By: Henk de Brueijs

With what strain of pigeons raced and achieved Jef van Wanroy remarkable results ?

One of the famous names in Dutch pigeon sport is Jef van Wanroy from Broekhuizenvorst . His results with his pigeons  were known in the sixties all over Holland and far abroad. With what kind or as often said strain of pigeons his name became a household word in the international pigeon scene ? What was the source of his pigeons  and how did he make use of these birds to make an iron bird for the hard labor ?
As often happens the name of Van Wanroy became more and more famous after he passed away and other fanciers achieved top results with his pigeons in the most toughest and hard overnight long distance races possible.

Nowadays, after so many years one can read often articles or adverts in which his “strain” is mentioned to be one of the best strains for the longer distances. A number of years ago I came into the possession of a detailed letter, dated 11 December 1967,  hand written by Jef and addressed to Piet de Weerd,  founder of the Aarden strain.
To give a correct impression of my findings I translated literally the letter into English to avoid any misunderstanding.

“You understand that during a period of nine years breeding with the H 53-795313 ..het “Oud Vosje”, there is no pigeon here or he/she is related to “het Vosje”.

“This 313 is a daughter of “88” het “Zilvervosje” x “86” a  son of  “Slaper” from Toontje Schouteren.  The 313 is purchased by me in 1954 from R. Meesters in De Heen”.

"Zilvervosje" H47-433488 || De "zesentachtig" H47-433486

Photos courtesy Machiel Buijk.

The “313” was paired at  H51-561448, the “Oude Witpen …. “the best pigeon I had in the years ’53 – ’58.  He achieved in “Maaskant West”, for as you know from “Wie heeft ze beter”,
1st.Middle Distance, 1st.Long distance, 1st.nominated, 1st.Overall (Generaal), Ace-pigeon and finished in that same year as 26th National Dax. ………….he was bred from a son of the”Radio” from Nipius.  “Radio” from Nipius was bred from a 16 year’s old cock, a son of M.Delbar’s  “Kleine Geschelpte” “. 

Dam of the “Oude Witpen” came from Jos Hermans.
 “ “With the Belg 6168948, a chequer little pigeon I was successful.  So,  a  youngster from his “Pinstaart” who also gave the best pigeon of Hermans,   “De Pechvogel”. I came into the possession of more pigeons from Hermans, Blue cheq’s, chequers bred from his 1st.Nat.Bordeaux en his famous red ones. The best  were the chequers, the red ones were lazier……………Jos Hermans was a real old magician with the pigeons and  a tremendous connoisseur. “ 

Kleine geschelpte Maurice Delbar

In the book “The Strain Janssen van Arendonk” the Golden Legend,  written by Piet de Weerd , one can read on page 448 the following details re. “Zilvervosje” x “86”.
“ Baker Meesters best  pigeon  was “Zilvervosje”. She won in 1949 the 2nd Nat. Dax. The next year he won also the 3rd.Nat.Dax and afterwards 27th.Nat.Dax. 52nd Nat. St.Vincent en 47th.Nat. St.Vincent. She was mated to her half brother, the “86”, a fantastic slender build purebred pigeon which won in 1950 the 12th Nat.St.Vincent against 9330 birds”.
How you must find the luck you need,  to come into the possession of an excellent pigeon nobody can tell but for sure we know how Meesters became the proud owner of “Zilvervosje”. Known is the story that the “Slaper” was mated to a hen  which was found in the surrounding fields of the village De Heen. Toon Schouteren got 2 eggs of this pair of which only one was filled. A few days after the hen laid she was found dead in the loft. The youngster got the ring H 47-433488 and was nicknamed “Zilvervosje”. The weeks following Schouteren was busy to investigate the origin of  the founded hen. She came from the loft of Alfons Goris, the baker of  the neighbor village Kruisland. Now all the cards came together because Goris, who raced his pigeons already before WW 2 at a very high level got his pigeons from the Oomens Bros. from Breda, so also the stray pigeon baptized as the “Gorisduivin” was bred by the same Bros.
What a coincidence that Schouteren mated this hen to his “Slaper”, because this cock was bred from “Blauwe Witoger” x “Saar”, a hen from the, before the War, already famous loft of the same Oomens Bros. This loft was built-up with (dark chequer) pigeons from Felix Stoffels and Jos Persijn.
In those times, direct after WW2 people had to work hard for their living and often there was a lack of money. The story is that Schouteren swapped “Zilvervosje” for a few breads with Meesters , after a period they bred together with their pigeons.
We follow with the letter of Van Wanroy………..

“In the years that Dusarduijn got the nickname “Executioner of Dax and St.Vincent” I got a lot of his pigeons. The best one’s I got from him came from “Oude Roose” and his “104-Debaets. This “Debaets” was no “Delbar” but from butcher Debaets from Belgium.”

Jan Aarden came also into the possession of a youngster of the “Debaets” and she was the famous “Kromme”. Concluding one can say that the “Debaets” is one of the pigeons on the base of the present long distance strains Jan Aarden and Jef van Wanroy.

 Debaets: ZVB.OBG.45-104

Van Wanroy…………………

“Then the blue hen H64-104123. Sire of the 123 is the H60-102317, sold to the General Champion (Thamden?) from Bremen (Germany). “317”, 1st long distance champion “Maaskant West” with so many points that there was no need to basket him for the last race,  is also a grandson of “Oud Vosje 313 . Dam of “123”was H-53 – 795313, “Oude Vosje”. 

“In the H60- 1020317 one can find also my “56”, a pigeon from Hornstra via Evers in Amsterdam. The “56” is a descendant from the pré-war “Witoogje van Jan Hornstra. This “56”hen is of 1950 and she won eleven times a poule of 10 guilders from Dax and St.Vincent.”

“Are you looking for the same strain/bloodlines, I’ll show them to you. The youngsters from 1967 are bred especially because I foresaw the end of the H53-795313. Many light chequer ‘Little snow heads” and real purebred. “

Van Wanroy ends his letter with a invitation to Piet de Weerd to pay him a visit in the morning so that they have the time to judge and talk about the pigeons during lunch time.

With regards in sport,

Jef van Wanroy.