The racing team of Verkerk won the first three prizes in the semi provincial race from Meaux against 17,204 pigeons, they achieved an impressive overall result in the NPO race from Argenton (4th-5th-6th-7th-10th-12th-13th-18th-19th-etc. against 6,926 pigeons), and they won several more great results at semi provincial and NPO level. This first prize NPO from Ruffec on 2 August against 3,506 pigeons is another great performance. It was only the first victory for the winning hen Valerie NL11-1740985, but she is without doubt one of the most talented pigeons in the Verkerk collection. This is her list of achievements:
1st NPO Ruffec – 3,506 p.
16th NPO Vierzon – 4,425 p.
20th NPO Ruffec – 3,839 p.
23rd NPO Vierzon – 3,865 p.
41st NPO Bourges – 16,992 p.
66th NPO Chateauroux – 6,609 p.
Valerie was named after the daughter of Bas’s sister, and she had already won a 20th prize in the national Ace Pigeon Long Distance Spiegel Championship 2012-2013. She was raced in total widowhood and she competed in a race every weekend (except for one weekend with dreadful conditions). She completed the middle distance race from Nanteuil only four days before being basketed for Ruffec. She will now be given a place in the breeding loft in return. Her bloodlines (her sire is the 1st Nat. cock WHZB Blue Champ and her dam is the top class hen Daylight) have proven to have excellent breeding qualities as well. Click here for the full pedigree.
A splendid season
It goes without saying that the Verkerk pigeons are likely to win several national ace pigeon titles again at the end of this season. This racing team managed to have at least one pigeon in the top ten in 10 of a total of 11 middle distance and one day long distance races. They have won a total of 26 prizes per 10, and we wonder if any other Dutch (or Belgian) fancier has done better this season. They have been able to win top prizes in important races in a variety of different weather conditions, which shows you that Gerard and Bas Verkerk are always trying to set a new bar, and with success.
The following is an overview of all top 10 results at semi-prov. and NPO level in 2014
1st Meaux 17,204 p. (fastest of 32,917 p.) 1st Ruffec 3,506 p. 2nd Meaux 17,204 p. (2nd fastest/same velocity 32917 p.) 3rd Meaux 17,204 p. (3rd fastest/same velocity 32,917 p.) 3rd Sens 11,608 p. (3rd fastest 22,028 p.) 3rd Mantes la Jolie 5,940 p. (5th fastest 11,883 p.) 4th Argenton 6,926 p. 5th Nanteuil 7,043 p. (5th fastest 13,814 p.) 5th Argenton 6,926 p. 6th Sens 11,608 p. (6th fastest 22,028 p.) 6th Nanteuil 7,043 p. (6th fastest 13,814 p.) 6th Argenton 6,926 p. 7th Sens 11,608 p. (7th fastest 22,028 p.) 7th Bourges 9,576 p. 7th Argenton 6,926 p. 7th Nanteuil 4,359 p. (7th fastest 8,045 p.) 8th Bourges 9,576 p. 8th Nanteuil 4,359 p. (8th fastest 8,045 p.) 8th Vierzon 3,865 p. 9th Meaux 17,204 p. 9th Nanteuil 7,043 p. (9th fastest 13,814 p.) 9th Sens 6,570 p. 9th Nanteuil 4,359 p. (9th fastest 8,045 p.) 10th Meaux 17,204 p. 10th Argenton 6,926 p. 10th Ruffec 3,506 p.