The Dixie Southern Racing Pigeon Association today and history:

 

Submitted from the DSRPA web-site archives by:

 

The Dixiebuckeye

541 Roland Dr.

Norfolk, Va. 23509

Dixie Southern Racing Pigeon Association Today

The Dixie Southern Racing Pigeon Association (DSRPA) incorporates the largest group of Handicap racing in the world. We sponsor 6 races per year (3 OB and 3 YB) in which your club selects the race stations, fly the races and mail (or email) your results to the race secretary. The fastest speed wins, for which we provide monetary prizes for the first twenty positions and a trophy or plaque for each overall winner.

We are a family oriented group; our host club sponsors an annual convention, in which we fly a race(s), conduct seminars, an auction and ladies activities plus much, much more. The conventions are held in a selected 10 state area of the Southeast each year. This allows us a chance to visit different beautiful sections of our DSRPA group. The host club puts on a tremendous convention second to none in which the whole family can enjoy. Just ask anyone about the DSRPA conventions!

As with any large organization the friendships that are cultivated during the conventions overflows into our private lives enriching us for many years to come. As convention time approaches we all are as anxious as small children on Christmas Eve, we can hardly wait to see our friends again, relax and have a great time!

The DSRPA has been extremely successful since the merger of the DIXIE and the SRPA in 1982. We are the biggest and best Racing Pigeon Association in the Southeast.

Contact our secretary for further information and requirements necessary to become a part of the greatest pigeon association in the southeast also check out our web-site at www.dsrpa.org.

Leon Furnish
71 Scarborough Rd.
Stockbridge, GA. 30281
678-289-0872

 

 

 

In the early fall of 1938 a small group of devoted pigeon fanciers from several southern cities met in Savannah, Georgia, to discuss the organization of a Racing Pigeon Concourse for clubs of the Southeast. In attendance at the Savannah meeting were: C. A. "Pat" Murphy, The Kemper brothers, and D. Lee Wicker of Atlanta; W. H. Hoppmann Sr. of Charleston, S.C.; J. L. Collins of Charleston, S.C.; Joe Engel of Chattanooga, Tennessee; T. A. Mitchell, Dr. J. W. Hess, J. Archie Johnson, Dr. W. A. Cole, D. L. Johnson, Frank Fennell, and W. E. Sinclair, all of Savannah. This was the spark that started the flame. Through the years the Association has grown from six member cities to a total of 28 in 1962.

Although reorganized several times, the S.R.P.A. was the outcome of the meeting in Savannah and was formally organized at a meeting on September 2 and 3, 1939, in Atlanta, Georgia. Clubs from the following cities were represented at the Atlanta meeting: Atlanta, Augusta, Charleston, Chattanooga, Macon, Savannah, and Tampa. The meeting was held at the estate of "Pat" Murphy and after selecting the name, "Southeastern Racing Pigeon Concourse" the first officers of the organization were elected. They were: T. A. Mitchell of Savannah, President, and Dr. J. W. Hess of Savannah, Secretary. The Southeastern Concourse continued to operate until 1944 with one young bird race each year, the Joe Engel Handicap.

Due to the war no meetings were held until 1947 at which time the Concourse was organized under the name of "The Dixie Center." the first meeting under the new name was held on November 23, 1947, in Charleston, S.C., J. L. Collins, President, presiding. The Center continued its activities as an administrative body until 1951 at which time its charter was lost due to insufficient membership.

In 1949 our affable friend and promoter, Tommy Peacock, of Atlanta, started the ball rolling in getting the present Southern Racing Pigeon Association organized. The first meeting under this name was held in Atlanta and the following clubs were listed as members: Atlanta, Augusta, Brunswick and Savannah, Georgia; Birmingham, Alabama; Chattanooga, Tennessee.

By-Laws and race-rules were formulated at this time and four races were scheduled for 1950. The races consisted of one 300 and one 500 mile old bird race, and one 200 and one 300 young bird race. The races have been actively participated in with all member clubs flying the specified distance from their regular race station. One winner from each city is acclaimed by fastest speed in yards per minute. Shows and annual meetings have been gaining each year, and Atlanta set a new record of 826 birds entered in their show in 1962.

 

 

 

History of the Dixie Racing Pigeon Association

At the convention held in Wilmington, NC in 1977, a group of flyers met to discuss the By-Laws and how they restricted some fanciers from flying the regional races due to borderlines. It was decided to hold a meeting in Atlanta Ga. sometime in 1978.

The meeting was held in Atlanta as planned and it was decided to fly the same races as the Southern Racing Pigeon Association had been flying. The race series would start in 1979 and the convention to be held in Atlanta Ga. in November, 1979. Tom Peacock was elected to the office of President. Thus was hatched the Dixie Racing Pigeon Association.

Note: Tom Peacock passed away during the year and Frank Price filled in for the rest of the year.

History of the Dixie Southern Racing Pigeon Association

It started back in 1980, when representatives from the two existing Southern pigeon associations the Southern Racing Pigeon Association (SRPA) and the Dixie Racing Pigeon Association (DIXIE) - got together and discussed the possibility of holding a combined convention in 1981. The initial meeting took place at the DIXIE convention in Jacksonville, Florida. In attendance were Bert Oostlander (President SRPA), Mike Anika (Secretary/Treasurer,) both from Savannah, Georgia, Frank Price (former President DIXIE) from Atlanta Ga., Curtis Christian III (Secretary/Treasurer DIXIE) and Wade Shrivalle both from Charleston, South Carolina. After several lengthy discussions at the meeting and considering several possible convention sites, it was decided since the DIXIE association already had plans to hold their convention in Charleston; the SRPA would join them for a combined convention.

Subsequent meetings involving aforementioned officers were held in Savannah, Georgia to discuss the details, and at those meetings, it was decided to try to unite both associations into one by way of a merger. A proposed new constitution, by-laws, and race rules were accepted. The hardest issue to resolve was the name for the new association. It was agreed based on Bert Oostlanders suggestion to combine both names into one and so the DIXIE SOUTHERN RACING PIGEON ASSOCIATION was born and the initials "DS" were to be used on the association's special bands. Since that time, the association has adopted several new programs recognizing the individual accomplishments by its members and their pigeons, and grown to today's size of approximately 40 clubs with 400 plus members, ranking it among the largest organizations in the country.

 

 

 

Past Presidents

Southern Racing Pigeon Association

   Dixie Racing Pigeon Association       Southern Racing Pigeon Association

 Dixie Southern Racing Pigeon Association