"Knap Blauwke" was a welcome addition to a strongly inbred family. But the first youngsters didn't fulfill the needs of Ludo Claessens. That changed when he coupled her in 1987 to the "Witpen Orleans" (son of the "Fokstier" and 5th national Orleans). The couple stayed two years together and produced four top cocks, namely the "Blauwe 58," "Blauwe 59," "Bonte Ekster," and "911."
Of these four top breeders, "Bonte Ekster" produced two birds that flew extremely well. "175/89" won 1st Creil 1061 pigeons, 5th national Chateauroux 9183, and 15th national Orleans 8090 birds. "De Witneus 53" won 1st Creil 1323 birds, 1st St. Quentin 427, 2nd Creil 1412, 3rd Creil 1606, and 3rd Creil 2046. Afterwards, he moved to America.
"911" won two first prizes and became father of "Platkop," 1st Creil 1331, 3rd national Orleans 8210, and 5th national Montargis 2147 birds. From a sister of the "Platkop" came the 5th national Orleans and the 5th and 7th national Chateauroux.
"De Blauwe 59" (8885159/88) - His children won 2nd national Orleans, 1st Creil 1045 birds, 1st Orleans 4947 birds (3rd national), 2nd Chateauroux 2989 birds, and 1st Chateauroux 2930 birds. His most famous son is the "Supercrack 69" with 1st Etampes (quickest against more than 70,000 birds), 1st provins 2231 (quickest against 25,000 birds), 2nd Reims 2763 (after loftmate): 3rd Montargis 692 birds (after 2 loftmates) and 5th Creil 2735 birds."De Blauwe 58": -- Nest brother of the "Blauwe 59." He is father of a 1st, 3rd, 4th, 8th, and 9th national Orleans. A daughter of his won the 1st national from Orleans in rayon 1 b and got the name "Het Nationaaltje." After that she was sold to Taiwan. And what do you think about the "Favoriet" who is a son of the "Blauwe 58"? 1st Provin 1974 birds (quickest among 25,000 birds), 3rd Orleans 4481 birds, 8th Compeigne 4196 birds, and 9th Creill 3334 birds?
Just to remember, we are talking here about four sons of "Knap Blauwke," who was bought for a few Belgian francs at the Lier Market.
"KLAK"
In 1981, Ludo got a pigeon from "De Klak" at his loft. "De Klak" is a top fancier in the Netherlands with a lot of Janssen pigeons. It went like this. Chris Adams (Bergen-Op-Zoom), a good friend of Ludo Claessens, was a very good friend of Jan Hermans (the owner of Sportblad De Duif - Belgium). Ludo went once to Jan Hermans to select the birds, and one week later Jan wrote in his magazine, "I've got already a lot of so-called 'selectors' but how Ludo selected in my loft is really unbelievable."Chris Adams got from Jan Hermans two original pigeons of the "Klak" which were close family to the "Oude Merckx" van Janssen. It was a hen which Chris Adams coupled to a son of his best breeding pair. And Chris gave Ludo a youngster out of that couple which was banded with a special ring series, F194/81. Believe it or not, but Ludo had won the lottery again. The "F194" won as a two-year-old bird three weeks after each other 1st Corbeil, 1st Melun, and 1st Corbeil provincial against 2200 birds. The "F194" produced three super breeding hens, namely "Dik Licht 56," "Klein 54," "and Klein 53." "Dik Licht" is grandmother of three national winners from Orleans. Her son "Late Donkere" is father of "Red Arrow," while her daughter "Donkere Witpen 72" with two different cocks produced two different national winners, namely "Het Nationaaltje" and "Dream."
THE TOP BREEDING PAIR
Ludo Claessens has no fixed breeding couples. He likes to change. A big advantage is that all stockbirds are flying out, so it is no problem to couple a breeding hen to a yearling bird. But one couple stayed together for three years, namely "Dik Licht" (inbred F194 with his granddaughter) with "Donkere 65" (inbred "Fokstier").
In 1990 that couple launched the "Donkere Witpen 72" into the world. She became mother of two national winners. Her nest brother won 2nd provincial Bourges 2952 and 4th provincial Etampes 1029 birds. Children and grandchildren of the "Donkere Witpen" put the following results on paper: 1st Chateauroux 2898 birds, 1st Nivel 2355 birds, 2nd Chateauroux 2069 birds, 3rd Orleans 3919 birds, 1st St. Ghislain 2626 birds, and of course the already mentioned 1st national Orleans 7406 birds, and 1st national Orleans 8210 birds.
In 1991 they delivered the 4th national Orleans against 8210 birds. That was in fact equal with the 1st national because there were three loftmates who were ahead of them.
In 1992 the "Katoog" came from this couple. He has unbelievable race results with the following toppers: 1st Etampes 1073 birds, 1st Etampes 1963 birds (quickest against 25,000 birds) and 1st Orleans 4947 birds (4th national).
A brother of the "Katoog" produced the 1st St. Ghislain against 4368 birds and a sister of the "Katoog" produced the 1st Creil against 2321 birds. What a family!
That "Donker 65" can breed super birds is a common fact. Coupled with a half sister of "Dik Licht," namely "Klein 54" (also a daughter of F194) came the "1st Gouden Crack van 89" (hen 8926177/89, 5th national Orleans 8210 birds and 7th national Chateauroux 9108 birds) and the "Gouden Crack 1992" (2nd Etampes 1873 birds and 3rd Chateauroux 2989 birds). We repeat, what a family!
"DE VOSKES"
And then we come to what Ludo calls his best pigeon line-"De Voskes," the red pigeons. That color goes back to an old red Horemans pigeon (B69-6582499). That pigeon was bought in 1975 through Gaston Cruysweegs. Gaston paid 1000 Belgian francs for that cock which was sitting among 400 other pigeons. "The old red cock was a very nice bird," remembered Ludo. "It took a long time before I could buy that pigeon from Gaston Cruysweegs. Ludo put the red cock in the breeding loft and another miracle occurred. The famous red family was born.
"Red Arrow" -- 1st national Orleans 5445 pigeons, 3rd Reims 2774 pigeons, 6th Nijvel 3363 pigeons, and 9th Chateauroux 1777 pigeons - is the 9th generation of red pigeons coming from the old Horemans.
In that chain of nine generations, we want to spotlight some birds. "Rooie Orleans" (1st Orleans 2610, 1st St. Quentin 384 (fastest pigeon of 20,000 birds). A son of the "Rooie Orleans" was paired up with one of the daughters of the "F194," namely "Klein 54." Then here came "Vos 28" (8664528/86) who won 3rd Limoges 1640 and 4th Compeigne 1209. What is more important is that Ludo paired him up to a nest sister of the 1st national Orleans 1987, which was inbred to the "Fokstier." In "Vox 28" there was also a little blood of the "Fokstier." So a new top pair was born. In 1990, they launched "Voske 54" into the world.
"VOSKE 54"
That red cock was not a big pigeon. But when you look at what he flew and what his breeding results are, then you won't believe your eyes. "Voske 54" is father of four provincial winners. He is also grandfather of "Red Arrow" (1st national Orleans 1995). "Voske 54" produced good pigeons with a lot of hens. With a granddaughter of the "Witpen Orleans" (you remember, father of the twins "Blauwe 58" and "59") he produced "Voske 88": 1st Chateauroux 3069 pigeons and 4th national. Later she became the mother of "Red Arrow."In 1992 with a daughter of the same "Witpen Orleans," "Voske 54" produced a beautiful nest pair, namely "Vos 91" and "Donker 92." "Vos 91" won 1st Chateaurous 4506 pigeons and 1st Creil 1968 pigeons. His nest sister won 4th Chateauroux 2898 pigeons (after three nestmates) and his son won 1st Chateauroux 2069 pigeons.
After the national victory with Orleans, Ludo did something he will never regret in his whole life. He coupled the "Donkere Witpen 72" (mother of "Het Nationaaltje") with "Voske 54." The miracle happened and a new national winner came from this couple, namely "The Dream": 1st national Orleans 7406 pigeons and 2nd quickest against 193,500 pigeons.
"ROOD 93"
99/99 64 493 "Granddaughter Katoog"
La Souterraine 1st out of 155 birds, 2nd out of 2507 birds, and 8th out of 7525 National; 10th Chantilly out of 1296 birds, 33rd Creil out of 7332 birds, and 104th Bourges out of 2476 birds."Rood 83" is already mother of "Rode 70" (NL 00/00 77 670), 1st Nijvel out of 2348 birds (equal first), and 15th Heverlee out of 3242 birds.
"YETI" (NL 99/99 64 498) 1st Morlincourt out of 3669 birds, 1st Orleans out of 193 birds (2nd prov. out of 3574), 1st Creil out of 374 (5th prov. out of 7332), 2nd Creil out of 227 (25th prov. out of 4867) (equals first), 5th Provincial Etampes out of 5494, and 12th Provincial St. Quentin out of 2008 birds.
Ludo Claessens remains the Picasso of the racing pigeon sport.
