Page 3 - Total Auction of BOOGAARD-VAN BUUREN (NL)

Boogaard-Van Buuren
started in 2008 and become in 7 years time the
absolute number 1 on the extreme long distances
Every fairy tale begins this way: “There was once ...”. Also
the start of the success story of BOOGAARD-VAN BUUREN
you can summarize as this. But “once upon a time” may
sound too far from the present ... Because Marco and
Piet (the first names behind their worldfamous surnames)
shook hands about nine (!) years ago. Than they started
racing with pigeons. But there was only one goal on their
program: “Winning the
international race from Barcelona”.
Obviously, almost everyone who practices the marathon
distance dreams of this ultimate goal ... It looks pretty
much the same like the Tour de France but than in the ra-
cing pigeon sport. No one who knew them can deny it: the
enthusiasm with which Marco and Piet came to the starting
line ... it must have been almost unprecedented. Their
anonymity, they lost it very quickly the way the achieved
their results. Because today, we can say honestly: in seven
years they won all what there is to gain ... and this, it is
indeed unprecedented for marathon distance racing.
As said before, Marco and Piet started racing together in
2008. At a loft of 15m² ... that’s all they had. On top of
their store roof. Every square centimeter was seized. For
pigeons. And their dream. Or rather, their goal!
Their first real international Barcelona race was in 2008, at
a distance of 1243 km they won 34th international against
23 708 pigeons. Their first pigeon they clocked was ban-
ded by the ring number NL06-2030950 and was later
renamed as ’KATSU’. The start was made ... From that
moment it became clear to the outside world that they had
to keep an eye on those “newcomers”.
Then came 2009. For most long distance fanciers a pigeon
that won the 34th international Barcelona goes straight
towards the breeding loft. Because it is such a good
NL06-2030950
“KATSU”
pigeon, sir ... But nothing of that at the loft BOGAARD-VAN Early in the morning they were already waiting for their
BUUREN. They race pigeons and select them by results.
So why should they not continue to race with “KATSU”? A
no-nonsense policy that is unseen within the circles of the seemed to be an eternity. The race speed decreased in
marathon distance scene.
You can guess it already: “KATSU” went back. As a favorite
of the nine pigeons that were basketed. As first nominated
pigeon on the basketing list... Their hope was based on
him.
In 2009 the international race from Barcelona, 27,669
pigeons were basketed for what was going to be an
extremely tough race. The pigeons were liberated at a
quarter to ten in the morning on 3 July 2009.
Everyone expected the early pigeons in the front on the
flight line. Such harsh weather (almost the whole race the
pigeons had to fight against the northwest wind, the after- total international competitors field.
noon temperature climbed to just above thirty degrees)...
Nobody expected early pigeons in Amsterdam. Nobody
expected that pigeons would “fall” at a distance of 1,243
km. Except the combination BOOGAARD-VAN BUUREN.
pigeons to return because “KATSU” was basketed with
great expectations. The minutes they had to wait
the same sizes that the expectations also fell ... When the
“mater familia” served their lunch at noon, Marco and Piet,
experienced a shadow at 12:48 pm.
BANG ... a pigeon went into the loft as a lightning barely
touching the shelf ... This was good for a race speed of
989.40 m/min at 1,243 km. A hard nut to crack, but
”KATSU “ still looked perfectly ironed. A muscleman that
has no equal. This had to be an early international
price, simply because of the fact that on the national and
international announcment websites, there were hardly
pigeons known... When the international winner was
known, they knew it immediately: “KATSU” was barely
a sigh of the clocked time behind them... An early bird.
Eventually he was clocked as 10th international against the
“KATSU” became immediately the new international icon
of the marathon distance races. In 2008 he won the 34th
international , in 2009 he won the 10th international, with
those results he became 1st international Ace Barcelona
‘08-’09. Such world class pigeons: they are real valuable
in money terms. “Money time” in the bubble, but no one
could persuade Marco and Piet to sell ‘KATSU. Because
Marco and Piet finally were just involved in racing pigeons
and Barcelona was their goal. So why would they
immediately sell their standard-bearer? Offcourse they
were right ... Because ‘KATSU’ became the ringleader.
Almost all offspring flew superior on the marathon