Georges & Luc Hayen (Duras) say goodbye to pigeon racing sport

After the war, many of us knew small enthusiasts who started pigeon racing. Attic lofts had been built everywhere in the street and people started using them. This was also the case in the Hayen family, where Georges was the first man to start with the pigeon bug. 

Below you can read about the start-up of this colony and with regret we have to tell you that they are leaving the pigeon sport. They do this with pride and not when the colony has been extinguished. Because these pigeons were not yet ready to retire, Luc & Georges hope that the people who buy these pigeons will succeed. 

The results are there and both the best racers and breeders are included in a top auction here. They were not the fanciers with the large basket, but with their small racing team everyone still had difficulty beating this colony. 

This auction contains several 1st prize winners and pigeons that can shine in the middle distance and beyond. These pigeons also perform wonderfully at other locations and fly top nationally in the one-day long distance races. This is a colony that can compete with the very best from 100-600km.

Startup 

In the 1960s, Georges came to live in the Limburg district of Duras in Sint - Truiden. That was also the year that son Luc was born and Georges worked many hours for his family. Of course, a lot of work and pigeons are not always easy to combine. That was not the case in the past and certainly not anymore in today's pigeon sport. An attic loft was built and they played speed with some pigeons. The results were not great because too little time was invested, it was only when young boy Luc started to get involved that things started to get better.

During that time she also met the late Jos and Filip Herbots, these men had the better pigeons in our region and also knew where good pigeons could be found. They have put us on the right path. In our region, the pigeons from Miel Clerinx were one of the best lofts available in those years, crossing them with the pigeons from the Herbots family was a bull's eye.

Then a good friend of the house Guy Hayen came to visit us and told us that the late Albert Meugens was getting rid of a good kite because it never arrived. He came to ask if Luc and Georges wanted him. Knowing that Albert's basis is also Clerinx crossed with Soontjes pigeons, they wanted to try this.

This cock became a permanent partner of the best hen they had “Witkop Clerinx” and it was bingo. They first became the parents of “376/03” which won 1st La Ferte 550p and 15th Melun 3,000p. Her brother “BE 01-5122440” won 9 pure first prizes and a 4th Provincial Orléans 4,232p and later also became the founder of the Hayen colony. 

Then this famous “BE 01-5122440” was paired with the best daughters of our pilots that we had and the train left. But because we relied a lot on Miel Clerinx's pigeons here, we had to watch out for inbreeding that was too close to each other.

That's why we went to Camiel Nulens in Koersel, Limburg. His fantastic pigeons and especially the line of the “Phenomenal” 1st Nat. Ace Pigeon KBDB were the best flying in the region at that time. But Camiel's phone was ringing off the hook and it was so difficult to get hold of anything, but they still managed and with several pigeons crossed against our best species it was absolute bingo. 

The best pigeon we bred was “BE 07-5115665” Little Joe. He won 16 pure first prizes, including 1 Prov La Ferte 1,807p – 1 Laon 376p – 1 Sezanne 106p – 1 Reims 97p – 2 Couvin 5,779p – 3 Vervins 368p – 3 Reims 200p – 6 Laon 626p – 19 Gien 2,658p

“Little Joe” was not a big pigeon, but apart from his fantastic career in the racing loft, he later became our new founding father of the current colony. 

His best daughter is “BE 12-5055520” Truutje, who won 1 Pithiviers 1,299p – 1 Nanteuil 346p – 6 Laon 1,243p – 14 Melun 2,111p – 20 Melun 2,086p – 36 Orléans 3,516p – 39 Nanteuil 5,381p – … 

This line of “Little Joe” – “Truutje” and other children of the old stock father “BE 01-5122440” is the current basis at the Hayen household, where Miel Clerinx and Soontjes are the background of these top pigeons.

The penultimate contribution came via Vanoppen – Luyten, BE 13-5002321 “The Patrick” was an inbred product to the 3rd National La Chatre against 21,123 pigeons and inbreeding sounds like music to the ears here. “The Patrick” was a grandson of the “Kleine Kannibaal” by Patricia Verhaegen and this brings us back to the Kannibaal by Dirk Van Dijck. There are also several top breeders in this auction who have shown their talents in both flying and breeding. 

After x number of years, they felt the time was right to return to the Herbots family for reinforcements. Filip Herbots has always been good to us and has made us pigeon fanciers. Now we hoped for a new successful contribution and we bought a son of “Flori Bourges”. This topper won 1st National Bourges 10,037p and 1st I.Prov Orléans 1,118p and was made from the best stuff. Paired against this was a daughter of F16 from Bart & Nance Van Oeckel, who also had a national victory to his name, so it was definitely worth a try.

From 2017 to the present we can say that this has been a great contribution and that the “Flori” line is a breeding line that passes this on fantastically against our old strain. 

Our current toppers will certainly have one of the 2 lines in them, but usually both. 

Below you will find an overview of our family tree of the current toppers

Best pigeons of the past seasons 

BE 22-5041955 “New Mieke” 

This hen was the best of the class in the 2023 season. She became 34th National Ace Pigeon middle distance KBDB 2023 in the middle distance and comes from the very best that this colony can offer. Her father is basic breeder “Super Flori” x “Mieke” 1st Provincial Bourges 2,226d (both present in this auction) 

BE 17-2140937 “Super Flori” 

The stock breeder par excellence in this short period of 6 years. He comes directly from the Herbots family and is a son of “Flori Bourges”. This topper won 1st National Bourges 10,037p and 1st I.Prov Orléans 1,118p, which was coupled here to a daughter of F16 from Bart & Nance Van Oeckel BE 16-2207464 “Mieke” This hen won 3 clear first prizes, including 1st Provincial Bourges 2,226d, and became the mother and grandmother of several top pigeons in breeding. 

BE 16-2207464 “Mieke”

This hen won 3 clear first prizes, including 1st Provincial Bourges 2,226d and became mother and grandmother of several top pigeons in breeding.

BE 20-5022927 “The Vierzon” 

A top racer up to 460km and a direct son of stock father “Super Flori”. His mother is “Eline” who won 1-2-3-6-… in the middle distance races and is a daughter of super breeder “The Patrick”. 

In 2022, this “Eline” became mother of 2 toppers “BE 22-5041918” Super Flori 918 and “BE 22-5041932” Nevers Flori 932. 
At that time “Eline” was coupled to the best son of stock breeder “Super Flori”. This is “BE 18-5036218” Young Flori who is a full brother of the best hen “New Mieke” 

“Eline” herself is not in sales because she no longer lays.

BE 19-5071877 “Carlientje” 

This hen also knew what winning was and achieved a wonderful list of achievements. 
She is also a daughter of stock sire “Super Flori”. 

BE 18-5036161 “Thibeau” 

This top racer won 5 clear first prizes and is a son of stock hen “Truutje”. “Thibeau” is a grandson of stock father “Little Joe” 16 x 1st 

BE 20-5022904 “Little Quicky 904”

This hen is a daughter of the previous topper “Thibeau” She flew 2 clear first prizes. Here too the line of “Super Flori” is crossed with “Little Joe” 16 x 1st. 

We would like to show you one more special offer, a direct daughter of “Little Joe” 16 x 1st. 

BE 17-5012037 “Little Quicky 037”

This hen also won 2 clear first prizes and you won't get any closer than this. A top hen for the future

References Georges and Luc Hayen 

Danny & Bjorn Knaepen (Nieuwerkerken) 

This top colony had a super season with great thanks to Luc & Georges who were part of the basis for these top results. BE 16-2207505 This hen is a daughter of superstar “Little Joe” 16 x 1st prize and stock father of this colony. 

The “505” hen is grandmother of “BE 19-5100259” The Fighter 
1 Prov Ace Pigeon great middle distance KBDB 2020 
66 Nat Issoudun 18,176p
68 Nat Gueret 12,888p 
120 Nat La Souterraine 15,939p 
312 Nat Chateauroux 33,833p 
317 Nat Chateauroux 19,529p 

This “Fighter” is the father of the best flyer of 2023 in the Knaepen household. 
BE 21-5022889 “Crazy Fighter” 
1st World Best Pigeon Middle Distance Belgium 2023 
1st Prov Ace Pigeon middle distance old birds KBDB 2023 
1st Ace Pigeon Belgium middle distance old birds 2023
Won 1st Sens 1.611p – 1st Dizy 246p – 2 Sens 2.225p – 2 Lorris 1.698p – 2 Sourdun 1.079p -
3 Mettet 1.284p – 3 Orléans 1.169p – 4 Momignies 334p - 8 Laon 4.108p – 12 Laon 1.390p - … 

With the mother of “Crazy Fighter” we also end up with the Hayen family. She herself won a 17th National Argenton 21,915p and her grandfather is again an original Georges and Luc Hayen. 

This hen is also mother of “BE 22-5054236”, which won 3 Lorris 2,318p – 5 Chimay 754p and is mother of 1 Momignies 238p – 2 Sourdun 202p – 3 Nanteuil 1,187p – 5 Sourdun 202p – 7 Dizy 3,320p – 12 Nanteuil 1,187p – 24 Nanteuil 2,092p - … 

So you can see that these pigeons pass on their genes generation after generation. 

The “505” hen is also mother of “BE 19-5100277”, which won 5 Prov Issoudun 1,818p and 27 Nat Tulle 4,451p. 

He’s father of “BE 20-5055649” 
7 Nat Limoges '23 7,211p
 22 Nat Bourges '22 33,410p 
68 Nat Bourges '21 11,952p 

Another daughter of “Little Joe” is BE 19-5071832 
She became the mother of 12 + 54 National Argenton 23,280p and 71 Nat Argenton 15,322p
She also became grandmother of 1st Prov Ace Pigeon yearlings Spain 2021 and 5th Nat. Ace Pigeon yearlings Spain 2021

Finn Leon & Thorsten Daum (Germany) 

BE 21-5023839 
She is mother of 1st OLR Extra Race Croatia Derby Brod 2022 ( 486km ) 

BE 20-5024517 
He is a son of “Young Flori” ( N°3 in part 2 ) x “Supertje ( N°8 in part 3 ) 

He is father of “DV 04939-22-925” 
12th Final OLR Croatia Derby Brod 2022 ( 500km ) 
He is also father of “DV 04939-22-926” 
24 Final OLR Derby Knin Croatia 2022 ( 310km ) 
He became 8 x TOP 12 in the first 9 training flights! This is special and fantastic for such a pigeon.