What a crazy, breathtaking weekend marathon pigeon racing has just experienced! When the true long distance men sharpen their knives for the ultimate classics, you know the barometer in Made is standardly set to high voltage. But what Rex de Leeuw demonstrated past weekend on Barcelona and Bressols defies all description. With a smile on his face, a healthy dose of bravado, and the unconditional support of his girlfriend Toos, the grandmaster from Made completely downgraded the competition. This is no romantic fairy tale; this is elite sport of the highest level!
As the editor-in-chief of PigeonBoss.com, I am taking you through a weekend that will enter the history books as a demonstration of pure class. Rex proves that passion, pleasure, and absolute dominance can go hand in hand perfectly.
The Hell of Barcelona: Clear Skies, Headwinds and +30 Degrees In France
Let us begin with the mother of all classics: Barcelona. The pigeons were liberated under a clear, cloudless sky with a temperature of 22 degrees Celsius and a moderate headwind from the north-to-northwest. For the weaker birds, this is the ultimate breakdown, but for the ironclad Rex de Leeuw Pigeons, this is the exact territory where they finally warm up.
Rex basketed a compact, razor-sharp team of 6 pigeons for this clash of titans. And boy, did they deliver!
Furious Barca Rockets to 10th National!
The absolute masterpiece was delivered by NL22-2211966, now rightfully named Furious Barca. This magnificent blue doffer thundered through the heat and headwinds to claim:
10th National against 5.057 pigeons!
11th International against no less than 16.278 pigeons!
2nd in the Zeeland-West-Brabant Section (1.339 pigeons).
1st in the Geel Club (234 pigeons).
What makes this performance even more beautiful is the pedigree. Furious Barca is a 100% crossbreeding of pure gold. His sire is a son of the legendary 1st National Bordeaux 2010 winner, which is a daughter of founding cock Ad. On the maternal side, we find the world-famous Handsome Grey from Cor de Heijde, who is already known worldwide as the mother of Georgina, the 1st National Dax ZLU winner of 2024! Good blood never lies; these athletes are simply built for the late sprint in the dark.
Next to Furious Barca, the NL21-2112417 also showed its class by finishing early in the charts on a beautiful 217th national position. Two out of six pigeons flying hard in the absolute top against the national elite—that is pure dominance!
The Spectacle on Bressols: Frits Rules the Section!
As if Barcelona was not enough, the national race from Bressols was on the agenda during the exact same weekend. Liberation took place at 13:00 PM under a cloudless sky, facing that same characterful, grueling northwest wind. Rex sent 8 warriors to the front line and made quick work of the competition there as well.
Frits Does It Again: 13th National!
The absolute star of Bressols was the NL23-2303912, better known as Frits. This checkered cock is a phenomenon on wings. He clocked in at 09:15:52 AM over a distance of nearly 898 kilometers, recording a blistering speed of 1079 meters per minute. With this performance, he captured the 13th National against 16.940 pigeons and claimed a magnificent 3rd prize in the Zeeland-West-Brabant Section against 3.349 birds!
Frits is a full brother to the 3-2303944, the powerhouse doffer that already flew an early prize from Bordeaux earlier this season. Both brothers descend directly from a son of the 1st National Bordeaux winner mated to Kanibaal Blue Dream (Cor de Heijde).
Rex de Leeuw Pigeons displayed an unprecedented depth in the official charts from Bressols, as no less than 7 out of his 8 basketed birds flew themselves deep into the national prizes:
13th National (Frits)
760th National (4-2413718M)
1015th National (4-2413740M)
2075th National (4-2413724V)
3718th National (3-2303908M)
5027th National (1-2112413M)
5045th National (4-2413735M)
Seven out of eight pigeons winning national prizes on a tough race—that is a prize percentage of nearly 90 percent! This proves the incredible depth and ironclad foundation of the modern De Leeuw strain.
The System behind an Independent Grandmaster
Rex de Leeuw did not grow up in a golden pigeon cradle. As a former agricultural livestock feed salesman, he caught the pigeon bug between farmyards and warehouses, learning through trial and error, and built everything with his own two hands. Since 2001, he has been taking things seriously at his location in Made, with his focus fixed entirely on the overnight long distance marathon races.
His system is simple, logical, and tight. Rex races exclusively on the nest system with complete pairs. He completely lives for motivation in the loft. Whether it is a bunch of straw on the floor, a nest box opened at exactly the right moment, or a feed tin positioned next to the bowl, everything is engineered to trigger the ultimate drive for the nest.
Medically, he keeps a cool head. No standard cures or a cabinet full of random products used for the feeling. Rex regularly visits specialists like Jan van Wanrooy and the De Weerd veterinary clinic every two to four weeks for droppings checks and throat swabs. He only treats when there is a real, diagnosed problem. It is precisely because of this that his pigeons maintain the ironclad natural resistance needed to make the difference in the final hours of a grueling marathon race.
A Word from the Boss: “100% home from Barcelona 2026: When the ultimate endurance race demands a perfect engine, I rely on Berger Products to fuel my champions.”
A Credit to Our Beautiful Sport
What makes Rex de Leeuw truly unique is that he does not just shine on the result sheets, but also puts countless hours of heart and soul into organizing behind the scenes. As chairman of the Madese Bond and the Fondclub Zuid Nederland, he spends his winter months traveling to meetings and prize-givings while others stay on the couch.
His message to the pigeon world is clear and powerful: stay positive, promote our beautiful hobby with pride, and treat the irreplaceable volunteers with the respect they deserve.
With icons like Cathy (1st National Ace Pigeon ZLU 2021), Amazing Louise (1st National Bordeaux), Georgina (1st National Dax 2024), and now the fabulous execution by Furious Barca and Frits, Rex de Leeuw Pigeons prove they belong to the absolute world elite.
The racing season is in full swing and the competition has been warned: the lions from Made are hungry, the absolute peak form is officially on its way, and the party has only just begun!
Jan de Wijs
The Pigeon Boss
