Racing Pigeon Digest Featured Article

Back To Archives

You Just Never Know
By Bob Popkin

Sometimes when we help a young person get started with the birds we never know the results. When I received the enclosed letter I thought readers might be encouraged by it. I called Danny and received his permission to send it to you.

Mr. Popkin,
I have been trying to think of just how I wanted to start this letter to you for a very long time. I am still not quite sure how to do it other than just jumping right in. My name is Dan Detweiler and I live in Canton, Georgia with my wife and two boys.

Some thirty odd years ago I had a middle school teacher that introduced me to the sport of racing pigeons. He supervised the building of a small loft in my back yard that I did with my dad and after inspecting it, supplied me with a startup team of young birds. He guided me in every aspect of the pigeon sport from feeding to training to racing and breeding. Unfortunately, we were forced to move from that farm in Schoharie, New York and one thing led to another and pigeon racing faded to the back of my mind. Well Bob, in case you hadn't figured it out by now, that teacher was you. You probably don't even remember me but I assure you I have never forgotten you.

Well, fast forward three decades or so and I have just recently decided to get back into the pigeon sport. I am including some pictures of my loft construction so you can see what I am doing. My sons are very excited to be getting into this activity, much as I was when you introduced it to me.

Ever since getting back into racing I have wondered where you were. Just by pure chance I was talking to a member of our local club down here and he was telling me about a seminar he gave years ago for a small club in upstate New York and how he enjoyed the company of a Mr. Bob Popkin. Well, I nearly fell out of my chair as I had not heard your name in 30 years. He name is Bob Tavares by the way and he sends his best regards. Anyway, to make a very long story not quite so long, I finally tracked you down through an internet search which led me to your club and its president who confirmed that you were there in Anderson and gave me your address.

I want to thank you for everything you did for me as a young boy to introduce me to this activity. They say that once you are bitten with the pigeon bug it stays with you for life and I guess that is true because even after all these years the passion for this sport is more vibrant than ever in me. My club mates down here have been incredibly supportive and with any luck, my loft will be done by the end of the summer and I will be getting my initial stock birds this fall. Young birds 2008 will be the first attempt to race for me since I was 13. To say I am a little nervous is an understatement! In the meantime I have been given the role of webmaster for our club's website. If you have access to the internet you can see us at: www.northatlantarpc.com.

If you wish, I would love to hear from you and maybe, since you are so close, we can arrange a visit sometime. Again, I just want to thank you for taking the time to introduce your passion to a little boy in Schoharie, New York. You will never know the impact you had on my life. By the way, I am now a teacher as well! Funny how what goes around comes around.

With All Respect and Thanks,
Dan Detweiler