Koopman pigeons also score at the very highest level at the One-Loft-Races
11 Mar 2024
A photo from the archive
Nothing but happy faces at the Gerard Koopman team after yet another top spot in a known OLR
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’
OLR Zimbabwe
HS = Hot Spot
2016:
HS3:28e
2017
Final Race: 27e en 88e
HS5: 3e
2019
Final Race: 5e
HS2: 42e
2020
Final Race: Winner
HS4: 35e, 46e
HS3: 19e
Super Ace: 2e,7e, 34e 47e,
2021
Finale Race: 11e
HS4: 38e
HS1: 16e, 38e
Enduro: 13e
Super Ace: 18e, 84e
2022
Final Race: 32e
HS5: 22e
HS2: 52e 67e
Super Ace: 13e
2023
HS1: 4e
Final Race: 62e
OLR Pattaya
2016
430km: 54e, 56e
530km, final: 15e
2017
330km: 7e
430km: 24e
530km, final: 1e, 22e 24e
1e overall as duif
3e overall as duif
2018
330km: 29e, 33e
430km: 24e
2019
330km: 11e, 30e
430km: 5e, 37e
530km, final: 47e
2020
330km: 1e, 29e, 32e
430km: 3e, 5e, 7e, 19e
530km, final: 8e, 9e, 18e, 42e
2021
430km: 24e, 41e
530km, final: 39e
2022
330km: 7e, 58e, 67e
430km: 27e, 38e
530km, final: 8e, 89e, 98e
2023
HS2: 47e 23-266
HS3: 3e 23-289
Final: 9e 23-210
32e 23-259
83e 23-240
96e 23-408
600km 37e 23-282
OLR SAMPDR
2005
24 Main Race Ned
30 HS3 Kona Gold
2007
3 HS2 Ribbon
2 HS5 Spacelink
2008
21 HS1 Tannenberg
11 HS3 Raubritter
16 HS3 Tannenberg
2009
3 Main Race Good Aim
2010
5 Main Race Royal Revenge
16 Main Race Hawktalk
44 Main Race Maiko
49 Main Race Boomer
1 HS2 Maybehesbornewithit
18 HS2 Classic Speed
7 HS3 Sheena
2 HS5 Maybehesbornewithit
9 HS5 Pirates of cove
2 Grand Average Boomer
16 Grand Average Maiko
2011
44 Main race Goldmark
2012
17 Main Race Tuvok
22 Main Race Avignon
29 Main Race New Immigrant
2013
39 Main Race Trisagion
5 HS3 She's Medieval
6 HS3 Lunedemiel
7 HS3 Topshiner
12 HS4 StarCrusader
19 HS4 Lead me On
25 HS4 Tatertot
18 HS5 She's Medieval
21 HS5 Above Suspicion
24 HS5 Marduc
2014
22 HS1 Reggea Princess
24 HS1 Danestic
15 HS2 Otis
2016
2 HS1 Sawa Sawa
17 HS3 Leandro
28 HS4 Dre
30 Main Race Ainsley
2020
3 Main Race Viento
Exclusively for Pigeon Bids, Gerard offers magnificent pigeons from his OLR winners!
This internet auction ends wednesday 13 March 2024 at 2 p.m. (c.e.t.)
