| Author: Liam O Comain | Title: Bas Batenburg |
| Date: 2005-11-01 03:25:51 | Uploaded by: webmaster |
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I was surprised recently after I referred to one of my pigeons as containing Batenburg bloodlines when a visiting pigeoner of 50 years said that he had never heard of them. Now this is a well read person who has books and copies of magazines of pigeon topics as well as pigeon videos collected during a lifetime in the sport. And not just collected and hoarded but read and viewed as part of a lifelong study of the sport. As stated his statement surprised me and arising from it I referred to the name Batenburg with a number of other knowledgeable fanciers and the response was the similar. Thus in this article I hope that I will faithfully introduce the strain of Batenburg - one of the greatest in modern times and who through a new partnership will etch itself in the history of the sport in the new millennium.
Apparently Bas Batenburg was born into the sport for older members of the clan raced pigeons, one of whom was to play a pivotal part in the development of the strain. In due course Bas was joined by his son Hugo and success became a part of their lives with results such as: 1st National San Sebastian; 2nd National Dax; 3rd National Perpignan; 11th National Marseille; 11th National Bordeaux; 14th National St. Vincent; 21st National Montauban; 22nd National Pau; 26th National Tarbes; 3Oth
National Barcelona, and 31st National Carcassonne amongst other excellent positions.
One could not present an introduction to this strain without making reference to a pivotal bird in its development and that is the famous Witbuik. For like other famous families of racing pigeons there usually is an outstanding bird which leaves its mark on the strains history. Well, Witbuik, rung NL81-1533120, is the one pigeon of this ilk associated with the Batenburgs. It was bred from a gift to the partnership from Hugo's grandfather of a hen rung NL72/221371 (of Bakker Barendrecht and Lazeroms bloodlines). This was in 1980 and the bird when bred with one of the Batenburg's best racers NL78/322953, who had won on eleven occasions in races of 1100kms, produced one latebred - Witbuik. White Breast, as he is known in translation, when raced won 14th National St.Vincent; 85th National St.Vincent; 146th National Dax; and 300th National St.Vincent. Good flying for a latebred but as a producer he was indeed golden.
The first youngster bred from Witbuik was named Bonte Kweker and the dam was a 100% Jan Aarden. He was also a great breeder and from the blood came racers like 88/405: 16th National Perpignan, 22nd National Pau, 16th National Marseille, 192nd National St.Vincent; 88/473: 60th National Perpignan, 91st National Pau, 119th National Perpignan, 144th National Pau, 150th National Dax; 88/196: 7th National Pau, 21st National Perpignan; 93/872: 1st National Dax, 2nd National Dax, 126th National Bergerac. It should also be noted that the bloodlines won 8th World Champion Very Long Distance 1999 and has bred many winners for other lofts. Of course the above is but an example of the Batenburg successes.
Alas, in a public auction in 1996 the Batenburg partnership finally came to an end in one of the best auctions ever held of our thoroughbreds. The contribution however of Bas Batenburg to the sport of long distance pigeon racing would not be forgotten for the strain, today, i.e. its main base is in the capable hands of the son and junior member of the partnership. Hugo started racing in partnership with his wife Anita van de Merwe, the daughter of another good European pigeoner, with youngsters from the summer of '96, which were not sold in the auction. The Batenburg - van de Merwe partnership bred for the first time in 1997 and by 1999 success happened including scoring 4th National St.Vincent; 31st and 32nd National Bordeaux; 61st and 98th National St.Vincent; 93rd National Bergerac as well as 2nd International Championship Very Long Distance (De Duif), etc. This was inevitable for the base was good and if the base is good then all will be well. Today based at Klaaswaal in the Netherlands the Batenburg strain is winning as its founder intended, and I have no doubt that the best years have yet to come for the blood descendants of Witbuik and Bonte Kweker. With the latter cocks being placed on the same level, today, as the great Zilvervosje and the Dolle of the past.
Liam O Comain
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