THE LAHORE PIGEON STANDARD OF PERFECTION
(As adopted and approved by The American Lahore Club, June 1991)
FOREWORD
The purpose of this standard of perfection is to guide the breeder in the endeavor to produce show specimens that closely resemble the Ideal. This standard is also to be used as the guideline for the judging at all shows. A consistent evaluation of all points of this standard is to be desired.
It should be stressed that the Lahore is a balanced bird with specific markings and is difficult to produce correctly. Therefore, we should search for the desirable traits and not be overly concerned with minor faults.
Judges must follow the points of the standard regardless of their personal preference.
MEASUREMENTS – STANDING POSITION
HEIGHT: Approximately ten and one-half inches (10 1/2”)
LENGTH: Tip of tail to chest extremity approximately eleven and one-half inches (11 1/2”)
WIDTH: Approximately five and one-half inches (5 1/2”) at widest point of the body, from shoulder to shoulder.
The measurements listed above are for old cocks, hens, and young birds would be somewhat smaller accordingly.
TEMPERAMENT
It is desired that the Lahore be calm and stately in the show pen, birds that are wild or flighty may be cut up to ten (10) points. These ten points are to be floating and not upset the original one hundred point total.
SCALE OF POINTS
Marking and Design 25 Carriage and Station 15
Head and Neck 20 Color 10
Body and Size 20 Feet and Legs 10
MARKINGS AND DESIGN – – 25 points
MARKINGS —– The base color is white with secondary color conforming to the design of the illustration. Basically the secondary color starts at the wattle, with a line continuing from the juncture of the beak and wattle, up over the eye and down the neck to the wing butt, with the entire wing being colored. The rump, tail, and remainder of the bird is to be white. Point cuts should be according to the severity of the fault, with more emphasis being placed on the head, neck, and wing markings. Slight mismarkings in the thighs, etc., are of less importance and should receive less point cuts according to the severity. It should be remembered that slight mismarkings such as “bishoped-wing” (slight white feathering under the wing butt) or color in the thigh, etc., are not disqualifications but faults, and should be dealt with as such.
HEAD AND NECK – – 20 points
HEAD AND FACE —– The head is to be large and as broad as possible, with full frontal and well developed back skull. Top of skull being not too round, but oval as illustrated. Head and face to be more masculine in cocks than in hens. The face of the bird is to be very pleasant with the cheeks being full enough to give the face a rather chubby appearance.
NECK —– Full and powerful, medium in length, and heavily feathered, flowing from the back of the head without undercut, into the smooth continuous back line. There should be as little undercut from the beak into the breast line as possible. This stout “Bull-Neck” flowing smoothly into the large chest is a most desirable characteristic, and birds with think “snaky” necks should have points cut accordingly.
EYES —– Bright and prominent showing health and vigor. To be “bull” in color. “Cracked” or off colored eyes to be disqualified.
EYE CERE —– To be fine, smooth, and narrow as possible. May vary from flesh colored to red.
BEAK —– To be broad and stout and rather blunt at the tip. Medium in length, measuring approximately seven-eighths of an inch (7/8”) from the feather line above the wattle to the tip of the beak. Shorter is better than longer. Must be pinkish white in color, with any sign of horn color or dark staining to be a disqualification. To be neither “down-faced” or too straight, but as illustrated. Long thin beaks are not of proper type.
WATTLE —– Medium in size and fine in texture, powdery white in color. Slight staining is allowed but not desired. Anything more than a slight stain should receive heavy point cuts, and in no case is the staining allowed to extend into the beak proper. The nostrils shall be the dividing line between the wattle and beak.
BODY AND SIZE – – 20 points
BODY AND KEEL —– Body is to be slightly larger than medium, broad, well fleshed and solid, with a feeling of strength and smoothness. The keel should be moderate in length curving like the rocker of a rocking chair, with no crooks or indentations. The keel should have enough flesh so the keel bone itself is not prominent, but rather give the feeling of smooth, even, roundness when held in the hands. This, narrow, overly long bodies are a serious fault. The desire is to have a broad, cobby, well fleshed bird.
CHEST —– To be broad, well rounded, and very prominent. The chest should extend well beyond the wing butts and appear round and full when viewed from either side or the front. To be an outstanding feature of the breed. Any tendency to putt the beak down into the chest feathers is a fault. Birds with narrow, square, or weak appearing chests are undesirable. Any bird that does not have the wing butts covered by chest feathers is of incorrect type and should have points cuts accordingly.
BACK AND SHOULDERS —– Back to be broad with well rounded shoulders. Wedge shaped when viewed from above, wide at the shoulders, diminishing rapidly toward the tail. Shoulders should blend into the neck feathers smoothly. Back should slope at an angle of 35 to 45 degrees when standing in show station.
WINGS —– Strong and wide, held snugly to the body, laying smoothly on the rump and tail with the tips ending approximately one inch (1”) from the end of the tail. Wing butts to be well covered by chest feathers blending into the chest smoothly. The covert feathers should come together enough on the back so the bird does not appear “open” or sloppy in the rump area. The wings should blend into the rump and tail area smoothly, without any sign of “sideboards” or “sails”. Drooping, dragging, held away from body, or wings crossed at the tips are all faults.
TAIL —– Neatly folded, medium in length, and approximately one and one-quarter (1 1/4) feathers wide. Lines to follow the sweep of the back with the tip being carried not too far off the floor. Tails that are too long, too loose or wide, droopy in the rump, or held too high are serious faults and should have points cuts accordingly.
CARRIAGE AND STATION – – 15 points
CARRIAGE AND STATION —– The Lahore should stand so the back line forms a 35 to 45 degree angle with the ground. They should have an erect, bold, proud appearance. Crouching or holding the tail too high is considered a fault.
COLOR 10 points
COLOR —– All colors to be recognized. Standard show classifications are Black, Lavender, Red, Yellow, Bars, Checks, and A.O.C.. Bar and Check classes consist of any color Bar or any color Check, and Checks can be either light or dark Check. Duns and all colors not already mentioned are to be shown in the A.O.C. class. These color classes are established for the convenience of our show secretaries, and to create competition. They are not intended to stifle the development of new colors in any way. A class for any color desired may be established at any particular show by either contacting the show secretary in advance of the show, or by agreement of the exhibitors present. All intense colors should be rich and lustrous, with bars and checks being clear and crisp and true to their various colors. Points cuts should be accordingly.
PLUMAGE —– To be smooth, neat, and clean. The feathers of the head, neck, and chest should have just enough length and looseness to enhance the fullness of those areas. Overly long or ragged feathering is undesirable, especially in the flights and tail.
FEET AND LEGS – – 10 points
FEET AND LEGS —– Legs should be set well apart and not too long. Overly long or “stilty” legs are a serious fault. Feet should be well covered by feathering, which should be a heavy grouse, but not so long as to appear too “muff-like.” The feathering of the legs should blend smoothly into the tail cushioning without any indications of “vulture hocks” (long, loose feathering in the hocks). Toenails are to be pinkish white in color. Off colored toenails are allowed but not desired, and to be considered only a slight fault.
TRIMMING
TRIMMING —– Trimming of the plumage to enhance markings is legal. However, this practice should be approached with caution as disqualifications may result if excessive or not done correctly (judge’s discretion).
DISQUALIFICATIONS
-White flights and/or colored tail feathers. It should be noted that in some colors, i.e., grizzle, etc., that white is allowed in the flight as long as they are tipped with color.
- White collar (white feathers across the nape of the neck).
- Open faced (band of white feathers across the forehead).
- Cut eye (solid color across the eye).
- All beaks other than pinkish white.
- Broken eye or eye color other than “bull”.
- Poor condition (judge’s discretion).
- Excessive trimming (judge’s discretion).
- Any faking such as dyeing of feathers, etc.
- Young bird banded with improper size band.