Piet de Vogel Oude Tonge

Piet de Vogel is a passionate long distance fancier who has been performing at the top of Dutch long distance racing for years and now he also enjoys International recognition.

He studied economics and did an MBA in the USA/NL. With this background, he worked professionally as a consultant, interim manager and entrepreneur. Currently he is an entrepreneur in pigeon sport and is co-owner and initiator of the successful auction site for the extreme long distance www. toppigeons.nl. In other areas, he also plays an important role within the sport of pigeon racing. He is a respected author of pigeon sport articles and would like to share his knowledge and experience with others.
He was also partly responsible for the launch of the very successful TopPigeons PE granule.

His passion, however, is pigeon racing and in particular the distance races (extreme long distance). At the beginning of the nineties he started racing alias his own name and a decision was made to specialize for the full 100 at the extreme long distance marathon races.

His colony was built with birds from top fanciers in his own region. One of the best regions in the country for the long distance. The basis pigeons were acquired from the likes of Jan Polder, Wim Kooreman, G. Kievit. Pigeons with a lot of the Steketee blood in their veins. The latter built his strain with the birds of Jan Cools (a good friend of Jan Aarden) complemented with a pinch of the Van Wanroij sort.

In addition, with the birds of Herman Brinkman (v/d Wegen) and the Brugemann Bros. (Oostenrijk/Müller) a successful strain of pigeons was moulded that Piet de Vogel further perfected through years of selecting by means of their performances in the toughest races. Renowned birds of that period were the ‘ULLRICH” and the “MONTY BOY.

In was this period that saw the introduction of the famous source cock the ”JONGE STAYER” to the loft. This son of the International Ace Pigeon Long Distance, known as the “STAYER” of Jac. Steketee, would develop into a super breeder in the loft of Piet de Vogel. One of the best of his generation.

In 2006, the West European Super Marathon championship was won and a decision was made to give the strain a further impulse with the purchase of numerous National and International winners and ace pigeons!

Due to the purchase for example of the “PAARSBORST” (twofold National winner) and the “CAS” (Best International Barcelona Bird 2009-2010) from Ko Van Dommelen and the ‘TARBES” (a top bird with a noble Florizoone origin via the late Fons van Ophuizen) the current strain got a massive impulse.
Recently the best from the ZLU legends WIJNANDS & SON were purchased. Children of their best breeder and from their National ace pigeons are now housed in the stock lofts. For the Barcelona races the best was acquired from Frans Bungeneers and Jellema/Beens.

The future of the loft can therefore be seen with the great confidence!

In my own loft, more than 20 years of top performances, early prizes, championships and National ace pigeons!

In a small accommodation, the birds are thoroughly tested in the toughest International classics from the moment they turn into yearlings. Due to excessive specialization, a non-stop type of racing pigeon has emerged that can easily bridge distances of 850 – 1000 km in one day.
The number of ace pigeon titles on a National level therefore deserves the greatest respect. If you relate this to the number of young pigeons bred for my own use (about 40), the question is justified: “who does have better”?!

The amount of successes in my own loft are too many to mention here. Yet we would like to mention some of the highlights.

In the local NIC Middelharnis more than twenty-five 1st prizes in races from 800 to 1170 km

St Vincent 6x (ZLU & NPO), Bordeaux/Agen ZLU (4x), Barcelona (2x), Perpignan (2x), Mont de Marsan (2x), Cahors (3x), Pau (2x), Marseille (2x), Bergerac (2x)

3 wins on a Semi-National level in the SNZH (Combine North & South-Holland): Mont de Marsan NPO, Barcelona & Agen ZLU