PAUL SION-----------------------------HEITZMAN SIONS--------------------------------NO SWEAT SIONS
THANK YOU FOR VISITING MY SITE AND WELCOME TO MY WORLD OF SIONS. I APPRECIATE YOUR INTEREST. MY LIFE IS AND ALWAYS HAS BEEN ABOUT THE BIRDS, AND IN PARTICULAR, SIONS.
Hello to the great pigeon world! MAY YOUR VISIT TO THIS SITE BE ENJOYABLE! MAY YOU COME TO FIND THE LOVE I HAVE FOR SIONS.
Please appreciate that I was taking care of pigeons when I was seven years old. There are photos of me with my pigeons when I was eight years of age. And I still have a few friends which have "pigeon letters" they received from me in the late 50's. I am now approaching my 63rd year with racing pigeons. Racing pigeons have always been intregral part of my life.
This winter I will be working on a new article for the editor of the Racing Pigeon Digest, my friend, Mr. Gene Yoes, and this article is to be be what I have learned about the colors of racing pigeons. I plan to make it a unique article in which no other fancier has ever explored the subject of color as I will show.
I am blessed with two old friends which have had racing pigeons alongside me for over 60 years, Gary Stone in Ohio and John McQuithy in Indiana. When you have had a pigeon friend that long the bond becomes strong. And I have friendships with others which I have known in the sport for 40 years or more and those too remain dear. I have lived long enough to have seen gret changes in our sport from everything the way a racing pigeon is clocked to all the different ways which have evolved to now see a pigeon be shipped from the Post Office. Our sport remains the greatest sport on earth much because of the humble and devoted fanciers devoted to their racing pigeons and also to the betterment of our sport. Fanciers who want to do what is fair and congradulate those that might beat them on any given race day. I feel sorry for those poor fo;l who do not have pigeons as racing pigeon fanciers have an advantage in knowing what it is to be truly in heaven each time they are alone with their birds.
Just recently my wife, Chesteen, and I, were both hit extra hard with the famous virus and both of us suffered tremendously and for many days I thought I was going to die. Oddly enough, even when I was near death I often thought of my Sions. And in my darkest hours I was thankful they were being cared for by my close friend and partner John Hays who has been so good to me for the past dozen years. And as I began to get better my grandson, Lance, and my old pigeon friend, Gary Stone also came to my rescue to keep me physically active with the birds. It was not easy as I had lost all my energy and had major difficulties in breathing. But to see these three friends come to my rescue with the birds did in fact have this old man crying----somethiong I will never forget. I am so lucky to still be kicking and once again into my routine of being with my family of Sions. And yes, I now say "my family of Sions" as so many fanciers have pointed out to me that the large colony of Sions which I now maintain are truly much more a reflection of who I am than they ever were of that being that of Mr. Charles Heitzmn or Mons. Paul Sion. I suppose that now when I am able to trace back on any given bird for a dozen generations or more and show where every bird in that pedigree was bred by "NO SWEAT" then yes, I guess they have become something more than what they once were and are actually now my own family of racing pigeons which everyone has come to dub "NO SWEAT SIONS." And as I look forward to the 2021 breeding season I find myself with some 70 pair of breeders. Most all of them medium sized with a few being small and a few being medium large. Not a singler open back to be found. And most all of them being of three colors: blue bars, silver bars and brick reds. There is not a single splash or white flighted bird in the entire colony. And besides those three colors, I have ONE blue check cock which is bred out of a hen which was bred from four 600 mile young birds. And that hen was taken 50 miles first toss, 100 miles second toss and 500 miles the third toss--with her coming in early on the second day and her nestmate about one hour behind her. His father flew 500 miles five times and 600 miles twice. Yes, this is a family of Sions built on tremendous performances at LONG DISTANCES which include young birds coming back from 700 air miles (world records) and yearlings coming back from 1,000 air miles.
2020 was a something of a crazy year for me in breeding. I originally mated the birds together in early November, 2019 and had babies hatching in December, 2019 and I was lucky to get 2020 bands on most of those babies. I bred these very early hatches in hopes of shipping them to the world famous South Africa Race which was boasting their 25th Anniversary Year. I wanted to have older entries in that race. But then so much began to unravel. There were rumors that the race was having serious financial problems. And then the dreaded virus hit. And after that everything went topsy-turvy. Entry dates for the race became suspended. I kept the faith, that no matter what, things would get better and that there would be a South Africa Race. But over the months of my continuing to breed young birds because the South Africa dates kept getting pushed later, I found myself in a predicament as I had bred far more young birds than normal and to top matters, the South Africa Race was called off. And for how much longer it will remain so, I do not know. I do know they owe JW and myself money. And from all I hear, we are far from being alone.
AND so the worm turned and what I began to realize was that the next biggest race which was now to evolve into the biggest race would be the other main race in Africa called THE VICTORIA FALLS RACE. My full partner in all this is JOHN WESLEY JENNINGS which lives in North Carolina. I mentioned all this to him and somewhat bugged him for us to consider VICTORIA FALLS. JW had actually visited the VICTORIA FALLS and had from what he observed, had reservations. Neither of us actually ever wanted to enter the race. . But as everything was happening John was his usual generous and gracious self and gave me the nod to ship a strong contingent of my famnily of Sions to Victoria Falls. At that particular time I was still horribly suffering with the virus and it was only by the grace of God and my friends---as truly I was unable to stand or think---they held me up around and in the lofts and miracuously managed to somehow help me get many potential birds loaded. For the next two straight days I wallowed about on my floor in my living room with those same birds trying my best to lay out a smart strategy as to which birds should be shipped. I worked through those two nights with a flashlight and to this moment I really do not know how I did what I did as I was so feeble and delerious. But in the end, I placed the birds in their shipping boxes and with the help of my wife and grandson shipped them to Frank in Boston who has them even now as I write this--soon to be shipped off to their second quarantine session in Africa. My fingers remain crossed that we get a high percentage to somehow eventually make it into the big loft to finally get settled. And I believe the big main race will take place in late July, 2021. Naturally, JW and I are excited. Upon receiving and inspecting the birds Frank remarked that they were superior in every way and Gary Stone who is for certain experienced with racing homers also stated that they were absolute awesome team of entries. So, we shall see. At least we are in the "ballgame."
The young birds I bred in 2020 were consistently exceptional and because of this I plan to keep many of the exact same old bird---breeders---matings together in 2021. And on that note, some of the matings will be going on their third and fourth years in a row--why mess with proven and predictable success? Many of my blue bars will be birds line bred down from a black-eyed,blue bar hen which I call "33"---she flew 700 miles as a Young Bird! SHE HAS PROVEN TO BE A GREAT BREEDER! And I now have had her mated to "96" a blue bar cock which flew 500 miles as a YOUNG BIRDfor several years. NOTE---96 was one of EIGHT young birds bred by the same pair all in the same year. ALL EIGHT OF THOSE YOUNG BIRDS survived two brutal smahes and also FLEW 500 MILES AS YOUNG BIRDS---I believe this may well be a record of some sort! All these blue bars being basically of the old famous "LE-ROI" blood which Lew Cutis importerd from Paul Sion and later, Charles Heitzman managed to get two birds from "LE ROI"---one of which was the bases for Mr. Heitzman's Sion family---- his original pair of Sions, 1033 and 1104. Many of my silvers and reds will be birds which are basically line bred to "HARD CORE" a small silver cock bred from a brother-sister mating which flew 615 miles as a YB coming home early on the second day in a headwind and heat. FIRST bird back out of 165 birds. I mated HARD CORE to "LONG WINGS"a blue check hen (both 600 mile young birds). And I mated "RESOLVE" RCC to "CHATTANOOGA" Pencil splash hen (both also 600 milers). From these two pair I bred a red check from each mating. Both of those red checks also flew 500 as YBs. And then I mated those two reds together which I called *THE RED PAIR." And from this RED PAIR mating I bred many great reds which have flown exceptional at 500 and 600 miles as YOUNG BIRDS. And now, when you see one of my reds or silvers it usually is a bird along those bloodlines. ***One of the genetic-color trademarks you will often note in them is that they will have a certain kind of grey-tan coloring in their flights. I still strongly maintain that the best racing pigeons are those which own superior homing instincts. PLAIN AND SIMPLE. And to learn which of the birds own superior homing instincts you must release them from superior long distances. Then all the other factors and theories can fall where they will---and---so much for them.
Truly there is NO other loft in NORTH AMERICA which routinely flies their young birds each and every year from 500 or more miles. And certainly, the thoughts of taking their young birds out to 600 and 700 miles is a matter they would never consider as they know for certain---suicide. It is for these reasons and countless more as to why I routinely state that the SIONS I am breeding in Richmond, Kentucky are truly the finest ACTUAL LONG DISTANCE RACING SIONS in all the entire world. PERIOD. I feel after 62 years with these Sions I have earned that right to state such. You only need to explore ALL the information I have included on this website-----which has now had nearly 300,000 "hits"----- to realize who atually has the finest Sions and who truly has the best birds bred down from Charles Heitzman. Mr. Charles Heitzman was like a grandfather and father to me. I lived many times in his home for a week at a time taking care of his birds and helping him in every way--photographing his pigeons, helping ship them, taking them on training tosses, and so much more. NO other fancier ever did all that I did with Heitzman or knew his birds so intimately. (Those were Heitzman's own words) I got his very finest Sions. Some he gave to me and most I had to buy. Today, what I breed have come down from his best Sions but done with my own slide rule. I have brought these Sions into the "modern era of pigeon racing." Its not been easy, quick or cheap. And the end result is now a colony of Sions able to show the world why it ever was that Sions became so popular worldwide longer than any other strain of racing pigeons which ever existed. And on that note, I hope that everyone was able to read the August, 2020 article I wote which was published in The Racing Pigeon Digest on the subject of "SIONS." In this article, I hoped to bring the fancy up to date regarding Sions and all I have observed from where they were once at in the 1930's all the way to now. I will try to include that article on my website when I can find the time.
I will be adding some new photos of my Sions which I have taken around the lofts with this new update. These photos were all taken between May, 2020 and October, 2020. This website is now approaching 3,000 photos of Sions bred by me.
I appreciate anyone who recognizes my family of Sions to not only be incredible long distance racers but also racing pigeons which do in fact own a certain beauty far exceeding the normal looks of most racing pigeons. This beauty characteristic has long been identified with Sions and I am not a breeder to let this characteristic falter in any way. Having been the very first person in the United States ever yo win all three of the nation's major shows all in the same year, yes, I do happen to recognize a beautiful pigeon.
I am alway wanting to make and meet new frienss in our sport. PLEASE always feel free to contact me if you ever want to discuss Sions or happen to be interested in them in any way. Always the best way to make contact is by email.
EARL LOWELL "ROBBIE" / "NO SWEAT" (my pen name) ROBBINS, JR.
207 LONGVIEW DRIVE
RICHMOND, KENTUCKY 40475
PHONE: 859-624-8113 (HOME)
EMAIL : [email protected]
THANK YOU FOR VISITING MY SITE AND WELCOME TO MY WORLD OF SIONS. I APPRECIATE YOUR INTEREST. MY LIFE IS AND ALWAYS HAS BEEN ABOUT THE BIRDS, AND IN PARTICULAR, SIONS.
Hello to the great pigeon world! MAY YOUR VISIT TO THIS SITE BE ENJOYABLE! MAY YOU COME TO FIND THE LOVE I HAVE FOR SIONS.
Please appreciate that I was taking care of pigeons when I was seven years old. There are photos of me with my pigeons when I was eight years of age. And I still have a few friends which have "pigeon letters" they received from me in the late 50's. I am now approaching my 63rd year with racing pigeons. Racing pigeons have always been intregral part of my life.
This winter I will be working on a new article for the editor of the Racing Pigeon Digest, my friend, Mr. Gene Yoes, and this article is to be be what I have learned about the colors of racing pigeons. I plan to make it a unique article in which no other fancier has ever explored the subject of color as I will show.
I am blessed with two old friends which have had racing pigeons alongside me for over 60 years, Gary Stone in Ohio and John McQuithy in Indiana. When you have had a pigeon friend that long the bond becomes strong. And I have friendships with others which I have known in the sport for 40 years or more and those too remain dear. I have lived long enough to have seen gret changes in our sport from everything the way a racing pigeon is clocked to all the different ways which have evolved to now see a pigeon be shipped from the Post Office. Our sport remains the greatest sport on earth much because of the humble and devoted fanciers devoted to their racing pigeons and also to the betterment of our sport. Fanciers who want to do what is fair and congradulate those that might beat them on any given race day. I feel sorry for those poor fo;l who do not have pigeons as racing pigeon fanciers have an advantage in knowing what it is to be truly in heaven each time they are alone with their birds.
Just recently my wife, Chesteen, and I, were both hit extra hard with the famous virus and both of us suffered tremendously and for many days I thought I was going to die. Oddly enough, even when I was near death I often thought of my Sions. And in my darkest hours I was thankful they were being cared for by my close friend and partner John Hays who has been so good to me for the past dozen years. And as I began to get better my grandson, Lance, and my old pigeon friend, Gary Stone also came to my rescue to keep me physically active with the birds. It was not easy as I had lost all my energy and had major difficulties in breathing. But to see these three friends come to my rescue with the birds did in fact have this old man crying----somethiong I will never forget. I am so lucky to still be kicking and once again into my routine of being with my family of Sions. And yes, I now say "my family of Sions" as so many fanciers have pointed out to me that the large colony of Sions which I now maintain are truly much more a reflection of who I am than they ever were of that being that of Mr. Charles Heitzmn or Mons. Paul Sion. I suppose that now when I am able to trace back on any given bird for a dozen generations or more and show where every bird in that pedigree was bred by "NO SWEAT" then yes, I guess they have become something more than what they once were and are actually now my own family of racing pigeons which everyone has come to dub "NO SWEAT SIONS." And as I look forward to the 2021 breeding season I find myself with some 70 pair of breeders. Most all of them medium sized with a few being small and a few being medium large. Not a singler open back to be found. And most all of them being of three colors: blue bars, silver bars and brick reds. There is not a single splash or white flighted bird in the entire colony. And besides those three colors, I have ONE blue check cock which is bred out of a hen which was bred from four 600 mile young birds. And that hen was taken 50 miles first toss, 100 miles second toss and 500 miles the third toss--with her coming in early on the second day and her nestmate about one hour behind her. His father flew 500 miles five times and 600 miles twice. Yes, this is a family of Sions built on tremendous performances at LONG DISTANCES which include young birds coming back from 700 air miles (world records) and yearlings coming back from 1,000 air miles.
2020 was a something of a crazy year for me in breeding. I originally mated the birds together in early November, 2019 and had babies hatching in December, 2019 and I was lucky to get 2020 bands on most of those babies. I bred these very early hatches in hopes of shipping them to the world famous South Africa Race which was boasting their 25th Anniversary Year. I wanted to have older entries in that race. But then so much began to unravel. There were rumors that the race was having serious financial problems. And then the dreaded virus hit. And after that everything went topsy-turvy. Entry dates for the race became suspended. I kept the faith, that no matter what, things would get better and that there would be a South Africa Race. But over the months of my continuing to breed young birds because the South Africa dates kept getting pushed later, I found myself in a predicament as I had bred far more young birds than normal and to top matters, the South Africa Race was called off. And for how much longer it will remain so, I do not know. I do know they owe JW and myself money. And from all I hear, we are far from being alone.
AND so the worm turned and what I began to realize was that the next biggest race which was now to evolve into the biggest race would be the other main race in Africa called THE VICTORIA FALLS RACE. My full partner in all this is JOHN WESLEY JENNINGS which lives in North Carolina. I mentioned all this to him and somewhat bugged him for us to consider VICTORIA FALLS. JW had actually visited the VICTORIA FALLS and had from what he observed, had reservations. Neither of us actually ever wanted to enter the race. . But as everything was happening John was his usual generous and gracious self and gave me the nod to ship a strong contingent of my famnily of Sions to Victoria Falls. At that particular time I was still horribly suffering with the virus and it was only by the grace of God and my friends---as truly I was unable to stand or think---they held me up around and in the lofts and miracuously managed to somehow help me get many potential birds loaded. For the next two straight days I wallowed about on my floor in my living room with those same birds trying my best to lay out a smart strategy as to which birds should be shipped. I worked through those two nights with a flashlight and to this moment I really do not know how I did what I did as I was so feeble and delerious. But in the end, I placed the birds in their shipping boxes and with the help of my wife and grandson shipped them to Frank in Boston who has them even now as I write this--soon to be shipped off to their second quarantine session in Africa. My fingers remain crossed that we get a high percentage to somehow eventually make it into the big loft to finally get settled. And I believe the big main race will take place in late July, 2021. Naturally, JW and I are excited. Upon receiving and inspecting the birds Frank remarked that they were superior in every way and Gary Stone who is for certain experienced with racing homers also stated that they were absolute awesome team of entries. So, we shall see. At least we are in the "ballgame."
The young birds I bred in 2020 were consistently exceptional and because of this I plan to keep many of the exact same old bird---breeders---matings together in 2021. And on that note, some of the matings will be going on their third and fourth years in a row--why mess with proven and predictable success? Many of my blue bars will be birds line bred down from a black-eyed,blue bar hen which I call "33"---she flew 700 miles as a Young Bird! SHE HAS PROVEN TO BE A GREAT BREEDER! And I now have had her mated to "96" a blue bar cock which flew 500 miles as a YOUNG BIRDfor several years. NOTE---96 was one of EIGHT young birds bred by the same pair all in the same year. ALL EIGHT OF THOSE YOUNG BIRDS survived two brutal smahes and also FLEW 500 MILES AS YOUNG BIRDS---I believe this may well be a record of some sort! All these blue bars being basically of the old famous "LE-ROI" blood which Lew Cutis importerd from Paul Sion and later, Charles Heitzman managed to get two birds from "LE ROI"---one of which was the bases for Mr. Heitzman's Sion family---- his original pair of Sions, 1033 and 1104. Many of my silvers and reds will be birds which are basically line bred to "HARD CORE" a small silver cock bred from a brother-sister mating which flew 615 miles as a YB coming home early on the second day in a headwind and heat. FIRST bird back out of 165 birds. I mated HARD CORE to "LONG WINGS"a blue check hen (both 600 mile young birds). And I mated "RESOLVE" RCC to "CHATTANOOGA" Pencil splash hen (both also 600 milers). From these two pair I bred a red check from each mating. Both of those red checks also flew 500 as YBs. And then I mated those two reds together which I called *THE RED PAIR." And from this RED PAIR mating I bred many great reds which have flown exceptional at 500 and 600 miles as YOUNG BIRDS. And now, when you see one of my reds or silvers it usually is a bird along those bloodlines. ***One of the genetic-color trademarks you will often note in them is that they will have a certain kind of grey-tan coloring in their flights. I still strongly maintain that the best racing pigeons are those which own superior homing instincts. PLAIN AND SIMPLE. And to learn which of the birds own superior homing instincts you must release them from superior long distances. Then all the other factors and theories can fall where they will---and---so much for them.
Truly there is NO other loft in NORTH AMERICA which routinely flies their young birds each and every year from 500 or more miles. And certainly, the thoughts of taking their young birds out to 600 and 700 miles is a matter they would never consider as they know for certain---suicide. It is for these reasons and countless more as to why I routinely state that the SIONS I am breeding in Richmond, Kentucky are truly the finest ACTUAL LONG DISTANCE RACING SIONS in all the entire world. PERIOD. I feel after 62 years with these Sions I have earned that right to state such. You only need to explore ALL the information I have included on this website-----which has now had nearly 300,000 "hits"----- to realize who atually has the finest Sions and who truly has the best birds bred down from Charles Heitzman. Mr. Charles Heitzman was like a grandfather and father to me. I lived many times in his home for a week at a time taking care of his birds and helping him in every way--photographing his pigeons, helping ship them, taking them on training tosses, and so much more. NO other fancier ever did all that I did with Heitzman or knew his birds so intimately. (Those were Heitzman's own words) I got his very finest Sions. Some he gave to me and most I had to buy. Today, what I breed have come down from his best Sions but done with my own slide rule. I have brought these Sions into the "modern era of pigeon racing." Its not been easy, quick or cheap. And the end result is now a colony of Sions able to show the world why it ever was that Sions became so popular worldwide longer than any other strain of racing pigeons which ever existed. And on that note, I hope that everyone was able to read the August, 2020 article I wote which was published in The Racing Pigeon Digest on the subject of "SIONS." In this article, I hoped to bring the fancy up to date regarding Sions and all I have observed from where they were once at in the 1930's all the way to now. I will try to include that article on my website when I can find the time.
I will be adding some new photos of my Sions which I have taken around the lofts with this new update. These photos were all taken between May, 2020 and October, 2020. This website is now approaching 3,000 photos of Sions bred by me.
I appreciate anyone who recognizes my family of Sions to not only be incredible long distance racers but also racing pigeons which do in fact own a certain beauty far exceeding the normal looks of most racing pigeons. This beauty characteristic has long been identified with Sions and I am not a breeder to let this characteristic falter in any way. Having been the very first person in the United States ever yo win all three of the nation's major shows all in the same year, yes, I do happen to recognize a beautiful pigeon.
I am alway wanting to make and meet new frienss in our sport. PLEASE always feel free to contact me if you ever want to discuss Sions or happen to be interested in them in any way. Always the best way to make contact is by email.
EARL LOWELL "ROBBIE" / "NO SWEAT" (my pen name) ROBBINS, JR.
207 LONGVIEW DRIVE
RICHMOND, KENTUCKY 40475
PHONE: 859-624-8113 (HOME)
EMAIL : [email protected]
