Book Of Standards

The NPA's 2005 Book of Standards, which is available from the NPA Secretary was put together by the Association to act as a pictorial guide to be used in tandem with a precise written specification for each of the 140 or so popular breeds listed.

The line drawing illustrations are all by the renowned pigeon artist Jean Louis Frindell, a Frenchman who is a member of the European Standards Commission and is also an avid pigeon fancier himself. His drawings, though good in their own right are meant only to optically guide the reader to the breed of their choice, for in some cases minor characteristics of the actual breeds have now become variable, depending developments made in the region from which they were obtained. The written standard is the one to which judges in the UK should be working to when making their decisions. Many of these standards were supplied by the UK Breed Clubs themselves, in those cases where this was not possible the Standard as issued by the breeds' Country of Origin or that as used in mainland Europe was substituted.

In the case of some breeds, more technically detailed drawings are available direct from the Breed Club Secretaries (see web links). Those breeds include the American Giant Homer (VPC), Domestic Show Flights, English and Pigmy Pouters, English Long Faced Clean Legged and Muffed Tumblers, Fantails, Ice Pigeons, Indian Fantails, Kings, GB Nuns, various Spanish Croppers and some of the VPC breeds.

As the book covers only a fraction of the 400 or so known breeds any fancier bringing a new, rare or variation of a breed in to this country should endeavour to obtain a copy of the Standard for that breed direct from the Country of Origin. Without a copy of that Standard it is probable that a breed will not be recognised for exhibition purposes in this country.