Welcome...

Welcome to the Indian Fantail Club of America.

Our site is under major construction with updates being published daily so please visit again soon...

Mission:

To provide guidance, direction and promotion of the Indian Fantail fancy throughout the United States by establishing a standard of perfection for the breed and sponsoring annual district and national shows wherein the entries are evaluated according to this standard by judges who have been trained and sanctioned by the club. Members’ superior achievement in these show competitions and service to the club are recognized through the IFCA awards program. Quarterly bulletins are issued to members containing updates on the activities of the club as well as informative articles on topics relating to the breed and pigeon husbandry.

IFCA History:

At a meeting of Indian Fantail breeders present at the 1959 Pageant of Pigeons the idea of a club was first discussed. By 1963 a club was in place and named Indian Fantail Club of America. Harvey Gatlin became president, Tony Brancato, vice president and Bill Babb, secretary-treasurer. All these men lived in southern CA.

These club officers served through the remainder of the 1960s and up until early 1974. In the February 28, 1974, IFCA bulletin it was reported that Terry Loft, Diamond Bar, CA, was the "newly elected" club president. In that same bulletin he thanked the "outgoing IFCA officers and appointees for their service and aid." The names noted were Harvey Gatlin, Tony Brancato, Terry’s wife, Nickie Loft and Brownie Zabella. Other officers listed on the masthead of that bulletin were John Dougherty, Sylmar, CA, vice president and Nickie Loft, Diamond Bar, CA, secretary-treasurer.

Membership dues went from $2.00 per year, established when the club was first organized, to $3.00 after June 1, 1974. The membership report for the year 1973 totaled 119. There had been 54 new members during the year; of the total, 53 lived within CA and the other 66 were spread throughout 24 of the other states of the U.S.

Already in 1974 there existed a California Indian Fantail Club and a Southern California Indian Fantail Club. It was the SCIFC that in early 1974 presented Harvey Gatlin with a "special award of recognition as outgoing IFCA president". Both the CIFC and the SCIFC are active organizations today. Through the years there have been other local Indian Fantail clubs come and go. In 1982 the Tri-State Indian Fantail Club celebrated its first anniversary with members in GA, SC and NC. In the mid 1980s the Mid States Indian Fantail Club was quite active with club officers from OH, TX and MO. From a national club standpoint however, and continually since its beginning, there has been only one organization, the Indian Fantail Club of America.

Over the years the IFCA has revise the Constitution and By-Laws to create district directors as a means for broader representation. First there were two directors, one in the west and one in the east. Then there were three and in 1982 the club adopted the present six districts. The position of publicity director had already been established along with an editor. More recently an historian and web (site) master have been added. The breakout of states making up our six districts is as follows:

Elections are held every two years in the IFCA, taking office at the beginning of each uneven numbered year. After the beginning of the club, when Harvey Gatlin and Tony Brancato served a decade or more as president and vice president, the top two positions chanced nearly every two years. Ted Golka, IA, president and Tim Kvidera, MN, vice president, first accepted those positions in 1997. The directors have changed a great deal during this period. The willingness of Ted and Tim to serve multiple terms has provided continuity to the organization and its programs.

Membership is currently at an all time high. Gone is the predominance of California members. The 2004 published membership list count was 126 with the following district representation: District One – 6, District Two – 35, District Three – 28, District Four – 25, District Five – 7, District Six – 16. Included were 9 members representing England, Canada and The Netherlands.