In 1960 thru 1966 I visited Mr. Pensome many times … before I was old enough to drive my dad would take me up to Bills home in Reseda … I had already accumulated several birds of the Pensome roller strain … maybe six … I was cross breading those birds with other select Birmingham’s that I’d acquired from a William Bill Hague who lived in El Monte … and a Harmon Botenger who lived in Artesia and flew a kit of Pensome roller crosses … I was hybridizing rollers in the 6th grade … I flew a 20-25 bird kit … Bill Pensome took a liking to me … we shared bird rolling philosophy … one Saturday my dad took up up to Bills home … I was looking for cock bird to pair up with this young outstanding Pensom female cross. We’ll I told Bill what kind of a bird I was looking for and he let out 1 Kit … then 2 kits … as I watched those birds Bill asked me “see anything you like” ? I replied not really … so he goes over to another coop and grabs this silver red barred white badge headed cock bird… he tossed that bird up into the air… It soon joined the others … that bird spun so tight you couldn’t count the turns … yeah that’s what I’m looking for I says to Bill … I think I was maybe 16-17 years old … Bill says I’ll let you have him for $20, with the understanding that you’ll never sell him … my dad says that’s a lot of money … I had the money… I thanked Bill … and when my dad an I were out front of his home these other two guys that watched this cock bird in flight approached us … “will you sell that bird ?” NO … “then will you make a trade with us for all of those birds we have a dozen rollers in out station wagon ?” NO … my dad says why didn’t you make the trade ? Why ? because you have no idea what Bill just let me have … the best ! I went into the Army in 1967 and never sold any of my flock … I let a good friend have them all … Yeah I had some of the best … I had over 20 solid white Parlor’s … and six+ pairs of white Thailand Laughers … along with 8-10 pairs of homing pigeon’s I used as foster parents … damn in 1965 I’d sell a pair of Thailand Laughers for $80 … wren those cock birds would coo … at the end they’d go Ha-Ha-Ha ! It made my Dad crack up … my Dad kept those birds … the Laughter’s … and when I was in Vietnam my dad wrote me and asked if he could sell them … he had an offer he couldn’t refuse … when I got back home in December 1968 … my dad handed me $850 … Memories William “Bill” Pensome was a friend of mine …
Thank You for providing Film on The True Start of Performing Pigeons. Caught your Chaneel /Post reminiscing when I had Roller Pigeons as a young Teen here in East Los Angeles, Calif. U.S. Makes me what to get make into the "Hobby" of These Birds... Will definitely View the Rest of your Videos. Subbed In ! If you could let us know or have a Video / documentary on How Rolling / Tumbling was first discovered in Pigeons genes ! Thank you
Great video, (South Africa)
In 1960 thru 1966 I visited Mr. Pensome many times … before I was old enough to drive my dad would take me up to Bills home in Reseda … I had already accumulated several birds of the Pensome roller strain … maybe six … I was cross breading those birds with other select Birmingham’s that I’d acquired from a William Bill Hague who lived in El Monte … and a Harmon Botenger who lived in Artesia and flew a kit of Pensome roller crosses … I was hybridizing rollers in the 6th grade … I flew a 20-25 bird kit …
Bill Pensome took a liking to me … we shared bird rolling philosophy … one Saturday my dad took up up to Bills home … I was looking for cock bird to pair up with this young outstanding Pensom female cross.
We’ll I told Bill what kind of a bird I was looking for and he let out 1 Kit … then 2 kits … as I watched those birds Bill asked me “see anything you like” ? I replied not really … so he goes over to another coop and grabs this silver red barred white badge headed cock bird… he tossed that bird up into the air…
It soon joined the others … that bird spun so tight you couldn’t count the turns … yeah that’s what I’m looking for I says to Bill … I think I was maybe 16-17 years old … Bill says I’ll let you have him for $20, with the understanding that you’ll never sell him … my dad says that’s a lot of money … I had the money…
I thanked Bill … and when my dad an I were out front of his home these other two guys that watched this cock bird in flight approached us … “will you sell that bird ?” NO … “then will you make a trade with us for all of those birds we have a dozen rollers in out station wagon ?” NO … my dad says why didn’t you make the trade ? Why ? because you have no idea what Bill just let me have … the best !
I went into the Army in 1967 and never sold any of my flock … I let a good friend have them all …
Yeah I had some of the best … I had over 20 solid white Parlor’s … and six+ pairs of white Thailand Laughers … along with 8-10 pairs of homing pigeon’s I used as foster parents … damn in 1965 I’d sell a pair of Thailand Laughers for $80 … wren those cock birds would coo … at the end they’d go Ha-Ha-Ha !
It made my Dad crack up … my Dad kept those birds … the Laughter’s … and when I was in Vietnam my dad wrote me and asked if he could sell them … he had an offer he couldn’t refuse … when I got back home in December 1968 … my dad handed me $850 … Memories
William “Bill” Pensome was a friend of mine …
thanks for sharing Sir 👍
hello, do you have more historic vintage videos of Bill Pensom and his rollers? can you please upload them for us? thanks.
Very attracite birds. I recommend my other films.
Nice one
Thank You for providing Film on The True Start of Performing Pigeons. Caught your Chaneel /Post reminiscing when I had Roller Pigeons as a young Teen here in East Los Angeles, Calif. U.S. Makes me what to get make into the "Hobby" of These Birds... Will definitely View the Rest of your Videos. Subbed In ! If you could let us know or have a Video / documentary on How Rolling / Tumbling was first discovered in Pigeons genes ! Thank you
Tesla of pigeon breeders.
Love that video right? Never leave