Having won the Point’s League Championships of the Bloemfontein Racing Federation three times, and the National Show Champion title a record-breaking three times, Nico Dreyer has decided that family comes first and decided to take a break from the sport. S aying goodbye wasn’t easy. Nico’s passion for the sport kicked in when he was 13. In the early 1990s he decided to acquire fresh bloodlines to enhance his stock loft. Selling out will allow other buyers to benefit from a lifetime’s dedication to practical pigeon breeding, and high-class stock material.
A record auction
The first of the two auctions was held at the Edenvale Pigeon Racing Club on 7 September 2007 and (at the time of going to print) the second is still to come at Bloemfontein on 24 September. he 150 Superstars of the first auction sold for a whopping R748 700. Parma, a medium-sized cock imported from Belgium, sold for a R60 000. The second most expensive pigeon was a deep-keeled Blue White Flight hen for R46 000. Foundation stock pigeons and ace pigeons sold for between R10 000 and R15 000, regardless of age. Towards the end of the auction a few bargains went for R2 000 to R5 000 each. The sale offered pigeons capable of winning three to eight races. No less than 70 winners of around 100 race events were up for auction, showing the extreme discipline Neil maintains. There were point’s league champions, birds that bred big money winners.
The pigeon strains
Besides a few key birds from the well-known Janssens strain, predominantly used three strains, also of Belgian origin – they were from Oscar Devriendt, Jules Rijckaert and Jeff, Luc and Nadia Houben. Some of these birds were bred locally and others imported. No less than 14 directly imported Houben birds were auctioned, together their prime progeny. As a friend of the family, Nico had the privilege of requesting progeny from specific pairs, as well as matching a pair to order young stock from. Jeff and Nadia’s passing left a vacuum in the pigeon fraternity, but the rest of the family will continue the legacy. W hile Houben birds can get top results over all distances, Nico used them mainly for distances of up to 600km.
They are small to medium-sized and easy to work with, get fit quickly and maintain form without excessive training. orld-class breeder and show champion Jules is an import, named after Jules Rijckaert. Most of Nico’s Rijckaert’s are red, and vary from medium to large, with considerable muscle mass. Jules bred 20 winners and the strain boasts winning offspring into its third generation.
Oscar Devriendt’s birds excel at long distances, and Nico obtained the very best of them from millionaire US breeder Campbell Strange, and a few locals from imported stock. He crossed this strain with either the Houbens or the Rijckaerts. ico selects for a short arm bone – I’ve never seen so many pigeons with such short arm bones in one loft. – Thomas Smit ([email protected] or call (011) 680 4778). |fw
