We
are Peter and Dr. Hans Peter Brockamp living in Boppard in the very nice
Rhine Valley region nearby the world-famous Loreley-stone. My father Peter
has been breeding and racing pigeons for more than 50 years. He started in
1948 and is today looking back at a glamorous career as a pigeon fancier.
In the early fifties at the age of 20 he became first champion in the
regional racing society of Koblenz against more than 150 pigeon fanciers
for the first time. A lot of reports in some old newspapers show that he
was unbeatable with his old Huyskens-van Riel strain. In 1967, when he was
30 years old, he raced 12 first prizes in only one year!! I myself,
Hans-Peter, have been fascinated in long-distance races from the beginning,
and when I became part of the loft society the first step to long-distance
racing was done. In the middle of the eighties we decided to take part in
the international races of Pau, Barcelona, Dax, Marseille and Perpignan to
be in competition with more than 5.000 of the best fanciers in whole
Europe. During the past ten years we may have turned out as one of the
best fanciers of one-day races in whole Europe.
Absolutely unique in Europe is the winning of the 1st international
Bordeaux against 11.644 pigeons and the 1st international Perpignan in
1999 against 17.584 pigeons within only three weeks. Also absolutely
unique are the pigeons in our breeding loft: altogether not more than 15
pairs, 10 of them first prize winners including "Armstrong", the
international winner of Perpignan, it's parents, the parents of the first
international Bordeaux and also the parents of the Olympia pigeon in the
long-distance category, Cape Town South Africa in 2001.
Friendships
It is not necessary to travel far away to obtain good
pigeons, close breeder friendships can also help along. We have a very
good, nearly family-like relationship to the charming breeding society
Menne and daughters from Hamminkeln nearby Wesel. A lot of ideas are
thought over together and pigeons are interchanged. Similar relationships
exist to Josef Fell from Erkelenz and Harald Schröder from Aachen. This
is the point to ask what these four lofts do have in common. An answer is
quickly found as all four lofts have won a classic national long-distance race
during the passed four years. Friedhelm Menne with his wife Ulrike and his
daughters Simone, Raphaela and Fabienne won the 1st National Bordeaux race
in 1998 with their "Night Racer". In 2001 an impossible dream
came true: they raced with "Serena" the 1st international from
Perpignan against nearly 20.000 pigeons. Josef Fell from Erkelenz
impressed with the 1st and 2nd place in the race of Cahors in 1999, not to
forget Harald Schröder with the 1st international Bordeaux in 1999
against 11.644 pigeons. It should be mentioned that the winner pigeons of
sports enthusiast Schröder had been a gift from Hans-Peter Brockamp.
