Hubert & Riet Jongen (Kerkrade, NL) synonymous for success

It is a successful marriage. Hubert and Riet Jongen from Kerkrade and their pigeons.
For years they have dominated the Dutch overnight races, with the emphasis on the Z.L.U.
like true champions. 

Their honours list seems endless, one title more prestigious as the other. It was bingo every year. Where the stars of heaven occasionally seemed to be far away, they could call themselves the stars of the Z.L.U. If not because they were champion, then for their strength after some unpleasant events. Since the early 90’s  there has been a real ‘pattern’ in their career, which up until today still carries on in a magnificent rollercoaster of national success, emotions and strength. Hubert and Riet Jongen, the crème de la crème of the current overnight long distance.

The basis for ‘all their successes’ began, like everywhere, with a good stock of pigeons. This stock has been built up since 1982. Only overnight and never anything else. They did this with pigeons from a.o. Piet van der Slik from Middelharnis, Gebr. Kuypers from Neer and Roger Wijnands from Maastricht. With here and there a whiff of pigeons from Cor de Heijde ( klamper sort) , Lei Kurvers from Hulsberg, the ’70’ from Toine Huijnen and the Van Wanroy pigeons via Joep van Dongen.
Hubert and Riet are true breeders, they keep track of all the lines and write everything down. Partly through the latter (writing down) they know more than many thought possible. They have adapted their way of caring for the pigeons to their findings over the years. And this has brought them to a tremendous height. It all takes place in their 10 metre, north facing pigeon loft. Great teamwork between Man and Wife Jongen has produced a sublime performance list for years. And which at one point was so attractive that ‘strangers’ stole their pigeons twice.

The 2^nd round:
Riet, who also comes from a fancier’s family, especially didn’t let this cowardly theft deter her and motivated Hubert to start again. ‘We won’t let it get to us’ is something that Riet undoubtedly could have said at the time. And they didn’t either! Even though it was a deep hole, or better said crater, they overcame it and came out of it twice as strong. They didn’t give in and started on a ‘2^nd round’ which, unbelievable but true, resulted once again in a Z.L.U. Championship. 

No-one thought it possible, becoming champion with a ‘B-team’ not only proves the top quality of the fancier, but also of his pigeons. The soft feathered pigeons with sublime muscles have since then won more and more prizes and can now be considered the ‘A+ team‘ in the overnight long distance. They worked with what they still had and made a simple canoe into a beautiful yacht. One which conquered the wildest seas, and which distinguished itself through pure quality.

After so many words about these ‘top fanciers’ many will ask; but what have they achieved?. When I wrote down all the titles it took no less than 4 sheets of printing paper.  We are talking about one of the greatest champions in the Z.L.U and overnight history. An honours list which can rightly be considered along with the few as ‘real’ history. Because even though superlatives are often ‘tossed about’ , I don’t have enough here. Give your eyes a feast, and allow yourself to be overwhelmed by ‘merely’ their titles : 

1993:   3rd International Euregio Champion
             2nd Euregio Hok
1994:   1st Z.L.U. Fondspiegel Cat. 6
             1st Fondclub Wallonie
             1st Challenge De la Mediteranee
             1st Euregio Champion
1995:   1st Z.L.U. Fondspiegel Cat. 6
             1st 8-nominated W.E.S.M.
             1st Euregio champion
             1st 10-nominated National Marathon
             1st 2-nominated Europa Cup
             2nd Europa Cup
             2nd Best loft Euregio
             3rd Ace bird Z.L.U. over 3 years
             4th National Marathon
             4th Keizer Grand Distance Z.L.U.
             7th Grand Prix
             8th Total classification Z.L.U. over 3 years
             9th General Z.L.U.
1996:   1st Z.L.U. Fondspiegel Cat. 6 ( 3rd time in a row )
             1st Z.L.U. Ace bird over 4 years
             1st Total classification Z.L.U. over 3 years
             1st Pyrenean Cup
             1st Europa Marathon
             1st Ace bird National Fondspiegel over 5 years
             1st International Hen Marseille
             1st Euregio Champion Marathon
             2nd Europa Cup
             2nd Keizer Grand Distance Z.L.U. 

1997:  1st Leader Classification Z.L.U. over 3 years           
             1st Europa Marathon
             1st 2-nominated Barcelona over 5 years           
             1st Pyrenean Cup
             1st first nominated Barcelona International F4000
             1st International Ace bird Long Distance 4000
             1st International Champion
             1st Z.L.U. Barcelona Classification
             1st Z.L.U. first nominated over 5 years
             2nd International Ace bird
             2nd Z.L.U. Fondspiegel Cat. 6
             3rd Euregio Champion
1998:   1st National Marathon Champion
             1st Intermediate Classification Z.L.U. over 4 years
             2nd Z.L.U. Fondspiegel Cat. 6
1999:   1st Z.L.U. Fondspiegel Cat. 6
             1st Total Classification Z.L.U. Fondspiegel
             1st L’etoile de L’europe 4 nominated
             2nd L’etoile de L’europe end result
             2nd Z.L.U. Ace bird long distance over 5 years
             8th Golden Barcelona bird over 5 years Z.L.U.
2000:   1st Best bird Z.L.U. over 5 years
             9th Z.L.U. Fondspiegel Cat. 6
2001:   2nd International Super Acebird  PAU
             6th Z.L.U. Fondspiegel Cat. 6
             8th Europa Cup
2002:   2nd Z.L.U. Ace bird over 5 years
             2nd Z.L.U. Acebird
             2nd Z.L.U. Fondspiegel Cat. 7           
             3rd European Acebird Grand Distance Z.L.U.
             (Bird Flu)
2005:   2nd Europa marathon            
             8th Z.L.U. Fondspiegel Cat. 7
             16th Europa Cup 

This ‘row’ of titles can rightly be called an ‘Honours list’. When you achieve such performances year in, year out we can say that we are dealing with champions. People with a passion for their sport, people with that priceless feeling for pigeons. On the other hand they are supported by a formidable stock of pigeons which they know like the ‘back of their hand’.

2011 was also a formidable season with an average of just over 50% prize at National level. 

8th      Nat.  Marseille                3486    p
11st     Nat.  Perpignan                1649    p         hens
17th     Int.  Perpignan                3861    p         hens
22nd     Nat.  Barcelona                7046    p
24th     Int.  Barcelona                26066   p
24th     Nat.  Tarbes                   2823    p
25th     Int.  Marseille                10654   p
26th     Nat.  Tarbes                   2823    p
30th     Nat.  Tarbes                   604     p         hens
39th     Nat.  Perpignan                5607    p
45th     Nat.  Tarbes                   2823    p
62nd     Int.  Perpignan                15192   p
71st     Nat.  Tarbes                   604     p
77th     Nat.  Tarbes                   2823    p 

Were are Hubert & Riet Jongen anno 2012 ?:
Simple but concrete, they are at the top with ‘one’ of Europe’s top overnight long distance lofts. But the pigeons individually are also held in high regard. What about his ‘European Bull’ which, in addition to his many International titles from Barcelona (the race of all races) also saw the lowest coefficient over say the last 10 to 15 years in the whole of the Netherlands. The new ‘Etterbak’ , then new Barcelona legend!!

But that’s not all, in 2008 these long distance matadors also won National PAU against no less than 2.683 pigeons. This Nightrider is a real classy bird. 

Another prominent is ‘Silver Ace’, this slate stunner performed magnificently.

It is very interesting that all these pigeons come out a few lines from Hubert and Riet themselves. Here the breeding0worth of the pigeon comes to the fore, good produces good. Time and again, because the pedigrees are full of top pigeons. Think for example of:

It was written about years ago, but the pigeons from Hubert and Riet are very good in breeding. Not forgetting that new toppers are going to be bred.  Specialist pigeon vet Vincent Schroeder must have thought the same, and this led to a nice friendship. Since then it has been this vet who has the medical guidance over the ‘Youngsters’. This means that 3 weeks before the 1^st overnight race a throat swab is taken and tested for bacteria at the University of Ghent. The advantage of this is that a printout can be made. This shows what medications the birds are already resistant to and which antibiotics still work for these birds.  

Hubert and Riet like this system, they give the pigeons a cure ‘for nothing’  and believe in natural resistance. ‘Treating with antibiotics is the last thing you should do, after trying everything else’. This everything else is probably the daily apple vinegar in the water and the regular elderberry juice which is administered (for airway problems and adeno).

The Jongen-stock is not only very successful, but also very strong. And preferably coached with a natural basis.  An relatively simple but effective system paying high dividends. A dividend resulting in National victories, International Acebird titles, and high prize percentages.

References Hubert and Riet Jongen over the last few years: 

1st National Narbonne   (Merkens-Reesink, Heerlen)
1st National Cahors     (V.Schroeder, Belgie)
1st Internat. St.Vincent (V.Schroeder, Belgie)
2nd National Tarbes     (Mrs. Jongen, Landgraaf)
2nd National Montauban  (V.Schroeder, Belgie)
3rd National Narbonne   (Mrs. Jongen, Landgraaf)
3rd National Pau        (M.V. Vlimmeren, Heerlen)
3rd National Narbonne   (Mrs. Jongen, Landgraaf)
5th National Narbonne   (M.V. Vlimmeren, Heerlen)
5th Internat. Barcelona  (Reedijk-Jongekrijg, Puttershoek)
5th National Barcelona  (Reedijk-Jongekrijg, Puttershoek)
6th National Tarbes     (Mrs. Jongen, Landgraaf)
6th National Tarbes     (Merkens-Reesink, Heerlen)
6th National Bordeaux   (Mrs. Jongen, Landgraaf)
7th National Bordeaux   (J.Keulaerts, Heerlen)
9th Internat. Bordeaux   (Mrs. Jongen, Landgraaf) 

Hubert and Riet Jongen, deliverers of one of the most complete overnight pigeons with the power to win National and International races!