KEES BOSUA

1st NATIONAL CHAMPION ‘Middle Distance’ NPO 2003 !
* 1st NATIONAL KAMPIOEN ‘Middle Distance’ NPO 2004 !
* 1st NATIONAL ACE PIGEON ‘Young’ 2004 !
* 4 OLYMPIAD PIGEONS PORTO 2005... a first time!
* 1st + 2nd NATIONAL from ‘LE MANS’ 2005 against 99.104 pigeons... and with two fastest pigeons out of 120.936 participating pigeons !!
* 4 x GOLDEN PIGEON WINNER THE NETHERLANDS (1997-1998-2000-2002)... also a first time !!
Now, if you think that all these top successes in pigeon sport are made possible by a loft with a mass of pigeons... you are wrong. When the season is at its height, there are about 18 widow cocks and 18 widow hens present at the loft (and even then some of the boxes are empty), about 80% of them are yearlings. Only the real top birds survive a merciless selection procedure and after a maximum of 3 seasons they are transferred to the breeding loft ! About 120 youngsters are kept for own use, along with 30 breeding couples. That’s it !
1st & 2e National Le Mans
The year 2005 was once more a ‘super season’ for Kees Bosua. After he had won the title of ‘National Champion’ on Middle Distance in 2003 and 2004, he was already invited to Portugal in springtime where he showed off with 4 Olympiad Pigeons, something which had never happened before. ‘de KANNIBAAL’, ‘PEPPER’, ‘de HALVE WITPEN’ and ‘het RAKETJE’ signed up for this unique event. Four real phenomenal super birds... ‘KANNIBAAL’ even is the nest brother of the meanwhile famous ‘KERKDUIFJE’ 440/03, the 1st NATIONAL winner from LE MANS against 120.936 pigeons where she flew ahead of her loft mate ‘MUGGIE’ 938/04 with a mere 17 seconds (‘KANNIBAAL’ and ‘KERKDUIFJE’ both descend from ‘BROER FIGO’ from Antoon Reynaert x ‘DOCHTER AUTOKOPPEL’). This was a day which Kees will never forget because... the cocks raced a sprint that weekend from PERONNE and Kees won the 1st + 2nd prize against 21.725 pigeons with his 1st + 2nd nominated !!
Was this some kind of omen for what would follow later-on that day from Le Mans ? It is possible because again, the Bosua-team achieved some real top results : 1st + 2nd NATIONAL against 99.104 pigeons and two fastest pigeons out of 120.936 pigeons. This is in fact the race of the year in The Netherlands and it takes place with a lot of media attention and also this one was won by Kees !! Just try matching that... ‘het KERKDUIFJE’ and ‘MUGGIE’ provided Kees with even more world fame !
The 4 Olympiad Pigeons as well as both of the Le Mans-winners are the result of a well-thought-out breeding strategy to which Kees sticked through the years. We should also mention Kees’s father who is taking care of the pigeons together with his son. Mr Bosua Sr started keeping pigeons in 1965 and around 1985 Kees joined in and they started working as the tandem C & K Bosua from Dordrecht ! Kees, who was into pigeon journalism earlier, paid a visit one day to the colony of Raoul & Xavier Verstraete from Oostakker, it was the time where ‘de Gouden Bol’, ‘de Mirage’ etc... caused a furore. Descendants from these pigeons created the very first foundation of the present Bosua strain with ‘top pigeons’ such as 1st Prov Orleans 11.251 p (1986), 1st Intprov Bourges 10.265 p (1987), something which was done again in 1988 (7.708 p) and 1989 (6.441 p), and of course, we must not forget the 1st NATIONAL ORLEANS 10.059 pigeons in 1989 !
The foundation was laid. In the early nineties when the famous ‘UNO’ (1st Prov Ace Pigeon KBDB and 1st Nat. Bourges Yearlings) made his entry in Oostakker, Kees Bosua went to the residence of Verstraete to write an article and took a direct daughter of this wonder pigeon with him to Dordrecht... again, it was a ‘bull’s eye’ !
According to Kees, many years’ of pigeon racing at the very top is usually based on the discovery of several ‘TOP COUPLES’ in the breeding loft. And discovering those is in fact somewhat like sheer coincidence although you can of course always lend chance a hand. Kees is striving for coupling of GOOD x GOOD... or even better: SUPER x SUPER ! And once a good breeding couple has been discovered they stay together for as long as they can raise good pigeons. Kees was and still is looking for the ‘perfect breeding couple’, something you really do need to survive as a pigeon fancier. He ‘never’ sells his own ‘SUPER PIGEONS’ which are invariably used for his own use. Kees is always looking for ‘the best of the best’ and as some real ‘TOP’ birds are mostly born from crossbreeding and he likes to couple new blood with his own strain...
If you ignore this fact you are over and done with within 5 years... and who dares to argue with Kees Bosua ? The plan is to score with these new ‘rarities’ within 2 years, otherwise they have to leave immediately. Some very successful pigeons these last couple of seasons are: ‘de GEMAASDE” 439/96, bought at the sale of Jean Meulemans, Affligem (who has won himself 5 x 1st Prize + 9th Nat. Bourges), brothers and sisters of ‘de FIGO’ (8 x 1st Prize and 1st Nat. Bourges) from Antoon Reynaert, but also ‘de BELS’ and ‘het BROMMERTJE’, ‘het BAECKJE’ and ‘DREAM’ are some real reinforcements for the breeding loft. The latest acquisitions are coming from the strain of ‘de SEMI’ (from Antoon Benoot in Nazareth) and of course from the superior Chris Hebberecht pigeons in Evergem (current Nr 1 in Belgium) because these pigeons have sufficient ‘speed’ as well as ‘strength’ to keep the competition under control on races up to 800km. Which is a ‘gift’ that is not to be sneezed at, according to Kees Bosua !
Let’s take a closer look at the present generation of top pigeons and top couples which have founded this many years’ of supremacy on middle distance racing in The Netherlands, a supremacy which has reached a real ‘climax’ the last 3 seasons :

The main couple of the present generation of top pigeons is without any doubt ‘het AUTOKOPPEL’ which is composed of "LATE VAN DE’ 703/93" (his father has won 1st against 11.041 p and 1st against 8.046 p) x ‘UNO-DUIVIN’ 376/93 (daughter of the 1st Nat Bourges 10.092 p and 1st Prov Ace Pigeon KBDB East-Fl : ‘de UNO’ from Raoul & Xavier Verstraete).
They are (a.o.) the parents of :
*‘MISS MARBELA’ 918/94 also known as ‘de Auto-winnares’, 1st Sens 24.033 pigeons
*‘Het ASDUIFJE’ 883/95 : 7th Nat Ace Pigeon Young (‘Vredesduif’ - ‘Peace Dove’)
*‘De PANINI’ 249/01 which won 1st Bourges 3.020 pigeons N+S-Holland
*‘Het WITKOPJE’ 048/98, 1st Chateauroux 533 p, 2nd Menen 5.801 p, 2nd Peronne 4.144 p, 8th Ablis 6.256 p, 9th Duffel 10.196 p... but above all mother of ‘de KANNIBAAL’ 441/03 (Olympiad Pigeon Port 2005) and ‘het KERKDUIFJE’ 440/03 (1st Nat Le Mans 120.936 p).
* And furthermore ‘TILLY’ 928/99 (1st Chantilly 1.383 p), ‘het WITRUGJE’ 884/95 (1st Rambouillet 1.693 p) and ‘SIMBA’ 267/97 (5th Nat Orleans 14.093 p, and 8th Nat Ace Pigeon 1997).... Etc.
Another main couple of exceptional world class is composed of ‘de PORKY’ 136/92 (1st Roye 9.182 p, 1st Strombeek 5.330 p, 2nd Pont 4.302 p, 6th Roye 2.288 p...) x ‘MISS MARBELLA’ 918/94 (winner of ‘de Auto’ with a 1st Sens 24.033 p, and daughter from ‘het Autokoppel’) !
They are the parents of (a.o.) :
* ‘het CHATEAUROUXDUIFJE’ 986/96, 1st NATIONAAL Chateauroux 9.030 p, 1st Duffel 1.473 p, 1st Minderhout 1.490 p, 1st Bourges 177 p... and which can, at present, easily be called ‘the goose that lays golden eggs’ at the Bosua place !!
* ‘EVITA’ 050/96 which won 1st Peronne 2.105 p, 1st Peronne 2.323 p, 1st Peronne 1.510 p and 2nd Nat. Chateauroux 9.030 p (only beaten by her sister ‘het CHATEAUROUXDUIFJE’ !), and 3rd BEST hen of The Netherlands 1998 W.H.Z.B.
* ‘FOPPER’ 051/96 which won 1st Peronne 1.721 p, 8th BEST hen of The Netherlands W.H.Z.B.... and nest sister of ‘EVITA’, but above all the mother of the Olympiad Pigeon Porto 2005 : ‘de HALVE WITPEN’ 676/02
* ‘ETAMPESDUIFJE’ 985/96 which won 1st Etampes 1.510 p, and a nest mate of ‘het CHATEAUROUXDUIFJE’
* ‘ORLEANSDUIFJE’ 316/97 which won 1st Orleans 4.136 p
* ‘De DUNNE’ 010/98 which was 1st BEST YOUNG PIGEON of The Netherlands 1998 WHZB with a.o. 1st Tours 1.019 p.
* ‘LIESJE’ 087/98 : 1st Ablis 1.649 p, and 7th BEST young pigeon of The Netherlands WHZB etc...
And finally a 3rd main couple, also called ‘het Bange-koppel’, composed of ‘de BANGE BLAUWE’ 096/91 x ‘BANGE LICHTE’ 429/91, parents of :
* ‘DONNA’ 323/97 which won 1st PERONNE 3.079 p and the mother of the Olympiad Pigeon Porto, known as ‘PEPPER’
* ‘SEVEN’ 267/97, mother of ‘FEE BEE’ (1st Moeskroen 2.971 p) and ‘de 664/02’ (1st Chantilly 1.326 p)
* the couple ‘Het Bange-koppel’ are the grandparents of ‘BALLERINI’ 043/96, also known as the 1st National Orleans 15.670 p (and father of the Olympiad Pigeon ‘het RAKETJE’ 236/01, but also of ‘SITA’, the 2nd Nat. Ace Pigeon Middle Distance), ‘BALLERINA’ 044/96 (nest sister of ‘Ballerini’)
One of the present main couples is without any doubt ’de GEMAASDE’ 439/96, bought from Jean Meulemans from Affligem (1st Noyon 957 p, 1st Noyon 877 p, 1st Noyon 147 p, 1st Dourdan 121 p, 1st Dourdan 86 p and 9th Nat Bourges 10.872 p) x ‘het ASDUIFJE’ 883/95 (7th Nat Ace Pigeon ‘Vredesduif’ (‘Peace Dove’) with 2nd St.Quentin 1.277 p, 4th Menen 3.497 p, 7th Etampes 1.902 p, 10th Chantilly 2.251 p, 15th Roye 1.343 p... and daughter of ‘het Autokoppel’).
They are the parents of :
- ‘TELETUBBIE’ 897/99 : 5th Nat. Ace Pigeon Middle Distance with, a.o., 1st Ablis 1.506 p, 1st Chantilly 3.414 p, 2nd Pont 2.443 p, 5th Pont 1.754 p, 10th Peronne 4.086 p, 11th Ablis 21.243 p... on his record
- ‘TOSCA’ 294/01 with 3rd Putte 5.774 p, 7th Ablis 3.123 p, 56th Nat Ablis 16.763 p, 74th Nat Bourges 11.869 p, 75th Nat Tours 11.270 p... etc on her record of achievements, but above all mother of ‘MUGGIE’ or 2nd Nat Le Mans 120.936 p, and of ‘TIME-OUT’ or the1st National Ace Pigeon Young Pigeons NPO 2004 !!
- ‘BONTE’ 930/99 which won 4th Strombeek 6.944 p, 4th Peronne 3.332 p, 8th Niergnies 5.322 p, 10th Ablis 2.275 p.... etc.
- ‘LALA’ 870/99, which won 3rd Pont 2.443 p, 5th Ablis 1.427 p, 5th Chantilly 6.350 p, 7th Niergnies 4.483 p... etc.
A new ‘top couple’ that seems to be developing is ‘de KLEINE FIGO’ 837/02, a direct from Antoon & Hilde Reynaert (and first brother of ‘FIGO’ or the 1st Nat Bourges 12.266 p, along with 8 other 1st Prizes) x WITKOPJE 048/98 (daughter of ‘het AUTOKOPPEL’, which won 1st Chateauroux 533 p and 2nd Menen 5.801 p).
They are the parents of, a.o. :
? ‘het KERKDUIFJE’ 5301440/03 or the winner 1st NATIONAAL LE MANS 99.104 p and fastest of 120.936 p ! And as 1st nominated... before that she was also 1st PROV ACE PIGEON MIDDLE DISTANCE ‘AFD 5’ in 2004, 5th Nat. Ace Pigeon Middle Distance NPO 2004 with top results such as 2nd Pont 1.684 p, 3rd Chantilly 10.657 p, 4th Pont 1.034 p, 11th Chantilly 3.074 p, 12th Nat Bourges NPO 11.311 p, 12th Ablis 2.091 p, 17th Peronne 1.664 p, 20th Chantilly 13.953 p, 21st Blois 3.281 p, 23rd Hensies 3.367 p, 27th Pont 11.842 p, 27th Hensies 6.692 p.... no, this cannot be a coincidence !
? ‘de KANNIBAAL’ 441/03, or the ‘2nd Olympiad Pigeon Porto All Round 2005’ and nest brother of ‘het KERKDUIFJE’. He himself was already 4th Nat. Ace Pigeon MIDDLE DISTANCE NPO 2004, and probably best young pigeon of The Netherlands in 2003 with 8 prizes per 100 in 8 weeks time. He won a.o. : 1st Ablis 2.091 p, 1st Peronne 2.030 p, 1st Pont 1.684 p, 5th Nat Chantilly NPO 13.953 p, 3rd Hensies 1.020 p, 6th Strombeek 4.063 p, 6th Niergnies 3.865 p, 8th Peronne 6.394 p, 8th Chantilly 1.609 p, 9th Chantilly 10.657 p... and already in 2005 he was the father of the 1st Prov Peronne 38.955 p, 1st Morlincourt 5.162 p and 2nd Nat Morlincourt NPO 36.862 p, 1st Pont 2.244 p and 3rd Nat Pont NPO 31.168 p !! A ‘spectacular’ super pigeon !
? ‘het PERONNEDUIFJE’ 556/03, which won 1st Peronne 6.394 p and fastest pigeon out of 47.424 p... etc.
Please allow us to introduce some of the present top birds, all excellent pigeons which stay at the Bosua lofts and which all indicate very great class :
*‘MUGGIE’ 938/04, daughter of ‘DE BELS’ 680/99 (direct from Vandepoele) x ‘TOSCA’ 294/01 (from ‘de GEMAASDE’ x ‘ASDUIFJE’). ‘MUGGIE’ has won, besides 2nd Nat Le Mans, toppers such as 1st Hensies 1.756 p, 16th Chantilly 1.305 p, 20th Peronne 1.718 p, 23rd Blois 3.281 p... and is in addition a first sister of ‘TIME OUT’ or the 1st National Ace Pigeon Young Pigeons NPO 2004 and of ‘MOSQUITO’, which won the 1st Prov Peronne 21.275 p!
* ‘Het RAKETJE’ 236/01, daughter from ‘BALLERINI’ 043/96 which was 1st Nat. Orleans 15.670 p (grandson of ‘het Bange-koppel’) x ‘CHATEAUROUXDUIFJE’ 986/96 (1st Nat Chateauroux 9.337 p, besides another 3 x 1st prizes). ‘Het RAKETJE’ became a.o. 1st Olympiad Pigeon Middle Distance Porto 2005, 6th Nat Ace Pigeon Old WHZB 2003, 9th Nat Ace Pigeon Middle Distance 2004... and won toppers like 1st Menen 3.187 p, 1st La Souterraine 1.498 p, 2nd Ablis 3.090 p, 4th St.Job 555 p, 5th Chantilly 24.370 p, 5th Chantilly 10.657 p, 6th Peronne 1.111 p, 6th Pont 1.684 p, 8th Duffel 8.724 p, 9th Etampes 3.747 p, 9th Chantilly 3.747 p... and immediately became mother of the 1st Pont 2.244 p and 3rd Nat Pont NPO 31.168 p at the breeding loft in 2005 !!
* ‘De HALVE WITPEN’ 676/02, a super hen that descends from ‘DREAM’ 083/99 (a half brother of ‘de GEMAASDE’ via Walter Van Durme) x ‘FOPPER’ 051/96 which won 1st Peronne 1.721 p and 8th BEST hen of The Netherlands WHZB 1998 (and daughter of the top couple ‘PORKY’ x ‘MISS MARBELLA’). ‘De HALVE WITPEN’ was 3rd Olympiad Pigeon Middle Distance Porto 2005 with top achievements such as 1st Vierzon 3.318 p and 2nd Nat NPO 21.984 p, 1st Bourges 2.032 p and 6th Nat NPO 9.339 p, 2nd Troyes 733 p and 9th Nat NPO 8.764 p, 7th Bourges 1.287 p and 10th Nat NPO 11.311 p, 4th Strombeek 8.745 p, 6th Hensies 7.045 p, 8th Chantilly 2.388 p, 12th Hensies 6.692 p, 16th Peronne 11.226 p, 16th Tours 1.460 p, 17th Ablis 3.090 p, 18th Chantilly 1.609 p, 19th Hensies 3.367 p... and already in 2005, she became the mother of the 1st Morlincourt 5.162 p and 2nd Nat NPO 36.862 p !!
* ‘PEPPER’ 718/02, a daughter from ‘de DUNNE’ 010/98 (which was the 1st BEST Young Pigeon of The Netherlands WHZB 1998 and son of ‘PORKY’ x ‘MISS MARBELLA’) x ‘DONNA’ 323/97 which was 1st Peronne 3.079 p (from a daughter from ‘het Bange Koppel’). ‘PEPPER’ was 2nd Olympiad Pigeon Middle Distance Port 2005 with achievements such as 1st Chantilly 2.589 p, 2nd Etampes 3.747 p, 2nd Chateauroux 324 p, 5th Pont 1.684 p, 7th Chantilly 12.108 p, 8th Chantilly 5.087 p, 9th Ablis 3.090 p, 12th Bourges 2.032 p, 15th Strombeek 4.208 p, 20th Putte 5.774 p, 20th Hensies 3.367 p... etc.
* ‘SITA’ 873/00, a first sister of ‘het RAKETJE’ (from ‘BALLERINI’ x ‘CHATEAUROUXDUIFJE’). ‘SITA’ became 2nd National Ace Pigeon Middle Distance 2003 and has won 1st Pont 2.296 p, 1st Chantilly 1.814 p, 1st Peronne 1.111 p, 5th Chantilly 2.388 p, 5th Chantilly 5.087 p, 7th Ablis 2.373 p, 8th Duffel 5.363 p, 8th Nat Bourges 9.399 p, 12th Nat Bourges 11.896 p, 12th Nat Orleans 11.810 p... etc.