Indiana fire claims birds belonging to local pigeon racing club members

A structure fire in Indiana has claimed nearly 2,000 racing pigeons gathered for the 2019 Hoosier Classic Million Dollar One Loft Race, including birds from the Rock River Valley Pigeon Racing Club, which is based in Sterling.

The cause of the fire, which broke out late Saturday night or early Sunday morning in Wanatah, is under investigation. The race, which draws hundreds of competitors from around the world, is canceled.

The local club, in existence since about 1945, has members from Lee, Carroll, Ogle, Henry and Whiteside counties; the clubhouse is at 708 Griswold Ave.

Verifacts owners Jim and Shelia Gabler are club members; they lost 30 birds to the blaze, he said.

All told, three or four club members sent birds to the race, which Gabler characterized as “the premiere race in the whole of the United States of America,” with more than $1 million in prize money.

It’s the most devastating disaster to happen to the sport, Gabler said, calling it “the 9/11 tragedy of the pigeon-racing world.”

It’s a sport that is more popular than many people realize, Gabler said, noting that celebrities from Queen Elizabeth to Mike Tyson to Roy Rogers have raced pigeons. One of the 1-pound birds recently sold for $1 million, he noted.