Mr Jacobin, Darcy Cook

by Ian Campton

My introduction to Darcy goes back many years when an associate of my wife's Trevor Joseph suggested he had just the breed of pigeon for me, following my inquiry to him on keeping and showing fancy pigeons

My first visit to Darcy's at Kenthurst was with Trevor and for a novice who had kept homer's as a kid, I can still envisage the first glimpse of a yard full of these wonderful but at times heartbreaking birds known as Jacobins.

From those humble beginnings I have built a close relationship to our Mr. Jacobin, Darcy Cook.  Believe it or not although I live relatively close to Darcy, compared to a lot of other members, I do not get up to his place as often as I would like.  Each trip however, is an education and as if ever my wife labels me. as obsessed with birds, if she accompanies me to Darcy's place, she soon learns that I have a long way to go to compare to him.  I have said to many times that Darcy lives and breathes his Jacobins.  This fact was brought out in an incident on our way home from the Adelaide National.  After a long weekend of showing and talking Jacobins we had crashed out at a small motel in Ouyen in Victoria.  At I or 2 am I awoke to Darcy talking to himself, I sang out " Is everything all right Darcy ?" He replied " Get back to bloody sleep son, you have to drive again tomorrow ". It was only later, when thinking of this moment I realized he was pairing up his winners from the National.  As I said he lives and breathes them.

I have been lucky to have had the company of Mr. Cook on trips to Canberra, Adelaide, Melbourne and now the Ipswich, National Shows.  These trips along with a number of other shows, have been full of fun and I have always felt there is no generation gap between Darcy and myself.  It is amazing at most shows the number of people who know. Darcy or Mr. Cook, I guess this was exaggerated by his exposure on National television on the Burkes Backyard T.V. program.  I remember friends and work mates who watched the show telling me what a natural Darcy was and for those of us who know him, we know how natural and genuine he is.

I guess I am lucky to live so close to him and I hope to travel with him to many more National Shows in the future.  I know I am lucky to be able to compare my birds to his as often as I can.  After all these years I still find Darcy's love of Jacobins infectious and my own interest is revitalized after a few hours of his company.

Like most Jacobin fanciers, I owe Darcy Cook a lot, and I hope in my own way I can continue to pay him back as best I can.