Ad Fortuin (Strijen, NL) experiences a superb season with sensational results on extreme long distance races

For many years now, Ad belongs to the absolute top of extreme long distance racing in the Netherlands. Many know him as Supply Agent for PIPA, but certainly also for his (inter)national victories which he booked in the past years. When Ad switched focus completely to extreme long distance racing, partly because of his friend Hugo Batenburg, he quickly became successful on this discipline. No surprise, as yearly there are quite some eggs and youngsters from Hugo which make their way to Ad his lofts in Strijen. We could say that Ad is the satellite loft of Batenburg- Van de Merwe. Several highlights of the first years are a/o the 8th Nat. Narbonne '13, 9th Nat. Perpignan '13, 4th Nat. St. Vincent SII '15 and 8th Nat. Agen SII '15. The real breakthrough came in 2018, with the 1st National Agen. At the end of the 2022 season, his total has reached 5(!!) International and National victories.   

NL17-1262008 Miss New Laureaat, 1st National Agen Yearlings '18 (4,776 p.)

The NL17-1262008, Miss New Laureaat won National Agen with a 50 minute lead on the runner up in the yearlings race. Moreover, she was fastest of 10,530 pigeons (old birds and yearlings) and 3rd International Yearlings against 11,572 pigeons. Ad got Miss New Laureaat from Hugo as a youngster. Father is a direct Jellema from the super breeder Orion x 3rd Int. Barcelona winner Silvie. Mother is a daughter from New Laureaat (PEC & Batenburg- Van de Merwe), the star which won 1st Int. Barcelona 2013, 8th Nat. Barcelona 2011 and 323rd Nat. Barcelona 2012 and is also a phenomenal breeder. He was paired to a daughter of Jonge Witbuik (Hugo Batenburg) at the time. 

Also, Miss New Laureaat has proven her worth on multiple occasions as a breeder. In 2022 alone, she is (grand)mother of a/o: 

NL17-1262043 Willeke, 1st International St. Vincent '19 (10,597 p.)

Besides the 1st International St. Vincent, Willeke won the 67th National Pau against 3,785 pigeons that season. Father of Willeke is Golden Monar Boy, a co-breeding result between Etienne Meirlaen (Deurle, BE) x Batenburg - van de Merwe (Klaaswaal, NL) from the bloodlines of Monar and Witbuik. Mother is Yvette, another co-breeding result between these same legends. Also as a breeder, Willeke has shown her class and is a/o grandmother of the 1st National Perpignan '22 (2nd International) and the 13th National Marseille '22. 

As you could read in the title, the past season was once again sensational. Besides the 1st National Perpignan, multiple top results were won on different national races, including some spectacular series which are worth mentioning. Below, we will introduce some of the pigeons which made the past season so special. 

NL20-1481285 Ad, 1st National Perpignan '22 (3,805 p.)

A phenomenal achievement by Ad (named after Ad himself by Hugo Batenburg) led to the 1st National and 2nd International Perpignan (against 12,094 p.). Besides the 1st National, another 8 pigeons managed Top 100 spots, possibly making it one of the most spectacular results on extreme long distance races of the past year. Read everything about this race in this article.

On 24th July 2022, Ad won the 84th National Marseille against 3,312 p. Father of Ad is the super breeder Mats, son of Willeke (1st Int. St. Vincent '19). Mother is Miss Urk (v.d. Berg Pigeons, Urk). Mats and Miss Urk are parents of a/o: 

The pair Mats and Miss Urk are (as well as Ad) back on the breeding lofts of Batenburg - van de Merwe. 

NL20-1481282 Maradonna, 29th National Perpignan and 37th National St. Vincent

The 29th National Perpignan was won by Maradonna (NL20-1481282). Maradonna, is another grandson of New Laureaat, this time paired to Willeke (1st Int. St. Vincent '19). Father of Maradonna is top breeder Mamba. Mamba is a son of 2 National winners (1st Int Barcelona '18 and 1st Nat. Agen '18). Mamba is also father to Venus (15th Nat. Agen YL '22 and 5th Int. Ace Pigeon YL). 

Maradonna fully lives up to his name, as Ad explains: "Just like the football player Maradonna, this cock doesn't train much. He watches his loft mates train for over an hour from the neighbour's chimney, day after day. At the end of the training, he is the first on the lofts. Once the race/competition starts the resemblance with Maradonna and his namesake continue. I especially enjoy his arrivals from the races. When he comes back from a race, he dives through a 30 x 30cm opening in the aviary, where other pigeons walk towards after having landed on the aviary first. Maradonna is without doubt the most special pigeon I have ever owned." An anecdote by Ad about Maradonna. 

Maradonna won the following prizes as a 2 year old. Especially the two top results from the past year are remarkable: 

NL21-1178481 Venus, 15th National Agen Yearlings '22 (6,174 p.) and 5th Int. Ace Pigeon Yearlings

The hen Venus (half-sister Maradonna) was responsible for many highlights. As a yearling she won 15th National Agen against 6,174 yearlings and took the 136th National on Narbonne against 6,261 pigeons. In her beautiful pedigree we find the phenomenon New Laureaat on both mother's as father's side. Father of Venus is Mamba (also father Maradonna). Mother is Little Inbred KJ and she is daughter of granddaughter 4 National Barcelona winners. 

Venus, together with her sisters Serena and Isha (named after the tennis sisters), are exceptionally talented. Ad is hoping for another 'sister act' on one of this year's international races. 

NL21-1178424 Yfke, 3rd National (6,260 p.) and 3rd Int. Narbonne Yearlings (12,821 p.) '22

Another top hen who inherited winning genes is Yfke. She won 3rd National Narbonne against a staggering 6,260 pigeons. Moreover, this performance was good for the 3rd International Yearlings. Her father is a son of Special One (1st Int. Barcelona) and her mother is a daughter of New Laureaat (12th Int. Barcelona). 

NL21-1178402 Joep, 3rd National Bergerac SII (5,655 p.)

Joep wins 2x absolute top prizes as a yearling. On National Bergerac, being released at 13:30, he was clocked at 08:04AM the following morning and won 3rd National SII against 5,655 pigeons. National against 25,618 pigeons he wins the 27th National. On Agen he once again showed his class with the 159th National against 6,174 yearlings. Joep is a grandchild of New Laureaat, just like the above mentioned Yfke, Maradonna and Miss New Laureaat. 

The best are bred from the best

Ad doesn't have loads of time due to his work as project manager and Supply Agent at PIPA. He therefore tries to keep everything as simple as possible. It is therefore the class of the pigeons that comes first, especially descendants of New Laureaat, Willeke, Mats, Miss Urk, Mamba and many others, make the difference on extreme long distance races. The quality, which comes from his friend Hugo, is in abundance and confirms the well-known saying...the best are bred from the best.