Some of the ‘pearls’:
The best cock of The Netherlands in 2007 in the competition WHZB, the ‘907 van Amore’s Dirk’ NL04-4155907 of Cor Leijtens from Oostelbeers, is bred from the original Koopman cock ‘Amoré’s Dirk’ NL-02-2173502, a son to ‘Kleine Dirk’ x ‘Amoré’.
The super hen ‘Solange’ NL07-1817923, of G. and S. Verkerk from Alphen aan de Rijn, will probably be 1. Nat. acebird WHZB in 2008. Her mother is a direct Koopman hen ‘Magic Amoré’, bred from ‘Amoré’. She was purchased in Ermerveen two years ago and is now already mother of 5 NPO top 10 quotations! This year children to ‘Magic Amoré’ won: 1. NPO Argenton; 5. NPO Bourges; 7. NPO Argenton; 8. NPO Argenton; 10. NPO Bourges; 11. NPO Bourges; 12. NPO Chateauroux; 13. NPO Bourges!
Also Jacob Poortvliet from Surhuizum has a wonder pigeon this year, ‘Magic Wonder’ N06-1521428. His best prizes are: 1. Heteren against 27,931 birds; 1. Duffel against 11,692 birds; 2. Boxtel against 6,880 birds; 2. Boxtel against 2,507 birds; 8. St. Quentin against 3,437 birds. The father to ‘Magic Wonder’ comes from a grandchild to ‘Branco’, who is also grandchild to ‘Gentil’. The mother comes from a Lindelauf cock with a daughter to the founding pair of Marijke Vink, also a Koopman!
We continue with ‘Rick’ NL07-4291066 of the Limburg brothers from Zuidveen. He is an exceptional pigeon and as yearling he listed performances that can really be called unique! On all the 4 NPO races he was basketed so far, he won a top position. Next to two Top 10 positions – 1. NPO Orleans against 6,469 birds and 4. NPO Blois (1. prize in combine) against approx. 5,300 birds, he also won 1. prize in combine on the first NPO race of the season against 1,882 birds and 18. NPO Ablis in combine against 1,253 birds.
‘Rick’ is almost 100% Koopman. He is bred from ‘Paco’ NL05-1862313, the chequered top breeder of J. D. Poortvliet. Father to ‘Paco’, the NL02-5255387, is a grandson to ‘Branco’ (Koopman) and comes through P. Veenstra. The mother to ‘Paco’, the NL04-1310900, is a grandchild to ‘Kleine Dirk’.
The ‘Ringlosen’ family of Günter Prange:
The special successes of the Koopman family from Nieuw Amsterdam were carefully followed by Günter Prange from the neighbour town Meppen in Emsland. In the Eighties Günter lifted his top Delbar pigeons up to the absolute top of Germany and he searched for good crossing material for his heavy inbred strain. Günter:
“In breeding, my Delbars pretty much reached the end of their possibilities. Almost all pigeons descend from just one pair of pigeons. I tried a lot at Belgian and German champions but it was all not what I expected. I believed the Koopman pigeons with their superb strength on short and middle distance races were ideal to bring more speed in my compass-strong Delbars. At the time I bought my pigeon food at the Koopmans in Nieuw Amsterdam. Every time I asked Cornelis and later Gerard for some youngsters from the best lines they said: ‘sure, but now we have nothing available’. I kept on wanting these pigeons and in the summer of 1994 Gerard called me and said that because of much interest they organised an auction in autumn of a complete round of late breds. I decided to make my move on this auction.
Gerard informed me about the best breeders of the loft and he advised me descendants of ‘Beatrixdoffer’, ‘Zitter’ and ‘Ons Louis’. Of these three toppers I bought a youngster. They were the three most expensive youngsters of the auction, but by now they paid their price back easily.
The ‘959’ NL94-2227959 (from ‘Beatrixdoffer’ x daughter ‘Eric’) developed to a beautiful blue cock and became founding father of the modern Prange pigeon. Paired to a daughter to the ‘722’ (Brother ‘721’ and ‘207’, Prange-basic pigeons of the Delbar strain) he directly produced ‘146’, a topper that brought in many 1. prizes for the champion from Meppen. When this crack was stolen, naturally his brother – of who Günter forgot to shove a ring on his paw – moved to the breeding loft and he grew out to be father, grandfather and great grandfather to a whole platoon of acebirds. His most famous son is the ‘802’, 1. acebird of Germany. Later he would make great furore under the name ‘Eurostar’ at Werner Stellermann. Remarkable is the value in breeding of the daughter to ‘Ringlosen’. On several lofts different daughters to this phenomenon became mother to a/o: 4. Nat. acebird Germany (K. Becker); 1. Nat. acebird Germany (Beumer/Sandbothe) and 1. Nat. acebird Germany (T. v. Ravenstein). Another serial winner bred from ‘959’ – now paired to a hen of André Bellens – was the famous ‘330’ with 8 times first prize against massive birdages!
The second pigeon, the ‘577’, (from ‘Ons Louis’ x sister ‘Eric’) a sister to ‘Branco’, also left her marks in the Prange strain. As partner to ‘Ringlosen’ she became mother to a/o ‘1009’, 2. Nat. acebird Germany, the ‘924’ (mother of acebird K. Becker) and of the top breeder of the Prange loft, the ‘36’, who is father to several 1. prize winners (including 1. Nat. acebird Germany month May).
The third pigeon of the first investment was a daughter to the ‘Zitter’. Günter did not like him much because she was so big (‘A pigeon like a chicken’) and therefore she was totally underestimated. Offspring to her however proved great class on many lofts. By now almost every year some pigeons move from Ermerveen to Meppen and Günter and Gerard became close friends!
