As for not putting another strain into the Bodens, for example only, what would ol' Jack Boden say? Does anyone think that these top fanciers are breeding their tipplers according to their originator's ideas? I think not. When does a family of tipplers take on the name of the current owner? The Davies tipplers that we speak of here should not be called that but rather 'Zovics'. It was Oskar's hard work and effort that brought them to the point that they are now, nobody else just Oskar. Must give credit where it is due!
Gordon also had a black hen in the loft, probably from ol' George Marlow of Sheffield who held the OB record with 19:45 many years ago. If you look at the photos of Gordon and his loft, you'll see the black hen. Gordon also got a blue badge hen from one of the top Welsh tippler flyers way back then, I think...don't quote me on the name...but it may have been Terry George. In any case, it was from a top Welsh tippler fancier. That badge hen produced YBs that flew in his YB Record kit of 18.07 in 1973.
Many of these fanciers will 'keep things to themselves' and not go around advertising that they introduced a cross from so and so into their tippler family. The way I understand it, once they have put a bird into their loft, it is then their own, etc. I can't say how many fanciers would know about the black hen or the blue badge hen that ol' Gordon used were it not for the photos. Not that he had anything to hide, etc.
In regards to when a family of tipplers stops being the product of the originator and takes on the new name of the present owner. One way is to introduce a cross into them and then they're yours. The late Jack Prescott would say that they're yours once they enter your loft. This is because you would be selecting your birds differently than ol' Gordon would and this is true. Like I said previously, what you may keep....he ( Gordon ) would not. Now, what many fanciers are doing, with different top tippler families, is maintaining those well known tipplers. Yes, if we keep going back to the strain, it will be there. But there will come a time when a cross is needed, Gordon Hughes told me just that in a letter. He had two crosses in his loft that I know of, this was way back when. If you look at the tippler website and the photos of his loft and birds, you'll see a black tippler and a blue badged hen. These were two crosses that he introduced into his 'family! ' of tipplers. One was from a top Welsh fancier and the other may have been from the late George Marlow of Sheffield or the late Arthur Newton of Leicester, both former World Champs! If the crosses 'worked out', then they became a part of the Hughes line. Many of these ol' timers exchanged a bird or two............but didn't go about advertising their actions.
But nowadays, it seems that the reference to the old tippler families goes on and on. It will be many years before the names change, don't worry about it....just enjoy the tipplers for what they are.
In Toronto, my long time friend...Oskar Zovic, his tipplers are referred to as the Davies (the late Jos Davies/UK) family of tipplers. The fact is that it was Oskar who salvaged the remnants of the Davies tipplers in Canada and with a few other specimens from other tippler families created his own. At present, they're still called the Davies tipplers when they should be called the 'Zovics' !Those famous names just don't seem to fade away!
