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BIG APPLE INVITATIONAL The Tenth Annual Big Apple Invitational, all-age, all-variety pigeon extravaganza will be held on Saturday, November 18, 2017. Once again, the National Show Racing Pigeon Association will hold their 86th Annual Show in conjunction with the Big Apple Invitational. The combination of these shows has been a great success and created a major pigeon show event in the tri-state area. The show has large entries of pigeons in many breeds, a wide variety of breeds on display, large pigeon for-sale areas, several large vendors, great selections of food, and a tremendous number of visitors and buyers of products and pigeons. As this is the 10th Anniversary of the Big Apple Invitational, we look forward to a bigger and better show than ever, with many special touches. The Big Apple Invitational has been held very successfully in its current home, the Eastern Greenwich Civic Center in Old Greenwich, Connecticut for several years. The Racing Pigeon show has been held at the same facility for many, many years, and these two groups combined their shows a few years ago into one date to create a pigeon extravaganza. The show has become very popular with unprecedented numbers of visitors, exhibitors, sale birds, and vendors, with improvement each year to make the show better for every exhibitor and visitor. The doors will open at 8:30am. Entry fee of $10 per man is waived for exhibitors. Different breeds will begin judging at different times and exhibitors should contact show supervisors for their breed for applicable times for their breed, however in all cases all birds must be penned by 11 am. Show Racers and German Beauty Homers set up and begin judging on Friday evening, Nov. 17, so please contact Brian Magee at 631-472-4417 for details on those breeds. For inquiries regarding Non-Flown Racing Homers, contact Earl Scheaffer Jr. at 717-286-8069. The Big Apple Invitational with the Racing Pigeon Association’s Show will continue and expand upon the many benefits and conveniences for the greater New York area fancier that have characterized this show. The Greenwich Civic Center features substantial free on-site parking, easy accessibility from I-95, plenty of space with high ceilings in the main room, and plenty of light (both natural and from new high-powered fixtures). The Big Apple Invitational always has large entries of several breeds including Domestic Show Flights run by the New York Combine, Show Tipplers run by the American Tippler Union, Pouters and Croppers run by the National Pouter and Cropper Club, and Short-Face Tumblers run by the Empire Short-Face Tumbler Club. The Portuguese Tumbler Club of America and National West of England Tumbler Club have held substantial meets at the Big Apple in recent years, and are expected to be returning for the 2017 show. Also expected are substantial entries of New York Flying Flights, Bronze Tipplers, Helmets, Jacobins, Fantails, Russian Tumblers, Rollers, Doves, Flying Baldheads, Danish Tipplers, Rare Breeds and many, many more. The National Show Racing Pigeon Association brings significant entries of Show Racers, German Beauty Homers, and Non-flown Racing Homers. The show will once again have several vendors for all of your pigeon supply needs, including Foy’s Pigeon Supply, Charles Siegel and Co., United Pigeon Supply featuring Versele-Laga pigeon feed, and sale of hand-made feeders, perches, and nest fronts. There will be delicious food concessions for breakfast and lunch including a room with plenty of tables for people to sit and relax while eating. This year will once again feature a wide variety of delicious hot and cold food. Those looking to buy or sell pigeons will find large pigeon sale sections for both Homers and show pigeons. People who want to sell birds will be able to reserve and prepay for their cages by using the Big Apple or Racing Pigeon entry forms, and they are strongly encouraged to do so as it makes the process go smoother, and ensures the best cage locations for your sale birds. The entry forms are available on this website, www.newyorkcombine.com The Eastern Greenwich Civic Center is located just over the Connecticut border in Old Greenwich, CT just off Exit 5 or 6 of I-95. Directions and Entry Forms can be found under the Big Apple Invitational page on this website. We have made arrangements with the Hyatt Regency Greenwich at 1800 East Putnam Avenue, Old Greenwich, CT 06870 for discounted accommodations of $99.00 plus tax per night double room (price good for Nov. 17 or 18 or both nights) for those traveling from out of town. We have also arranged for discounted overnight self-parking (not Valet) at the hotel of $6. Go to https://aws.passkey.com/e/49392024 or call 1-800-233-1234 to book and be sure to mention the “Big Apple Pigeon Show” to get the discounted rate when making reservations. Reservations must be made at the latest by October 27, 2017, but the rooms are in limited supply so make your reservations as soon as possible to be sure and get the special rate. The Big Apple is an NPA sponsored show. NPA Eastern Vice President Andrew Franze and District Two Director Paul Cali will both be on hand to answer any questions and provide information on the NPA. A 50/50 Raffle will also be held. All breeds with at least two exhibitors will receive an NPA Champion Certificate as well as Big Apple certificates of achievement. Each breed with at least 20 entries will receive a special 10th Anniversary Big Apple Invitational Best of Breed award. Breed representatives should be sure to stop by the secretary’s table to pick up the Best in Show award for their breed. Each Best of Breed winner is encouraged to have a photo of himself with his winning pigeon taken in front of the Big Apple Invitational backdrop near the entrance of the main show hall, and to have a close up photo of the Best of Breed bird taken at the photography station for inclusion in the show report in Purebred Pigeon Magazine and in the official photo book for the Big Apple Invitational at https://www.flickr.com/photos/bigapplepigeons/. This year for the 10th Anniversary, an 8x10 photo of each Best of Breed winner will be printed at the show and given to the winner in a special folder with the Big Apple certificate. For more information call or email Sal Gigante at (914) 664-6327 and Flights1@yahoo.com, or Peter Fratangelo Jr. at pfratangelo@hotmail.com. Entries for Show Racers, German Beauty Homers, and Racing Homers should use the National Show Racing Pigeon Association’s Entry Form which is posted on this site, and follow its instructions including where to mail the entry. All other Breeds should use the Big Apple Invitational Entry Form which is also available on this website, and those entries should be sent to the Show Superintendent Andrew Franze at Pigeon Feeds, Inc., 3505 Rombouts Avenue, Bronx, NY 10475, (914) 356-5100 and andrew.franze@me.com, so that they are received well in advance of the show and by November 13, 2017 at the very latest. Hope to see you at our Big Anniversary Show on November 18, 2017! |
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