It seldom happens in the pigeon sport that fanciers have the name abroad and the quality birds. In most cases it one of the two. Real champions here are completely unknown abroad and the opposite is also true. The real big shots abroad mean nothing in Holland and in Belgium. They are no more than paper tigers. Of course there are exceptions. You want examples? Well fortunately there are many. The pigeon sport is not that sick. Grondelaers, Klak, Houben, and Roodhoft have BOTH the name abroad AND the good birds. And there are many more of course, for example Hofkens. I was so lucky as to have been close with Hofkens. In fact I got one pigeon form him and that bird became father of my Good Yearling. Hofkens lived very close to me and to this day I regret that I never acquired more of his birds. One of the biggest mistakes I made. Was it because he lived too close? Even then it was stupid as in the sixties and the seventies Hofken's results were really breathtaking and at all distances. Hofkens never had many birds but those which he had were really outstanding and far superior to any other bird in those days. At short distances he was really unbeatable. When the time had come they expelled him everywhere from short distance competition for he was simply too strong. As a result, he focused on middle distance and long distance and became famous all over. Hofkens was compelled to race the further distances (ie. Union Antwerpen) and the big amount of money which he won were the talk of the day. Just like Hofkens, Grondelaers showed how smart he was. He lived far from Hofkens but he was one of the first to get birds from Hofkens. And Grondelaers has never kept it a secret that it is mainly the Hoken's birds that made him Jan Grondelaers the great one, the one and only. Grondelaers obtained birds from Hofkens and the results at his loft were unbelievable. The fame of Hofkens birds spread wide over the country quickly as often happens after a fancier's death. After Hofkens died his birds were to be auctioned. Police guarded his loft day and night the week before the auction. But in spite of the security the loft was visited by the thieves twice after his death. Doesn't this prove the popularity? The auction was a real sensation and the birds sold for a record amount of money. If justice was ever done to the birds it was then. After the auction the situation really became hectic. Everyone was after Hofken's birds and prices paid for this blood soared unbelievably. For many Years they were the most popular bird in Europe. Part of this is attributable to the Germans. They came with big Mercedesses searching for Hofken birds in the small village of Merksplas where Hofkens lived. Even the smallest fanciers were visited with the hope that they might have birds from their fellow fancier Hofkens. Of course there was also the dark side. Examples are known of people who paid high prices for Hofken bands to claim they had Hofkens. What the Hofkens birds were worth may best be shown from the following example. One of the best and most expensive pigeons ever sold to Japan was the National winner from the race from Montauban which belonged to Johan v d Sterren. Sometime many national winners are lucky birds on that particular race. v d Sterren's pigeon called the 'Montauban' was not lucky. He won the 4th National and many other good prizes before. v d Sterren was visited by three separate Japanese buyers in one day all of them interested in 'Montauban'. As it turns out, v d Sterren got this bird from his neighbor Mr. V d Waters and Mr. V d Waters got the parents from Mr. Verheyen from Merksplas. You may have noticed Verheyen lives in the same place as Hofkens did. Well this is important to know. Verheyen knew the quality of Hofkens birds better than anybody else and he was searching everywhere for the Hofken birds. Two fanciers were instrumental in helping Verheyen obtain the Hofkens birds. They were Mr. v d Pol and M. Gielen both who were close friends of Hofkens and naturally had many Hofken birds. Here Verheyen found many Hofken birds. It took Verheyen just a couple of years to be a real supperchampion with his Hofken birds. He is even often described as the 'Belgian King of the Olympiads.' With his Hofkens birds he represented Belgium at the Olympiads year after year. The Olympiads made Verheyen very famous just as Remi de Mey has become very famous in the eighties. Year after year de May became 1st Provincial champion in the province of Antwerpen. De Mey represents Belgium this year at the Olympiad in Italy as he did before and . . . De Mey has mainly Hofken birds! Back to Verheyen! In an eight year timeframe Verheyen had six Olympiad pigeons. With regards to the Olympiad it should be known that in short distance and middle distance only three pigeons may represent the country. In 1983, in Prague, Verheyen had 2 of the 3 Belgian birds. In Porto, Portugal he again had 2 of the 3 Belgian birds. In 1979 he represented Belgium at the Olympiad in amsterdam. In 1987, he was present with one of his birds at the Olympiad at Dortmund Germany. Isn't this unbelievable? The following list highlights some of Verheyen's outstanding birds. o "De Merckx" 75-6506220, 2nd Belgian bird at Olympiad Amsterdam, 16 x 1st prizes. o "De Portugees" 82-656480, Best Belgian bird at Olympiad in Portugal. o "De Kleine Merckx" 80-6480607, a bird that was at 2 Olympiads, Prague and Portugal. o "Duitske" 83-6513047, at the Olympiad in Dortmund in 1987. o "De 500" 6349102-78, at Olympiad in Prague, 5 x 1st prizes. Our Daughter o "Bourges" 82-6564853, 1st provincial Bourges, 3rd provincial Bourges and 1st Montargis. o "De Prins" 85-550 o "Oude Pol" 73-6453443, This famous bird came from Mr. v d Pol. From the same v d Pol Andre Roodhooft got all his best pigeons and the v d Pol birds made Roodhooft King of the Union Antwerpen. o "Oude Diepe" 6364139-74, Inbred Driebander o "Coppi" 82-829, Grandson of both Oude Pol and Oude Merkx. Our Son o Other very important foundation birds of this loft are also "De Kweker" (means breeder) 78-6349179 and "Oude Bourges". This is just a summary. A summary of the good or even supergood birds which Verheyen bred from his Hofkens strain. And this is not even a complete summary. If Verheyen would read this he would blame me for not having mentioned his "Eenwitpen" 75-6506247. Two years ago Verheyen was described in the pigeon magazine De Duif as "the absolute number one Hofkens base of Belgium" and no one ever protested this title. When Hofkens blood is so popular here, when Grondelaers admits Hofkens birds were the best he ever imported, when de Mey may be the best what can be added. No bragging here just the naked facts. Check the results of the Olympiads of Belgium and Verheyen and one knows enough. Ask how Roodhooft is doing with his v d Pol birds, check about de Mey, speak with Grondelaers and you'll admit. You missed something before by not knowing about Hofkens. Just as as I made a mistake of not getting more birds from my late friend Hofkens. |
Hofkens and Verheyen's Hofkens by Ad Schaerlaeckens |
It seldom happens in the pigeon sport that fanciers have the name abroad and the quality birds. In most cases it one of the two. Real champions here are completely unknown abroad and the opposite is also true. The real big shots abroad mean nothing in Holland and in Belgium. They are no more than paper tigers. Of course there are exceptions. You want examples? Well fortunately there are many. The pigeon sport is not that sick. Grondelaers, Klak, Houben, and Roodhoft have BOTH the name abroad AND the good birds. And there are many more of course, for example Hofkens. I was so lucky as to have been close with Hofkens. In fact I got one pigeon form him and that bird became father of my Good Yearling. Hofkens lived very close to me and to this day I regret that I never acquired more of his birds. One of the biggest mistakes I made. Was it because he lived too close? Even then it was stupid as in the sixties and the seventies Hofken's results were really breathtaking and at all distances. Hofkens never had many birds but those which he had were really outstanding and far superior to any other bird in those days. At short distances he was really unbeatable. When the time had come they expelled him everywhere from short distance competition for he was simply too strong. As a result, he focused on middle distance and long distance and became famous all over. Hofkens was compelled to race the further distances (ie. Union Antwerpen) and the big amount of money which he won were the talk of the day. Just like Hofkens, Grondelaers showed how smart he was. He lived far from Hofkens but he was one of the first to get birds from Hofkens. And Grondelaers has never kept it a secret that it is mainly the Hoken's birds that made him Jan Grondelaers the great one, the one and only. Grondelaers obtained birds from Hofkens and the results at his loft were unbelievable. The fame of Hofkens birds spread wide over the country quickly as often happens after a fancier's death. After Hofkens died his birds were to be auctioned. Police guarded his loft day and night the week before the auction. But in spite of the security the loft was visited by the thieves twice after his death. Doesn't this prove the popularity? The auction was a real sensation and the birds sold for a record amount of money. If justice was ever done to the birds it was then. After the auction the situation really became hectic. Everyone was after Hofken's birds and prices paid for this blood soared unbelievably. For many Years they were the most popular bird in Europe. Part of this is attributable to the Germans. They came with big Mercedesses searching for Hofken birds in the small village of Merksplas where Hofkens lived. Even the smallest fanciers were visited with the hope that they might have birds from their fellow fancier Hofkens. Of course there was also the dark side. Examples are known of people who paid high prices for Hofken bands to claim they had Hofkens. What the Hofkens birds were worth may best be shown from the following example. One of the best and most expensive pigeons ever sold to Japan was the National winner from the race from Montauban which belonged to Johan v d Sterren. Sometime many national winners are lucky birds on that particular race. v d Sterren's pigeon called the 'Montauban' was not lucky. He won the 4th National and many other good prizes before. v d Sterren was visited by three separate Japanese buyers in one day all of them interested in 'Montauban'. As it turns out, v d Sterren got this bird from his neighbor Mr. V d Waters and Mr. V d Waters got the parents from Mr. Verheyen from Merksplas. You may have noticed Verheyen lives in the same place as Hofkens did. Well this is important to know. Verheyen knew the quality of Hofkens birds better than anybody else and he was searching everywhere for the Hofken birds. Two fanciers were instrumental in helping Verheyen obtain the Hofkens birds. They were Mr. v d Pol and M. Gielen both who were close friends of Hofkens and naturally had many Hofken birds. Here Verheyen found many Hofken birds. It took Verheyen just a couple of years to be a real supperchampion with his Hofken birds. He is even often described as the 'Belgian King of the Olympiads.' With his Hofkens birds he represented Belgium at the Olympiads year after year. The Olympiads made Verheyen very famous just as Remi de Mey has become very famous in the eighties. Year after year de May became 1st Provincial champion in the province of Antwerpen. De Mey represents Belgium this year at the Olympiad in Italy as he did before and . . . De Mey has mainly Hofken birds! Back to Verheyen! In an eight year timeframe Verheyen had six Olympiad pigeons. With regards to the Olympiad it should be known that in short distance and middle distance only three pigeons may represent the country. In 1983, in Prague, Verheyen had 2 of the 3 Belgian birds. In Porto, Portugal he again had 2 of the 3 Belgian birds. In 1979 he represented Belgium at the Olympiad in amsterdam. In 1987, he was present with one of his birds at the Olympiad at Dortmund Germany. Isn't this unbelievable? The following list highlights some of Verheyen's outstanding birds. o "De Merckx" 75-6506220, 2nd Belgian bird at Olympiad Amsterdam, 16 x 1st prizes. o "De Portugees" 82-656480, Best Belgian bird at Olympiad in Portugal. o "De Kleine Merckx" 80-6480607, a bird that was at 2 Olympiads, Prague and Portugal. o "Duitske" 83-6513047, at the Olympiad in Dortmund in 1987. o "De 500" 6349102-78, at Olympiad in Prague, 5 x 1st prizes. Our Daughter o "Bourges" 82-6564853, 1st provincial Bourges, 3rd provincial Bourges and 1st Montargis. o "De Prins" 85-550 o "Oude Pol" 73-6453443, This famous bird came from Mr. v d Pol. From the same v d Pol Andre Roodhooft got all his best pigeons and the v d Pol birds made Roodhooft King of the Union Antwerpen. o "Oude Diepe" 6364139-74, Inbred Driebander o "Coppi" 82-829, Grandson of both Oude Pol and Oude Merkx. Our Son o Other very important foundation birds of this loft are also "De Kweker" (means breeder) 78-6349179 and "Oude Bourges". This is just a summary. A summary of the good or even supergood birds which Verheyen bred from his Hofkens strain. And this is not even a complete summary. If Verheyen would read this he would blame me for not having mentioned his "Eenwitpen" 75-6506247. Two years ago Verheyen was described in the pigeon magazine De Duif as "the absolute number one Hofkens base of Belgium" and no one ever protested this title. When Hofkens blood is so popular here, when Grondelaers admits Hofkens birds were the best he ever imported, when de Mey may be the best what can be added. No bragging here just the naked facts. Check the results of the Olympiads of Belgium and Verheyen and one knows enough. Ask how Roodhooft is doing with his v d Pol birds, check about de Mey, speak with Grondelaers and you'll admit. You missed something before by not knowing about Hofkens. Just as as I made a mistake of not getting more birds from my late friend Hofkens. |
