DUTCH 800 MILERS - PART 3

JELLE OUTHUIJSE

FROM HARLINGEN

BY JOHN CLEMENTS

An outstanding pigeon this year’s International Barcelona belongs to a young fancier of 39 years - he is Jelle Outhuijse from Harlingen which is a town right on the sea facing the chain of Frisian Islands that stand guard over the mainland of the Nederlands. They appear to be there to protect this low-lying country from the anger of North Sea. Indeed you can get the ferry from Harlingen to the largest of the Frisian islands, the island of Terschelling.

Old Harlingen was a navel base since the 17th century. The old town has many pensions and boarding houses but accommodation goes fast in the summer because of the 90 minute ferry trip to Terschelling and its tourist trade and nature reserves. Nevertheless Harlingen is historic and attractive. It’s a place in its own right simply because of its connection with the historic Lutine Bell - the Bell that stands in the London insurance market of Lloyds. It sounds when Lloyds underwriters lose a ship. The Lutine was lost in these waters - the Bell being the only item recovered. Lloyds’ main dealing room is its last resting place and a fitting reminder to the danger of the sea. This is a difficult place to fly pigeons but it is the sort of place where sea bravery, because of the climate and location, is common. The fanciers of Harlingen want bravery in their pigeons. Jelle Outhuijse is a relatively young man for this type of racing. He is only 38 years old - Generally you have to have a few years experience to achieve success at this distance and this type of racing but Jelle has done it at his first attempt. Morning liberations flying against other countries are different. Up to now he has flown midday liberations in National Races but morning liberations against other coutnries is new to him.

Pigeon 1147976.00 is a hen. She was 219th in the International Barcelona flying 1335 km or 834 miles and 68th in the Hens race from 6903 pigeons. . . '976' was timed at 13.01pm on the second day. On the sire’s side it is out of a pigeon that was 2nd nat from Ruffec while on the dam's side it was off a double eleven flighted pigeon of the Martha van Geel ' Dolle' strain. This pigeon is also full of marathon pigeons - Van der Wegen - Braakhuis - Vanroy and some Russian or Ukranian pigeon that is unfortunately without detail but which you can bet is one of those long flying 'steppe' pigeons that occasionally get imported for the huge distances they fly in the Ukraine and Russia.

This pigeon is a mixture of blood - all of long distance. In 2004 she flew to Ruffec (880km) on widowhood then was put on the nest sitting about 10 days at Barcelona. In the 2004 season she had not reared a single youngster to its full age. In 2003 she was 25th from St Vincent (1170 km). At the start of the 2004 season in April she was given a cure for Paratyphus and treatment for Canker. For the last three days prior to basketing for Barcelona she was fed Pindar Nuts and Snoepzaad (I don't know what that is) but there is Grit and Piksteen in front of the pigeons at all times.

The loft has a total of 36 pairs of racers and 17 pairs of breeders. The previous results of this loft in National racing is as follows:- 1st nat St Vincent 1996 Sector 4 1171 km; 2nd nat Ruffec 1996 Sector 4 880 km; 10th nat Ruffec - 2nd nat Brive 927 km; 6th Nat Bergerac 883 km; 8th nat Ruffec; 11th nat Bergerac.