In the third and last part of this trilogy Gerard Koopman talks about the great pride over this in the Koopman household, but also about the ambitions for the future and the pigeons that have held the Koopman name high over the last three years …
“The winning of the national race Le Mans with ‘Magic Man’ in 2005 was a unique experience!! A few years previously I realised that taking care of such a large colony, all the administration and receiving various pigeon friends was costing me an enormous amount of energy.
Private matters also turned out differently as expected. This all lead to me having to create a situation which would relieve me. It is now 5 years ago that Kjeld Spithoven came to help me. Kjeld comes from a family that is used to taking care of animals and he turned out to be the perfect right hand to assist me with the care of my pigeons. André Leideman came to strengthen the ranks 2 years ago and takes care of the majority of the administration and the PR, which means that I can act as a sort of manager, who obviously helps during the season with the preparation of the racers, yet can leave things to others. We function extremely well as ‘Team Koopman’ and – very important – the ambition has returned.
New challenges
“The benefit of operating as a team was that we could also take on new challenges. I was very limited in how much time I could spend on the overnight racing. Strengthened by the successes of ‘Miss Waalre’ and the newly created space there was more time to address this discipline properly. ‘Miss Waalre’ set the tone in 2004 by not only winning the NPO race from Ruffec, but she was also flagged as first pigeon of North Holland from St. Vincent over 1.178 km. A granddaughter from her, when she was paired with ‘Den Dromer’, who was the most expensive pigeon sold in the Total auction of the De Rauw-Sablon, gave my greatest overnight success up until now. That was in 2007, when ‘Miss Maniwan’ was the National winner against 25.807 pigeons from op St. Vincent!! Never before had there been a fastest pigeon clocked from St. Vincent from such a distance!”
The highlights of C. & G. Koopman 2007up to and including 2009:
1. Nat. St. Vincent 2007 against 25.807 pigeons (‘Miss Maniwan’)
1. NPO Orleans 2007 against 9.607 pigeons (‘Doran’)
1. Nat. Ace pigeon 1-day Fondspiegel 2007 (‘Varella’)
2. Nat. Ace pigeon extreme middle distance NPO 2007 (‘Zina’)
1. NPO Ablis 2008 against 8.519 pigeons (‘Daydream’)
3. Nat. Ace pigeon 1-day Fondspiegel 2008 (‘Zahra’)
1. NPO Blois 2009 against 6.279 pigeons (‘Mr. Allennig’)
3. Nat. Ace pigeon 1-day Fondspiegel 2009 (‘Gicara’)
3. & 5. Nat. Ace pigeon 1-day Fondspiegel 2007 up to and including 2009 (‘Albin’)
Excelling in the specialism
“Another competition that we have scored highly in over the last few years is the 1-day Fondspiegel. The formula of this competition foresees that everyone takes part automatically! This means that no-one misses a good classification. In this ranking ‘Miss Wonderful’ was first Ace pigeon in 2006 and ‘Varella’ followed her example in 2007. In 2008 ‘Zahra’ stood on the podium as number 3 and in 2009 we were third, this time with ‘Gicara’. The NPO victory from Blois in 2009 with ‘Mr. Allennig’ was also a real highlight. Again the eighth NPO victory in five years in our specialism, after the NPO victories in 2004 of ‘Miss Waalre’, twice, and ‘Deng Lin’s Favourite’, in 2005 of ‘Matulin’ and ‘Magic Man’, the 1. NPO Orleans of ‘Doran’ in 2007 and the 1. NPO Ablis of ‘Daydream’ in 2008. The NPO-races have clearly given an extra dimension to the pigeon sport over het years. The counter now stands at 21 victories in this discipline. Remarkable is that the winner of Blois 2009 ‘Mr. Allennig’ is a grandson of the first winner in 1993 ‘Ons Louis’. This strengthens our confidence in our own sort.”
World pedigree number 1
“Where my father and I used to go in search for an extra special pigeon, over the years the pigeon fanciers started doing the same thing by us. How better we raced, the more popular our pigeons became. And increasingly we got reports that people had succeeded admirably with our pigeons. From over the entire world. Think of Günter Prange from Germany, but in our own country for example Marijke Vink, who bred self from ‘Aladin’, a son of ‘Kleine Dirk’ x ‘Last Lady’, sister of ‘Kleine Dirk’, the cock of her super couple ‘Tips’. The descendants of ‘Kleine Dirk’ seem to do extremely well by many fanciers. The best Dutch pigeon of 2009, ‘Harry’ van Jan Hooymans, is also from a daughter of ‘Kleine Dirk’ x ‘Amoré’. A grandchild of that same ‘Amoré’ was also the best Dutch racer in 2008, which was ‘Solange’ from Verkerk. And I could go on. Sometimes I get my own sort back, so as by Marijke Vink, here I obtained, amongst others, ‘Marijke’ and ‘Miss Mookhoek’, who in Ermerveen were once again the 1. NPO winners ‘Doran’ and ‘Daydream’ and bred 1. Nat. Ace pigeon ‘Varella’.”
That many top fanciers were successful with the pigeons of C. & G. Koopman is proved in this small selection of references:
Günter Prange (D) is the big champion of Germany!! His ‘Ringlose’ (grandson ‘Betrix cock) was world famous. Descendants also performed superbly by K. Becker (4. Nat. Ace pigeon),
Beumer-Sandbothe (1. Nat. Ace pigeon) and T. van Ravenstein (1. Nat. Ace pigeon).
Pieter Veenstra (NL) won several National championships, NPO victories etc. His stock pigeons are ‘Dirky’ (son ‘Kleine Dirk’) and ‘Mr. Surhuizum’ (brother ‘Mr. Ermverveen’)
Marijke Vink (NL) obtained ‘Aladin’ (son ‘Kleine Dirk’), who was grandfather of several supers so as ‘Farah Diba’, ‘Reza’, etc.
Cor Leijtens (NL) bred a.o. the 1. Nat. cock WHZB out son ‘Kleine Dirk’ x ‘Amoré’
G. & S. Verkerk (NL), after having bred various NPO top pigeons out daughter of ‘Amoré, ‘Solange’ was 7 (!)
National titles the best pigeon of 2008!
Gebr. Limburg (NL) were not inferior with their ‘Rick’ in 2008; he won the 1. NPO and 4. NPO and also a 1. Prize in the province. Line ‘Branco’ and ‘Kleine Dirk’ and with this won the title 1. Nat. Ace pigeon extreme middle distance NPO 2008
Jacob Poortvliet (NL) represented the Netherlands in the Western European Nations Cup 2009 with ‘Magic Wonder’, out the line of ‘Branco’, ‘Gentil’ and ‘Kleine Dirk’
‘Jan Hooijmans’ bred his ‘Harry’, the most spectacular pigeon of the Netherlands in 2009 with 2x 1. NPO and 1x 3. NPO in 2009!!,out a daughter of ‘Kleine Dirk’ x ‘Amoré’.
Many fanciers have not been named in this ‘shortlist’ as the list would then be voluminous.
New challenge; one loft races
“People often ask me if I have new aims in my pigeon career. I am very taken with a few one loft races and then in particular the Million Dollar Race in South Africa. A marvellous professional organisation at it is really something to visit. My pigeons also seem to be very suitable for this prestigious race!!! Both in 2008 and 2009 he managed to classify a pigeon by the first three. In 2008 this was ‘JD Action’, out ‘Lei’ x ‘Hebberecht 799’, who was 2nd and in 2009 ‘Good Aim’ out ‘Bjarne’ x ‘Isabel’ was third. ‘Paparazzi’ also shined in 2009, he won very many top prizes and after 14 races he was 1. Ace pigeon … until he had an off-day and lost his top classification. In the tenth edition of the race, ‘Bullet’, a hundred percent Koopman pigeon, was 1. Ace pigeon over 16 races. In the following edition this classification was won by ‘Lucky Hope’ from the Lucking family from Germany. This cock was the best over 14 races and is a half Koopman. Just recently there was a top classification in the Belgian Masters in August 2009. ‘Eus’ won there the end race and was also 1. Ace pigeon. Yet another great success! ‘Eus’ was also bred from two Koopman pigeons.
PIPA WOULD LIKE TO THANK GERARD KOOPMAN FOR HIS OPEN-HEARTEDNESS IN THIS TRILOGY. HE BRED FOURTY SUMMER YOUNGSTERS OUT THE GOLDEN BASIS ESPECIALLY FOR PIPA TO SELL EXCLUSIVELY …
THIS AUCTION ENDS ON THE 24TH OF JANUARY 2010
‘Miss Maniwan’
1. Nat. St.Vincent against 25.870 p.
‘Varella’
1. Nat. Ace pigeon extreme middle distance 1-day Fondspiegel 2007
‘Miss Wonderful’
1. Nat. Ace pigeon extreme middle distance 1-day Fondspiegel 2006
5. NPO Orleans against 8.626 p.
5. NPO Blois against 5.737 p.
6. Creil 12.341 p.
‘Daydream’
1. NPO Ablis against 8.519 p.
‘Doran’
1. NPO Orleans against 9.670 p. (13 minute lead)
21. NPO against 13.008 p.
58. NPO against 5.737 p.
‘Mr. Allennig’’
1. NPO Blois against 6.279 p. in 2009
‘Eus’
Winner Belgian Masters 2009
1. Ace pigeon Belgian Masters 2009
