Frank & August Daelemans

Pigeon Catalogue 2009

Contact us at:

Hellestraat 1c 9112 Sinaai - Belgium

Tel: +32 3 722 04 40 Fax: +32 3 722 04 37

e-mail: frankdaelemans@skynet.be

www.pigeonsport.com

INTRODUCTION For 80 years, everything in the Daelemans family has been focused on pigeonsport. Grandfather Louis started the family tradition of breeding and racing pigeons as early as 1924. Today this tradition is continued by father August Daelemans and son Frank, combining their efforts in “The Loft of the New Generation”.

Since many years the Daelemans.’ loft is first and foremost known for its original Janssen. Arendonk. of the most famous breeders and bloodlines, and for the Meulemans. Arendonk out of the descendants of the Golden Pair 'Oude Van Den Bosch X Janssen Hen'.. Being friends of the Janssen brothers. (and now of the remaining brother Louis) and Karel Meulemans for many years, we were (and still are) able to build up an outstanding collection of these world renowned pigeons. Starting as sprint and middle distance racers decades ago, since 1996 we have turned our attention to the world-famous long distance events. While keeping a strong occupation of Janssen and Meulemans pigeons on our loft, we restocked an important part of our breeding loft with the Van der Wegen.. birds of Christ Musters, Holland, the Jan Aardens of Herman Van Helmond, Vorselaar, Belgium, 8 times National Winner and 27 times Provincial Winner. Long Distance, and the long distance birds of Notaris Jan Dons, 1st National Barcelona Winner and President of Cureghem Centre, the organizing club of the international Barcelona race. Faithfull to our passion for the Meulemans pigeons we also reinforced our loft with the long distance winning lines out of Karel’s famous ‘Pantani’, ‘591’ and ‘Donkere Dax’, 1st National Dax winner.

In September 2002 construction of a new house including new modern pigeon lofts started in Sinaai, between Ghent and Antwerp in the East Flanders Province of Belgium. In September 2003 the whole Daelemans stock moved to this new location. With these better facilities to receive visitors, store products and train, race and research pigeons, it is our ambition to add yet another chapter to the historical dedication of the Daelemans family to our fascinating sport.

new breeding loft

training ...

In the Belgian and International racing pigeon world, the name 'Daelemans.' is certainly no unknown quantity. August earned himself a world-wide reputation as one of the pigeonsport's leading reporters and promotors of his generation. More than 30 years of experience have brought him in contact with virtually every Champion. pigeonsport has produced the last few decades, not only in Belgium, but also in many other countries all over the world. His worldwide travels and dedication to the sport have brought him many honors, such as being Hoofdbeskermheer (Chief Protector) of the South African Homing Union. With this background, it's no wonder that Frank’s professional career is also dedicated to the sport. Since 1996 he has his own company specialized in the sales of top class pigeons world-wide. Following in his father’s footsteps Frank has published numerous articles on various aspects of the sport in International magazines and on the internet. He is also the author of the widely acclaimed book “Karel Meulemans, the true story of a pigeon sport legend”. Being based in Belgium, the cradle of pigeonsport and still the pulsating heart of the sport's latest developments, and being blessed with numerous contacts worldwide, years of experience and professional technical knowledge, we are able to offer pigeonfanciers a total package for their sport. Our approach to today’s pigeonsport scene is twofold: 1) Information “Knowledge is power”. The more you know about the sport, the better your chances for success. Many fanciers unfortunately lack the expertise to make it to the top. That’s why we have set up our own free information service for the fancier on the Internet. “August & Frank Daelemans’ Racing Pigeon World” at http://www.pigeonsport.com not only brings you articles about the Belgian racing season and Belgium’s top performing lofts, but also elaborates on technical issues and takes a look at the International pigeon sport scene in general and one loft racing (such as the Sun City Million Dollar Race) in particular. Thirty years of journalistic experience ensure high quality articles, updated on a regular basis. 2) Pigeons No matter how well informed and knowledgeable you are, with second rate birds you will never win a race. With our close contacts in the Belgian and International racing scene, the world’s famous lofts are now at your fingertips. Take a look at our superb Janssen. and Meulemans. collection, or let us introduce you to the sport’s leading Champion.s. We have many years of experience in delivering superior quality pigeons to fanciers worldwide. We’ll never ship a bird we don’t like ourselves: our expertise is your guarantee. Would you rather prefer to come over and pick out the birds yourself: no problem. Let us be your guide to the lofts that matter today. We’ll arrange a first class shipment for the birds you choose, so you can return home free of worries to enjoy your champions for years to come.

On the following pages we’ll show you in detail what we’ve collected on our breeding loft. Our pigeons are listed pair by pair: first we introduce the cock and then the hen. Each time you will find the pedigree of the bird on the opposite page. Youngsters from our breeding pairs are in principle available throughout the year. However please keep in mind that we are not a big ‘factory’ loft or a breeding station. We normally breed only three to four rounds per year and this includes the youngsters we need for ourselves. After all we need racers too! If we don’t have youngsters of a certain pair readily available it is always possible to order them in advance. First come is also first served. If, after going through this catalogue, you still have any further questions, don’t hesitate to contact us. We’ll be glad to help you along. In any case we hope we can make a worthwhile contribution to the continuing success of the noble art of keeping, breeding and racing pigeons..

Frank & August Daelemans

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OUR JANSSEN ARENDONK

COLLECTION

INTRODUCTION No other bloodline of pigeons has fueled the imagination of fanciers as that of Janssen Arendonk. For those that breed and compete with “the racehorses of the sky”, the name Janssen sounds like the name “Ferrari” does to car aficionados. “The brothers” have become the stuff of legend and put the small village of Arendonk firmly on the world map. Japanese, Taiwanese, Chinese, Americans, South Africans, Australians, Russians, Poles, Mexicans, ... you name it... may have a hard time remembering that Brussels is a Belgian city or that Antwerp is one of the largest ports in the world, but if they are pigeon fanciers they can tell you exactly where Arendonk is situated! Of course, the story of the Janssen Brothers of Arendonk holds in itself all the necessary ingredients to make it into a legend. The unmarried brothers who lived together all their lives, devoting themselves to their pigeons; their well in the garden, which contained water of almost magical quality (or so people tend to believe); the vast sums of money which they earned racing pigeons (just before the second World War they won 6.000 Belgian Francs, then the equivalent of a small house, three weeks in a row); the openness of their lofts, with their priceless champions flying out at liberty all day; the pureness of their bloodline, going for decades without new blood brought in (except the famous “half Fabry”); ... these are all facts that indeed add to the legend. At the same time these stories and many others (some true, some not so true) almost make you forget where the real legendary status of the Janssen Arendonk strain comes from: the unparalleled breeding quality of what may very well be the finest pigeons the world has ever seen. Look at the pedigrees of any top Champion in the sport and chances are extremely high you will find one or more Janssen pigeons in there. There is no other strain that has been used so much to reinforce breeding stock. It makes the Janssen birds unique. And it doesn’t matter if you look at sprint, middle distance or long distance Champions: they all have used Janssen Arendonk. That is also unique. You don’t even have to restrain yourself and only look at yesterday’s Champions. The breeding success of the Janssen pigeons has lasted for decades and decades and continues today into the 21st century. My father and I have had the privilege of being friends of the Janssen family (and now of the only remaining brother Louis) for many years. Of course, legends always have many “friends”. But how many of these “friends” can claim they received from the Janssen brothers the traditional pocket-money given to young men going to the army? How many of these can say they have been asked by them to go up to the loft in the attic and ring youngsters? How many can buy the youngsters of their own choosing in stead of having to accept what is presented? Not many, but my father and I can. Because of this some of the most famous and exceptional Janssen birds have passed through our hands. And because of this we’ve been able to build up a fine collection of Janssen pigeons out of the best lines on their loft. We present our collection to you on the following pages. It is not the largest collection in the world. Its quality however can pass any test. Youngsters out of our breeders have produced winners on all distances in all corners of the world. Of course, talk is cheap and making claims is easy. So by all means, don’t take our word for it; turn the pages and judge for yourself...

A legendary hen...

Zacht Blauw Janssen (also known as Schoon Blauw Janssen) is a unique hen on our loft. She’s now 20 years old and truly a legend. Until aged 18, she still laid two perfect eggs time and time again. Almost every fancier visiting our lofts has handled her and has been amazed about her quality; not only when she was young, but also in recent years. Needless to say any hen that managed to stay on a breeding loft for so long (we got her as a baby directly from the Janssen Brother’s loft in 1989) has shown superior quality. Especially in Japan, Malta and South Africa her offspring has been very popular because of the many winners it produced on short, middle and long distances alike. Her pedigree is a Janssen fan’s heaven. On father’s side she’s descendant from the worldfamous 019. On mother’s side we find other Janssen celebrities, such as Oude Witoger, Oude Vos van ’81, Ijskop and Goede Jaarling. Although she now no longer produces eggs, she has earned her place on our lofts, where she now stays as a treasured and loved hen until the day she dies. And even though she no longer produces, no catalogue on our Janssen collection would be complete without a page devoted to her alone...

Couple 1: Cock

Blue Star Janssen is one of the top Janssen breeding cocks on our loft. The fact that he was permanently mated to our favourite hen “Zacht Blauw” for as long as she was fertile, should already make this point more than clear. For those among you that are still in doubt, his pedigree will quickly convince you: “Eksteroog”, “Duivin 2 eerste prijzen”, “Oude Witoger”, “Jonge Raket”, “Jonge Merckx”, “019”, “Afgekeurde”, “Blauwe Winterjonge”, ... all are present in Blue Star’s pedigree. Need I say more? If you are still not convinced I cordially invite you to visit our loft and handle this outstanding cock. Even die hard sceptics will leave their last doubts behind.

Couple 1: Hen

482/02 is an original Janssen Arendonk hen. As with all our Janssen birds, only the very best bloodlines find their way unto our breeding loft. In 482’s pedigree you will find household Janssen names such as Geeloger, Witplak, 019, Stier, Jonge Merckx, Goede Jaarling, Zitter, Raket, etc. This superb hen has now taken the place of the Old Blue, Zacht Blauw Janssen, as the mate of our basic cock, which should attest to her quality.

Couple 2: Cock

Pollux is a pure Janssen Arendonk, bred by ourselves out of two originals. Pollux is the son of our famous old blue Janssen hen “Zacht Blauw” (see “a legendary hen... up front) and her regular cock “Blue Star Janssen” (Couple 1). As such he is the brother to many top breeders and racers who have brought many fanciers success in countries all over the world.

Couple 2: Hen

Schoon Bont 29 is not a Janssen hen but an original Ludo Claessens, Putte, Holland. This Dutch grandmaster, the conquerer of Orleans, is so famous worldwide that he hardly needs any introduction. For a brief discussion of all his top results alone we would need another volume like this catalog. Schoon Bont 29’s father is “Blauwe Bonte Bliksem” out of “Bliksem” x “Grote Kop Duivin”. Her mother is “Grote Katoog Duivin”, a daughter of “Rode Katoog”, one of the top birds of the Claessens loft. On mother’s side we find other famous names such as “Late Donkere” and “Spierke”. Schoon Bont 29 was only raced as a young bird. Basketed 9 times she won 8 prizes, 5 of which were in the top 10%. Although she’s not a Janssen, she’s frequently mated to Pollux, and therefore featured on this page. When Pollux is not mated to Schoon Bont 29 his hen is 144/06 (no picture available at this time). This is a hen we bred ourselves out of 482/02 (see Couple 1, hen) and “Blauwe Mariën”. The latter was partly descendant on father’s side from the Janssen Arendonk lines of Late Blauwen and Goede Jaarling ’72, but perhaps more importantly, he was a grandson of the famous “Vooruit” of Flor Vervoort.

Couple 3: Cock

Castor is a pure Janssen Arendonk, bred by ourselves out of two originals. Pollux is another son of our famous old blue Janssen hen “Zacht Blauw” (see “a legendary hen...” up front) and her regular cock “Blue Star Janssen” (Couple 1). As such he is the brother to many top breeders and racers who have brought many fanciers success in countries all over the world. He is the brother of Pollux (see Couple 2) and of “Helena” and “Cassandra”

Couple 3: Hen

Geschelpt Wittikske is a pure Janssen Arendonk hen of noble lineage. Her father is Lichte Afgekeurde, a son of the famous Lichte van Afgekeurde, which was sold for a high sum to Japan. Jonge Merckx, Jonge Raket, Oude Vos van ’81,... are all found in her pedigree on father’s side. On mother’s side her pedigree is no less impressive. She is a granddaughter of the worldfamous Chantilly, 6150123/89. For those who know something about Janssen pigeons, no more needs to be said. The only thing we will add is that through her grandmother on mother’s side, Geschelpt Wittikske descends from other Janssen icons such as Blauwen Winterjonge and the legendary 019.

Couple 4: Cock

Schone Geschelpte Janssen is another original Janssen and a great addition to our Janssen Arendonk collection. His father is Bonten, out of the lines of Vos van ’90 Volière, Jonge Raket, Eksteroog, Oude Vos van ’81 and Goede Jaarling. On mother’s side he descends from Rakker, Raket, Oude Witoger and Jonge - and Oude Merckx to name but a few. In fact we can trace his pedigree back to 1926. With such a noble lineage in a 2004 body, we’ve secured the continuation of our Janssen stock for years to come.

Couple 4: Hen

Helena is a beautiful pure Janssen Arendonk hen. She is the daughter of our famous old blue hen Zacht Blauw Janssen and her regular cock Blue Star Janssen (See “a legendary hen...” and the cock of Couple 1). When Helena hatched, we decided to keep her for ourselves to serve as her mother’s successor because at that time Zacht Blauw Janssen already had an advanced age. We are sure she’s up to that task, but even if she’s only half as good as her mother was, she still is a top breeding hen.

Couple 5: Cock

774 is a pure Janssen Arendonk of our own breeding. His father is Lichte Afgekeurde, a grandson of the famous Afgekeurde. His mother is Zacht Voske, out of the lines of Vos van ’90 Volière, Goede Kapot Borstbeen, Blauwen Winterjonge, Oude Witoger, etc. Other famous names in his pedigree include Jonge Merckx, Jonge Raket, Eksteroog, Oude Vos van ’81, etc. We’ve been asked many times to sell this very nice red cock, especially by Taiwanese, where the line of Afgekeurde has a strong reputation as top performers. As we are very fond of this outstanding bird ourselves, 774 still remains on our lofts. Mating him to a daughter of our legendary Zacht Blauw, the Old Blue Hen, combines two lines with proven race qualities.

Couple 5: Hen

Cassandra is the second daughter of Zacht Blauw, the Old Blue Hen, we keep on our loft. Just like her sister Helena, she is a hen of outstanding quality and therefore a worthy successor of her illustrious mother. Cassandra’s father is our basic Janssen cock, Blue Star (see cock couple 1). Just like her brothers and sister, her pedigree holds some of the most famous Janssen Arendonk names, but most importantly, just like the rest of her family she’s also descendant of Oude Witoger. The Janssen brothers never made much publicity for Oude Witoger and his offspring. Not because this line was not good, but on the contrary because it was a line of strong performers and therefore the cunning Janssen brothers wanted to keep the youngsters for themselves!!

A legendary cock...

Donkere Chantilly is an original Janssen Arendonk. As his name already implies he is a direct son of the worldfamous Chantilly, 6150123/89. Not only that but he is also the perfect lookalike of his father; fanciers not looking at the ring might think they hold the Chantilly himself in their hands. On mother’s side his pedigree shows other famous Janssen stars such as Afgekeurde, Blauwe Winterjonge, 019, Jonge Merckx, Oude Merckx, etc. After having spent 8 years as a top breeder and one of the basic cocks on our lofts, Donkere Chantilly finally moved to Taiwan, where the racing qualities of the Chantilly offspring are much appreciated. Now his offspring guarantees the continuation of his line in the Daelemans collection of Janssen Arendonk top birds. Because of the importance of the Chantilly line to fans of the Janssen heritage and to honour his lasting position as one of our fundamental breeding cocks, we’ve given him his own page in our catalogue, just like that other icon, Zacht Blauw Janssen.

Couple 6: Cock

Schalie Zoon Chantilly is bred by ourselves out of Donkere Chantilly, a son of the worldfamous Chantilly of Janssen Arendonk, and Diamond Princess. As such he not only represents some of the most sought after Janssen lines, but he’s also a worthy successor of his famous father, Donkere Chantilly (see “a legendary cock...”) himself. He’s a halfbrother of 928 Chantilly. His mother is an outstanding breeding hen, granddaughter of “Beul” and Donkere Chantilly’s regular mate.

Couple 6: Hen

Without a doubt the new favourite on our breeding loft. She reminds us so much of our beloved Zacht Blauw that we are sure she will be our new gem for many, many years to come. Braaf Blauw is very, very beautiful indeed, very intelligent and very tame. She’s a daughter of the Septemberman and is a descendant of the line of the famous Eksteroog. Need we say more? For true Janssen fans surely not. Top quality material which ensures the future of our Janssen collection.

Couple 7: Cock

Maradonna Janssen is very successful Janssen Arendonk addition to our breeding loft. On father’s side this beautiful cock is a grandson of Goede Kapot Borstbeen and Licht Kweekduifje. On mother’s side he’s out of the lines of Blauwen Winterjonge and Afgekeurde, 019, Stier and Raket. Maradonna Janssen is slightly inbred towards Schone Duivin van Jonge Merckx, which is the mother of both Blauwen Winterjonge and Goede Kapot Borstbeen. The fact that he is mated to one of our most beautiful Janssen hens should say enough about his quality.

Couple 7: Hen

928 Chantilly is an inbred daughter of our Donkere Chantilly with his own sister Groenoog Chantilly and therefore concentrates the purest lines of the worldfamous Janssen Arendonk blood. As any pigeon breeder knows, very close inbreeding such as brother x sister matings, often produces junk which needs to be eliminated. The reason for doing it however is because once in a while such matings produce extremely high quality when all the best genes combine. 928 Chantilly is such a high quality result and the youngsters she gets together with Maradonna belong to the most outstanding Janssen Arendonk material our breeding loft produces.

Couple 8: Cock

Janssen Arendonk pigeons are no dusty legend of the past, but a living and thriving contribution to successful pigeonracing today. Any collection worth its salt therefore must be updated to reflect the current evolution of this outstanding bloodline. Unlike some “specialists” who only embrace names of a distant past, we have always kept in touch with the Janssen bloodline as it is today. Grandson Klamper is the living proof of that policy. As his name implies he is a direct grandson of the famous Klamper. This recent beautiful and high quality addition to our collection ensures the future of our Janssen breeding loft for the next decade. The fact that he is mated to Donkere Chantilly’s ex-hen “Diamond Princess” emphasises the importance we attach to this newcomer.

Couple 8: Hen

What does one mate to a top Janssen Arendonk cock? A top Janssen Arendonk hen of course. Diamond Princess Janssen is just that. A granddaughter of Beul, son of the famous Goede Kapot Borstbeen x Schone Duivin van Jonge Merckx, Diamond Princess combines some of the most famous Janssen Arendonk lines. In her pedigree you will also find pigeons such as Jonge Merckx, Eksteroog, Afgekeurde, Oude Vos van ’81, Jonge Raket, etc. Once the hen of our legendary son of the worldfamous Chantilly, “Donkere Chantilly” (see “a legendary cock...”), she’s now mated to one of our most promising newcomers: “Grandson Klamper”.

Couple 9: Cock

Superstar Janssen is a superior Janssen Arendonk cock, inbred to the line of Witplak x Blauwke van Blauwke van 019. In his pedigree we therefore several times find Janssen Arendonk legends such as 019, Oude Merckx and Oude Lichten, but other highlights such as Geeloger and Stier are also present. On mother’s side we also find the famous hen “Duivin 2 eerste prijzen”. Superstar Janssen is an original Janssen Arendonk cock which has earned his place on our breeding loft.

Couple 9: Hen

Wondervoske Janssen is a very nice Janssen Arendonk hen, direct and original out of the famous Brothers’ loft. Her popularity on our loft is not only due to her red color, which she has inherited from her father, Late Vos van ’99 out of the lines of Raket and Rakker, but is also the natural result of her qualities and her impressive pedigree, which contains Janssen legends such as Goede Kapot Borstbeen, Zitter, Jonge Merckx, Stier and Goede Jaarling.

Couple 10: Cock

For those who love red Janssen Arendonk birds, Vos Beauty is certainly a delight. His mother and father were both reds: his father from the line of Vos van ’90 Volière; his mother from Oude Vos van ’81. Complement this with the lines of Goede Kapot Borstbeen and Jonge Merckx to name but a few and anyone with even a slight interest in Janssen Arendonk immediately knows he’s got top material in his hands. Vos Beauty was bred by ourselves out of two original Janssen birds, who trace their pedigrees back to 1926.

Couple 10: Hen

112/00 is an original Janssen Arendonk hen. Saying that she has an impressive pedigree is no exaggeration. All major lines of the Janssen family seem to come together in this beautiful hen: Stier, Jonge Merckx, Vos van ’90 Volière, 019, Geeloger, Oude Witoger, Eksteroog, Raket, Goede Jaarling, Ijskop, Scherpe, Rakkertje, Beul (112’s grandfather), Goede Kapot Borstbeen, Duivin 2 eerste prijzen, ... the list seems endless and leads us all the way back through Janssen Arendonk history to 1926. A superb example of the quality that Louis Janssen, the remaining Janssen brother, still produces on his loft today.

OUR MEULEMANS COLLECTION

INTRODUCTION The small farmer’s village of Arendonk is without a doubt the most famous place in pigeon sport history. Indeed, because of a strange twist of fate Arendonk is not blessed with one legend, but two. So, even if the Janssen brothers had never existed, the village would still be the Mecca of pigeon racing. Arendonk is also the home of Karel Meulemans. Master Breeder, Master Racer, the man forever connected with perhaps the most fantastic breeding pair the world has ever seen: the famous Golden Pair Oude Van den Bosch x Blauw Janssen. Unbeatable on sprint and middle distance and banned from certain clubs because of his total dominance. Grandmaster on the long distance, winner of 1st National Dax and Belgian National Long Distance Champion. You name it, Karel has done it. Racing is one thing, having your birds perform in breeding on other fanciers’ lofts is quite another. The Meulemans pigeons have done so outstandingly well on literally thousands of lofts that their legendary status is the natural result. They have won in the four corners of the globe, on all distances. They’ve produced more Olympiad winners than any other bloodline in the history of the sport. They have shown the capability of transmitting the winning genes not just in one generation, but decades down the line. And all the while Karel Meulemans has remained the modest farmer he always was. He never made any publicity. He didn’t need to. His pigeons and thousands of devoted fans, many of whom became “fanciers” after introducing Karel’s birds on their lofts, made the publicity for him. Publicity not based on nice write ups and glossy photo’s but based on the only thing that really counts: results. Just like the village of Arendonk, my father and I were doubly blessed. Being good friends of the Janssen brothers, we’re equally good friends with Karel Meulemans. So much so that the unprecedented access Karel gave me to his archives allowed me to become his biographer. I’ve intensely cooperated with Karel Meulemans to write the book “Karel Meulemans, the true story of a pigeon sport legend” and therefore I dare say few people have such an in-depth knowledge of the Meulemans pigeons. That knowledge and our friendship allowed my father and myself to stock our breeding lofts with some of the finest examples of the Meulemans bloodline one is likely to encounter. These examples you will find on the next few pages.

Couple 11: Cock

Blauw Witpen Pantani is one of the most popular breeding cocks on our loft. No wonder: he is a direct son of Pantani, one of the most famous pigeons on the Meulemans lofts today. Pantani helped Karel Meulemans win the National Long Distance Championship in 1999 and was after this triumph immediately transferred to the Meulemans breeding loft. Blauw Witpen Pantani is certainly one of the most beautiful children he sired, to the delight of fanciers that visit our lofts and handle him. A waiting list to order his youngsters is usually the result. Karel Meulemans himself commented on this fantastic bird: “If he doesn’t produce good ones, I know nothing about pigeons”. What more can we add to the words of the worldfamous Master Breeder himself?

Couple 11: Hen

Daughter Didi-Dax is a pure Meulemans, bred by ourselves. Her father was Geschelpte Didi-Dax, a grandson of Donkere Dax, 1st National Dax winner. Her mother was a daughter of 591, one of the birds that helped Karel Meulemans win the National Long Distance Championship in 1999. The fact that we’ve mated her to Blauw Witpen Pantani, one of Karel Meulemans’ favourites should be enough indication of her quality.

A superb Meulemans hen...

What a beautiful hen! It is logical for us to say so, because we owned her, but those among you that have visited our breeding loft all agreed. Donker Schalie was an original Meulemans hen. Her grandfather was the 1st National Marseille and her great grandfather the 1st National Pau. She was a favorite of Karel Meulemans himself, who selected her to be mated to Blauw Witpen Pantani, son of the famous Pantani, National Championship Long Distance Winner 1999. Together they were one of our top breeding pairs on the loft, until Donker Schalie unfortunately passed away. “If these don’t produce good ones I know nothing about pigeons”; not our words, but the words of Master Breeder Karel Meulemans himself. Her grandson Floeren for one seems to prove him right. Her daughter 209/06 is mated to one of our top racing stars Atilla. These descendants make sure Donker Schalie has left a lasting legacy on our lofts.

Couple 12: Cock

Broer Dax is a full brother of Karel Meulemans’ 1st National Daxwinner 1995 “Donkere Dax”. In his pedigree he combines the old Meulemans Golden Pair lines of Kadet, Prins and Schoon Donker with new additions such as Marc Pollin, Georges Bolle and the 1st National Marseille of Van Gils and the 1st National Pau of Karel Schellekens. Broer Dax was the last brother of Donkere Dax ever to be sold. Apart from his superb pedigree, Broer Dax also had an interesting race carreer himself, winning 5 prizes in the top 10%. Therefore he is one of the most appreciated breeders of the Loft of the New Generation.

Couple 12: Hen

You don’t have to be a Meulemans expert to immediately see the extraordinary beauty of this original Meulemans hen. She is one of the most recent additions to our breeding loft. I chose her blind, after handling her without knowing her pedigree, and to my pleasant surprise so picked out Karel’s personal favourite. My father and I are therefore extremely confident Pantani Duivin will become one of our top breeding hens in the very near future. Being slightly inbred to the line of Pantani himself, she perfectly matches the rest of our Meulemans collection.

Couple 13: Cock

Bronze Meulemans Benjamin is an original Karel Meulemans. He is a direct grandson of the famous Benjamin, son of THE Golden Pair Oude Van den Bosch x Blauw Janssen. It is not so easy to find Meulemans pigeons today - even original ones - that are still so close to the super Golden Pair Meulemans, perhaps the most famous breeding pair ever in the history of pigeon sport. His grandmother on father’s side is a granddaughter of Schoon Donker and of Kadet, both also famous children of the Golden Pair. The line of Schoon Donker is also found on mother’s side of Bronze Meulemans Benjamin, complemented with the blood of the 1st National Pau and the 1st National Marseille. His grandparents on mother’s side won 1st Vierzon, 1st Bourges and 1st Argenton.

Couple 13: Hen

Donker Dax is a Meulemans hen of the new generation. Her ancestors are the material that made Karel Meulemans famous as a long distance racer, another paragraph in his impressive pigeon sport carreer. Donker Dax is a granddaughter of Donkere Dax, 1st National Dax winner 1995. In her pedigree we also find 1st National Pau and 1st National Marseille as well as the old Meulemans line of Schoon Donker, daughter of the super Golden Pair.

Couple 14: Cock

Floeren is a grandson of Blauw Witpen Pantani (Couple 11, Cock) and Donker Schalie (see “A superb Meulemans hen”). His father was a son of this outstanding pair. His mother was 230/02, a Christ Musters hen of Van der Wegen blood. Floeren is currently being prepared for Barcelona through a meticulous training scheme involving preparatory races from Irun and Narbonne. His steady performances in the top 10% on those long distance events give us high hopes for the future and confirm Karel Meulemans’ confidence in the breeding capacities of Blauw Witpen Pantani and his hen.

Couple 14: Hen

Sacha is an exceptionally nice hen with an outstanding pedigree. Her father, 432/99 Brother Dax, is a full brother of Karel Meulemans 1st National Dax winner and her mother is our 660 hen out of the line of Kleine Didi of Etienne Devos. After completing her young bird training program she was immediately transferred to our breeding loft because we have faith in her stock qualities.

Couple 15: Cock

Romeo is an original Karel Meulemans. He is on father’s side a grandson of “Den Brave”, 1st Narbonne, 1st Montauban and 1st Chateauroux. On father’s side he is also descendant of the worldfamous Kadet, son of the Golden Pair. On mother’s side Romeo also goes back all the way to the Golden Pair, through Liebling and Schoon Donker. In other words, Romeo is still for a very large percentage a Meulemans from the old strain.

Couple 15: Hen

Julia is an original Karel Meulemans hen of the new Meulemans long distance generation. On father’s side she traces her origin back to Pantani, 1st Marseille and 28th National Marseille, one of the three pigeons that helped Karel win the National Long Distance Championship in 1999. Also on father’s side we find the famous Witneus of Roger Florizoone, the Barcelona Primus inter Pares of 1997. As is befitting of a true Meulemans, Julia also stems from the worldfamous Golden Pair through Schoon Donker. On mother’s side we also find 1st Dax and 1st National Marseille.

SOME OTHER IMPORTANT BLOODLINES ON OUR LOFT:

SOONTJENS

VAN RHIJN-KLOECK &

LONG DISTANCE BIRDS

INTRODUCTION Although we are best known for our Janssen and Meulemans collections, this doesn’t mean our breeding lofts don’t contain anything else. If one wants to stay on top in modern pigeonsport one has to experiment, bring in new bloodlines and try new combinations whilst relying on proven quality. Our search for new introductions based on proven quality led us to two interesting strains: the Soontjens and the Van Rhijn-Kloecks. Although Soontjens himself has long since passed away, his legacy lives on, especially in the Antwerp Province, home of the legendary Antwerp Union, where strong contenders such as Luc Geerinckx and Romain Moons get one racing success after another with their Soontjens based teams. Winning more than 20 first prizes in a season is no exception and certainly impressive enough for us to reinforce our middle distance team with the descendants of “Late Tom”, “Vanherstraeten hen”, “Witte Tom” and the like. For those studying the history of the Antwerp Union, the name Van Rhijn-Kloeck is no unknown quantity. Winning the coveted title of “King” in the Union is a very difficult task indeed. One has to show top performances with young birds, yearlings, hens and old birds on sprint and middle distance; in other words one has to be an allround performer to be crowned with the highest title. Van Rhijn-Kloeck managed to win the title “King of the Antwerp Union” no less than 13 years in a row! Need we say more? On the following pages we show you some examples of our Soontjens and Van Rhijn-Kloeck birds to give you an idea of what our middle distance reinforcements look like. In a continuing effort to build an allround loft we have of course also some long distance strains aboard. The Jan Aarden / Van der Wegen combination has proven its value on our racing teams in the past and therefore these birds remain present on our breeding loft today. At the end of the following section you will also be presented with some examples of these bloodlines.

Couple 16: Cock

Couple 16: Hen

Couple 17: Cock

Couple 17: Hen

This couple is an example of some of our crosses aimed specifically at racing performance: Soontjens x Huyskens-Van Riel with through the hen’s side a little Van der Wegen for stamina.

Couple 18: Cock

Couple 18: Hen

Couple 19: Cock

Couple 19: Hen

Couple 20: Cock

Couple 20: Hen

Couple 21: Cock

Yet another example of a cross aimed at maximum racing performance: this time it is a cock of Grandmaster Dirk Van Dijck, “founding father” of Koopman’s success, out of the line of Bourges and inbred to Rambo (father of the worldfamous Kannibaal), mated to a Van Rhijn-Kloeck hen

Couple 21: Hen

Couple 22: Cock

Although we got this cock through our good friend and excellent middle distance racer (and long distance racer on Barcelona) Stan Van Beemen, Katalaan is actually a Herman Van Helmond bird. In his pedigree we find the worldfamous Mona Lisa of Wim Muller, the 1st National St. Vincent 1980 and Van Helmond’s basic Jan Aarden cock Oude Zwarte. Katalaan’s father is a son of the 1st Provincial, 5th National, 9th International Barcelona and his mother won a 29th National of Narbonne.

Couple 22: Hen

Madam Playboy is a granddaughter of the 1st International Barcelona 1991, “Playboy”, son of the Parel Van der Wegen. This beautiful hen comes from the loft of Herman Van Helmond, 8 times 1st National Winner on the long distance. In her pedigree we also find Ouragan, his daughter 344/87, who won 6th National Cahors and the basic breeding cock Oude Zwarte, an original Jan Aarden.

Couple 23: Cock

De 044’s racing carreer was cut short by the move to the new lofts in Sinaai. However, his outstanding 1st Regional prize from Barcelona, 11th San Sebastian and 290th Provincial Chateauroux qualified him for transfer from the widowhood loft to the new breeding section. 044 is a Jan Dons x Van der Wegen combination. His father comes out of the lines of Jan Dons’ Rode Koning and the 1st International Barcelona of Verburght. He is currently mated to his own mother, Champion’s Choice, a granddaughter of Christ Musters’ famous St. Vincenter. His youngsters have performed outstandingly well in tough circumstances, such as the overseas races of Malta.

Couple 23: Hen

Zwarte Playboy duivin is a direct Herman Van Helmond. She is a granddaughter of Playboy, 1st International Barcelona 1991, himself a son of the famous Parel Van der Wegen and the hen who won 6th National Cahors. On mother’s side Zwarte Playboy duivin is a great granddaughter of original Jan Aarden “Oude Zwarte”, the basic cock of Herman’s loft.

Couple 24: Cock

Zoon As Van Helmond is a son of Herman Van Helmond’s best long distance bird over 6 years, himself a son of Herman’s basic stock bird Oude Zwarte (original and direct Jan Aarden). On mother’s side Zoon As is a grandson of Paudoffer, 1st Regional, 4th National and 11th International Pau 2001, himself a grandson of the 1st International Barcelona 1991.

Couple 24: Hen

Steketee Duivin is another beautiful hen which we acquired from the loft of Herman Van Helmond. She is a pure Van der Wegen through Sjaak Van der Wegen out of the lines of Oud Doffertje, Indurain (great grandfather on mother’s side) and Parel (great grandfather on father’s side).

LOFT VISITS We are proud of our more than 80 years involvement in pigeonsport and of our outstanding collection of pigeons. We welcome visitors the whole year round and would be pleased to show you our loft. We have nothing to hide, so you can handle the pigeons of your choice - youngsters and breeders, as well as the racers we keep for ourselves - as much as you like. Of course you will understand that for practical reasons we do require you to make an appointment, preferably a couple of weeks in advance. Even if you make an appointment, there is no obligation to buy, so don’t hesitate to contact us at the following coordinates:

Frank & August Daelemans Hellestraat 1c

9112 Sinaai - Belgium

Tel: +32 3 722 04 40 Fax: +32 3 722 04 37

e-mail: frankdaelemans@skynet.be

(ATTENTION: the old frankdaelemans@unicall.be address is NO LONGER VALID !!)

Visit our website at www.pigeonsport.com

Because of our long term involvement in pigeonsport and our activities in pigeonsport journalism we have very good contacts with most Champions in Belgium. Should you wish to visit them, don’t hesitate to contact us a couple of weeks before your planned visit. We can make all the necessary appointments for you. When you’ve bought birds, either at our lofts or at those of the fanciers we visited, we can arrange the shipping of your birds to all corners of the globe. Our experience will make sure your pigeons arrive in excellent condition and with all the necessary paperwork, such as veterinary documents, pedigrees, etc. We are looking forward to meeting you and hope we can be of service, so you can join our long list of customers who’ve become friends.