Having made the decision less than sixty days ago to get a few pigeons, I am a newcomer to the MODENA FANCY for the fourth time. Because I've not been involved with Modenas for the past 15 years, but have seen them frequently in My Mind's eye and because I have recently begun anew in the hobby---- a long association behind me with the birds and the fancy---- I find myself constantly bombarded by impressions and reflections, much similar to advancing the calendar 15 years into the future without benefit of witnessing the progression the birds and the fancy have undergone. It's a very unique experience which I'm enjoying immensely, yet I'm aware that as I familiarize myself with the state of the fancy today these thoughts will be replaced by different perceptions. This progressive transition will continue for the duration of My involvement with Modena pigeons. No longer will I view things as I have in these past two months. This realization has left me with a compulsion to attempt to chronicle these feelings before they are lost in the fog that occupies much of our minds. So when Doc (Horn) asked me if I could write, and if so would I pen something for this bulletin, I spewed out the topic almost before he finished his request. Therefore the purpose of this article is twofold. It provides structure for me to address that compulsion and in doing so, I hope it provides a bit of insight and enjoyment to you the reader. This is for Me and this is for you.
    While I was away from the fancy, I continued to enjoy it - the people, the birds have always been close to my heart and never far from my mind. The lessons learned from giving individuals in the Modena game and the experience gained through success and failures have served to steer a true course for me in life's endeavors. Reflecting on my years without birds, I've identified my "Modena Magnets" - the competitive challenge and the people. Staying home with the birds and not being involved with club work does not fill the void within me. If it were not for the competition and association with those who view their success in the hobby as a manner of life and death, I probably would not keep birds. Oh I have higher priorities than Modenas such as my Maker, and my Family, but you can count them on one hand and have enough fingers left over to tie a knot. GIVING PEOPLE     Over the years between my stints with Modenas, I have been competitively involved with German Shepherds, Skeet Shooting, Quarter Horses and Rottweilers. I know of no other competitive sport where a newcomer will be accepted by those who have achieved a measure of success as you will find in the Modena Game. If you can walk reasonably straight, do not lie, cheat or steal and are SERIOUS about the game, you are instantly accepted into the inner circles of the Modena Fraternity. A weekend spend at a show with someone you've never met before often results in a close lifelong relationship - think about it a bit.
    Raymond Naquin, Houma, LA watched over me as a kid as he did many preteens and teenagers at the time. It was Ray who introduced me to Modenas and the NMC in 1957, at the age of twelve. Through their patience and understanding of a 12 year old's budget, birds soon came from Bob Hancock and Wayne Rife - very giving people who though at the top of the game, took time and financial concessions to nurture the interest of a youngster by shipping quality birds in bronze and bronze-tri gazzi.
    My first real Modena show was the State Fair in Dallas the year of the Kennedy assassination. I begged a ride to New Orleans, caught an all night train to Dallas and was picked up by Ray and Virgie the next morning. That weekend was the beginning of a close relationship with a couple of Texans by the name of Johnson. The three of us exchanged letters weekly for quite some time, and more than a few of our best Modenas made the circuit from one loft to another. Also, I met Fred and Norman and a guy my age named Josey, all breeders I read about but were meeting for the first time. Although I had never met the Horns, prior to 60 days ago, I was very aware of the dominance of Horn and Taylor in the King fancy.
    A few years later at the fifth district meet in Houston, Olin introduced me to a newcomer he had been telling me "could be of a competitive nature," by the name of Gathright.  While Bob appeared to be a very agreeable and sociable fellow, his behavior was unlike most new-to-the-breed attending a major show for the first or second time.  Every time I turned around to glance over the exhibition coops, there was Bob eyeballing birds.  Rather than spending his time visiting and seeking acceptance from name breeders, he spent two days intently going from coop to coop studying each exhibit head-to-feet, feet-to-head, beak-to-tail, tail-to-beak - socializing would take a back seat to this opportunity.  I made a mental index of his name and intensity;  however, remembering him would prove not to be the problem.
    Also, I buddied up with a young breeder from Oklahoma by the name of Arnold.  Houston was a hotbed for Modenas, with Bahr and Johnson, the Drawes, Evans, Franks, and others.  Shorty was, I believe, third in rank in the Houston Police Department and was sending applications to Rex and me to join the force so we could move to Houston and be closer to this Modena Mecca.  Our wives got wind of the scheme and nipped it close to the bud - probably for everyone's betterment, not the least of which was the HPD.  That's taking your game seriously.
    Hal Stookey became an instant friend and companion in the late 70s.  We made many trips, spent hours evaluating birds and I enjoy his support and friendship today as I did then.  He was the first old friend I contacted two months ago and has been invaluable in filling me in on what has been going on over the past 15 years.
    I've just returned from my third trip to Azle in the past 60 days.  Along the way, I have had the joy of visiting with Bart, Doc, Max, and Lester, as well as Bob.  My birds are from Max, Doc, and Bob, all "modenas as they should be,"  and I am grateful.  I've built a house for them and gotten Homers for feeders as I charge into the future, hopefully with some degree of patience.  This is not a namedropper article.  I mention those who have somewhat been the threads that formed the rope I refer to as my Texas Connection - Giving People.  Our club runneth over with them. THE BIRDS  Let's talk about birds.  In the 60s, we experienced a milestone in the Modena hobby with the importation of the English birds.  Legs, station, length of feather in the head and neck were available to all areas of the country and I think they were used for the betterment of the breed.  My impressions when I got back in '79 was that the birds were cleaner, better colored, with roundness returning to the heads.  The term "stock bird" had transcended from meaning birds not good enough for the breeder to use in his own program to that of birds valued for their excesses, i.e. width, power, shortness etc., over a breeder's top show birds.  Enlightened breeders across the country knew how to use such birds and we began to see one color family being used to impart its good traits to another.  Sounds simple enough, but breeding reds to blacks and bronzes had previously been held as akin to blasphemy.  Azle, Texas became the PX for birds in the red family with roundness, clean underlines and station that stood upon legs that set them off the ground like golf balls on tees and seemed to be able to stand that way through a hail storm.  Hal and I called them lollipops (round, on legs like sticks, and lasted all day!)
    The birds today - WOW - it's mind boggling.  The "Keepers of the Breed" have served us well.  You have my heartfelt gratitude.  The new standard pictures and models are terrific.  If you view breeding a bird like today's standard as an exercise in futility, let me share a thought with you.  I still have my models from the early 80s.  We used to consider it impossible to match, rather they were a goal to work towards.  Know what?  Better Modenas than these models are in all the lofts I've recently visited.  The relationship of the base of neck to total length, width to length, depth below the wing butts, roundness, fullness of face and throat areas, true bell necks, and balance among all parts are here.  Birds will come up to and exceed the new standards.  The question wi, will we as individuals and a club be able to recognize and agree was to what is an ideal Modena, or is this difference of opinion not really a problem, but evidence that standards evolve as we approach the ideal, hopefully for the betterment of the breed.  I think we will.
    In today's breeders, we see lofts designed with a purpose - kept cleaner, with healthier birds and new diseases and medications potent enough to deal with them and warrant our prudence in regards to their use.  Yesterday's technology had us treating the symptoms.  Today, everyone I've talked to has expanded knowledge on keeping pigeons healthy.
    We have a nucleus of breeders in this country that don't know "can't" and have their heads in their game.  A sound argument could be made that the Greater Fort Worth area is the hub of this nucleus.  They appear to be poised for perfection.  The future - it's going to be an exciting ride;  I'm looking forward to it.
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