THE IDEAL SHOW ROLLER: THE NRC'S GUIDE TO JUDGING THE SHOW ROLLER
by Jeff Davies September 2002
This Show Roller standard is set out to maintain a pigeon of size, shape and plumage suitable for kit flying, in fact, a flying breed which can still fly with style and some endurance.
BODY TYPE: (15 points) A pigeon with balance and symmetry is the requirement. SIZE: A short, wedge shaped pigeon is ideal, long cast birds are regarded as a serious fault. Cocks to measure 80-100 cms from the back of the neck to the end of the tail, hens 70-90cms. The keel should be medium depth directly below the wing butts, and should, with a gradual upward sweep, meet the vent bones. Deep keeled birds are generally big and not ideal.
STATION: (8 points) At best the Roller should be low on the legs, with the legs nicely spaced and no sign of knocked knees. With the wings carried on the tail, and the short tail angled down and carried about 25mm above the floor. The wing butts should blend well into the body plumage. The neck should be short, and the head carried some 70mm in front of the bird's axis, giving the impression of alertness and designed for flight.
IN THE HAND: (20 points) The bird's bone structure determines its size, but the flesh and muscle gives the body the ideal 'feel' and condition; a firm apple body is the requirement. The body plumage to have a rich silky texture and be as dense as possible. Back cover should extend on to the middle of the tail and provide a strong waterproof rump. A weak rump is a bad fault. The spread, open wing should show strong, springy secondary and primary feathers with good width of webbing, and be free of pinholes or fret marks. The twelve tail feathers should be similarly endowed and when closed, the tail width should be no more than 35mm wide. Clean legs are preferred, but some leg grousing is acceptable.
HEAD & NECK QUALITIES: (50 points) It is the head of the Show Roller that is accored the greatest significance and value. Expression, that unique quality, is only recognised in a bird where conformity of beak, head contours and eyes are ideal. The beak should be fine and spindle in its sructure, and should be set straight off the face of the Roller. It should be 12mm-15mm in length. Thick, coarse beaks or beaks angled down from the face are serious faults which detract from the expression. Clean, flesh coloured beaks are preferred on baldheads, but stained or dark coloured beaks are acceptable on badge marked or plain headed Rollers. The wattles should be small, neat and white in colour. The Roller's frontal plumage is vital to expression. Ideally it is nipped in beind the wattle and rises in a slightly widening arc to its zenith above, but in front of the eyes. The frontal plumage also arcs out in a slightly smaller radius into the face, but without obstructing the birds vision. Snipey frontals are bad faults, but at the other extreme, Tumbler type frontals exclude expression and are not ideal. From its zenith above and in front of the eyes, the line of the head plumage should slowly fall in an oval, sweeping arc, forming a strong back skull which blends into the thick, dense neck plumage. Likewise, the frontal should blend into the face of the Roller. The neck plumage should be thick and blend into the body above the wing butts, and blend also into the breast plumage. THe whole head and neck, viewed from any angle, should be free of flats or corners. Its overall effect should present a pleasing, attractive pigeon, without any exaggeration. Eyes are also vital to expression; ideally positioned slightly above the wattle, and 14mm-16mm behind them. Eyes should be bright, with the pupil at dead centre, and pinhead small in good light. Eye colour varies from deep orange through yellow, brown, gravel to pearl, but orange and yellow are preferred. Bull or odd eyes are a disqualification in the show pen. Large pupils or pupils pulled to the front of the eyes are a serious fault and an anathema to expression. The eye cere should be hardly visible.
COLOUR & MARKINGS (7 points) Whilst vital to a pigeon's attraction, colour and markings are secondary to head qualities and overall type. That said, rich attractive colours and pleasing markings should be accorded merit. However, a drab coloured bird of ideal type should always be placed above one of inferior quality.