Georges and Luc Hayen

Duras (Sint-Truiden)

Small but…faster

The moment I started to work on this article it still is the ‘talk of the day’…Whether I’m with friends, the bakery or in the garage, people always ask me if I’ve also got so expensive pigeons. I always answer that it isn’t all gold that shines…but at the same moment I wonder if we’re helping pigeon sport with these, for the media, exciting headliners. Luckily there are also opposites, and one of these examples is the father/son combination Hayen. With a modest amount of pigeons competing with the ‘big’ lofts, that seems the speciality of the loft of Luc and George Hayen. The only thing is that you won’t make the 7 o’clock news or a late evening talk show.

First Georges

Georges Hayen (°1938) came to live in Duras with his young family in 1960, it was part of Gorsem at that time and now a submunicipality of Sint-Truiden. They built a house on a stone’s cast of the Castle of Duras. This was also the year that their son Luc was born. There wasn’t any money for a pigeon loft, but Georges, who was brought up with pigeons, wanted to keep pigeons of his own, so he built an ‘in-between’ loft on the attic. You know how it works…take a few roof tiles, place a viewer and hammer some boxes. Pigeons don’t need a lot of luxury. They raced the short distance races and this with mixed successes. George worked in 3 shifts at Cockerill and that surely isn’t ideal for a pigeon fancier. He didn’t only had a very irregular day- and night schedule but he was also a lot on the road by train and by bus to and from his work and had to work weekend shifts as well. So it was only when Luc started to interest himself as a young boy for the pigeons that it started to turn out better. They also went looking for reinforcement as without quality pigeons it doesn’t work either. They got pigeons from Fons Omloop and from Jos and Filip Herbots. ‘We got lucky with those immediately’ says Georges. Especially the Stoces-pigeons and some pale and red once from the old Reggers-strain. ‘We had at that time a red crack between the Herbots-pigeons’, remembers Luc.

Broken wing

They continued in building on these base pigeons and once in a while a pigeon from a good racing local fellow fancier made it to the loft. In 1978 Luc went to college to become Industrial Engineer, first in Hasselt afterwards at the new campus in Diepenbeek. ‘Did you know that Filip was the executive secretary over there?’ asks Luc. The coincidence wants that I knew indeed. But studying and racing pigeons wasn’t ideal either, so there was a quiet period for the pigeons. After that there came a new and maybe definitive elan with the acquisition of a few Clerinx-pigeons. They off course knew Miel Clerinx from the neighbour town Nieuwerkerken, they also knew the quality of their inbred pigeon family and above all they knew that the Clerinx pigeons matched extremely well with the Herbots-pigeons. So why not? We’re talking about the end of the eighties by now. Luc was working as a full time engineer by then, but stayed intensively involved with the pigeon game at his fathers’ house. But again Clerinx: they bought a few pigeons and could lay their hands on a pigeon that raced a first from Orléans but had broken his wing shortly after and was taken out of the racing team. But as expected a very good reinforcement. ‘We do have the luck when bringing in something new that it is something good’, tells Luc. He doesn’t say whether it is luck or knowledge…We will get back to this later on.

More Clerinx

For a Limburg pigeon fancier, the name ‘Clerinx’ is almost even legendary then the name Janssen from Arendonk. They had a very well inbred pigeon strain and in this they looked a lot like the famous brothers from Arendonk. And also Miel and Richard succeeded in keeping their pigeon strain at an amazing level without reinforcement with other strains. On the underneath schedule you can have a look how the Clerinx pigeon strain was built up and you can also discover some lofts that brought in Clerinx-pigeons with

success: Fie Princen, Clement Robben, Fernand Mariën, Marc Medard...but there are many and many more, especially lofts in Limburg have reinforced their colony with Clerinx-blood. Not at the least the Herbots Bros who bought the famous As Clerinx and Jos Thoné who bought his mother.

But Miel and Richard didn’t only had this ‘As’ off course. They had a loft full of top pigeons like for example the legendary 600, the Bijter, the Darco, the Kleine Blauwe, the Limoges, the Goede Blauwe and so on…. Luc and Georges Hayen knew these off course as well and they went to Richard in ’98 to buy an inbred hen out of the best of the best of this colony. It was a white head hen directly out of the Bijter, a son of the 600.

‘Den Bijter’, 5107905-96, had an extra ordinary palmaris for the Clerinx twins with ao.

1 Soissons 1,298b.

3 prov. Limoges 923b.

10 prov. Bourges 1,417b.

10 prov. Limoges 1,123b.

The hen coupled to this one was also an inbred ‘600’, a daughter out of the ‘600’ x a grandson out of the ‘600’, namely 5107930-96, being the ‘Goede Blauwe’ with amongst other:

2 nat. Limoges 12,175b. (1 prov.)

5 prov. Châteauroux 2,922b.

1 Bourges 134b.

1 St-Witz 303b.

That the strain of the ‘600’ was the best of the best, was also proven by the father of the ‘Goede Blauwe’, namely the ‘Limoges’ who won 2 provincials and was again a son of that ‘600’:

1 prov. Limoges 733 b.

1 prov. Clermond-Ferrand 2,220b.

Out of this wonder melting pot, father and son Hayen got their ‘Witkopduivin’ (white head hen), 5092545-98. Three times the ‘600’ in her pedigree (even though pedigrees hardly existed back then), this couldn’t go wrong, could it? Off course it couldn’t, and when the name Hayen is graved in stone with several provincial victories and podium stages, this ‘Witkopduivin’ has the lion’s share for sure.

And even more Hayen

That ‘Witkop’ had to have a partner off course. She was being coupled with several pigeons of the loft and gave some good usable pigeons, but that real top quality didn’t come out yet. The coincidence would help a bit and coincidence was called Guy Hayen. Guy Hayen (not direct family) was since many years a friend of the house at Georges Hayen. In that period Guy – who doesn’t have pigeons at his home – raced together with the late Albert Meugens in Mechelen-Bovelingen (Heers). Meugens had really good pigeons back then! The basis was – again – Clerinx, accomplished with pigeons that made furore in that period in the area namely the speed devils from Jos Soontjens (Wommelgem). It was especially Pros Roosen that made living promotion for the Soontjes pigeons and distributed them royally through his mates Armand Schoolmeesters, Roland Coenen et tutti quanti. That’s where Meugens got them.

Once – it was about 1999 – Guy Hayen came went to Hayen telling that his companion Albert Meugens had a spits racer that he wanted to beat to death as he never wanted to enter the loft…again and again he was first and again and again he wouldn’t enter, that was really frustrating. "Whether they didn’t want him…? Nothing ventured, is nothing gained, is wat Georges and Luc thought, and this how the 5193008-96 moved to Duras. That it had Clerinx in his blood was nice to have. His father was the old Vossius, a pigeon from Jos

Vossius that also had the Soontjes blood. Mother was ‘Het Tam’ from Meugens and that was Soontjens x Clerinx. Many more wasn’t known about the heritage or wasn’t being written down back then. It were different days back then, where the pigeon was more important than it’s papers.

The base breeder

The cock from Meugens became the fixed partner from the ‘Witkop’ Clerinx and it was bingo immediately. The couple gave good pigeons and super pigeons with amongst other the 376-03 that won a first out of La Ferté against 550 pigeons in the broader area and also a 15th Melun against 3,000 pigeons. But especially the hen would become a top breeder. Nevertheless her results as a racer and breeder are in the shadow of her brother, the 5122440-01 that would go later on as – and rightly so – the Base breeder. The ‘440’ flew 9x 1st prize and showed himself provincial as well as with a.o.

4 Prov. Orléans 4,232b.

Father and son Hayen have system of many re-couplings. The chance that more than one good one come out of the same couple is that small that you better test your pigeons in as many combinations as possible. Which they also did with their base breeder. But who was that ‘Goede Blauwe’? The ‘Goede Blauwe’ 5036854-97, didn’t steal his name. He raced amongst other 8x 1st , 4x 2nd and 2x 3rd with:

1 GGW Sens 776 b.

1 Laon 160 b.

1 Sens 145 b.

1 Villers 110 b.

1 Vervins 105 b.

1 Silenrieux 86 b.

1 La Ferté 54 b.

Father of the ‘Goede Blauwe’ was a direct Herbots, an inbred grandson from the legendary ‘Ieverige’.

The ‘Goede Blauw’ (also sometimes called the ‘De Bliksem) was a fine breeder as well, father of a.o.

1 Prov. La Ferté 2,127 b.

1 Melun 2,417 b.

It’s not that strange that Luc Hayen saw in the strain of the ‘Goede Blauwe’ the ideal crossing material for the Base breeder 440-98. As it must be said: at the Hayens, they aren’t that fond of inbreeding. The pigeon colony is modest, but they won’t inbreed that quickly. So, once in a while, new blood must come in. And not seldom they succeed with their new input.

Camiel Nulens

One of the accomplished successes was a hen from Camiel Nulens, the man with a loft full of pigeons of Van Elsacker-Jepsen, let’s say the Meulemans, Stoces and Hofkens - pigeons. Camiel Nulens (Koersel) got immortal fame with his wonder pigeon: ‘De Fenomenale’.

This ‘Fenomenale’ with ring 5118824-99 won no less than 4 provincial races and became National Ace bird Middle Distance in 2002:

1 prov. Orléans 5,342 b.

1 prov. La Ferté 1,131 b.

1 prov. Limoges 1,497 b.

1 prov. Bourges 1,397 b.

2 prov. Argenton 2,115 b.

Camiel Nulens was off course overwhelmed with offers and sold his ‘Fenomenale’ to the Herbots family.

But so it was out of this same blood strain that Luc and Georges Hayen got a hen with ring 5116851-02. The Nulens-hen became a phenomenal breeding hen, as even important for the current generation of racers in Duras as the Base breeding cock the ‘440’.

There is a spicy story coupled to this 851…When they’d chosen this hen in 2002 Camiel Nulens made a pedigree for pigeon 815-02 and not for pigeon 851-02. Georges noticed it immediately and Nulens started to sweat it out immediately….’Oh no, I got it all wrong…I thought you had chosen the 815. No, sorry, the 851 is one I can’t miss myself…’ As sportive as they are, father and son Hayen gave that pigeon back and choose something else. But Camiel still didn’t feel good about it afterwards and gave them later on that 851 anyway. ‘A word is a word’ he added to it, ‘and…good luck with it! I think it’s a good one.’ And they got lucky with it indeed and it surely was a good one!

A base breeding couple after all?

It seemed quickly that the coupling Basebreeder 440 x Nulens-hen would take care of fireworks. Luc Hayen was this convinced about the qualities of the couple that he immediately placed two sons out of this couple on the breeding loft. If you only have room for 12 breeding couples, it is a risk you would think. But it was a well thought over risk, as three sons of the 440 x Nulens hen take care till the day of today of top racers on provincial and national level.

The 2196632-07, named ‘Adam’ father of 5055505-12

2 prov. Gien 2,463 b.

And is the brother of 2196432-07, father of

3 prov. Argenton 1,478 b.

3 prov. Gien 4,271 b.

4 Sézanne 2,192 b.

Another brother, ‘Supergoud’ 5115647-07, gave the

15 National La Souterr 4,699 b.

30 National Argenton 22,463 b.

32 National Chateauroux 6,005 b.

By the way, that other pigeon that they took first at Nulens wasn’t bad either. A daughter out of it gave together with the Basebreeder an excellent breeding- and racing pigeon. And out of this one came the ‘Kleine’, also called ‘Little Joe’, with a palmaris to bow for:

1 prov. La Ferté 1,807 b.

2 Couvin 5,779 b.

3 Vervins 368 b.

3 Reims 200 b.

1 Laon 376 b.

1 Sézanne 106 b.

6 Laon 626 b.

1 Reims 97 b.

19 Gien 2,658 b.

And when it’s in there, it will come out one day as well, as a daughter of the ‘Kleine’ is ‘Truutje’ and wins a.o.

1 Pithiviers 1,299 b.

1 Nanteuil 346 b.

6 Laon 1,263 b.

39 Nanteuil 5,381 b.

20 Melun 2,086 b.

14 Melun 2,111 b.

36 Orleans 3,516 b.

Three strains

"To stay away of too much inbred on a limited breeding loft, you should have three, from each other, strange strains’, knows Luc Hayen, ‘and around the millennium we had that: the ‘Goede Blauwe’ (Herbots), the ‘Nulens-hen’ and the ‘Basebreeder 440’ (Clerinx). And they you can start to knit: A with B, B with C, A with C and in the next generation AB x C, AC x B and so on…’. And that’s what they did in Duras: out of a coupling ‘Goede Blauwe’ x Nulens came ‘Bolleke’, 5195059-05, and she was coupled against the ‘Basebreeder 440’. And also this one was a hit in the rose. Out of this coupling came ‘Gienny’ 5173856-08, that won next to a head price out of Nanteuil also a provincial victory:

1 prov. Gien 3,528 b.

2 Nanteuil 822 b.

Later ‘Gienny’ was baptised as ‘Gienny1’ as again they won a 1st provincial out of Gien. That one became logically ‘Gienny 2 ‘ with ring 5024911-10. His palmaris looked a lot like his loftmate’s:

1 prov. Gien 2,891 b. (and fastest against 8,122b.)

2 Sens 1,848 b.

Unfortunately he got lost after that. Also ‘Gienny 2’ was half a Clerinx.

Also the the nest brother (058-05) from ‘Bolleke’ got lost after he won the 1st prize in Midden-Limburg out of Melun against 2,417 pigeons. This is how it goes, isn’t it?

Re-coupling

We’ve already mentioned that especially Luc likes to recouple, where his father isn’t that enthusiast all the time. George is more of the principle: never change a winning team. But he can’t ignore the fact that the repeated test-couples and re-coupling gave more than once a good pigeon.

This is how a grandson of the ‘Goede Blauwe’ x ‘Nulens-hen’ also became a top bird: the ‘Sterke’ 5173845-08 with:

2 prov. Gien 1,986 b.

Out of that same grandson of the ‘Goede Blauwe’ that listens to the name ‘Den Herbots’, ‘Orlando’ was born:

1 prov. Orleans 2,967 b.

For those who still doubted: the tandem Hayen has a clear subscription on the provincial podium places. To be complete about it: ‘Den Herbots’ 5170384-03, came out of a daughter of the ‘Goede Blauwe’ x a grandson of the ‘King Herbots’ that Georges got at the brothers Herbots in 2000. That also ‘Computer 2 ‘ from Pros Roosen was to be found in the pedigree (Soontjes), was a nice to have along.

Also the mirror coupling from the ‘Basebreeder 440’ with Nulens was a success at the Hayens’. Out of a sister of the ‘Basebreeder 440’ coupled to ‘Hero’, a son of the ‘Nulens-hen’ came the ‘Supersnelle’ 5045260-11. And ‘Snel’ (fast) he was, with 8x 1st prize and several head prizes with ao

1 Vervins 691 b.

1 Gien 255 b.

2 Marne 2,362 b.

His mother, so the sister of the ‘Basebreeder 440’, also race a 1st prize in the broader area:

1 GGW La Ferté 550 b.

And for those who still can follow: the father of the ‘Supersnelle’, so that ‘Hero’, the one that came out the ‘Nulens-hen’ but then coupled to a son of the ‘Goede Blauwe’, that raced himself a 1st :

1 La Ferté 2,127 b.

The system from Luc Hayen is clear in the meantime: keep on knitting around the basebreeders and try out all different combinations.

New blood

But also the most handy breeder gets to a point where they need fresh blood. And that new blood was found at oa. Local fellow fancier Gaston Bottu from Herk-de-Stad, also called the Limburg Goldmine. The colony from Bottu was built on blood strains from Stoces, Grondelaers, Gommaar Verbruggen and the inevitable Clerinx. Those are also the names you find back on the pedigrees of the hen from Bottu, next to the brother of the 1st national Bourges against 51,338 pigeons from Sylvain D'Hondt and a blue hen from Armand Schoolmeesters. That the hen from Bottu came out his best strains (out of a brother of the Provincial Ace bird x sister 1 S-National Jarnac 4,499b) was already proven during the breeding. With a cock from Clerinx she gave the already mentioned ‘Gienny 2’ (1st Provincial Gien 2,891b) and with the ‘432’, a son out the base breeding couple ‘440’ x ‘Nulens-hen’, she gave the 3rd Provincial Argenton 1,478b and is she grandmother of the ‘Schuwe’, 5147970-12:

5 Sourdun 1,473 b.

5 prov. La Souterraine 1,363 b.

So, once again a good match.

In the meantime there is another top breeding hen ready for the changing of the guard, namely a hen from Anthony Maes (Waregem). They came to Maes via a common friend Johan Engelbos (Sint-Truiden) that has several good once from Anthony Maes and became with these pigeons ao. 2nd National Champion Great Middle Distance KBDB in 2013.

With the just mentioned ‘432’ (‘Basebreeder 440’ x ‘Nulens’) this ‘Maes-hen’, 3081776-10, gave:

3 prov. Gien 4,271 b.

4 Sézanne 2,192 b.

5 Sourdun 557 b.

31 prov. Gien 4,271 b.

Which makes us wonder how Luc does it to introduce, apparently that easy, new quality on the breeding loft.

"We do place our goals at a high level when we introduce something on the breeding loft, not only in pedigree – that off course as well – but especially we look at the model and athletic abilities. A new pigeon has to have it ‘all’ for me. Call it feeling or luck…I don’t know either.’

It isn’t that entirely unexpected that the ‘Maes-hen’ can give along the good genes. She raced herself pretty good as a youngster in Waregem with oa. 3 Clermont against 827 b, but she also comes out the base breeding couple from Anthony Maes: ‘De La Souterraine’ x ‘Het Bont Sproetje’. This is how the brothers and sisters of the ‘Maes-hen’ win:

4 Ablis 406 b.

9 prov. Argenton 3,105 b.

11 prov. Poitiers 1,147 b.

14 prov. Poitiers 1,318 b.

11 prov. Poitiers 1,147 b.

14 prov. Poitiers 1,318 b.

42 nat. Souillac 5,282 b.

61 nat. Montauban 9,091 b.

And so on…

But it is obvious that Luc Hayen has a good nose to bring in very goal-oriented quality onto the breeding loft. This is how recently also an inbred of Vanoppen-Luyten out of the ‘Triple Pino’ was brought in, and also this one is already a very good breeder. With a sister from ‘Gienny 1’ he gives f.e. the 2047015-14, good for:

1 Sourdun 306 b.

1 Sourdun 222 b.

1 Sourdun 581 b.

5 prov. Sézanne 2,029 b.

A fact is that father and son Hayen, with a modest colony, manage to get along rather very good on the middle distance races and on a provincial level. The season starts off with about 40 racing pigeons: 16 couples on the total widowhood and another 8 pigeons with a fixed partner. ‘But in the season we mostly basket only about 6 to 8 pigeons. Sometimes a bit more but especially at the start of the season we don’t go basket with large amounts of pigeons. In fact, only the pigeons that are ready for it, the ones who ask for it, will be basketed.’ Says Luc. The principle in Duras is that they race , race by race, not just to enter, but to win. Championships and ace birds aren’t a goal, but when a title like this passes along, it is fun, but they never risk pigeons in function of a possible title.

Nursing

In the end Georges and Luc don’t have many secrets to reveal. They race in a rather classic way, also the feeding and caring is rather classic. The pigeons that get home on Saturday get a heavy dinner, but from Sunday on it is already diet and then slowly heavier towards basketing. Before the racing season and before the early breeding vet Herbots is being visited and besides that they have to get along with healthy food and the known products from the Herbots-range: Zell, BMT, Optimix and so on...They only cure blindly every 4 weeks against tricho.

"What 2018 is going to bring, nobody knows’, says Luc Hayen... Indeed, he has a full time job on his own, goes and gets his father every day after work in the institution where mother Hayen is obliged to reside and then they have to start taking care of the pigeons. Count in that Georges will turn 79 this year and you know it isn’t all that easy anymore. ‘But we stay positive’, says Luc, ‘and when necessary we will cut back the amount of pigeons we have to take care of…’

Michel Bommerez

5107905-96, ‘Den Bijter’ from the Bros. Miel and Richard Clerinx.

He was a son of the phenomenon ‘De 600’ and a grandson of the indestructible base breeding couple Clerinx (Polleke x Oud Blauw Moederke). ‘De Bijter’ won a typical Clerinx – palmaris :

1 Soissons 1,298 p.

3 prov. Limoges 923 p.

10 prov. Bourges 1,417 p.

10 prov. Limoges 1,123 p.

A daughter ‘de Bijter’, 5092545-98, was the beginning of a success period in Duras and became the absolute base breeding mother at Georges and Luc Hayen.

5036854-97, ‘De Goede Blauwe’ (also called ‘Bliksem’). Strain ‘Ieverige’ Herbots.

Top racer and important base pigeon

Wins ao.

1 Sens 776 b.

1 Laon 160 b.

1 Sens 145 b.

1 Villers 110 b.

1 Vervins 105 b.

2 Silenrieux 347 b. and so on…

Is father of:

1 prov. La Ferte 2,127 b.

1 Melun 2,417 b.

Grandfather of ao. ‘Gienny’, 1 prov. Gien 3,528 b.

5001311-09 Orlando

1 prov. Orleans 2,967 b.

Half-brother of 2 prov. Gien 1,986 b.

His father was ‘Den Herbots’ out of a grandson ‘King’ x a daughter of the ‘Goede Blauwe’ (strain ‘Ieverige’)

5173856-08 ‘Gienny 1’

1 prov. Gien 3,528 b. (fastest of 9,879 b.)

2 Nanteuil 822 b.

He brought the taste of the top podium place on the provincial races at the tandem Hayen in Limburg. He had the three base breeding pigeon running through his vains: ‘Basebreeder 440’ x ‘Bolleke’, a daughter ‘Goede Blauwe’ x ‘Nulens-hen’.

‘Gienny 1’ was sold, but is at Hayen also grandfather of 5055546-12, ‘Bolt’ :

2 prov. Gien 7,916 b.

5 GG Sourdun 2,480 b.

Three generations Hayen: Luc, Georges and Jeroen

View on the lofts in Duras. From left to right: the racing loft, the youngsters loft and the breeding loft (with aviaries in front)

Inside view of the breeding loft. There is (only) room for 12 couples what makes the tandem has to be very picky on their breeding pigeons. Only the best of the best can stay.

TOP 5 in the combination of unions Georges and Luc Hayen, Sint-Truiden 1 prov. Gien 3,528 b. fastest against 9,879 b. (Gienny 1) 1 prov. Gien 2,891 yl. Fastest against 8,122 b. (Gienny 2) 1 prov. Orléans 2,967 yl. (Orlando) 1 prov. La Ferté 1,807 b. (De Kleine) 1 prov. La Ferté 2,127 b. (Son Goede Blauwe) 1 iprov. Limoges 1,383 b. 1 Midd. Limb. Nanteuil 3,216 b. 1 Melun 2,417 b. (Nest brother Bolleke) 1 Pithiviers 1,299 b. (Truutje, daughter Kleine) 1 Melun 2,417 b. (Nest brother Bolleke) 1 Midd. Limb. Marne 2,156 yb. 1 GGW La Ferté 550 b. (Sister Stamvader 440) 1 GGW Sens 776 b. (Goede Blauwe) 1 Trudo Sourdun 581 Yl 1,2 Trudo Melun 515 b. 1, 5 Melun 835 b. 2 prov. Gien 1,986 b. (De Sterke) 2 prov. Gien 7,916 b. (Bolt) 2 prov. Gien 2,463 b. (5055505-12 out of a son ‘440’ x’ Nulens’) 2 Nanteuil 822 b. (Gienny 1) 2 Sens 1,848 b. (Gienny 2) 2 Couvin 5,779 b. (De Kleine) 2 Midd. Limb. Marne 2,362 b. 3 prov. Argenton 1,478 b. (out of ‘432’ x ‘Bottu-hen’) 3 prov. Gien 4,271 b. (out ‘432’ x ‘Maes-hen’) 3, 4 , 5 Midd. Limb. Sourdun 2,482 b. 4 prov. Orléans 4,232 b. (Basebreeder 440) 4 Midd. Limb. Sézanne 2,192 b. (out 432 x Maesduivin) 5 prov. La Souterraine 1,363 b. (De Schuwe) 5 prov. Sézanne 2,029 b. (out Triple Pino) 5 GG Sourdun 2,480 b. (Bolt) 5 Sourdun 1,473 b. (De Schuwe) 5 Sourdun 2,482 b. (Bea)