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Koopman birds also score at the very highest level at the One-Loft-Races

10 Feb 2023

Gerard is a citizen of the world and wherever pigeons are played on this globe he is known. Wouldn't he be the pigeon fancier who has had to pose for a photo the most often of all of us? It would not surprise me if he could also add that record to his name. Speaking of "record", in one of her songs Madonna sings "give me a record and I break it", a sentence that certainly applies to the performance of the Koopman pigeons.
Yet Gerard remains down-to-earth and realistic with all these top performances. Gerard knows how to tell us the following in a calm and well-considered way:
"The most important thing is the performances here at home in Ermerveen. Performing strongly here is the main goal number one, there is simply no need to discuss that. But the people who know me know that I am a "sportsman" and always ready to take on some challenge. One such challenge is One-Loft-Races worldwide. Despite the very large number of One-Loft-Races on offer, we deliberately limit ourselves to a few very well-known ones such as this one in Pattaya and Zimbabwe, but we also participate in some lesser-known OLR organised by acquaintances of ours. 
Will we keep special breeding lines for these? No, not really. We usually take part with youngsters from breeding couples that have the necessary breeding references. We see the performances at the one-loft races as a confirmation of the value of our breeders. The proof that they also produce pigeons that can hold their own elsewhere, under completely different conditions in terms of loft, care and climate. 
We usually send youngsters of about 10 weeks old. Youngsters that have already received the necessary vaccinations so that they can survive the quarantines before shipping. We will not select on gender either. We send both cocks and hens. Nor does type have a decisive role in selection. Both smaller and slightly larger pigeons can be entered. I repeat. Full siblings of pigeons that also perform strongly at Ermerveen, that is the only selection standard we maintain. And once sent, of course, we no longer control it. Then their fate is in someone else's hands and we can only pray for smooth training flights and beautiful final flights. 
As a fancier myself, I like to combine the pleasant with the useful and I am usually there when the final flight takes place. The cool thing is that the OLR usually take place in warm exotic countries, ideal to visit during the cold dark winter months. 
2021: 
Winner or 330km of Pattaya International Pigeon Race (Mister Kapchoeng)
2020: 
Winner or Final Race Victoria Falls World Cup Pigeon Race (All-in-one)
3rd place South Africa Million Dollar Pigeon Race (Viento).
2018: 
Winner of Final Race of 530 KM Pattaya (Manimukda)
Winner ace pigeon Pattaya (Manimukda)


Recent successes in OLR 
Final race Pattaya 2018
‘Manimukda’ NL-2017-4704046 
1st prize winner, final race 530 km Prizemoney: US $ 131.000,-- Sold for: US $ 94.000,--
Total win US $ 225.000,--
Bred from: ‘Galicia’  (inbred Kleine Dirk)

‘One Loft Dream’ NL-2017-4704128
1st overall ace-pigeon season 2017 – 2018 Prizemoney: US $ 13.000,-- Sold for: US $ 109.000,-- Total win US $ 122.000,--
Bred from: ‘Kjeld’s Choice’ with ‘Ratana’ 

From a full brother of ‘Bert jr.’ we bred ‘Keep Dreaming’ NL-2017-1643767 
3rd overall ace-pigeon Pattaya OLR 2017 – 2018 

SAMDPR 2015 – 2016
‘Ainsley’ NL-2015-4767520  she won the 30 e prize in final race. Came back the our lofts and produced  ao ‘Zambezi’ 5th prize in OLR Victoria Falls 2018 Prizemoney: US $ 30.000,-- Sold for US $ 28.000,-- Pooling money: US $ 5700,-- Totally: US $ 63.700,--
More important, the father of ‘Zambezi’ is again ‘Kjeld’s Choice’

The present most well known and most expensive pigeon in the world is James’ Legend. He is the grandson of a full sister to ‘Royal Dream’ . James’ Legend was in 2018 1st ace-pigeon Pioneer club. 

Miss Sonnenfee’ is mother to the 1st prize winner of Hot Spot race nr. 5 in OLR Victoria Falls 2018

SAMDPR 2019 – 2020 
‘Viento’ wins 3rd prize in final race (only 3 birds home on releasing day) Prizemoney: US $ 100.000,-- Sold for: US $ 28.000,-- Pooling money: US $ 6600,--  Totally: 134.600,-- US $
‘Viento’ is bred from ‘Chinara’ NL-2017-1643976 a direct daughter to ‘Royal Dream’

 

Currently, Gerard offers a strictly selected group of 10 birds from his proven breeders. 

High quality birds that can excel both in their own loft and at One-Loft-Races. 

Pure Koopman class