55 YEARS OF PIGEONRACING In 1946 I got my first two pigeons for my 9th birthday. In1948 I became a member of the youth section and I won the first race I participated in. It was the beginning of a long, beautiful but especially successful period with a great many victories in the races of up to and including 350 miles. From 1946 on I have not been without any pigeon one single day, not even when I successfully participated in cycle racing from 1954 until 1962. THE PIGEONS The first two pigeons I got for my birthday were two red pigeons (without pedigrees) and that’s exactly the colour that I have not liked to this very day. A few months later another two pigeons “Tournier” joined them. These four pigeons formed gained my first two pairs and with one of their youngster ones I even gained my first provincial vitory in 1948. At the beginning of the 50s the Janssen pigeons via  Boxtel borthers, Kaatsheuvel (in those years already one of the largest branches of Janssen brothers, Arendonk) together with pigeons from Jan Pot, Utrecht, who with his pigeons had been a champion for 25 consecutive years, joined mine. In the 70s a large part of these pigeons were disposed of. I only wanted the pure Janssen pigeons, I bought three of them from Jan Loots in Krommenie, who, in the 70s, could not be beaten. Furthermore I bought some pure Janssen pigeons from Leen Klopman, Zaandam, who possessed a breedingloft full of pure Janssen pigeons. Also Jan Loots bought his Janssen pigeons from van Boxtel and Klopman. After the death of Klopman and van Boxtel I enlarged my colony with pure Janssen pigeons. Also two hens which I gave the names of “Leontien” and “Van Moorsel” contributed to the great success. The former was even nominated 1st acehhen of the Netherlands in 1990 and the latter was crowned 2nd acehen of the Netherlands in 1989, 1990 and 1992. On top of that she was the best shortdistance pigeon of the Netherlands. In those years I myself had bred the world famous Felle, which became 3rd cockpigeon of the Netherland and for 3 consecutive years became 1st general champion cock pigeon. From 1952 on the first Janssen pigeons, with which I have been racing at the absolute top for 40 years, came to my loft. The base of the Braspenning pigeons are the famous Janssen Bange, Raket, Rakkertje, Donkere Stier, Kleintje, Vos Voliere, Afgekeurde, Chantilly and Blauwe winterjongen. As long as I have had pigeons, I have been a Janssen fan. As a result of my system of breeding, selecting and purchasing of new material, I have formed my own pedigree (race). In the meantime extraordinary successes are being archieved with the Braspenning pigeons in many countries of the world. For me this is a beautiful award for the unremitting drive to breed an even faster homing pigeon in which beauty and excellence go togethger. Not only in their own loft they know how to gain regular victories. Even better, also in many others. FUNCTIONS Club life has always appealed to me. I have spent much of my free time on that. I started in the youth section as a contribution collector. Late on I became a youth secretary and in 1968 I was co-founder of a pigeon fanciers’ association, which very soon grew into one of the strongest of the area. I was a secretary and later chairman for many years. In the meantime I have been writing for all kinds of pigeon magazines for 20 years and because  I wanted to know everything about pigeons, I became a certified judge 25 years ago. During the pigeon season I have a programme about homing pigeons and cycling on our local radio station every Saterdaymorning. For more than 25 years I have dedicated myself by means of pigeonracing to the fight against cancer and in all these years the committe of which I am chairman has already donated more than $250.000,--. I also had several executive functions within the cycling sport. For all those activities I was nominated “honorary member” of the Dutch Pigeon Organisation, The Dutch Bikesport Organisation and of my own bicyclecluc DTS. This year I will be 65, the number of executive functions is getting fewer and fewer, but I’m still as fanatic and driven as 25 years ago. I still want to win every race. THE LOFT On the homepage you see my loft. Upstairs on the left side are the three young bird lofts and in front of the loft are the aviaries. On the other side are the old birds racers, two parts for the 32 cocks and one for the 32 hens. I raced widowhood with cocks and hens. Downstairs is my pigeon office and the breedingloft with 24 pairs. Most of them are first prize winners or championbirds. Every year the best always go to the breedingloft. I think that the best always come from the best. I’m very accurate as far as care is conserned and especially in the racing season everything happens at the very precise minute. The pigeons exercise twice a day for an hour and the whole year through mornings and nights they get the same “fligt” food, which consist of 28 different sorts of corn and beans a.s.o So they never develop moulting or a mixturee of breeding. They do get some little mixture after each meal. MEDICAL TREATMENT The most important medical attendance for me is selecting on health troughout the year, which starts in the nest. Ofcourse I regulary treat them especially in the racing season against small pox and paramixo. But normally I try to stay away from medicine as much as possible by selecting on health very rigidly. Performing becomes so much easier for the pigeons. Healthy pigeons orientate quicker, and if they have it in them to be able to fly fast and they like going home, it’s not so difficult to win races and achive excellent results. If you are that far, you will become a champion easy. Don’t make the mistake that your pigeons will fly even faster you give them medicines, elixers, pills and powders. Remember one thing very cleraly; healthy homing pigeons always come home faster than all those so-called “top” pigeons that are not healthy. CERTIFIED EUROPEAN BREEDERS AND CHRONICLER WRITERS In Europe a neutral commission of 7 experts, has a number of important cases about fixing of the pigeon sport. The commission established an inquiry where 2000 people voted on various issues. There goal was the come to a protected list of breeders of race pigeons, breeders of long distance racers, breeding studs, chronicle writers and a several other important areas of the pigeons sport. From the E.E.C.(European Economic Community) came the question: Who in Europe are official breeders? They set rules and the rules were the following : -they must have minimal 50 years race pigeons, -they must have made topresults at the races and the shows, -other fanciers must have made good results with the breeders birds. -The breeder must all know about breeding a own collection and -he must know the LAW OF MENDEL. -He must be a personality and -no total auction have taken place of the birds in this period of 50 years... Every fancier in Europe who can do on this condition was controlled by the team of 7 researchers. After that there was one year that everybody could make comments about these fanciers. After this year the names were registered by the E.E.C. And the breeders that were on this list were honored by presenting an official certificate. This certificate implicates that the breeder/fancier who has such a certificate may call his birds are of an own strain. So Bert can call his birds officially Braspenning birds and the strain Braspenning. When ever there is an illness amongs the pigeons and pigeons need te be killed, the fanciers with a certificate do not have to kill the birds. They are protected by the E.E.C. This investigation took 3 years for the results and then there was 1 year to object to the findings. Those that have fulfilled all conditions of the regulations have received a certificate from the researcher Gerard de Cuyper(Belgium). All that received certificates are officially registered and a book is being composed with the names of those that received the certificates. Such people as Jos van Limpt (de Klak) and Albert Marcelis received these certificates but unfortunately both died in the first period of 2004. The Dutch fancier Bert Braspenning from Wijdewormer give every satisfaction through all by the EEC fixed conditions and he had present even 2 certificates. One as an European chronicle writer and one as a breeder of sprint racingpigeons. He's the only one inside Europe that owns 2 of these appreciative certificates. These are fantastic certificates of great appreciation from the pigeonsport.