The main pigeons that we've raced so successfully for the last 15 years or so have been the STAF VAN REETS. It would be fair to say that they've done everything that we could ever have asked of them. Here is a brief introduction of our Van Reets :-

In 1990 my father and I purchased two Staf van Reets from Richard and Sue Grayston. They were living in Yorkshire at that time. We also introduced two from Terry Whittaker who was a very good friend of Richard and Sue Grayston.These two pairs of pigeons went into our stock loft and the youngsters won staight away. One hen won the Mossley in a Strong North West wind, when really we had no right winning that club on the day.That same YB season we were very fortunate to go and buy four youngsters off the famous  A.P.Beardsmore of Little Bloxwich.They also went into the stock loft.

The following year we borrowed a smokey blue hen off our friend John Roberts of Leamore.The hen was called "Queenie".(The best Staf van Reet hen in the Midlands in our opinion). The lines of the Van Reets originate back to the very best of the famous "Adam" x "Eve" lines of Dave Allen and the very best Bert Hession lines.

We have had some outstanding performances with these birds.The lines what are running through our birds are PLAYBOY, TOYGIRL, TOYGIRL 500, SCHONE BLAUWE, TIENNEEKE, VOSSE WITTEKOP and SCHELLENS GOLD. We also had a daughter to "Madonna" (Her grand-daughter is still churning out winners in our stock loft.Too say they are the best birds to ever come on our garden is an understatement.......

Here is an example of some of our finest Van Reets :-

 "Mackay Magic" one of our first originals from A.P.Beardsmore of Little Bloxwich. Put straight into the stock loft where his sons, daughters and grand-children etc have gone on to win for us. He's one of the very best Staf van Reets in the West Midlands. The cream of the original Staf van Reets. "Queenie's Girl" is a direct daughter of "Mackay Magic". Responsible for Federation, Open, Combine, Club, Classic and Classic Section winners. Our number one producing hen. What a goldmine she has been! Virtually everything that wins in our loft has her genes running through their blood. "Lee's Lad" a winner of eight firsts and seven seconds. His performances at Federation level reads as follows..........2nd Wolves Fed, 4th Wolves Fed, 4th Wolves Fed, 7th Wolves Fed, 11th Wolves Fed, 8th Worcs Fed, 18th Worcs Fed, 21st Worcs Fed, 22nd Worcs Fed, 27th Worcs Fed. His breeding is second to none too. He has bred two sons to win 22 firsts between them!! One cock won 1st prizes in both the Worcester Federation and Bromsgrove Federation. He's also bred one cock to finish in the top twenty of the Vanraobeys Gold Ring Classic - but what we have found is that it's the Great Grand children are performing at Classic and National level !! The best pigeon we've ever owned. The "Jackpot Hen" - bred for stock out of a daughter of "Toyboy". Bred winners from the off and still filling at the ripe old age of thirteen breeding a youngster to win 2nd Wolves Federation last year from Swainswick. Our loft has her blood running through the gene pool of our modern day sprint to middle distance pigeons. "Bingley Pied" - winner of ten firsts as a racer and many top federation prizes. He was put to stock where in a very short space of time he was churning out winners galore!! He was bred out of a pair from Terry Whittaker and Richard and Sue Grayston Van Reets. You see that we have got the very successful lines of the old original Van Reets that are so hard to come by...................

*THE LIGHTNING FAST DE MEYERS*

These are a lightning fast sprint family that we've had the pleasure of racing since 2006. They've done everything that we have asked of them so far - including 1st Wolverhampton Fed 6,000 birds etc. Our birds came via Kevin Head who recently had to have a sale. Within our lofts we house some of the finest De Meyers in the UK and these are going to be a hugely successful sprint family in the UK. They are already doing lots of winning in the West Midlands for ourselves and other fanciers. In fact our 2011 West Midlands Region Award winner in the 0-250 miles category is "VAN PERSIE" who carries 50% De Meyer bloodlines! This 2010 cock has 11 x 1st and 3 x 2nd's to his name!  Please refer to the "De Meyer" page for more on this exciting new sprint family.

*THE VERKERKS*

We only have a few Verkerks, and to be fair they are starting to make a huge impression at our lofts.
Our Verkerks come from our good friends M & D Vinnicombe who own the ace pairing of “Gladiator” x “Sweetheart”. This magical pairing bred Cath Lycett’s famous “Champion Houdini” winner of Worcester Federation Bird of the Year, West Midlands Region Sprint Champion 0-250 miles and 2nd Overall Sprint Champion of the UK etc..

in 1999 we decided to go to the ultra succesful loft of Colin Lloyd of Cannock.We have always sought the very best racing pigeons and so we decided on the Cattrysse. That year of 1999 Colin Lloyd had hit a purple patch,not only in sprint family but also in the distance. Within a ten day period Colin had topped the Wolverhampton Federation from Saintes but he went onto win the NFC from Saintes again with the same pigeon.(King Arthur). We met Colin one Sunday morning and purchased 6 late-breds out of the racers and stock loft. These were top quality specimens.These 6 late-breds went straight into the stock loft and through our tough selection policy only 3 survived. These 3 pigeons have formed a base of top performing pigeons. We have topped the Wolverhampton, Worcester and Bromsgrove Federations with these. As like Colin's pigeons they also put up great performances at MCC and MNFC level. We have won both Sections at MCC and MNFC level. One cock for instance finishing 8th Open MNFC Portsmouth in a strong North west wind in the MNFC. Our two RPRA Award winning cocks "Willenhall Warrior" and "Olympic Taffy" are 50% Cattrysse and 50% Staf van Reets - proves that the Cattrysse are very good crossing pigeons.I believe that a pigeon is a pigeon. Pedigrees mean nothing here - performances do.

 *JOS SOONTJENS*

We don't have many Soontjen birds around us, but the ones we have are very good, and cross well with our other pigeons, for example, one cock topping the Wolverhampton Midweek Fed last year.The first Jos Sootjens we had were from John Roberts of Bloxwich,West Midlands. These birds were out of birds obtained from Jack Walker when he was flying as Evans & Walker. They were truly outstanding and their performances were fantastic. Then there were introductions from the "Old Tom" lines and "Blue Jan" lines from F & T Salt brothers. We also went to Gerald Perks of Penkridge and bought two cocks who simply churned out winners.We also purchased four pigeons direct of the Northern Ireland ace John Boyd carrying the lines of "The Sherriff", "Gweneth", "Whitenose", "Goldtop", "Ladybird", "Fred", "Rambo" and "Doubletop" Then we introduced a couple of Frank Sheader pigeons - all grand-children of the "Docherty cock". We also introduced the Soontjens from Mervyn Stone of Walsall.(Stonacre Lofts). Having direct children out of "Emma". She is out of the "Tom"lines,her parents being responsible for Club,Federation,Open and national winners.Simply blessed with winners in her family.The other lines we have from Stonacre Lofts are from "The Bastard" lines. A little bit of a mixed bag, but as we say, they blend in very well indeed with the other pigeons on the garden

*GABY VANDENABEELE*

We are very happy with our Gaby's. Through our great friendship with the Lycett family we have acquired DIRECT children from "The Assassin", "Pale Rider", "Hagrid's Nest Sister", "Mansell" etc. These pigeons have won out of turn, up and down the country. In addition to this, we have a few very select pigeons from D & J Hawkins that also ooze class. These are two of the best lofts containing M & D Evans pigeons that you could possibly wish for.

"Dancing Queen" is a winner of over £5,000 on the road, West Midlands Region Award winner and Dam of winners. One of the best racing hens in the UK - we waited a long time for a direct daughter of this hen. 

She was a winner of :-

2nd Band B 2nd Open MCC Fougeres

3rd Band B 4th Open MCC Messac

3rd Band B 7th Open MCC Saintes

11th Band B 14th Open MCC Fougeres 

17th Band B 30th Open MCC Portland

19th Band B 41st Open MCC Messac 

42nd Band B 58th Open MCC Portland

39th Band B 66th Open MCC Picauville

1st Ocker Hill Fougeres

1st Kingsdown 

2nd Swainswick

3rd Kingsdown etc

We feel sure that these winning genes will compliment our other class birds that are already on the garden.