Fanatic and lazy (30-08-23)
I have been able to visit many 'pigeon champions' over the years, mainly because of the writing. Most of them I have forgotten or almost, but there are also some that are engraved in the deepest caverns of my memory.
BROS DE WIT
One of them is that one-off visit to Bros. de Wit. I knew little more about them than that they had won 3rd National (or was it international?) Barcelona and I had gone there to buy it.
That pigeon itself was my first surprise. Because certainly not the type of long distance pigeon, as far as you can speak of it, that I had expected. A beautiful light checkered clapper. He would not have looked out of place in the loft of the Janssens and that was not such a stupid idea. Jaap, the brother who spoke, said it was a Klakbird.
They were also successful with pigeons from Ouwerkerk, Griekspoor, Verbarth, as long as it was Janssen blood. Possibly their best, however, was a half A Wouters-Meulemans cock via the then renowned Cees van Tilburg, nicknamed Den Bosboer.
They had put some birds in a basket. Proud as they were to show themt. They were just as impressive as their 'Barcelona'. What pigeons. Rarely seen.
IMPRESSIVE
I knew that the brothers played well, but that was above the rivers and with my fellow countrymen I had in common the belief that the best were in my region and that our pigeons had to compete against much stronger competitors than those of fanciers elsewhere.But isn't that a trait that many fanciers have?
Because you don't want to know how many times I've had to hear 'he should come and race here and do the same' when someone performs exceptionally.Or 'where he plays you win a lot easier'.Mostly a matter of self-deception.
More out of curiosity I asked Jaap how much he asked for youngsters. 100 Guilders (45 euros) was the answer, but I could have some of the best for free. ‘Because I had made such a long journey.
’Those men were so non-commercial that they apparently did not realize that I did get my commission for their 'Barcelona'.What moved Jaap in a negative sense was a theft of pigeons. He never got over it.
STUPID
I thanked Jaap kindly, lied that my pens were already overcrowded anyway, otherwise I would have liked them.Years later I realized how stupid I had been.
That those pigeons that had made such an impression on me deserved that impression. They were exceptional.Verbree, Ouwerkerk, Verkerk, de Bruijn, v d Merwe and so on were smarter. The de Wit birds made them famous.
I made another mistake with Rinus van Gastel, a teacher in Roosendaal.VAN GASTELIn the 90's he visited me.He suggested a trade, I politely declined, and years later I realized how stupid I'd been again.
I gave Cor Leytens from Oostelbeers 2 pigeons, from one came their 'World Champion' long distance, from the other the 1st Olympiad pigeon sprint. Cor had given my pigeons a Van Gastel pigeon as a partner and thos birds produced those flyers.Later on, the late Tijn Oomen from Ulicoten would cause a sensation with a four-year-old cock he had received from… van Gastel.
WILLIAM GEERS
I had quite a lot of contact with William Geerts at the time. The first ‘mob flier’ in Antwerp and one of the first who raced the nationals with hens and the first professional pigeon fancier.With sprint pigeons from 'short distance guy' Fonske Jacobs from Sint Gilles Waas and with Meulemans birdsd, he dominated the Antwerp pigeon sport for years.Those who knew him know that there were few fanciers with more self-confidence than William. He often told me to be afraid of only one thing:
The 2 Noyon races before the Middle Distance season started.On those flights, one Jos Soontjens from Wommelgem ruled. And William did not like others to rule. INVITATIONNow it happened that Geerts invited me to go to a friend and see there the home coming of the birds from a race from Chateauroux.
That was someone with money who, as I suspected, had a lot of Geerts pigeons.He lived in an imposing house, I remember, with behind it an equally imposing garden with beautiful pigeon lofts. T
he weather was nice that day and when we arrived William's 'friend' was sitting under an umbrella. Or better "lay". Stretched out with one leg on a garden table, a cigar as thick as a lamppost in his mouth and a half-full glass and two beer bottles on the table.He visibly enjoyed doing nothing.
“This is not going to be him,” I said to Geerts.Chateauroux became a failure William asked how I could have foreseen that.
THE CHAMPION
Then I explained to him that a pigeon champion is something like him. About so. He has a woman with a sleepy face on racing days because she had to nudge her husband so often the night before because he was tossing and turning in his bed.
The champion gets up earlier than usual on flying days and the first thing he does is look outside. He starts watching way too early, flattens the lawn to the toilet, constantly looks at his watch and even more so at the weather vane.
If he is a smoker he smokes duble!
He is startled by every little bird that flies over and, afraid that someone has already clocked a pigeon, he picks up the phone in a cracking voice.Of course it can be a little less. But lying stretched out in an armchair and having trouble not dozing off when the pigeons have to arrive?If you feel good about that, fine.
But you will never be a champion.
Do you have to be a champion to enjoy pigeons and pigeon sport?
That is the the question.