Combination Hommes & Sons: A decade of dominance in marathon pigeon racing

The combination Hommes & Sons, consisting of father Jan and his sons Nick and Rens, has established itself in the past decade as one of the absolute top names in Dutch marathon pigeon racing. With their dedication, innovative approach and keen eye for quality, they have built up an impressive list of honors, making a name for themselves both nationally and internationally.

A family with passion

Jan Hommes started playing pigeon sport at the age of 14. He later passed on his passion for the sport to his sons Nick and Rens, who became involved in the care and training of the pigeons from an early age. The cooperation started in 2006 and quickly became a success story. The combination is more than just a team; it is a family bond that forms the basis for their exceptional performance.
Together they form a close-knit team in which every role is carefully divided. Jan takes a large part of the daily care, while Nick and Rens focus on the breeding loft and basketing.

Origin and growth to the top

Before the combination Hommes & Sons was founded, Jan Hommes together with his brother was already active in the pigeon sport under the name Gebr. Hommes. At that time successful pigeons, such as the famous “Boemel,” already laid the foundation for their current achievements. After a break of several years due to private circumstances, Jan and Nick picked up the thread again in 2006. Rens joined a few years later and they have been inseparable ever since.
The family started supplementing their stock pigeons, carefully choosing pigeons from fanciers who stood out during heavy competitions. They bought and exchanged pigeons from such greats as Tinus Thijsen, Ysbrand Kaptein and Kees Droog. These reinforcements, combined with their old basic lines such as the Van der Wegen line, proved to be the perfect mix to excel on the heavy marathon races.

Innovative loft construction

The combination boasts a superbly equipped 16-meter loft, an 8-meter breeding loft and an attic loft on the barn. The lofts are designed with attention to optimal ventilation and light, keeping the pigeons in top condition. Each loft is tailored to the nesting system they use. This system, where the pigeons remain paired from April until the last flight, allows them to get the best out of each pigeon.

Racing system and selection

The racing system of Hommes & Sons is focused on top performance and strict selection. Every year they start with 90 couples of nestlings. The racers are selected on performance and get several chances to prove themselves. The selection criteria are unrelenting: pigeons that do not fly a prize with a ratio of 1:10 will not get a place in the team.
Yearlings are carefully trained. They fly a few one-day long distance races and are then put into the morning release or overnight races. Only the pigeons that prove they can perform under pressure are allowed to stay. As a two-year old, they are used at least two to three times on the heavy marathon flights, after which they are again strictly selected.

Nutrition, training and medical supervision

Hommes & Sons leave nothing to chance. The pigeons train for an hour every day and fly a 100 km lap flight every week. The feed is carefully composed of a mix of five different feeds. In the days before a flight, the pigeons are given energy-rich food, such as Koopman Premium, supplemented with candy seed and corn.
Medical supervision is an important part of their approach. The pigeons are vaccinated annually against paramyxo and paratyphoid. The racers receive a worming cure in the winter and a yellow cure in the spring. The health of the pigeons is regularly checked by a veterinarian, while young pigeons are deliberately not given any cures in order to increase their natural resistance strengthen.

Unique offer

Especially for the Herbots family the combination Hommes & zn selected a beautiful shelled hen with unique genes of parents and grandparents. Thus she is the daughter of “ De Holleman” NL16-1523266 x “Daughter Kleine Rooie” NL 22-8369535. “De Holleman” is a top breeder and already (gr)father of a.o.: 1st nat Perigueux , 2nd nat Agen , 8th nat Bordeaux , 14th nat Pau etc. The paternal grandfather “ Grandson 2nd nat St-Vincent” NL12-1614513 is himself father of 8th nat Orange , 13th nat Agen ZLU, 16th nat St-Vincent, 20th NPO Bergerac. Grandmother along fathers side “Daughter Super Koppel” NL10-1684037 won 4th nat St-Vincent , 12th nat Albi. Along mother's side: “Daughter Kleine Rooie” descends from “De Kleine Rooie ”NL18-1795176. This one became 3rd ace Barcelona '21-'23 with 14th nat Barcelona , 153rd nat Barcelona and 178th nat Barcelona and 60th nat Perpignan. The maternal grandmother “Lara ”NL17-1175037 won 23rd nat Cahors , 42nd nat Bordeaux , 43rd nat Perpignan , 55th nat Cahors. Top material with which everyone should succeed.

Performance 2023-2024

The combination's list of honors is impressive. At the national level, they have won numerous early prizes and championships. Some highlights of their career include:

• 1 National Bordeaux 12,366 '24
• 2 National Agen ZLU (old) 5,449 '23
• 4, 11, 16 National s2 Bordeaux NPO 2,645 '23
• 5 National Marseille ZLU '24
• 7, 43, 88 National s2 Bordeaux NPO 3,938 '23
• 8 National Bordeaux s2 4,547 '24
• 14, 47, 89 National Barcelona 4,832 '23
• 14 National Pau ZLU 3,934 '23
• 14 National Agen ZLU (yearlings) 5,296 '23
• 17, 25, 32, 39, 55 National s2 Cahors 3,313 '23
• 17 National Narbonne ZLU 4,674 '24
• 21, 37, 40 National s2 Bergerac 7,234 '24
• 22 National s2 Tarbes 1,836 '24
• 23, 48 National s2 St Vincent 2,413 '24
• 24, 26, 92 National Perpignan ZLU 4,360 '24
• 26 National Pau ZLU 4,310 '24

The listing of organ points between 2018-2024

• 1st International Perpignan hens (= 2nd International Perpignan = 2nd National Perpignan) in 2018
• 1st National Series II Perpignan in 2018
• 1st National Bordeaux in 2024
• 1st National S2 Perigueux in 2018
• Best National Ace Pigeon Marathon Yearlings 2023
• 1 Emperor Interprovincial North & South Holland in 2019 & 2022
• 1 Emperor Interprovincial North & South Holland ZLU flights in 2019
• 1st Marathon Cup Interprovincial North & South Holland in 2019
• 1st Champions League Fondunie 2000 ZLU flights in 2019
• 1 Emperor Fondunie 2000 (division 6,7,8,9,10,11) in 2018
• 1st Champion Marathon North in 2019
• 1 Criterion of the Aces ZLU Marathon North 2018
• 1 Emperor Fondclub Noord-Holland in 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 & 2023
• 1st Champion ZLU Fondclub Noord-Holland in 2018, 2019, 2021 & 2023
• 1st Champion NPO Marathon Fondclub Noord-Holland in 2018, 2019, 2020 & 2023
• 1st Champion NPO Marathon designated Fondclub Noord-Holland in 2019 & 2020
• 1st Overall Champion designated Fondclub Noord-Holland in 2019
• 1st General Champion Fondclub Noord-Holland in 2019
• 1st Provincial Marathon Champion North Holland in 2018, 2020 & 2023
• 1st Provincial Marathon Champion designated North Holland in 2019 & 2020
• 2nd Emperor Fondunie 2000 ZLU in 2020
• 2nd champion Fondunie 2000 ZLU in 2020
• 2nd champion Fondunie 2000 in 2018
• 2nd Emperor Fondclub NH in 2020
• 2nd Interprovincial Champion ZLU North & South Holland in 2018, 2019 & 2020
• 2nd Interprovincial Champion NPO Noord & Zuid-Holland in 2023
• 2nd Interprovincial Champion NPO designated North & South Holland in 2020
• 2nd ZLU Cup SNZH in 2018
• 2nd Supercup Marathon North in 2018 & 2020
• 2nd Provincial Marathon Champion NPO flights North Holland in 2019
• 2nd Champion ZLU designated Fondclub Noord-Holland in 2018
• 3rd National Champion designated Marathon in 2020
• 3rd Champion designated Fondunie 2000 ZLU in 2020
• 3rd Interprovincial Champion ZLU Noord & Zuid-Holland in 2018
• 3rd Interprovincial Champion designated ZLU SNZH in 2018
• 3rd Interprovincial Champion Marathon NPO flights North & South Holland in 2020
• 3rd Interprovincial Emperor designated Fondclub Noord-Holland in 2020
• 3rd Interprovincial Emperor North & South Holland in 2o20
• 3rd Interprovincial Champion North & South Holland in 2020
• 3 West Dutch Marathon cup North & South Holland in 2020
• 4th Interprovincial Champion designated ZLU SNZH in 2023
• 4th WESM - West European Super Marathon in 2021
• 4th Emperor Grand Fond ZLU in 2018
• 5th Emperor NPO Marathon Interprovincial North & South Holland in 2023
• 6th National ZLU Marathon Champion in 2023
• 6th Emperor ZLU Interprovincial North & South Holland in 2023
• 7th Pyrenees Cup ZLU in 2018
• 10th ZLU Marathon North champion 2023
• 11th National Marathon Champion in 2018
• 17th Golden Pigeon Champion in 2021

(Inter-)National Ace Pigeons:

• 1st National Ace Pigeon Pau 2017-2019 “Lady Pau” - 5th International Ace Pigeon Pau 2017-2019
• 1st National Ace Pigeon Perpignan 2017-2018 “Miss Tarbes” - 9th International Ace Pigeon Perpignan 2017-2018
• 2nd FCI World's Best Pigeon Supermarathon 2023 “Linda”
• 3rd Best Barcelona Ace Pigeon Netherlands 2021-2023 “De Kleine Rooie” - 7th International Ace Pigeon Barcelona 2021-2023
• 4th National Ace Pigeon Pau 2018-2020 “Azzura”
• 5th National Ace Pigeon Barcelona 2015-2018 “Barcelona II” - 12th International Ace Pigeon Barcelona 2015-1018
• 5th National Ace Pigeon ZLU (2019) “Dirkie” - 9th International Ace Pigeon 2019-2020
• 5th National Ace Pigeon Marathon NPO (2019) “The Professor”
• 6th International Ace Pigeon Barcelona 2020-2021 “Reina”
• 8th National Ace Pigeon Barcelona 2015-2017 “Barcelona I” - 21st International Ace Pigeon Barcelona 2015-1017

Dedication to perfection
What sets Hommes & Sons apart is their drive to keep getting better. They see pigeon racing as a hobby, but practice it with the precision and discipline of top athletes. Everything is planned in detail, from nutrition and training to the medical care and selection of pigeons. They remain critical of themselves and constantly look for ways to improve their performance.
In their own words, “We are always critical of ourselves, are not easily satisfied and keep looking for even better pigeons.”

The future
With a strong foundation, a clear vision and an inexhaustible passion for pigeon racing, Hommes & Sons are ready to set the tone in Dutch marathon pigeon racing for many years to come. Their focus will continue to be on breeding and playing pigeons that can get the most out of themselves, so they will continue to be among the absolute top in the future.

Especially for internet auction Pigeon Bids, Family Hommes bred and selected a beautiful group of pigeons all born out of his very best pigeons
This auction ends Wednesday, March 3 at 2 p.m. (c.e.t..)