"Five winner Almond cock, 88-MSI-115, bred and owned by Ken McCoy,San Saba, Texas. - Photo by Garry Glissmeyer, Colorado Springs, Colo."
"1989-1990 IFCA Hall of Fame Bird by GARRY GLISSMEYER, IFCA Publicity Director
Congratulations to breeder and exhibitor Ken McCoy, San Saba, Texas, for mixing the right gene pool to produce the Almond Cock 88MS1115 .... a bird judged as a winner by five different judges during 1988! Almond #115 won more points in 1988 than any other bird: 232 points. This total was enough to carry him for the rolling two year period to out-point all other birds shown during the 1988 or 1989 season.
His record: Conroe Classic - 2nd Reserve; Grand Prairie, TX - 2nd Reserve; St. Louis Classic - Best of Color, NYBS, Louisville - 1 st Reserve; and Grand National, Peoria - I st Reserve.
As you can see, Ken travelled to a variety of shows to make sure #115 had a chance to show and win. Ken says #115 was never beaten in the Almond Class during 1988. I had a chance to see #115 at the Salt Lake City Grand National, and he is a dandy. Most impressive is his almond color and the even break. He was finally edged out of his winning streak by a Darrold Mueller Almond at Salt Lake; nevertheless, this was and is an impressive Indian Fantail.
Ken reports #115 was bred out of a blind-in-one-eye almond hen, obtained from Steve Barnhart, and a richly colored "kite" cock, sired from another winning almondcock #373 (1986 NYBS Ist Reserve Champion). Although the "kite" was from a winning cock, Ken explained he was not a show-quality bird, nor was the blind-eye, Barnhart hen, but both parents possessed good genetic lineage and qualities that balanced each other. He felt at least one youngster from this pair would "have it all"... and voila, one did ... #115!
Were better Indians shown during 1988-1989, sure - some of them won Champion over #l15 but apparently they were either one-time winners (Champions) or their breeders didn't show them enough to accumulate the 232 points #115 did ... frequency of being shown is a must for any bird to win enough Master Breeder points to become a Hall of Fame bird ... one that shows and CONSISTENTLY. Any bird, good Indian, can take its class or even higher on the right day, but not all birds show consistently and are awarded wins under a variety of conditions and judges ... so congrats to Ken for breeding such a winner and congrats to #115 for showing well so many times."
August 1990