Collaboration for the extreme long distance as International Loft Baerts – Thoné

The collaboration between Guy Baerts and Jos Thoné goes back many years, they were always very close friends and now Jos' sons Xavier and Maxim race in the extreme long distance races in the lofts. This is a specific goal, while all flights are played at Jos himself. Guy has always had a love for these flights and was therefore quick to set up a collaboration. He breeds and flies in As. 

Guy's old basis is his extremely strong stock father “Little Joe”, he won 9th Int.Nat Marseille against 20,786 pigeons in a very tough edition and provided several generations of top pigeons in the breeding loft. Of course you can't do anything with one line and they looked for new blood together. 

That is why they turned to Batenburg – Van de Merwe in the Netherlands, which had almost all national and especially international winners from Barcelona in its loft. Therefore, several children of New Laureaat, Jef, Special One, Queen of the Night and Lloyd moved to Grazen in Brabant and later also children of Loyd Laureaat (1 Int. Pau), Ad (1 Nat. Perpignan) and Jana (1 Int. Perpignan hens).

In total the breeding stock looks like this: 

8 children New Laureaat -1 Int. Barcelona 25,382 p. (2013
8 children Loyd - 1 Int. Barcelona 15,707 p. (2018)
6 children Jef   - 1 Int. Barcelona 16,051 p. (2019)
4 children Special One - 1 Int. Barcelona 19,083 p. (2015)
3 children Little Jade - 1 Int. Barcelona 21,169 p. (2014)
1 child Queen of the Night - 1 Int. Barcelona 12,315 p. (2020)
1 child Barcelona Ben - 1 Int. Barcelona 16,485 p. (2021)
1 child Number 8 - 1 Int. Barcelona 16,569 p. (2023)
2 children Lloyd Laureaat - 1 Int. Pau  12,631p ( 2023)

They also purchased 3 pieces at Hugo's sale in 2023 on the advice of Hugo himself, the benefits of which are already being reaped here and elsewhere. 

So now the strategy is to grow and grow again. The pigeons are tested hard with the aim of achieving results here and in other lofts.

The first results from 2024 were already encouraging. 

2 Prov Dax 270p – 70 Nat 2,575p 957km
3 Nat (z) Pau 377p – 93 Nat 3,368 old 965km
3,19,21,23,24,.. Prov Brive 304 yearlings 720km
7 Nat (z) Agen 702p – 116 Nat 6,435p 964km
7 + 12 Prov Perpignan 557p 930km
8 Prov Narbonne 680 old 896km
11 + 47 Nat Valence 5,469 old 680km
14 Prov Barcelona 936p – 64 Nat 6,310p 1082km
22 Prov Barcelona 936p – 88 Nat 6,310p 1082km
28 + 97 Nat Valence II 2,642p 680km
40 Nat Argenton 8,867p 572km
80 + 84 Nat Marseille 2,082p 858km

Championships

1 Champion De Kanaalduif 1 + 2 nominated extreme long distance
1 & 2 Ace Pigeon De Kanaalduif extreme long distance
2 National Champion Belgian Verstandhouding extreme long distance
3 Prov. KBDB champion extreme long distance
1 Champion Limburg long distance marathon (international flights) 
1 + 2 signed 1 Champion Limburg long distance marathon Koning (international flights + Rhone Vallei 1+ 2 signed 
4 Euregio champion extreme long distance 

References in other lofts

1 Nat Tarbes in the Netherlands 

Raced by Janssen Gebroeders and bred by Wout Van den Berg I
s a granddaughter of “Himar Laureaat” 

5 Nat Perpignan 4,848p – 8 Int.Nat 14,148

Raced by Hugo Casaert and bred by Batenburg – Van de Merwe
Is a daughter of “Ace Laureaat” 

13 Nat Barcelona and Silver Wing winner Bruges Barcelona Club 

Played by Hugo Casaert
Daughter of “Lise Loyd”

22 Nat Barcelona and Bronze Wing winner Bruges Barcelona Club

Bred by Koen Verelst and bred by Felix Smits
Grandson of “Little Joe” Guy Baerts 

55 Nat Perpignan and 70 Nat Barcelona 

Played and bred by Batenburg – Van de Merwe
Son of “Zirkon Laureaat”

For the current Barcelona auction, Guy & Jos are auctioning 3 gems from the best pigeons from their colony

BE 23-2122454 “All Diamonds 454”

Grandson of “New Laureaat” 1 Int.Nat Barcelona 25,382p
Grandson of “Diamond Anita” 1 Nat Ace Pigeon Extreme Long Distance KBDB

BE 23-2039666 “Triple Six” 

Grandson of “Lloyd” 1 Int.Nat Barcelona 15,707p 
and also 8 different national or international winners from Barcelona in this pedigree

BE 24-2061818 “Miss Ad Laureaat”

½ sister of 4 x top 100 national in the extreme long distance and a daughter of top breeder “Laureaat Narbonne” 
Granddaughter of “New Laureaat” 1 Int.Nat Barcelona 25,382p
Granddaughter “Jana” 1 Int.Nat hens Perpignan
Granddaughter of “Ad” 1 Nat Perpignan 3,805p
Granddaughter of “Special Narbonne” 2 Int.Nat Narbonne 8,480p