I am a lifelong pigeon guy. I got my first pigeons when I was 6 years old, and I have pretty much been a pigeon guy ever since. Joe Dan The Birdman stuck with me early in my life. Although I have had over 20 different breeds of pigeons through the years, my first love with pigeons was with performing Birmingham Roller pigeons. The first time I saw rollers spinning in air I was hooked and flying them has remained one of my most enjoyable pastimes to this very day.

When I was in first grade the Stratton family were also members of our church and they lived directly across the street from my elementary school. My mother worked in downtown Fort Worth at Burt’s shoe store at the time, so when I got out of school, I would go across the street to the Stratton’s, and they would watch me until my mom got off work and could drop by and pick me up on her way home. The Stratton’s had a daughter Retha who was also my age, and we grew up together in church, so they were very good friends of our family. Mr. Stratton, “Skinny”, was also a lifelong pigeon man and he had numerous lofts in his backyard full of pigeons. Skinny was a nationally acclaimed fancy pigeon breeder who specialized in breeding and raising African Owl Pigeons. It was his passion and love. Skinny had also been successful in his previous life, with racing pigeons, so he had a loft of racers and also a loft of rollers that he used specifically for foster parenting his African Owls. When the eggs didn’t fall on the correct dates with his owls so he could foster them out under the racers and rollers, he would let them raise their own young. Those birds along with the owls that didn’t make the grade for showing, to his standards, Skinny would give away to me and countless others. Thus, my pigeon career started, and Skinny passed on his love for pigeons to me as well. When my classmates brought turtles and hamsters to school for show and tell, I tugged a wagon with pigeons in a cage to show my classmates.

Although I have been around racing pigeons all my life, I did not start racing them until 2009. I joined the West Wing Racing Pigeon Club here in the DFW area at that time and have been a member of that club ever since. It has been an on-going evolution with the racers. I have won my share of races at the club and combine level. I was President of the West Wing Racing Pigeon Club (WWC) for several years. We race in the North Texas Combine and Federation, and there is about as tough of competition here as there is anywhere in the US. I personally raced the #1 ranked long distance pigeon in Texas, in the AU, in 2022 old birds. I also won both of the last 500-mile races in our NTC combine that same year, which I am very proud of.

I started getting interested in One loft racing and have participated in them a little through the years. I was part of a syndicate with Joe Nemelka and Brian McCormick that won the first car race many years ago at the SAMDPR, with a bird I sent to that race. I have watched and admired as I have observed several people who I know personally, start up and run successful one loft races. I live very close to CL Gage, and we fly in the same combine. I witnessed CL get the Texas Shootout race from the Peeman’s after Chris Peeman passed away and move it over to his property in Decatur TX to carry on the Texas Shootout race that Chris started. I have admired the success CL and Kenny Kelley had with the Texas Shootout Race over a 10-year period before finally calling it quits in 2021. I started expressing my interest in getting the Texas Shootout loft and continuing with the TS race approximately 5 years ago. If it were not for the kindness and generosity of my friend CL Gage, I would never have been able to accomplish getting the loft and moving it to my property. The Texas Shootout Race will be a tribute to CL and Kenny as long as I have and host the race. The 196’ long loft was cut into 5 – 40’ pieces, and then reattached back together here in Poolville Texas in Northwest Parker County, approximately 35 miles away from its previous location. We have made a few changes here and there, and we will continue to do that moving forward. But for the most part, the loft is very similar to what it has been in the past. Long Live the Texas Shootout!

I will be actively involved in the operations and managing of the loft and the birds in the All New Texas Shootout Race. I have hired Brenda Robbins to be the full-time Loft Manager of the Texas Shootout Race, and she will work full time managing the loft and the race birds moving forward. I feel very fortunate to have Brenda as my loft manager. Brenda’s full-time job for the past 5 years has been managing a private racing pigeon loft of over 500 birds. Additionally, she maintains and owns a personal loft of 200 birds and has been a member of the West Wing Racing Pigeon Club since 2020. Brenda’s unparalleled dedication to animals comes from her extensive background in the equine industry and livestock management. Her knowledge and experience with caring for and treating a wide range of species assures she will be the perfect fit as Loft Manager. I can assure you, Brenda’s attention to detail and work ethic ensures she will take very good care of the of the Texas Shootout race birds.

I hope you will give us an opportunity to handle and train your pigeons in our race! We are deeply committed to their success and development, and we will work very hard to earn your trust and appreciation.

If anyone has any questions or concerns about anything, please do not hesitate to reach out to Brenda or myself and we will make sure that you are supported! Honesty and integrity are values equally important to both Brenda and me and those values will be part of the Texas Shootout Race as well!

Joe Dan Parson, The “All New” Texas Shootout Race