The EnglishGreyhound, or simply the Greyhound, is a breed of dog, a sighthound which has been bred for coursing, greyhound racing and hunting. Since the rise in large-scale adoption of retired racing Greyhounds, the breed has seen a resurgence in popularity as a family pet.
The Shetland pony is a Scottish breed of pony originating in the Shetland Isles in the north of Scotland. It may stand up to 107 cm (42 in) at the withers. It has a heavy coat and short legs, is strong for its size, and is used for riding, driving, and pack purposes.
The homing pigeon, also called the mail pigeon or messenger pigeon, is a variety of domestic pigeons derived from the wild rock dove, selectively bred for its ability to find its way home over extremely long distances. The rock dove has an innate homing ability, meaning that it will generally return to its nest using magnetoreception. Flights as long as 1,800 km have been recorded by birds in competitive pigeon racing. Their average flying speed over moderate 965 km distances is around 97 km/h and speeds of up to 160 km/h have been observed in top racers for short distances.
Pigeon racing is the sport of releasing specially trained homing pigeons, which then return to their homes over a carefully measured distance. The time it takes the animal to cover the specified distance is measured and the bird's rate of travel is calculated and compared with all of the other pigeons in the race to determine which animal returned at the highest speed.
The Narragansett Pacer was one of the first recorded horse breeds developed in the United States. It emerged in the 18th century (1700s), and was theorized to have been bred from a mix of English and Spanish breeds, although the exact cross is unknown. The Pacer was associated with, and bred in, the state of Rhode Island and the area of New England; as horse breeding shifted to Kentucky and Tennessee in the late 1700s, it became extinct by the 20th century.
Fancy pigeon refers to any breed of domestic pigeon, which is a domesticated form of the wild rock dove. They are bred by pigeon fanciers for various traits relating to size, shape, color, and behavior, and often exhibited at pigeon shows, fairs and other livestock exhibits.
The domestic pigeon or city dove is a pigeon subspecies that was derived from the rock dove. The rock pigeon is the world's oldest domesticated bird. Mesopotamian cuneiform tablets mention the domestication of pigeons more than 5,000 years ago, as do Egyptian hieroglyphics. Research suggests that domestication of pigeons occurred as early as 10,000 years ago.
Pigeon keeping or pigeon fancying is the art and science of breeding domestic pigeons. People have practiced pigeon keeping for at least 5,000 years and in almost every part of the world. In that time, humans have substantially altered the morphology and the behaviour of the domesticated descendants of the rock dove to suit their needs for food, aesthetic satisfaction and entertainment.
Animals in sport are a specific form of working animals. Many animals, at least in more commercial sports, are highly trained. Two of the most common animals in sport are horses and dogs.
The American Show Racer pigeon is a breed of domestic pigeon that began in the early 1950s with the finest Racing Homers, selectively bred for their breed type. Pigeon historian Wendell Levi mentions Show Pen Racers in his book The Pigeon. He describes the early development of the breed in the United States and early breeders of the variety. In 1952, The American Show Pen Racer Club was formed at the National Show held in Des Moines, Iowa.
Douglas Lionel Hele was a pioneering British motorcycle engineer with Triumph and other firms: BSA, Douglas and Norton. He was born in Birmingham in 1919 and died in Hagley, Worcestershire on 2 November 2001.
The Komorn Tumbler is a breed of fancy pigeon developed over many years of selective breeding. The breed has American and European varieties that are recognized as separate breeds at shows with classes catering for American Komorner Tumblers and European Komorner Tumblers. Originally bred for acrobatic flying as a tumbler pigeon, Komorners are seldom free-flown today, and exist only for exhibition in pigeon shows.
The German Beauty Homer is a breed of fancy pigeon developed over many years of selective breeding, from German racing pigeons. German Beauty Homers along with other varieties of domesticated pigeons are all descendants of the rock dove. The breed was first developed around one hundred years ago.
The Sebright is a British breed of bantam chicken. It is a true bantam – a miniature bird with no corresponding large version – and is one of the oldest recorded British bantam breeds. It is named after Sir John Saunders Sebright, who created it as an ornamental breed by selective breeding in the early nineteenth century.
Flying/Sporting is the name of one of three main groupings of breeds of domesticated pigeons used by pigeon fanciers in the United States. The other two are Fancy and Utility.
The King pigeon is a breed of pigeon developed over many years of selective breeding primarily as a utility breed. Kings along with other varieties of domesticated pigeons are all descendants from the rock dove.
The Dragoon is a breed of fancy pigeon developed over many years of selective breeding. Dragoons, along with other varieties of domesticated pigeons, are all descendants of the wild rock dove. The Dragoon was one of the breeds used in the development of the Racing Homer. A very old breed of British origin, referred to by Moore (1735).
The Antwerp Smerle is a breed of fancy pigeon developed over many years of selective breeding. Antwerp Smerles, along with other varieties of domesticated pigeons, are all descendants from the rock pigeon. The Smerle was one of the breeds used in the development of the Racing Homer.
The French Trotter is a French breed of trotting horse bred for racing both ridden and in harness. It was bred specifically for racing in the 19th century (1800s), principally in Normandy in north-western France.
