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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