Veteran fancier Hannes Greyling has achieved champion status at Eden Pigeon Racing Club, Edenvale Racing Pigeon Club, Jan Smuts Racing Pigeon Club, Putfontein Racing Pigeon Club and the Golden Reef Pigeon Association in Benoni.
Supported by his wife Marcelle, Hannes regularly won 10 or more club race events every season and his pigeons often came in first, second and third.
Time and again during a race, the Greylings clocked in the only pigeon home on the day of liberation. They once clinched four federation wins in the same season.
Mentors
It’s said a man is no greater than his mentors – and Hannes has a few on his list to thank. There are the pigeon racing legends, Ben van As and Piet Schoeman. Then there are Silas Willis, Barrie Carelse, Fred Sangerhaus, Dirk Putter and Boytjie de Klerk.
Hannes also considers it a great honour to have met Frans Putterie, who was responsible for the SA pigeon strain, the Putterie.
Strains
Although Hannes managed to match and breed a superior racing pigeon family, he didn’t blindly follow strains and great names. Instead, he always sought out quality pigeons rather than fancy pedigrees.
A study of the gene pool of his pigeons reveals a blend of the following strains: Schellens, Christians, Hermans, Janssens, Putterie, Van Rhijn Cloecks, Van Engela and Croxford.
Some 15 foundation pigeons listed as reference pigeons in Hannes’s auction catalogue have been bred from these lines. Hannes is retiring and all his superstars will be auctioned on 5 November at the Kelvin Power Station, Isando.
Superstars
As proof of Hannes’s breeding skills, here are some of his superstars:
• Blue Bar Male (SA THU 17831-06), lot 1 on the auction – scored one first, three seconds and two third places. From a Van Engela Cock mated to a Christians Janssens Hermans hen.
• Chequer White Flight Hen (SA THU 7415-08), lot 3 – scored two firsts, three thirds and was in the top 10 about 11 times. It’s of the Hermans blood on the sire side and the well-known Turbo Tom/77 family originating from the partnership of Du Preez and Deetlefs.
• Chequer White Flight Hen (ZA TRPF 369-08), lot 4 – bred from a Van Rhijn Kloeck, Putterie-cross and has scored two firsts, two seconds, two thirds and two fourth places.
• Blue Bar Hen (SA THU 8471-07), lot 6 – on both sides of her pedigree she’s from the Janssens made famous in South Africa by top racer Monty van der Burg.
• Chequer Hen (SA THU 17878-06), lot 7 – a five-time winner, 75% Van Rhijn Kloeck crossed with a blend of Christians, Janssens and Hermans.
• Blue Bar Male (SA THU 13123-04), lot 13 – a three-time winner, 75% Van Engela crossed with a blend of Christians, Janssens and Hermans.
• Blue White Flight Hen (ZA OERF 1905-07), lot 29 – scored two firsts and three thirds. Bred from a Van Rhijn Kloeck, Putterie-cross and sister to lot 4.
• Blue Bar Male (SA THU 13146-02), lot 48 – a three-time winner bred from the Van Engela Lines and a Super Breeder for the Greylings.
• Blue Bar Male (SA THU 24036-03), lot 49 – crowned as the best racer in South Africa over middle distances and runner-up best racer over all distances in South Africa. Bred from Monty van der Burg’s 1801 Janssens and a blend of Christians, Janssens and Hermans.
For more information and an auction catalogue call Hannes on 083 302 9489.
Also read:
A distinguished racing career
