Roller Pigeon Talk Ep 15 - Abel Ibarra

In this intimate conversation, legendary roller pigeon man Abel Ibarra opens up about what it really takes to build – and keep – a world-class kit in one of the toughest environments for birds. From falcons taking his best performers to losing 20+ years of breeders overnight, Abel shares how he rebuilt, what he looks for in a true “gold” spinner, and why he refuses to quit. He talks about his mentors like Jerry Higgins and Eddie Scott, the evolution of his breeding philosophy, and the brutal math of flying in heavy BOP country. This is more than a pigeon interview – it’s a story about resilience, selection, sacrifice, and joy. In this video, Abel talks about: Living with sentimental attachment while knowing birds will be taken How the loss of his brother reshaped his view on life, death, and the birds Flying through constant falcon pressure and why “numbers” matter The difference between average birds and true “gold” in the air Treating rollers like athletes – feeding, management, and conditioning The reality of judging problems in the hobby and how it could be fixed Advice to newcomers on mentors, selection, and focusing on quality over quantity If you love roller pigeons, niche subcultures, or stories of people who keep going when it’d be easier to quit, this episode is for you. 00:00 – Sentimental birds in a brutal environment 01:20 – Life, loss, and seeing everything as a journey 03:00 – The falcon that took 80108 and how Abel copes with loss 04:40 – Surviving the BOP: why numbers and quality both matter 06:10 – Would he breed this many birds without predators? 07:00 – Discovering that “Mother Nature takes the roll away” 09:10 – Selection, stocking, and only putting up the very best 10:40 – Mentors: Jerry Higgins, Eddie Scott, and learning to see quality 13:40 – Beating a powerhouse club as a kid with the right birds 15:20 – How do you find “gold” in the air? 17:00 – Vision of the ideal kit: depth, velocity, and balling up 17:50 – Resilience, grief, and why Abel refuses to quit 19:00 – A huge backyard crowd and flying for the world 21:10 – Losing 20+ years of breeders and starting over 22:50 – The real sacrifice: time, family, and staying in the game 24:15 – Treating rollers like athletes: feeding, crops, and nutrition 26:20 – Managing feed and time to fly under heavy predator pressure 28:40 – “Our judging is to hell”: Abel on broken judging systems 32:30 – Standards, education, and why many birds scored aren’t scorable 34:10 – Panel judging, fairness, and the limits of the sport 36:25 – Pure joy: why he still can’t wait to drop the box every morning 37:20 – Advice to newcomers: mentors, quality pairs, and not wasting years 41:00 – Closing thoughts: stick to quality and stay resilient #rollerpigeons #birminghamrollers #abelibarra