On this page you will find:
The Breed Standard
Adopted by USTC 2012
The Standard - 1980 - 2012
The Standard - 1950 to 1980's
The Standard - 1910's to 1950
Breed Standard
for the
English Show Tippler
Adopted by The United Show Tippler Club December 2012
EE Approved
Standard Defining Authority, G.B.
Origin: The breed was developed in Great Britain at the end of the 19th century from the Flying Tippler; the Brander bronze colouring was introduced from crosses to the Danish Tumbler. The breed was developed purely as an exhibition bird and must not be confused with flying varieties.
The English Show Tippler is a small to medium sized pigeon (average weight 350g); the most important element is richness of colour showing a metallic mauve sheen. The black tail bar and flight tips are an essential feature of the breed.
Characteristics of the breed
Size: A dainty bird of small to medium size
Stance: Carriage sprightly
Judging
Points:
Size & Shape 10
Head 10
Neck 5
Body 10
Legs & Feet 5
Plumage 5
Colour 30
Markings 20
Condition 5
Total 100
Ring sizes: 7mm. UK Ring size A
Year of publication Standard first published 1891. Revision approved by USTC 01/12/ 2012 Approved by EE October 2014
Group: Tumblers/Highfliers.
The Ideal
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Earlier versions
The following Breed Standards which were in force at various times are included to show that Breed Standard has changed little over the centuries. The current Breed Standard was drawn up to EE format and is far more extensive than previous versions BUT simply reflects the English Show Tippler as described in previous versions.
Breed Standard used from 1980 - 2012
Origin : Developed in Great Britain in the 19th Century by crossing the Flying Macclesfield Tippler with Brander coloured Danish Tumbler. There are only four colour varieties ie. Light Mottle, Dark Mottle, Chuck, and Self. The breed is purely an exhibition bird and is not to be confused with the flying varieties.
Overall Impression : The most important factor in a Show Tippler undoubtedly is colour. The established colour is a rich chocolate brown that must have a metallic mauve sheen (showing no signs of green). After colour comes Type and Markings. Colour and Type are the two essentials for without them even perfect markings will not make a good show specimen. Only after those three main ingredients have been achieved do the still important other facets such as eye, beak, and cere come into the equation. Essential markings include a strong Black Bar approximately ½ inch (13mm) from the end of the tail covering all 12 tail feathers, and a good Black Tip to every primary and secondary flight. The Tail Bar and Wing Tips are considered as natural in the make-up of the Show Tippler. The Show Tippler must never at any time be judged primarily on condition.
Head : Round skull (not too full in front), medium faced.
Eyes : Pearl eyes with dark ceres.
Beak : Dark.
Neck : Short, stout at shoulders, tapering well up to the head.
Size and Shape : Medium in size, broad chest and shoulders, strong wing butts, body tapering from shoulders to tail to form a wedge-shape.
Flights : Short and broad, overlapping each other when expanded. Sound in colour throughout. A white secondary may be admissible, but will down-grade the bird. All flights in each variety must be soundly tipped black.
Legs & Feet : Short legs; small feet; bright red in colour. To be free from feathers below the hock.
Condition and Appearance : Carriage sprightly and erect, hard, short, close and perfect in feather. Flight or tail feathers cut or missing to be considered as foul feathers. The whole possessing a rich metallic sheen (mauve). Tail feathers, 12 in number; flight primaries, 10 in number. Colour rich chocolate brown. Markings, white.
Colours :
Dark Mottle – Rich chocolate brown with white markings evenly distributed on back and wings, but not including the bars. Flights and tail sound in colour. White feathers on any other part of the body other than as described are considered foul.
Light Mottle – Light ground, rich chocolate brown markings evenly mottled throughout. Flights and tail sound in colour.
Self-Coloured – Rich chocolate brown throughout, especially the under-part of the body through to the tail.
Chuck – Rich chocolate brown chuck on throat below the lower mandible, distinct and even. Primary flights and tail of same colour as chuck. Remainder of bird viz. Head, Neck, Body and Wings, including secondaries, back and rump to be white or as clear as possible. Secondaries to be either all white, to be known as a 10 x 10 Chuck, or all secondaries to be soundly coloured, to be known as a Full-Flighted Chuck.
All four colour varieties must possess a Black tail bar.
All flights or primaries must be clearly tipped Black.
Scale of Points :
Head: 10
Neck: 4
Size and shape: 20
Flights : 10
Legs & Feet: 6
Condition and Appearance: 18
Colour: 16
Markings : 16
Total: 100
Breed Standard used from 1950's to 1980's
Head : Round skull (not too full in front), medium faced, Pearl eyes with dark ceres, and a dark beak.
Neck : Short, stout at shoulders, tapering well up to the head.
Size and Shape : Medium in size, broad chest and shoulders, strong wing butts, body well tapering to tail, wedge shape.
Flights : Short and broad, well overlapping each other when expanded. Sound in colour throughout. A white secondary may be admissible, but will count against it. Flights in each variety should be soundly tipped black.
Legs & Feet : Short legs; small feet, red in appearance and free from feathers below the hock.
Condition and Appearance : Carriage sprightly and erect, hard, short, close and perfect in feather. Flight or tail feather cut or missing is considered as foul feathers. The whole possessing a rich metallic sheen (mauve). Tail feathers, 12 in number; flight primaries, 10 in number. Colour rich chocolate brown. Markings, white.
Dark Mottle Class – Rich chocolate brown with white markings evenly distributed on back and wings, but not including the bars. Flights and tail sound in colour. White feathers on any other part of the body other than as described are foul.
Light Mottle Class – Light ground, rich chocolate brown markings evenly mottled throughout. Flights and tail sound in colour.
Self-Coloured Class – Rich chocolate brown throughout, especially the under-part of the body to the tail.
Chuck Class – Rich chocolate brown chuck on throat below the lower mandible, distinct and even. Primaries or flights and tail of same colour as chuck. Remainder of bird viz. Head, Neck, Body and Wings, including secondaries, back and rump white or as clear as possible. Secondaries to be either all white, to be known as a 10 x 10 Chuck, or all secondaries to be soundly coloured, to be known as a Full-Flighted Chuck.
In all four varieties the tail must possess a Black tail bar near the end, and all flights or primaries must be clearly tipped Black.
Scale of Points :
Head: 5
Neck: 2
Size and shape: 10
Flights : 5
Legs & Feet: 3
Condition and Appearance: 10
Colour: 7
Markings : 8
Total: 50
Breed Standard used from 1910's to 1950's
Standard of Points
Head - Round skull (not too full in front), medium faced, Pearl eyes with dark ceres, and a dark beak.
Neck - Short, stout at shoulders, tapering well up to the head.
Size and Shape - Medium in size, broad chest and shoulders, strong wing butts, body well tapering, wedge shape to tip of tail.
Flights - Short and broad, well overlapping each other when expanded. Sound in colour throughout in Dark and Light Mottles; a foul secondary may be admissible but will cause a broken bar and count against it. In Chuck classes the ten primary flights should be soundly tipped.
Legs & Feet - Short legs; small feet (bright red in appearance) and free from feathers below the hock.
Condition and Appearance - Carriage sprightly and erect, hard, short, close and perfect in feather; flight or tail feathers being out and not well through the pen (or quill) will put a bird back as if it were foul feathering; the whole possessing a rich metallic sheen. Tail feathers should be twelve in number.
Dark Mottle Class – Rich chocolate brown ground with white markings evenly distributed on back and wings, but not including the bars. Flights and tail sound in colour. White feathers on any other part of the body other than as described are foul.
Light Mottle Class – White ground, rich chocolate brown markings evenly mottled or printed throughout; flights and tail feathers sound in colour.
Chuck Class – Simply-coloured chuck, primary flights and tail feathers, rich chocolate brown to take the lead; remainder of bird white – viz head, neck, body, wings including secondaries ie short flight feathers back and rump white or as clear as possible.
Self-Coloured Class – To be rich chocolate brown throughout; flight feathers and tail should, of course, be soundly tipped.
NB - Birds competing in young bird classes must bear the recognised ring of the N.P.A.
Disqualification – cutting, plucking or dying.
Points:
Head: 5
Neck: 2
Size and shape: 10
Flights : 5
Legs & Feet: 3
Condition and Appearance: 10
Colour: 7
Markings : 8
Total: 50