Jos Thoné

HISTORY

The Wonder Boy of pigeon racing

Jos Thoné's pigeons have won everything: four world championships, five gold medals at the Olympics, six titles at the prestigious Gouden Duif and dozens of national championships in Belgium. This pigeon fancier participates in the most diverse categories, with both males and females, from 100 to 1,000 km. Thoné breeds and trains in all the main categories: short, medium and long distance as well as long distance. However, long distance pigeons represent a minority in Thoné's lofts in relation to the birds dedicated to breeding.

A large part of his secret is his art and complete dedication as a racing pigeon breeder. Understanding this sport as an art and dedicating so much effort to it has led him to breed his own bloodline and sell them in more than 82 countries around the world. Jos Thoné's career is marked by a life of dedication and passion for pigeon racing. In fact, his life experience has led him to use a methodology that has almost become a standard in the international sport of pigeon racing. That is why the great pigeon fancier Ene Grondelaers appointed him as his legitimate successor many years ago.

For years he has been called the 'crown prince of the Belgian pigeon racing sport' or 'Wonder boy'. The fact is that when it comes to pigeon racing, he is indeed a superman. Jos Thoné was born in Maasmechelen, a town on the border between Belgium and the Netherlands, a few kilometres from his current residence, Niel-bij-As. His parents were pigeon fanciers, so even before he could walk he was sitting in a pigeon loft. From an early age he helped his father with the pigeon lofts, and his main interests when he was at school were in the design and construction of pigeon lofts.

The Thoné family were good competitors, but they were not particularly prominent at the top. During his youth, Jos studied computer science in the evenings and worked in the lofts during the day. The family moved from Maasmechelen to Niel-bij-As, where the loft of Thomas Peeters and sons was located. At that time, Peeters had won the national prize of St. Vincent for the second time. The work was too much for Thomas Peeters and he was looking for an assistant. So Peeters asked Jos Thoné's father. But he refused because he was not interested in taking care of a breeding station other than his own, so he suggested that his son, Jos, should do it.

When Peeters found out that Jos was 16 years old, he did not have much confidence in his worth. But he recruited him because he needed someone to clean the lofts. There, Jos not only learned about the cleaning that was necessary, but also got to know the birds well. Over time, he learned so much about pigeons that Peeters himself nicknamed him the Wonderboy, and so he became a key player in driving the famous Peeters & Sons loft. Thomas Peeters had six children, three daughters and three sons. The youngest, Gabrielle, became Jos' wife over the years. Thomas Peeters' best known son is Dr. Norbert Peeters, the world's most famous pigeon veterinarian. Jos felt like a fish in water in the Peeters household. He was very satisfied with his work. In 1988, after many attempts, he married Gaby (Gabrielle) Peeters and some time later, they had two children.  Thoné worked for 13 years (1977-1990) for his father-in-law. It was only a few years after he started that they saw Jos' true talent for pigeons and made him manager of the loft.

Jos Thoné learned a lot from his father-in-law and brother-in-law. His thirst for knowledge was insatiable and he made an essential contribution to the worldwide success of Peeters & Sons. Great national competitions followed one after the other, important championships were won and at this time the great Diego Armando de Barcelona and his descendants were born. Diego Armando Barcelona was Peeters' favourite pigeon. Between 1985 and 1988 he was Barcelona's best competitor. As a result, he would become the basis of his own lineage. From 1985 onwards he won the first places in Barcelona four times in a row. In 1985 he won the 14th international against 17,060 participants, in 1986 the 9th international against 18,076, in 1987 the 622nd international against 21,545 competitors and in 1988 the 295th international against 21,194.

In the years in which Jos Thoné worked as manager of Peeters & Sons, he achieved a great deal of success. Twice he placed first in the Belgian As Paloma. His list of achievements includes more than 20 provincial victories, a national first prize in Montauban and an international first prize in Lourdes.

Thoné learned a lot during these years with the Peeters, developing all kinds of skills involved in the daily work in a pigeon loft. When he was 30 years old, Thoné wanted to start his own loft, but he had no financial backing so he alternated between various jobs; in his father-in-law's loft, in a coal mine and teaching computer courses in the afternoons. In 1989, Gaby and Jos were able to start building their house and lofts. Gaby's father had lent them part of the property in Niel-bij-As and they had saved the necessary start-up capital to start under his name. In addition, Peteers lent him 20 youngsters, their breeders and their parents. 

Jos Thoné also wanted to participate and succeed under his own name. And he succeeded. At the beginning of 1991, the lofts at Kruisstraat 7, (his address) were practically finished. They were immediately occupied with the youngest birds, and so he was able to start on his own. The Kruisstraat 7 loft is distinguished by the small details, nothing is left to chance. Jos Thoné is passionate about pigeon racing and his ideas about pigeon racing are revolutionary.

Jos Thoné has won the Versele Laga world championship four times. He successfully participates in short, medium and long distance races. He is a born competitor for disciplines ranging from 100 to 1000 kilometres. In addition, he has special birds for extreme long distances, which exceed the limit of 700 kilometres. In all categories he has been successful. Today he is dedicated to breeding and flying birds in the most important competitions in the world. He also gives lectures all over the world, from Asia to South America, giving back to this sport all the good things he has learned from it, with his knowledge and his perseverance.  

Source: PIPA and Winkie