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9th NATIONAL (OLD PIGEONS)
1st NATIONAL (HENS).
2nd SECTION 5 (Z-H) 1st FC “DE GLAZEN STAD”
1st NATIONAL (HENS).
2nd SECTION 5 (Z-H) 1st FC “DE GLAZEN STAD”
WILLEM V.D. VELDEN FROM BOSKOOP
Barcelona released with lovely clear weather accompanied by a light Northerly breeze, which increased in France to a strong Westerly wind. The further North, the more the wind took over. Because of the weather changes, the first birds were expected to arrive from the East as this had happened with earlier races like the 1st National, Limburg and the 1st International, Germany. But there are always exceptions to the rule. How else can you explain a 1st for Tarbes in our fond club in Hoek van Holland and a 1st for Barcelona in Boskoop.
Willem v.d. Velden is our absolute Barcelona ‘specialist’. His entire loft is tuned towards this race, but to come first, beating this strong westerly wind and take the 9th National is above all expectation, so I take my hat off for this guy and his great race team (of course). Already ten years ago, I wrote in the Fond paper that Willem was under-acknowledged in the sport; particularly concerning publicity. Nobody had ever visited him or done an interview or feature on his lofts and that at a time when he was already full-on racing and winning the heavy long distance Z.L.U. races. At the end of this article I shall place a list with his victories over the last years keeping only to those won at National and International level. Mind you, this does not include any other prizes he has won…
On the evening before Barcelona, as I went to see Willem around 10 pm to pick up my clock, he stood waiting for his birds due to arrive from Tarbes. Normally he does not let them go on this N.P.O., but following his intuition and with the avian influenza in mind, he raced his second years, which normally would have gone on Wednesday with the Z.L.U. His team of second years came in beautifully as he was still clocking them in in the dark while I was there. His birds have such enormous willpower. No matter what happens out there…they come home!
His preparation for the race is pretty simple. The birds are separated between Xmas and New Year and paired again in the first week of April. During the winter months they stay in, because Willem leaves for work before it gets light and comes home at night after dark. Dry manure and a full feed with Mariman Fond Ultra is his way to go. He has two garden lofts, one for the young (completely open) with a covered run housing a total of 80 and another for the older pigeons, which are only raced on the nest. He houses the breeders (20) above the shed and he also has flying loft. As said, Willem plays everything on nest (65 pairs). The birds only go out at night and train for at least a full hour. The young of the racers are not kept.
The breed: he began with a round of Wanroys, from van Knetsch in Katwijk to which other birds were added at a later stage to cross breed. They came from August Damen, the Bruggenman Brothers and Henk de Weerd. Willem also swaps birds with Cor de Heide. Young birds are not trained in their first year, but start as yearlings. Every now and then he takes them himself until he sends them off with the rest to Personae, they do four to five mid-fond races and then they all go to Bergerac. Once second years, they race Dax Z.L.U. and Perpignan and once they are three they race Barcelona. It all seems so simple.
Medically, they get the normal regulated inoculations and take a yellow cure (thriomagnose) four weeks before Barcelona. Selection: Really tough. Those that cannot make it are removed and only then will Willem check their history and bloodline. He races and breeds continuously and only the very best are allowed to stay.
The winning bird for Barcelona is a four year old hen with ring number 03-1159978. She was timed in at 07.48.49 and was raced on a young of four days. My impression of her in the hand is that of a small full blood. You would easily mistake her for a young. She is slender built, but beautifully proportioned and has a great temperament. In fact, she was difficult to keep in the hand. You could not have guessed that she had just arrived from Barcelona as her condition was in great shape. She looked completely untouched by it all. This was not her initiation race either, that’s why she was on top of the list. She had already won a number of early national prizes, like the 55th Nat. Dax, the 170 th Nat. Barcelona and the 319 th Bergerac. Willem, congratulations what a girl to have!
BARCELONA OVERVIEW 1996 – 2007 NATIONAL EN INTERNATIONAL
OLD BIRDS AND HENS
1st , 1 st , 2nd , 2nd 2 nd , 2 nd , 4th , 4th , 7th, th , 9th, 10 th, 12 th , 15 th , 16 th , 18 th , 18 th , 19 th , 25 th , 25th, 26 th , 28 th , 37 th , 41st, 41st , 42nd , 44th, 48th, 48 th, 50 th , 55 th , 56th, 56th and of course in addition the above prizes.
I can easily make an equivalent list of Perpignan, of Dax, of Marseille and of Bergerac. With his 1st National Barcelona, Willem was featured for the very first time in the paper, what else does one have to do to get some recognition…. .
Willem, on behalf of the committee: Our heartiest congratulations with your third Barcelona victory! I hope you will get the recognition you so deserve.
Willem v.d. Velden is our absolute Barcelona ‘specialist’. His entire loft is tuned towards this race, but to come first, beating this strong westerly wind and take the 9th National is above all expectation, so I take my hat off for this guy and his great race team (of course). Already ten years ago, I wrote in the Fond paper that Willem was under-acknowledged in the sport; particularly concerning publicity. Nobody had ever visited him or done an interview or feature on his lofts and that at a time when he was already full-on racing and winning the heavy long distance Z.L.U. races. At the end of this article I shall place a list with his victories over the last years keeping only to those won at National and International level. Mind you, this does not include any other prizes he has won…
On the evening before Barcelona, as I went to see Willem around 10 pm to pick up my clock, he stood waiting for his birds due to arrive from Tarbes. Normally he does not let them go on this N.P.O., but following his intuition and with the avian influenza in mind, he raced his second years, which normally would have gone on Wednesday with the Z.L.U. His team of second years came in beautifully as he was still clocking them in in the dark while I was there. His birds have such enormous willpower. No matter what happens out there…they come home!
His preparation for the race is pretty simple. The birds are separated between Xmas and New Year and paired again in the first week of April. During the winter months they stay in, because Willem leaves for work before it gets light and comes home at night after dark. Dry manure and a full feed with Mariman Fond Ultra is his way to go. He has two garden lofts, one for the young (completely open) with a covered run housing a total of 80 and another for the older pigeons, which are only raced on the nest. He houses the breeders (20) above the shed and he also has flying loft. As said, Willem plays everything on nest (65 pairs). The birds only go out at night and train for at least a full hour. The young of the racers are not kept.
The breed: he began with a round of Wanroys, from van Knetsch in Katwijk to which other birds were added at a later stage to cross breed. They came from August Damen, the Bruggenman Brothers and Henk de Weerd. Willem also swaps birds with Cor de Heide. Young birds are not trained in their first year, but start as yearlings. Every now and then he takes them himself until he sends them off with the rest to Personae, they do four to five mid-fond races and then they all go to Bergerac. Once second years, they race Dax Z.L.U. and Perpignan and once they are three they race Barcelona. It all seems so simple.
Medically, they get the normal regulated inoculations and take a yellow cure (thriomagnose) four weeks before Barcelona. Selection: Really tough. Those that cannot make it are removed and only then will Willem check their history and bloodline. He races and breeds continuously and only the very best are allowed to stay.
The winning bird for Barcelona is a four year old hen with ring number 03-1159978. She was timed in at 07.48.49 and was raced on a young of four days. My impression of her in the hand is that of a small full blood. You would easily mistake her for a young. She is slender built, but beautifully proportioned and has a great temperament. In fact, she was difficult to keep in the hand. You could not have guessed that she had just arrived from Barcelona as her condition was in great shape. She looked completely untouched by it all. This was not her initiation race either, that’s why she was on top of the list. She had already won a number of early national prizes, like the 55th Nat. Dax, the 170 th Nat. Barcelona and the 319 th Bergerac. Willem, congratulations what a girl to have!
BARCELONA OVERVIEW 1996 – 2007 NATIONAL EN INTERNATIONAL
OLD BIRDS AND HENS
1st , 1 st , 2nd , 2nd 2 nd , 2 nd , 4th , 4th , 7th, th , 9th, 10 th, 12 th , 15 th , 16 th , 18 th , 18 th , 19 th , 25 th , 25th, 26 th , 28 th , 37 th , 41st, 41st , 42nd , 44th, 48th, 48 th, 50 th , 55 th , 56th, 56th and of course in addition the above prizes.
I can easily make an equivalent list of Perpignan, of Dax, of Marseille and of Bergerac. With his 1st National Barcelona, Willem was featured for the very first time in the paper, what else does one have to do to get some recognition…. .
Willem, on behalf of the committee: Our heartiest congratulations with your third Barcelona victory! I hope you will get the recognition you so deserve.
Wim van Rijk.
