Parkinson. L J
We have just spent 10 days having a break and taking photos of pigeons for later in the year and during these visits heard stories about losses. Racing in the Nationals has not been brilliant this year and from talking to fanciers up and down the country they have lost more than ever. We have to wonder why this happens but the general consensus of opinion is that the change in the weather between contacts on the line of flight has not been picked up for whatever reason. The race controllers do have a hard job and if something goes wrong they are the first in the line of fire. Over the years there have been some liberations that have been real howlers but I don’t think it is always down to the race controllers.
I have very often written about families of pigeons coming and going and one such family are the Pieter Veenstra pigeons that made a lot of money at sales some time ago. The “Harry” lines are doing well and when you look at the Veenstra paperwork this cock figures prominently in them. I was talking to a friend of mine who has some of these pigeons and they are doing well for him. He went on to say they came from Margaret & Dickie Evans who had handpicked 13 of them from the Veenstra stock and we all know how good Dickie is with his selections. This is where the great racing and breeding hen “Dolce Vita” came from and was later sold at auction for a then world record 250.000 euros to Zhenyu Loft in China. The foundation cock at the Veenstra Lofts is “Mr Blue” who is responsible for generations of exceptional winners including “Dolce Vita” winner of many 1sts including 1st International Ace Bird Long Distance. “Rolex” 1st National Ace Bird WHZB. “Channel No 5” 1st International Ace Bird All Round WENC. The mother of these pigeons is the fabulous “Special Blue” mother of 3 different International Ace Birds that were sold for a total of 395,800 euros. No matter where you go you are not going to get much better-bred birds for the stock loft. Through visiting lofts and writing about racing pigeons since 1977 I have come across some top-class racers and breeders and even when the Veenstra sale took place I have to admit I didn’t take a lot of notice of what was being sold and for how much. Since seeing these photos and winnings I am now looking at this line in a different light plus knowing what Dickie has bred for others off the direct children I must ask the question, “Why are their winnings not reported in the fancy press in the same way that other well-known families and I must add without the same high-quality performances” Maybe this is because the everyday fancier is racing them and not so much the top names in the sport. I, like others am fully aware that there are many top-class winners who do not and never have had the credit that they deserve for what they have done with their racing and breeding birds. This is mainly because they are from fanciers who are not confident enough to push the performances that they have achieved or they don’t want to let others know what they are racing and there are a lot of those about. Pieter Veenstra sold his pigeons in 2012 but was soon back into racing and still has the fabulous “Mr Blue” line that have won more than their share of prizes from club to International racing. When Pieter parted with his pigeons they made Around one and a half million euros which was a lot of money even against the pound. Expanding on the winners above ‘Special Blue’ has bred; 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. Other Veenstra pigeons that Dick has include a 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. This really is an incredible family of pigeons that go on and on and you cannot take it away from Pieter Veenstra he does know how to race and breed a really good pigeon. Taking in to account that he had the major sale with all those top-class pigeons being sold in 2011, he then started again and by 2014 was again producing real top-class pigeons winning out of turn. Some time ago Nikolas Gyselbrecht gave me permission to use photos off his site, to show you what Pieter now has I have selected two class pigeons. You can find out a lot about these birds as you can with any other by going on the Internet where there is an abundance of information on the Veenstra pigeons. I still like to see the BHW dropping through the door each week, far easier than the Internet to look at.
Had a great photo from Alan Woodcock of Sandbach members taken many moons ago. I know them all by face but I cannot remember their names, that is except the young man at the front. I will put a question mark by the ones I am not sure about. Denis Longworth, ?, Joe Glover, Billy Whisker, ?, Brian Beardmore, George Stubbs, ?, Alan Woodcock, ?. The young man at the front I have no idea but I bet I will be kicking myself when I find out. In their day, there are three of the best fanciers I have ever known on this photo, Joe Glover who appears to have been winning since time began. The other two are no longer with us but they were really good fanciers, Brian Beardmore & George Stubbs both used to race in Sandbach and were two of the hardest fanciers to beat. You could listen to George all day long he had some great stories to tell and did he tell us during lunch break at Fodens.
Les J Parkinson. 11 Rushton Drive, Middlewich, Cheshire, CW10 0NJ.
01606836036 Mobile 07871701585.
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web site www.elimarpigeons.com
