KEITH MOTT
Writes about winning fanciers past and present
Pieter Veenstra: World Class!
Everyone is talking about the fantastic Pieter Veenstra pigeons and their brilliant performances put up in Holland over the last few seasons. His wonderful Champion ‘Mr. Blue’ started his life as a brilliant racer winning: 1st National Racing Cock WHZB 2004, 3rd National Racing Cock WHZB 2003, 1st Prov. ‘Ace’ Bird Frysland 2004, 4th Prov. ‘Ace’ Bird Frysland, 1st Duffel (2,236 birds), 1st Hoensbroek (606 birds), 1st Hoensbroek (473 birds), 1st St. Ghislain (297 birds), 2nd Maaseik (2,305 birds), 2nd St. Ghislain (1,465 birds), 4th Duffel (1,191 birds), 5th Maaseik (2,590 birds), 6th Orleans (936 birds), 8th Houdeng (2,103 birds), 8th St. Ghislain (1,834 birds). ‘Mr. Blue’ then became the modern Pieter Veenstra founding cock, with his close descendants winning a massive list of premier positions in elite racing in Holland, including: 1st NPO Strombeek (279 km) 22,152 birds, 1st NPO Ablis (597 km) 11,945 birds, 1st NPO Signy Signetz (518 km) 8,664 birds, 1st NPO Chateauroux (772 km) 1,418 birds, 1st Prov. Pommeroeul (255 km) 17, 596 birds, 1st Prov. Duffel (255 km) 15, 489 birds, 1st Prov. Isnes (310 km) 6,544 birds, 1st Prov. Menen (33 km) 5,299 birds, 1st Prov. Pommeroeul (333 km) 5,299 birds, 1st Dutch Olympiad bird all round 2011, 1st Int. ‘Ace’ Bird Long Distance WENC 2010, 1st Int. ‘Ace’ Bird all round WENC 2010, 1st National ‘Ace’ Bird WHZB 2010, 1st National ‘Ace’ Bird WHZB 2009, 1st National Racing Hen WHZB 2010, 1st National Racing Hen 2009, 1st National ‘Ace’ Bird Long Distance WNZB 2010, 1st National ‘Ace’ Bird Long Distance Eendaagse Fondspiegel 2009. The world famous Champion ‘Mr Blue’!
I was recently speaking on the telephone to Dick Evans of ‘Myrtle Lofts’ and he told me that he and Mark had purchased some of the Pieter Veenstra pigeons including one direct from ‘Mr. Blue’ and two direct from his premier daughter, ‘Special Blue’. Dick says the Pieter Veenstra pigeons are real world class and told me, ‘when Pieter had a reduction sale in 2011 his pigeon’s realised a staggering approximate one and a half million euros and at that time the exchange rate with the pound was almost equal. The wonderful hen, ‘Dolce Vita’ was sold for 250,400 euros, which at that time was a record for the most expensive hen worldwide. Keith, you can see why we have been very fortunate to purchase two direct from the wonderful, ‘Special Blue’. I don’t know of any other loft who have two direct off this great hen, as she is now getting on in years and the Veenstra family are very reluctant to part with them’. ‘Special Blue’ is described as the best breeding hen in the world, being the dam of three different 1st International ‘Ace’ Birds, including the champion hen, ‘Dolce Vita’, winner of a long list of top positions including: 1st Dutch Olympiad bird all round 2011, 1st Int. ‘Ace’ Bird Long Distance 2010, 1st National ‘Ace’ Bird WHZB 2010, 1st National Racing Hen WHZB 2010, 1st National ‘Ace’ Bird Long Distance WHZB 2010, 1st NPO Chateauroux (1,418 birds), 1st Gennep (7,890 birds), 1st Hazeldonk (2,657 birds), 1st Pommeroeul (1,456 birds), 1st Vilvoorde (1,125 birds), 1st Sezanne (1,047 birds). What a hen! ‘Special Blue’ is also the dam of, ‘Chanel No.5’, winner of 1st Int. ‘Ace’ Bird all round WENC 2011, 1st Isnes 96,544 birds), 1st Meer (316 birds), 1st Moeskroen (126 birds) and sold for 75,000 euros, and ‘Rolex’, the winner of 1st National ‘Ace’ Bird WHZB 2009, 2nd National ‘Ace’ Bird Middle Distance WHZB 2009, 3rd National ‘Ace’ Bird Short / Middle Distance ‘ The Best of the Best’ 2009, and she was sold for 70,400 euros. Mark & Dick Evans now own a number of the Pieter Veenstra pigeons, with the main one being the two year old blue cock, ‘Inbred Blue’, and he is a son of ‘Mr. Blue’, when mated to his super daughter ‘Special Blue’. The second youngster off ‘Special Blue’ now at Myrtle Lofts is the blue chequer hen, ‘Jan’s Special’ and her sire is ‘De Jan’, which 100% D. & L. Van Dijck from their Champion ‘De Kannibaal’ bloodlines. ‘De Jan’ is a super breeder and sire of a list of premier winners, including 1st National ‘Ace’ Hen WHZB 2007. What fantastic family of pigeons!
I’ve included four photos with this article and the main one shows Mark & Dick Evans at the home of Pieter Veenstra in Holland. Pieter and his son are standing in the middle, with Mark seated holding the super breeder, ‘Special Blue’ and Dick also seated holding her father, ‘Mr. Blue’. Mark tells me, Pieter Veenstra’s son won 1st National with over 8,000 birds competing last season, racing on his own with the ‘Mr. Blue’ and ‘Special Blue’ bloodlines. I must echo Mark's comment, ‘A truly great achievement for such a young fancier’.
Just a little update!
After just a few weeks in to the 2014 racing season, we are receiving reports of good winners already from fancier with our blood lines. The Three Borders Federation was at Falaise in mid-May for their first Continental race and the event proved to be quite difficult, with a very strong west winds in the English Channel on the day. Steve Appleby of Ash has several of our Gaby Vandenabeele pigeons in his stock loft, including a daughter of ‘Myrtle Supremacy’ and ‘Myrtle Exile’, which he calls ‘Treble Four’. In 2013 she was mated to a Chitty Brother’s cock and they produced a chequer hen, now named ‘Out Of Sight’ that won 1st club Falaise, winning the Guildford club by 100 ypm and beat most of the local clubs, including the Godalming club’s 360 birds. Two weeks later this game little hen was sent to Fougeres and recorded 2nd club, with the Guildford club winning the Federation that week. ‘Treble Four’ is a full sister to Colin Crook & Andy Iddenden’s brilliant stock hen, ‘White Tail’, dam of 2nd, 12th, 13th Federation in the 2013 season and is half-sister to Terry Haley’s wonderful cock, ‘The Watford Wizard’, all being produced from our champion Mark & Dick Evans stock hen, ‘Myrtle Exile’. I had a phone call from my ol’ mate, Terry Haley recently, to tell me that his 2013 Gaby Vandenabeele 1st open Combine winner, ‘The Watford Wizard’, lost his first race on the North Road this season by a yard, after chasing a stray youngster on top of the loft for a minute and the following week recorded 3rd club Aycliffe (205 miles), being beaten by two loft mates. A great start to the 2014 racing season!
Steve Appleby is enjoying a great 2014 racing season, being in the first few on the result sheet most weeks, including some firsts, racing to his loft in Surrey. Steve is one of the sports workers and it’s great to see him do well with his small team of pigeons. I first met Steve about twenty years ago, when I first started convoying for the London & South East Classic Club and he was my race advisor. In that time we had some great fun working together, producing some good racing for the Classic and have become very good friends. Steve has a sound knowledge how forecasts work as he has studied meteorology for over 20 years. Stevie is the best race advisor in the sport and in recent years has taken the job to new higher level of excellence. I ask you, where would race advisory be in this country without Steve Appleby? He has the best technology available and is 100% dedicated to producing the very best racing for the fanciers every Saturday, whether it be Federation or Classic.
I would like to finish this week’s article by congratulating our new BHW scribe, Joe Cuthbert, on her recent race win with her good blue pied cock. We exchange news emails every week and her small team of North Road racers have been ‘knocking at the door’ every week this season. Her prized natural blue pied cock has been on the ETS first several times this season and was the one who produced her first race win of the season. Joe loves the sport and is full of enthusiasm, which comes through well in her new brilliant Thames Valley Federation column in the BHW. She was so keen to get her fancy press writing going and she is a natural at it, with her new articles being well received every week. It’s great to see a youngster with this great interest in the sport! Joe is from a very good racing pigeon family, with the late Arthur Maycock of Hersham being her father and of course, Charlie Maycock being her granddad. The Maycock family were a premier racing partnership in the Surrey area for many years and our Jo is putting some their stock knowledge into to her North Road racing, with good success. Well done kid, I hope you win a few more this season!
I’m finishing this week’s article on that happy note! I can be contacted with any pigeon ‘banter’ on telephone number: 01372 463480 or email address:
TEXT & PHOTOS BY KEITH MOTT (www.keithmott.com)
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