Glen Eden Loft

Ron Goebel . . . Glen Eden Loft

I have had pigeons since I was eight years old. My first year of racing was in 1951 with the Troy Hill Racing Pigeon Club, located in Pgh. Pa. As long as I can remember I would go to the club house which really was the 24th ward Dem. club. They would countermark and crate the birds out in the yard, and I would watch every bird going thru. I also got to recognize all the fanciers. I flew with my uncle Elmer Brittner until he passed away in 1953. I didn't start flying again until 1958 and in 1961 my brother -in law, Tom Broskey and I formed a partnership. We received a blue Trenton and crossed it with whatever we had at the time, and produced some winners. This pair threw birds with 11 flights. We also received a Red Check Trenton cock (AU 62 367) from Joe Larkin Jr. He called them his "Gold Diggers" He had what at that time were known as the "Diamond Eye Trenton's". The dam of 367 was AU 53 pgh 3162, 1st & 2nd @ 130 mi. The sire was AU 53 pgh 2853 Dun cock 1st @ 100 & 200 mi. We crossed this cock with a Red Check Sion hen from Heitzman, and this pair threw several good birds. One cock flew 600 miles on the day three times and also flew well on the short races. He ended up in Heitzman's loft. His sister, Red Check hen # 399 flew really great for us as a two year old, winning 1st club 24th concourse, 3,271 birds from 215 mi. and also 2nd club 16th concourse 2,782 birds from 306 mi. So I had good results with the very first Trenton's I ever had. In the early 1970's I tried unsuccessfully to buy some Harry Elston Trenton's from Buckeye Loft. Harry Elston had passed away in 1960 living well into his 80's. Finally in 1989 Harold Ammon of Arkansas sent me six Harry Elston Trenton's. He had them since 1951 when he purchased them direct from Elston. At the same time I received four Elstons from John Feola of Hopewell, Pa. He and Ammon both had the Grizzles which went back to Elston's champ "Grizzelda" booted grizzle hen.

A little later I traded bird for bird with Floyd Diener of Mich. He also had an all Elston Trenton Loft and he sent me a black booted cock. These birds were blended together and they throw all colors including almonds, yellow, rec reds and whites. I obtained several Trentons decended from Art Nemechek, and also some of George Graham's Pgh. Pa. down from his champ "Dago Red". Then two more Red Mottle cocks down from Pat Conner and Ed Oshaben, along with two Mottle hens from Andy Laurie of Pgh. These all have been blended in. All of these old time flyers have passed on to that house, not made with hands eternal in the Heavens. My goal was to retain an all Trenton strain, but yet have some crosses from other Trenton families to restore vigor lost from decades of inbreeding. My last year of racing was 2000, and now I just maintain three separate old families. The Trentons, Glassbrenners, and the Dave Smith family. I probably have too many birds. But I sure look forward to the newly hatched youngster, and seeing how they will turn out.

Ron Goebel

Glen Eden Loft

Cranberry City, Pa.

GLENEDEN@ZOOMINTERNET.NET

"Notice the boots" , this indicates decent from "Grizzelda"

booted grizzle champion hen of Harry Elston.

In 1988, I went to the site of Elstons Loft and home. Kind of a pilgrimage I guess. Its about 15 miles from my place. His old dirt road still runs up the hill from Ohio River Blvd, but the house and loft were tore down by the Pa. Dept of Transportation. Harry always drove an old model "T" right up to the end. As I was looking around, I noticed a pile of boards, and under the boards was this old coffee pot. Looks to be from the 1940's. So I brought it home, and it has been sitting on a shelf here at "Busters Log Cabin" now for 22 years. I suppose Harry Elston enjoyed many a cup of coffee from this old pot..

Ron Goebel