markings are as follows: Selfs, Grizzles, Shield marked, Tail marked, White-flight, Baldheads and unorthodoxly marked pied birds.
The Self Whites and the Saddles are especially impressive.
North American Development:
This writer was very pleased to recently introduce this breed to the United States in September of 2000. At this writing, it remains in very limited numbers, but the significant interest in the import suggests a bright future for the breed in the United States and Canada in years to come.
In The Air:
The Yekaterinagrad Tumbler is a true flying pigeon which executes quick, single backward somersaults at frequent intervals. The breed is a tight kitter of medium flying altitude with a relatively low flying duration of 30 to 90 minutes on the wing. It also possesses a moderate homing ability and is dependable at returning home from 10 to 15 miles.
Yekaterinagrad Tumblers are exceptionally tame and easily managed, as well as being an extremely intelligent little breed.
Extracted from:
"The Complete Encyclopedia Of Tumbling and Highflying Pigeons".
Copyright 2001 by K.D. Spurling. All Rights Are Reserved
