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BIG APPLE INVITATIONAL The Ninth Annual Big Apple Invitational, the largest all-age, all-variety pigeon show held in metropolitan New York, will be held on Saturday, November 19, 2016. Once again, the National Show Racing Pigeon Association will hold their 85th Annual Show in conjunction with the Big Apple Invitational. Combining these shows the last two years has been a great success and created a major pigeon show event on the calendar of many. 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. 2016 looks to be as large or larger than last year. 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. 18, 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, Short-Face Tumblers run by the Empire Short-Face Tumbler Club, Show Tipplers run by the American Tippler Union, and Pouters and Croppers run by the National Pouter and Cropper Club. The Portuguese Tumbler Club of America held a substantial meet the Big Apple last year, and will be returning for the 2016 show. Also expected are substantial entries of New York Flying Flights, Bronze Tipplers, Helmets, Jacobins, Fantails, Russian Tumblers, West of England 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. The food concessions were very popular last year, and we had enough food to accommodate everyone. 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 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 La Quinta Inn (Stamford/New York City location) at 135 Harvard Ave., Stamford, CT 06902 for discounted accommodations of $90.00 plus tax per night double room (price good for Nov. 18 or 19 or both nights) for the those traveling from out of town. Call 1-866-527-1498 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 28, 2016, 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 Best of Breed award. Breed representatives should be sure to stop by the secretary’s table to pick up the Best in Show award. Last year featured beautiful awards made of slate and featuring the Big Apple Invitational Logo and the name of the breed. 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 will be posted on this site when available, and follow its instructions including where to mail the entry. All other Breeds should use the Big Apple Invitational Entry Form which will also be available on this website, and those entries should be sent to the Show Superintendent Andrew Franze at United Pigeon Association, 1461 Blondell Avenue, Bronx, NY 10461, (914) 356-5100 and andrew.franze@me.com. Hope to see you at The Big Show on November 19, 2016! |
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