In his pigeon career of over 37 YEARS, Cassie Matthee has been crowned Club Champion no less than 27 times and won the Point’s League Union Championships 12 times. has also won the long-distance points champion trophy in 30 of his 37 years of pigeon racing.
During a race event held from Graaff- Reinet to Krugersdorp, where he lives, Cassie’s pigeons won the first 11 positions at club level and the first nine positions in the union. Furthermore he has scored 22 of the 50 club positions and 20 of the top 100 positions allocated by the union.
About the pigeons
Over the years countless fanciers have scored with Matthee pigeons. Cassie is also a national show judge and a knowledgeable trainer who happily shares his skill with struggling fanciers and newcomers to the sport. He is very strict in the selection of the pigeons he keeps. They must have strong immune systems and be able to handle strenuous flight.
This doesn’t mean he’s unfair to the birds. He loves his pigeons and gives them a fair chance to develop into mature racers and he doesn’t expect too much from them.
Fanciers are often tempted to push willing birds too hard. If they get into an unexpectedly hard race they could be gone for ever. Cassie also thinks nothing of withdrawing a champion racer if it would be of more value to him breeding winners.
Night flyer
The birds used in his loft are of Belgian origin from the Gerhard Catrysse and Oscar Devriendt strains, famous for their fighting spirit.
A minute study of his Beaufort West winner Night Flyer, so named after she won by flying home at night, demonstrates why is unbeatable on long distances. Flyer scored no less than six times on extreme distances, but still manages to score well on the short- and middle distance races. Her sire is a Catrysse/Putterie/Oscar cross and her dam is a Matjiesfontein winner from the Catrysse strain. She is a perfectly balanced, medium-sized, fully muscled specimen with a very aerodynamic build.
Fresh blood
ne of Belgian imports is a 30-times winner from the Janssen strain. Other bloodlines in his loft are birds from Jan Grondelaer, Louis Wouters, Herbots, Vos Jennes, Van Rhijn and Kloeck. Another Belgian import, from the Meulemans strain from August Daelemans, is the near kin of a national winner in China. – Thomas Smit ([email protected] or call (011) 680 4778) |fw
