The picturesque Gennep on the river Maas is the home base of a man who is setting the international pigeon racing sport on fire. We are of course talking about Mat Janssen.
After more than fifty years in the sport as Gebr Janssen his absolute focus is now on one single goal. He breeds the ultimate marathon flyers and OLR gladiators under the banner of Flying Home Pigeons. Mat is also known in the corridors as the dreamer from Gennep who builds the long distance dreams of others. And last weekend we saw the ultimate proof of that in the Derby Carmelo Yupi. Get ready for a result that touches the pure essence of our beautiful sport!
A Historic War of Attrition
The release in Barcelona on Saturday May 16 2026 at 07:10 AM was the starting gun for an unprecedented ordeal. A massive 896 kilometers lay ahead. What a race this has become. The numbers speak for themselves and make many a fancier shiver.
The pure survival trek: While the fastest bird of the pack managed to clock a majestic 1092 meters per minute the rest of the fleet fought a true war of attrition.
The ruthless climate: The weather on the flight line demanded iron willpower and the endurance of a Spartan warrior.
The brutal selection: The battlefield is enormous. At the time of writing on Monday morning May 18 at 09:00 AM only 153 of the 952 basketed warriors have managed to reach the home front.
This is exactly the setting in which the Mat Janssen Pigeons flourish and refuse to give up!
Six Comets in the Line of Fire
Look at the impressive arrivals of Team Flying Home. The breeding loft from Gennep proves to possess an inexhaustible source of quality on one of the toughest races of the year.
Spot 11: Sunday morning at exactly 07:47 AM and 13 seconds the NL25 1138487 fell on the landing board like a comet good for a majestic eleventh place with 606 meters per minute. This checkered warrior is a brilliant testament to the golden genetics of two absolute powerhouse lofts. On his fathers side we find the pure marathon royalty of Piet de Vogel being a direct DNA certified son of the legendary Mister Gijs coupled with the famous Barcelona Duivin who was crowned first National Ace Pigeon Perpignan. On the mothers side the dam is a breathtaking dark checkered hen directly from the absolute top breeders of Team de Hoogh bred out of Golden Rico and the super breeding hen Lotte.
Spot 12: Only twenty seconds later the next champion followed for a magical double strike at the absolute pinnacle. This phenomenal bird known as 502 is a versatile superstar that also already played a stellar 7th prize on a Hot Spot race. Proving its incredible consistency across distances this defender of the Gennep honor also won the 43rd prize on the 701 km extra long distance race at the Derby Carmelo Yupi. On the fathers side this flyer hails from Team de Hoogh out of de 23 Unique multiplied by Anna. On the mothers side it comes from Robin Bakhuis out of the famous 70 x 69 brother and sister of Robin.
Spot 31: A ruthless confirmation of the rock solid breeding value.
Spot 84 and 88 plus 102: Three early pigeons that complete the total dominance at the top of the results.
Six pigeons at the head of the race on this grueling stage. That is no longer a coincidence. That is pure dominance and the crowning glory of a craftsman.
Many Think They Have A Golden Breeding Pair Mat Janssen really has one… The winners of prize 84 & 88 are full brother & sister of the “487” HOW AMAZING is that? 3 in the first 100 from the same pair!
The Golden Breeding Foundation from Gennep
How do you create such an ironclad strain? Mat made phenomenal investments in recent years on Top Pigeons and with grandmasters like Walter van der Meulen and Team de Hoogh. The breeding lofts in Gennep are full of direct children of legends such as Super Kweker 823 and Crack 61 and Dn Adwin. And let us absolutely not forget the golden bloodlines of Joe Frazier and The Blue Dusk.
Mat himself bred the world famous Canela from them. This hen won the seventh prize in the final of Derby Arona Tenerife and also became seventh Ace Pigeon Grand Average.
The Love for the Sport
The heroic Barcelona race in the Derby Carmelo Yupi proves that the vision in Gennep is masterful. This spectacle shows exactly why we all love the pigeon racing sport so deeply. The thrill of waiting for a pigeon that has braved almost nine hundred kilometers through wind and weather is an emotion that defies description. Mat Janssen takes this emotion to an unprecedented level. We bow deeply for this achievement and are already looking forward to the next chapter of this dream loft
Jan de Wijs
The Pigeon Boss
Questions? Feel FREE to contact Mat...
