Modern European Pigeoners
- Part 2
by Liam O Comain

Brugemaan

In Holland the Brügemann brothers Cees, Peter & Jos have managed to develop a strain of pigeons that is amongst the best in the world at the present time, and this inspite of the fact that the brothers sold all of their pigeons in 1996 with the exception of the birds bred that year. Prior to this, along with their father Lou, the brothers raced at the short and middle distances with success. (Brügemann senior died in 1987). The brothers then sold the shorter racers in 1992 and set their sights upon the ultra distances until their decision to sell all racers and stock. Included in that sale in autumn of 1996 were 'Orthan' and 'Myra' who finished in 5th and 8th National Barcelona. There was also 'Tycha' who won 3rd National Pau in 1994 and perhaps best of all the 'super couple' who lay at the base of the strain the great ' Oude 62' and 'De Vegvlieger'.

Let us now move forward in years to the Summer of 1998, for the youngsters of 1996 were to be put to the test after two years of preparation in an airy loft of dry droppings. They were astutely prepared via exercise, training and an intake of the right food and proper supplements, etc, to face races such as Barcelona (1,248 km), Marseille (1,026 km) and Perpignan (1,099km). It should be noted that when other competitors' birds are home, fed and asleep the Brügemann Bros. entrants are still flying for a couple of hours or more until their base. But what was to occur could not be imagined by the most fertile imagination, for two nest sisters, granddaughters of 'Orhan' named 'Sumari' and 'Sumara' captured 10th and 18th National respectively, 28th and 45th International against 24,139 pigeons. What an achievement by three masters nurturing the seed of the Aarden pigeon dynasty! It is said that the pigeon who won the race did not receive the due it deserved because of the feat of the Brügemann pigeons. The lofts also scored in the top 100 from Perpignan and had 5 birds in the top 100 in the race from Marseille including 6th National.

However, there were also yearlings sent by the brothers to the Bordeaux International in 1998 (938 km) when they received 33 prizes with 70 pigeons returning in good time out of the 75 sent. An example of the stock available to the brothers and equally an example of their managerial skills. This was no flash in the pan for the Brügemann family since then have continued to reach the heights since their comeback and I have no doubt that their strain will be pioneers in the long and marathon distances in the new millennium. This prediction is based upon a young stock loft of approximately 15 pairs of the best of tested bloodlines.

The Brügemann brothers are now Peter and Jos, for Cees left the partnership after the 2000 season and now races with his son Bas at another location but he is still committed to the ultra distances. The brothers ensure that mating wise their long distance candidates are sitting on the third nest prior to the chosen race and the condition implies sitting on a 2 to 3 day old YB or on eggs for 10 to 14 days. During this period they are not raced and have about one month's rest before going into the race pannier. As for the young they enter races of 300 to 400 kms and the one year olds have to fly Bordeaux.

The Brügemann strain has many admirers in Europe and in recent years its reputation has spread throughout the globe. Its further development will be interesting.

Brockamp

Peter and Dr. Hans Peter Brockamp live in Boppard in the Rhine Valley region. Peter has been breeding and racing pigeons for 50 plus years after starting in 1948. In the 1950s he was unbeatable with the old Huyskens-van Riel strain. In 1967 or thereabouts, Hans-Peter, became a partner and through his influence the Brockamps set their sights upon distance racing. Then in the middle of the eighties the partnership decided to take part in the international races of Pau, Barcelona, Dax, Marseille and Perpignan. A good decision for they have reaped world wide recognition as one of the best lofts in Europe at the distances.

Winning 1st International Bordeaux against 11,644 of a convoy and the 1st International Perpignan (1999) against 17,584 pigeons within three weeks. And in 2005 the partnership won the International Marseille.In their breeding loft are not more than 15 pairs, 10 of them first prize winners including Armstrong, the International winner from Perpignan, it's parents, the parents of the first International Bordeaux and also the parents of the Olympia pigeon in the long-distance category, Cape Town South Africa in 2001.

The partners exchange pigeons with other fancier friends who have succeeded at the Nationals in recent years and they include Friedhelm Menne who won 1st National Bordeaux in 1998 with their Night Racer, Josef Fell from Erkelenz with 1st and 2nd place in the race from Cahors in 1999, and Harald Schröder who won 1st international Bordeaux in 1999 against 11,644 pigeons.

Their family today are mainly based upon Andre Vanbruaene bloodlines obtained in the 1980s and the bloodlines of Georges Carteus from Ronse. In fact the Carteus blood would be the dominant force of their colony today.There is also an input from the Muller strain.Based upon such super distance bloodlines the Brockamps will continue to score at international level.

One of their best pigeons known as the 'Crack' fathered 'Dunkler Barcelona','Blauer Pau' and 'Super 196' who respectively won 38 prizes in 39 International races. There is also 'The Champ' which has won 12 good prizes in 12 International races between 1990 and 1993 with 1st at Pau, Barcelona and Perpignan This has proved a gold mine at stock and is producing winners at time of writing. This includes 12 different grandsons and also 'Marseille Star' who has won first prize from Marseille.

The partners place the greatest emphasis upon breeding and acknowledge that if the right birds are bred they will face anything that the basket will present. Therefore they seek for and purchase the best. One of best birds purchased was a son of the famous 'Soustons', national winner of the race from Soustons (950 km). The 'Junge Soustons' and the 'Kleine Limoges' from Georges Carteus is a top breeding couple. The couple bred among others 'Armstrong', who won 1st International Perpignan with an advantage of 50 minutes in 1999. 'Armstrong' was five times successful in five international races.

Approximately 50% of the their stock came from George Carteus, the Perpignan specialist from Ronse, Belgium. One of their present best breeders is the 'Junge As', a son of the 'As', 2nd International Perpignan in 1995 and 4th Belgian National Ace Pigeon in the Long Distance Category of 1993. He is father of 'Blauer Budapest I', 'Blauer Budapest II', '612', 'Bordeaux 652'and also of 'Olympiade Kapstadt', '420', and '306'. Today the offspring of nearly every Carteus ace pigeons is breeding in their lofts. Yes, a partnership which has the potential to become one of the best in the new millennium. Confirmation, if any is required, was the partnership winning the Marseille International in 2005 with Marseille King.

Brinkman

The name Brinkman through successes at the distances throughout Europe has taken its place as one of the most exciting modern families of the sport. Confirmed by the fact that their pigeons scored 28 positions in the first ten of the Netherlands Nationals within a period of only 10 years.

It had its origins in the 1970s when Herman Brinkman got married and required some furniture. It was then that they made contact with Hans Eijerkamp who as well as being a well known pigeon colony owner was also a provider of needed household  requirements. The contact in time provided the best of European bloodlines arriving at Tuk from the little village of Zutphen. Genes of the great van der Wegen's such as the lines of De Lamme,Het Oud Doffertje and De Barcelona. Incidentally when the four pigeons arrived at Tuk they looked like nothing so Brinkman telephoned Hans Eijerkamp complaining about their appearance. As a response their provider promised Brinkman that he would replace them if in time they were proven to be rubbish. However three of the four became champion breeders.

Then through Vertelman & Son Brinkman also obtained the best of the Theelan family to add to the van der Wegen's and the purchase of 12 youngsters from this source proved to be a moment of brilliance for what they produced cemented the base of the Brinkman's solidly and ensured the emergence of a wonderful modern family of ultra distance racers. Another important source was a bird purchased by Herman's father Jan named De Fijne Zwarte which contained a lot of Jan Aarden blood through Ko Nipius and some of the Zilvervosje lines of Meesters running through its veins. This cock bird became one of the foundation birds at the Brinkman loft.

Herman and his father Jan have a great rapport and much of the managerial ability of the son is due to the influence of the father. And this also has marked the son and the grandson of the partnership, Rik. Time  is given for the development of their thoroughbreds and their hallmark is simplicity itself. They are not hoarders of racing pigeons in fact they have a small colony in comparison with other European fanciers but what they have in the opinion of quite a number of observers is the creme de la creme. Birds such as Brinkie Boy and Rode Barcelona, for example. The first achieving 1st National NPO Limoges, 6th National Creche, 20th National Bergerac, etc., and Rode Barcelona scoring 2nd Barcelona bird in the northern section. There is also the great Barca Boy who scored 49th National St. Vincent and 78th International Barcelona in 2004. At 1300 km for Barcelona. As for the present day cult of a mad rush to the medicine cabinet when something appears wrong - "No, unless it is really necessary, we leave our birds alone as much as possible." Herman also believes that observing pigeons is everything and if required all should be noted down in paper.

Yes, a brief insight into one of the greatest modern families for in 1994, '95, '96 and '97 Brinkman was Champion of the prestigious National Fondspiegel Competition, and from 1994 until 1997 this classification confirmed the Brinkmans as the best overnight loft of the Netherlands. Seventy-six times the loft from Tuk listed a top 30 National position.

Not surprisingly other fanciers obtained good results with Brinkman birds: 1st International Bordeaux in 1995 Alex Rans from Herent (Belgium). 1st National (2nd International) Bordeaux 1999 by Jan and Hanne Sas(Belgium). 1st National Bergerac 1998 by Bennie Homma from Balk. 1st National Bergerac 1994 by A. Kors from Steenwijkerwold. 1st National Brive 1997 by Wagteveld partnership from Heerenveen. 1st National Bergerac 1997 by A. Wassens from Hoonhorst. 1st National St. Vincent 2003 by Albert Vos from Nieuw Dordrecht. 1st National Perpignan by Ben van Munckhof through Frans van Wel from Bakel. 1st National Perpignan 2003 by W. de Schepper through Alex Rans from Herent. 2nd National Perpignan 2003 by Luc v.d. Gucht from Hulst. 2nd International Barcelona by J. Korver from Graft. 3rd National Barcelona 2003 by Marcel Michiels from Messelbroek.

Verbruggen

Gommaire Verbruggen is considered by some to be the modern face of Belgium pigeon racing and there is no doubt about his committment and managerial ability coupled with a progressive mentality. And although he is the instrument of the appearance and the successes of one of the greatest racers at the distance in the world at present this is not a one bird colony for the achievements of the Verbruggens are too many to relate in this brief insight. The ongoing result of an astute pigeoner.

Gommaire Verbruggen bred and flew the black cheq pied cock rung 2117469 BELG 00 known as Bonte Barcelona. His record at the distance has been truly outstanding since the year 2002. For in that year from Barcelona Bonte was 35th National and 144th International, to be followed in 2003 with 116th National, in 2004 with 156th National, and in 2005 he was 31st National and 67th International. The prestigious Golden Wing Awards were won in 2003, 2004 and 2005. This outstanding thoroughbred contains the bloodlines of Zantboer of Steenbergen, Van Geel, and van den Burgh of Maasland.

By the start of January 2003 Gommaire Verbruggen of the town of Scherpenheuvel had won 30 Provincial and 6 Semi-National races. Since then he has become world famous because of his successes in the sport, a sport which he entered into in 1970. Having become a master at the sprints and middle distances apparently it was through the influence of a loft helper who loved distance racing that Verbruggen bought some bloodlines more appropriate to what was to come. The latter  included pigeons from the Kuypers Bros, Roger Vereecke, Jan Ernest, Roger Florizoone and Aardens from Klaas Oosterhof as well as the bloodlines of Bonte Barcelona.

The pigeons destined for the Barcelona race are kept from the rest of the colony and before departure must race from Bourges and Chateauroux. They are sent to Barcelona after two tosses the week before from 50km. Some of the latter aside from Bonte Barcelona includes 450 who scored 122nd and 258th National from Barcelona; 403 who scored 133rd National Beziers, 731st National Barcelona and 26th International Perpignan; 473 who was 208th National Barcelona and 192nd National from Perpignan. There are many others but to have Bonte Barcelona alone is the thrill and the achievement of a lifetime.

There is no doubt that Verbruggen is a name that will continue to surface in the competitive nature of modern pigeon racing in Belgium and Europe as a whole. That is beyond question.