Wijnands

HISTORY

Harry & Roger Wijnands, one of the most prestigious Dutch lofts in long distance racing. In their trajectory they stand out for having won 6 times the first prize in the Dutch National and 2 times winner of the National Marathon. They have achieved success in the sector by collecting what they have learnt in the world of pigeon racing and not relying on luck.

The history of this kennel began with the passion of Harry Wijnands just after the Second World War, who achieved fame after winning the champion's podium in Maastricht. But his worth grew so much that his hobby ceased to be a hobby, leaving him almost no time to take care of his birds and he had to give it up. There were no pigeons in his village Ringhoeve for years. Years went by and his son Roger, in 1971 when he was 10 years old, asked him to build a loft above the stable so that he could continue the hobby that had made him famous years before.

And success continued on his side, thanks to Harry's wisdom and experience. The forerunner of the Wijnands got the best birds from Clermonts, the Kusters brothers and Pol Poismans, who went on to win the Dutch marathon in 1972. After obtaining extraordinary prizes in sprint and middle distance, they decided to try long distance in 1980, having bought proven long distance pigeons. For years they bought pigeons from fanciers who did well in the long distance, creating strong athletes who filled the top places in the rankings next to the big and well-known names in the Netherlands.

His best pigeons have been "Kleine v.Jo", known as the best night pigeon in Europe and used in breeding in 1988. His record is enormous: he won 10 prizes in National races out of 11 races. Undoubtedly, Klein v.Jo is a champion with style. Straight out of the well-known Jo Gilissen, former Dutch marathon champion crossed with the lineage of Marcel Braakhuis de Neer. His dam was an inbred cross and was a fifth national sister to Pau de Gilissen and gave a very good result from crossing a brother with his sister. 

Both come from the golden base pair of Braakhuis. The sire of Kleine v. Jo is descended from the pigeons of the duo krouwel- Pollmann de Tiel. In this line there is a brother of the 1st National Barcelona of v.d.Slip de Middelharnis and the famous Estje 1st National St. Vincent. In the loft of Harry and Roger Wijnands there are the following breeds: Kusters Brothers, P. Poisman, H. Clermonts, H. Smeets, Marcel Braakhuis (via Jo Gilissen and W. Beuken), Kuypers Brothers, G. Vanoppen, Van der Wegen, H. Roosen, G. Carteus and Jan Theelen.

Their lofts are of modern construction, built on top of the 32 metre long stable, sufficient to house 250 pigeons. Nearby there is a breeding loft for breeding, which houses 40 pigeons. There is also a mobile loft for the females, which can be moved anywhere in search of sunshine. During the competition they spend six to seven hours with the pigeons, of which these hours are divided between training, breeding and cleaning the lofts. For years, the loft has been under the care of veterinarian Dr. Norbert Peeters from Genk (Belgium), who takes care of the droppings and regularly checks the pigeons' throats. During the racing season, he regularly supplies the pigeons with vitamins. Only young pigeons and yearlings are vaccinated against paramyxo. The adults who do cross-country races do 300 km three times, before going to Vierzon (500 km) and start the night races. The yearlings travel once every two weeks and have to fly the Dax.