Every fancier knows that feeling. You open the results of a big race and within seconds you realise you are looking at something worth sitting down for. Agen ZLU. More than a thousand kilometres. A field packed with heavyweights. Hard competition. And suddenly one name jumps out. The man from Egmond Binnen. Marcel Tromp. First Fondclub North Holland. Direct. Clear. A result with weight behind it. Exactly the kind of moment that keeps the long distance game alive and exactly the kind of story I love to bring to the world.
The craftsman who builds pigeons with the same care he puts into his walls
Marcel is not the type to shy away from hard work. He earns his living in construction. All day long he works with his hands, lifting, mixing, carrying. Nothing easy about it. And still, after a full day, he walks into his loft with the same calm energy and the same love for the birds he had when he was six years old cleaning lofts for his neighbour. A life built around pigeons. Patient, stubborn, consistent. The kind of dedication the long distance sport thrives on.
Agen did not happen by accident
Ten pigeons in the basket. Two prizes. And one bird that simply outflew them all. Speed 1210 meters per minute. Arrival at 21.19.52. Numbers that tell you everything if you know the game. But the deeper story is this. Anyone who has followed Tromp Pigeons over the years knows that this victory is the result of decades of discipline, belief and careful breeding.
The winning pigeon Lupino (Th. van Ruyven) x Hommes
NL23-9229665, a powerfully built chequer cock from a pure Lupino father and a proven Hommes mother, and on top of that he is a real performer himself with a 12th National Agen to his name. This is one of those cocks you simply cannot ignore: presence, pedigree and performance all in one.
This 665 made his mark immediately. Agen 2025 was no easy Sunday flight but a real test. 1004 kilometres of character. And he pushed himself straight into the national and international elite with 12th National, 20th International against 27600 pigeons and 1st Fondclub North Holland. Results like that are never an accident. These are the pigeons you build with.
Father: NL16-1460527 “Lupino”, a chequer cock straight from the renowned Lupino family and purchased directly at Lupino. This line has produced generations of pigeons built for the heavy work. Lupino has been a backbone across many Dutch lofts for years and is known for strength, orientation and pure long-distance mentality. The father transmits that classic, durable foundation that marathon fanciers value so highly.
Mother: NL19-1566158 “Daughter 174”, a chequer hen from Comb. J. Hommes & Zn, directly out of their phenomenal “174”. This family excels in consistency: top results on Bergerac, Cahors, St. Vincent and Barcelona flights are written all over their pedigrees. The mother herself is an excellent blend of hard, workmanlike blood and the kind of grit needed for the heavy long-distance races.
The combination is logical, powerful and clearly aimed at long-distance success: Lupino x Hommes, character x character, class x class. And this 665 has already proven the cross works. For anyone building a loft to compete at the major long-distance events, this is proven start-up quality. This is material for fanciers who know exactly what they’re looking for.
The long distance engine behind Tromp Pigeons
It all started in 1998. Marcel wanted to play the real long distance. Not to show up. To compete. To win. He bought ten eggs from Herman Brinkman and built his foundation from there. More reinforcements followed: Van Zon, Jackie de Bruine, Hommes, Lupino (Th. van Ruyven) and Cor Schermer. Not the kind of bloodlines you buy for short flights, but for roads that stretch to the horizon and keep going. Pigeons with stamina. Pigeons with willpower.
When the wind turns rough, Tromp refuses to fold
North Holland is not the easiest region. When eastern winds push the field away, coastal fanciers must fight for every place on the result sheet. Yet Marcel has been there for years, constantly pushing his way into the top of ZLU and afternoon releases. Winner of St Vincent Fondunie 2000. The man behind the Bordeaux sector win with the famous yearling that spent twenty long minutes dancing around on the roof. And now Agen. Sharp work. Honest work. The pure essence of long distance pigeon racing.
The Egmond story
Mention Marcel Tromp and people immediately think of the Pyrenees Club in Egmond. Those one hundred kilometre training rides. The coffee. The jokes. The friendly rivalry that keeps everyone sharp. The kind of environment where the sport still lives the way it is supposed to. Hard work, big dreams, and laughter that fills the loft.
Why this victory matters
Yes, this win is beautiful for Marcel. But it means even more for North Holland. For the marathon men above the North Sea Canal. For every fancier who keeps believing in quality. For everyone who loves pigeons that will simply not give up. This victory is a reminder that the north still plays the game at the highest level and that long distance racing is very much alive.
The Pigeon Boss speaks
Marcel, if you are reading this. You did not just win Agen. You reminded the sport what real long distance racing looks like. Positive. Patient. Focused. Built on a foundation that you shaped over many years. Birds that return because you never stopped improving your system, your selection, your belief in your own strain.
That deserves respect. More than plenty.
North Holland can be proud.
The long distance sport can be proud.
And believe me, so am I
Jan de Wijs
The Pigeon Boss
