“The World of Falconry” recently had the good fortune to be invited to participate in the 3rd Falcon-Expo to be held in Bad Sackingen which is in Southern Germany. The venue was right in a little pocket on the map where Germany, France and Switzerland all come together. Mobile phones have an awful job of working out where they are and what network they should be on and accordingly spent most of the duration of the visit to the event switched off. The organiser, Richard Senft, kindly invited “The World of Falconry” to attend and allowed the magazine to have a stand, free of charge, in a very prominent position for which we are extremely grateful. The Falcon-Expo is a three day affair along the lines of The Falconry Fair in Britain but obviously on a smaller scale, although this particular celebration of falconry is apparently growing in both participant and visitor numbers year by year. The event is held within the grounds of a Wildlife Museum and Golf complex which at first, on paper at least, perhaps seems a very strange setting. In actual fact the event site works well as the museum and clubhouse give excellent toilet and showering facilities for the participants as well as the normal temporary toilets for the visitors you would expect at such an event.
The date, the first weekend in October, seems to me to be a good one as most hawk breeders’ seasons have finished and falconers have actually started to hunt with their hawks and falcons. Certainly there was a proliferation of trade stands from across Europe with telemetry makers certainly taking a very prominent role. There were no less than five conventional telemetry makers represented and also a global positioning satellite version of a telemetry system on show. There were also equipment makers and sellers as well as various connected trade stands such as knives, incubators etc. It goes without saying that being Germany, food and beer stalls proliferated and were very reasonably priced.
Rather disappointingly for me there was only one of the major German Falconry clubs present but it has to be said there stand was first class and had been very well thought out. Over the three days of the show a different hawk or falcon graced a high perch that was positioned in the middle of their stand. Day one saw an absolutely rock steady immature female Goshawk take pride of place. Day two saw a tiercel Peregrine of the year and on the final day it was the turn of an immature female Harris Hawk to take centre stage. Although it would be fair to say the stand, despite being exceptionally well presented, was somewhat eclipsed by its next door neighbour. This was occupied by the very experienced German falconer Leo Mandlsperger and his company, Falcons-World. Leo had brought five superb falcons with him and not one had so much as a frayed feather, they were in simply perfect condition. They remained this way despite being amid the hustle and bustle of the show for three solid days. The falcons were manned to a superb level and spoke volumes about those that trained and handled them on a daily basis. The falcons were two beautiful white Jerkins, one male three quarter Gyr by quarter Red Naped Shaheen, one immature female Peregrine Falcon and one four year old Saker Falcon. All the falcons were flown at various times during the several excellent flying displays that took place each day.
The displays were given by three different teams each day and each adopted a different approach to its display and this meant a nice variety of raptors and flying styles. Although it would be fair to say the German idea of a flying display is somewhat different to what the average British falconer would expect. The first display of each day was given by Leo Mandlsperger, assisted by his daughter Johanna and a couple of his employees. The Gyr/Red Shaheen was pole lured between Leo and Johanna who were positioned approximately three hundred metres apart. The falcon would attack one lure which would then be hidden and the other falconer would then call the falcon and produce their lure. The falcon went backwards and forwards between the two falconers a great many times and was obviously an extremely fit falcon. When Leo considered the falcon had done sufficient work he gave the very large hybrid a number of passes to his lure in a far more conventional manner before eventually calling it down.
Next up was a Saker Falcon flown at a motorised Hare lure. This is something that has been seen in Britain occasionally but the normal hawk used to chase the lure would either be a Harris Hawk or, as I did myself almost thirty years ago, a large eagle of some description. I used both a Tawny and a Bald Eagle when I did it but the eagles would very soon destroy the lure and also I felt after a while that perhaps it wasn’t quite so sensible to have a large eagle so fired up to hunt when in such close proximity to a crowd of onlookers. For a falcon to chase such a lure may seem strange but then of course such flights are a part of everyday falconry in Arabia and Leo breeds and trains a number of falcons each year for his Clientele there. The display was a great success with the falcon reacting immediately to the lure and certainly attacking it with a great deal of vigour. For the actual flight the spectators were parted to give a clear path between them and the hare sent on a line than ran directly between the two ranks of onlookers. The falcon totally ignored the people and chased and attacked the lure with tremendous zeal. This section of the display went down particularly well with the crowd.
This could well be because the majority of the spectators at this event, in my opinion, were not actually falconers but hunters and their families. Seeing falcons exercised is no doubt entertaining but not anywhere near as entertaining as a simulated hunt with a successful outcome. This was probably further illustrated by the fact that the next display giver flew a cast of Peregrine Tiercels to the lure and they were both extremely intent on catching the lure and subsequently made the falconer work very hard to keep the lure out of their combined clutches. For a falconer to watch it was sheer poetry in motion with the tiercels almost seeming to flow as they went about their work. However when both tiercels were eventually brought down, after a stunning and full on display, the falconer was greeted with respectful rather than enthusiastic applause.
The next section of the display was given by staff from the very famous Hellenthal Bird of Prey Station, which is based in the Ardennes close to the Belgium border. They had made their way south with a selection of large eagles and some of these are what they flew in their part of the display. Four falconers placed themselves amongst the crowd and two eagles were flown backwards and forwards to the fist across the heads of the public. Pretty standard stuff as far as eagles in displays goes and of very little interest to a serious falconer. But the crowd loved it, especially when the eagles came close to someone or actually brushed heads with their wings. At the end of this part of the display, which it is fair to say was executed perfectly by the staff and eagles of Hellenthal, the applause was rapturous. This further convinced me the crowd was made up far more of general public and hunters than actual falconers. But then of course this is to be expected at a show of this nature.
The third element of the daily displays was a far more conventional flying display with various falcons being flown to the conventional swung lure. The highlight of this section of the day’s entertainment was a cast of Peregrine Tiercels being stooped together. To say the lure swinger was kept on his toes would be an understatement as both tiercels were extremely fit and really wanted the lure. The action got very hectic at times and hats off to the falconer who never faltered and managed to keep the whole demonstration flowing smoothly.
The organisation had taken a great deal of trouble to ensure that there were education packs on birds of prey and falconry for visiting children and there was even a young falconer’s competition. I had the honour of signing the certificates and awarding them to the winners.
However genuine practising falconers were present in sufficient numbers to ensure that several of those trading in falconry related items did a very brisk trade. My own personal feelings were that the whole event had a friendly atmosphere and appeared to be enjoyed by one and all. The event was a three day affair and by the second day people were asking about what arrangements had been made for next year. If the event is held again next year, and I see no reason why it shouldn’t and certainly brief discussions with Richard Senft lead me to believe it will, then the magazine will certainly be there. My only criticism of the event would be the weathering of the hawks, falcons and eagles. Unlike any event in the UK there was no shelter provided for the occupants of the weathering and merely a rope strung round to separate the hawks from the visitors. The event may well have been staged in October but the weather was very hot and there was absolutely no shade what so ever for the various raptors out on their perches. Leo had moved his falcons either inside onto his stand or under a large hedge that gave shade all day long. It would have taken very little effort to re-locate the weathering to this hedged area and ensure the hawks were not sitting out in the full sun.
As with all events of this nature there were those that came to visit the show to be seen rather than to see. Several people wandered around with hawks on the fist, all of which seemed in poor feather and far from happy in the environment in which they had been placed. On chatting with these people it was obvious their knowledge on falconry was exceedingly limited and, as always in such situations, it is the hawks or falcons you feel sorry for. To be fair though every country seems to suffer from the “look at me syndrome”. I well remember attending a sky trial in Mexico many years ago when I saw someone carrying a Peregrine Falcon on the fist and the falcon was wearing a European style Dutch hood. Emanating from this hood was the biggest plume I have ever seen and over the course of the three days I never once saw the falcon without its hood on. What I did notice however was that the falcon’s wing tips were missing and its tail smashed to pieces but still the owner was happy to parade his prized possession.
Getting back to the show it had several highlights for me in that I met the assistant to Herman Goering’s falconer and through a third party had an interesting conversation with him. It would appear that Goering was pretty much a falconer in name only and merely liked to pose with a falcon, particularly white Gyr Falcons, on his fist. I was also asked by the organisers of Falcon-Expo to give an interview to a local TV station and also speak with journalists from local and state newspapers. The thought behind this being that a visiting falconer from abroad would be of more interest to viewers and readers and therefore hold people’s attention more. I don’t know if this was right or wrong but I was happy to help promote falconry in general and the event in particular in any way I could.
In the meantime I have received an invitation to visit with Leo Mandlsperger and go hawking with him. This is one invitation amongst the many received at Falcon-Expo that I fully intend to take up. The man is a falconer of the old school who is passionate about what he does and quite simply lives, eats and breathes falconry.
Rather disappointingly for me there was only one of the major German Falconry clubs present but it has to be said there stand was first class and had been very well thought out. Over the three days of the show a different hawk or falcon graced a high perch that was positioned in the middle of their stand. Day one saw an absolutely rock steady immature female Goshawk take pride of place. Day two saw a tiercel Peregrine of the year and on the final day it was the turn of an immature female Harris Hawk to take centre stage. Although it would be fair to say the stand, despite being exceptionally well presented, was somewhat eclipsed by its next door neighbour. This was occupied by the very experienced German falconer Leo Mandlsperger and his company, Falcons-World. Leo had brought five superb falcons with him and not one had so much as a frayed feather, they were in simply perfect condition. They remained this way despite being amid the hustle and bustle of the show for three solid days. The falcons were manned to a superb level and spoke volumes about those that trained and handled them on a daily basis. The falcons were two beautiful white Jerkins, one male three quarter Gyr by quarter Red Naped Shaheen, one immature female Peregrine Falcon and one four year old Saker Falcon. All the falcons were flown at various times during the several excellent flying displays that took place each day.
The displays were given by three different teams each day and each adopted a different approach to its display and this meant a nice variety of raptors and flying styles. Although it would be fair to say the German idea of a flying display is somewhat different to what the average British falconer would expect. The first display of each day was given by Leo Mandlsperger, assisted by his daughter Johanna and a couple of his employees. The Gyr/Red Shaheen was pole lured between Leo and Johanna who were positioned approximately three hundred metres apart. The falcon would attack one lure which would then be hidden and the other falconer would then call the falcon and produce their lure. The falcon went backwards and forwards between the two falconers a great many times and was obviously an extremely fit falcon. When Leo considered the falcon had done sufficient work he gave the very large hybrid a number of passes to his lure in a far more conventional manner before eventually calling it down.
Next up was a Saker Falcon flown at a motorised Hare lure. This is something that has been seen in Britain occasionally but the normal hawk used to chase the lure would either be a Harris Hawk or, as I did myself almost thirty years ago, a large eagle of some description. I used both a Tawny and a Bald Eagle when I did it but the eagles would very soon destroy the lure and also I felt after a while that perhaps it wasn’t quite so sensible to have a large eagle so fired up to hunt when in such close proximity to a crowd of onlookers. For a falcon to chase such a lure may seem strange but then of course such flights are a part of everyday falconry in Arabia and Leo breeds and trains a number of falcons each year for his Clientele there. The display was a great success with the falcon reacting immediately to the lure and certainly attacking it with a great deal of vigour. For the actual flight the spectators were parted to give a clear path between them and the hare sent on a line than ran directly between the two ranks of onlookers. The falcon totally ignored the people and chased and attacked the lure with tremendous zeal. This section of the display went down particularly well with the crowd.
This could well be because the majority of the spectators at this event, in my opinion, were not actually falconers but hunters and their families. Seeing falcons exercised is no doubt entertaining but not anywhere near as entertaining as a simulated hunt with a successful outcome. This was probably further illustrated by the fact that the next display giver flew a cast of Peregrine Tiercels to the lure and they were both extremely intent on catching the lure and subsequently made the falconer work very hard to keep the lure out of their combined clutches. For a falconer to watch it was sheer poetry in motion with the tiercels almost seeming to flow as they went about their work. However when both tiercels were eventually brought down, after a stunning and full on display, the falconer was greeted with respectful rather than enthusiastic applause.
The next section of the display was given by staff from the very famous Hellenthal Bird of Prey Station, which is based in the Ardennes close to the Belgium border. They had made their way south with a selection of large eagles and some of these are what they flew in their part of the display. Four falconers placed themselves amongst the crowd and two eagles were flown backwards and forwards to the fist across the heads of the public. Pretty standard stuff as far as eagles in displays goes and of very little interest to a serious falconer. But the crowd loved it, especially when the eagles came close to someone or actually brushed heads with their wings. At the end of this part of the display, which it is fair to say was executed perfectly by the staff and eagles of Hellenthal, the applause was rapturous. This further convinced me the crowd was made up far more of general public and hunters than actual falconers. But then of course this is to be expected at a show of this nature.
The third element of the daily displays was a far more conventional flying display with various falcons being flown to the conventional swung lure. The highlight of this section of the day’s entertainment was a cast of Peregrine Tiercels being stooped together. To say the lure swinger was kept on his toes would be an understatement as both tiercels were extremely fit and really wanted the lure. The action got very hectic at times and hats off to the falconer who never faltered and managed to keep the whole demonstration flowing smoothly.
The organisation had taken a great deal of trouble to ensure that there were education packs on birds of prey and falconry for visiting children and there was even a young falconer’s competition. I had the honour of signing the certificates and awarding them to the winners.
However genuine practising falconers were present in sufficient numbers to ensure that several of those trading in falconry related items did a very brisk trade. My own personal feelings were that the whole event had a friendly atmosphere and appeared to be enjoyed by one and all. The event was a three day affair and by the second day people were asking about what arrangements had been made for next year. If the event is held again next year, and I see no reason why it shouldn’t and certainly brief discussions with Richard Senft lead me to believe it will, then the magazine will certainly be there. My only criticism of the event would be the weathering of the hawks, falcons and eagles. Unlike any event in the UK there was no shelter provided for the occupants of the weathering and merely a rope strung round to separate the hawks from the visitors. The event may well have been staged in October but the weather was very hot and there was absolutely no shade what so ever for the various raptors out on their perches. Leo had moved his falcons either inside onto his stand or under a large hedge that gave shade all day long. It would have taken very little effort to re-locate the weathering to this hedged area and ensure the hawks were not sitting out in the full sun.
As with all events of this nature there were those that came to visit the show to be seen rather than to see. Several people wandered around with hawks on the fist, all of which seemed in poor feather and far from happy in the environment in which they had been placed. On chatting with these people it was obvious their knowledge on falconry was exceedingly limited and, as always in such situations, it is the hawks or falcons you feel sorry for. To be fair though every country seems to suffer from the “look at me syndrome”. I well remember attending a sky trial in Mexico many years ago when I saw someone carrying a Peregrine Falcon on the fist and the falcon was wearing a European style Dutch hood. Emanating from this hood was the biggest plume I have ever seen and over the course of the three days I never once saw the falcon without its hood on. What I did notice however was that the falcon’s wing tips were missing and its tail smashed to pieces but still the owner was happy to parade his prized possession.
Getting back to the show it had several highlights for me in that I met the assistant to Herman Goering’s falconer and through a third party had an interesting conversation with him. It would appear that Goering was pretty much a falconer in name only and merely liked to pose with a falcon, particularly white Gyr Falcons, on his fist. I was also asked by the organisers of Falcon-Expo to give an interview to a local TV station and also speak with journalists from local and state newspapers. The thought behind this being that a visiting falconer from abroad would be of more interest to viewers and readers and therefore hold people’s attention more. I don’t know if this was right or wrong but I was happy to help promote falconry in general and the event in particular in any way I could.
In the meantime I have received an invitation to visit with Leo Mandlsperger and go hawking with him. This is one invitation amongst the many received at Falcon-Expo that I fully intend to take up. The man is a falconer of the old school who is passionate about what he does and quite simply lives, eats and breathes falconry.