You stand beside the loft, watching the sky and waiting for that first tiny dot. Then the opening pigeon drops. Less than a minute later, number two arrives. Before you fully realise what is happening, five Team van Oss pigeons are already inside the first 23.
That was the story of Team van Oss from Gien on Saturday, September 5, 2026. The team entered 54 pigeons and won 27 prizes in Section 3 East Brabant. Exactly 50 percent of the team made the result, with eight pigeons in the top 100 and an opening salvo of 6th and 7th.
This was not the work of one exceptional pigeon.
It was a complete racing team delivering when it mattered.
Two early arrivals set the tone
The 2,345 pigeons from 157 fanciers were released from Gien South East at 09:40. Under light clouds, with a temperature of 18 degrees and a weak westerly wind, the convoy began its journey home.
Team van Oss faced a distance of 485.474 kilometres. At 15:40:48, NL.26-2641071 arrived with a velocity of 1,345.490 metres per minute. That performance secured 6th prize.
Just 37 seconds later, NL.26-2641122 landed to claim 7th.
The arrivals kept coming. NL.26-2640979 finished 16th, followed by NL.26-2641124 and NL.26-2641163 in 22nd and 23rd place.
Five pigeons among the first 23, all clocked within 8 minutes and 19 seconds of the loft’s first arrival. Those are the moments when you know the racing team is in serious form.
A prize series with real depth
All 27 prizes won by Team van Oss on one line:
6th, 7th, 16th, 22nd, 23rd, 66th, 72nd, 95th, 108th, 128th, 191st, 194th, 208th, 276th, 297th, 298th, 356th, 368th, 390th, 423rd, 495th, 548th, 615th, 638th, 645th, 647th and 709th. Prize percentage: 50.00%.
Look beyond the first arrival and the true strength of this performance becomes clear. Team van Oss occupied five of the first 23 positions. Eight pigeons finished in the top 100, while thirteen placed inside the best ten percent of the entire competition.
The first ten pigeons were clocked within 20 minutes and 42 seconds. Twenty of the 27 prize winners had already appeared by 423rd place.
This was not a result built around one superstar. It showed depth, form and the quality of an entire racing team.
Six performances that define the 2026 season
Gien was not an isolated result. Throughout 2026, Team van Oss has demonstrated its quality over different distances and against major competition.
- 1st NPO Saint Soupplets against 18,841 pigeons with NL.24-8518769. The winning hen was also entered as the first nominated pigeon.
- 1st and 10th Provincial Sens against 7,816 pigeons with the full sisters NL.25-1394935 and NL.25-1394828.
- 1st and 2nd Rayon West from Sens against 4,141 pigeons, with the first two Team van Oss arrivals clocked within two seconds.
- 1st and 2nd Provincial Chateauroux against 4,353 pigeons, also finishing 11th and 13th National against 36,386 pigeons. Team van Oss entered 58 pigeons and won 43 prizes.
- 1st and 2nd Chimay against 1,542 young pigeons, winning 54 prizes from 101 entries.
- 1st Provincial Ace Pigeon Allround in Section 3 East Brabant with NL.24-8518652.
From speed to one day long distance racing, and from double victories to a provincial ace pigeon title, Team van Oss continues to appear at the sharp end of the result.
Not during one exceptional weekend, but throughout an entire season.
With the upcoming auction season approaching, these are exactly the performances international fanciers will be studying.
The foundation behind the consistency
A powerful racing season rarely begins inside the racing loft. Its foundations are laid years earlier in the breeding loft.
The Team van Oss breeding loft is built around proven champions such as Olympic Yoni, Blue Rum, Dream Artus, Olympic Miss Annie and Olympic Mick. These are not simply famous names with impressive records. Their quality must return in future generations.
Olympic Yoni became 1st National Ace Pigeon Allround WHZB and TBOTB in 2021. She was also crowned 1st Provincial Ace Pigeon Allround on two occasions.
Blue Rum became 3rd National Ace Pigeon One Day Long Distance NPO and 4th World Best Pigeon Long Distance. His breeding value received powerful confirmation when his daughter NL.24-8518769 won 1st NPO Saint Soupplets against 18,841 pigeons.
Dream Artus proved her own racing class with performances including 2nd NPO Sens against 2,986 pigeons and 6th Melun against 6,147 pigeons. Her influence later became visible in international One Loft Race competition.
That is what defines a great breeding loft. Not famous names alone, but elite performance returning in the next generation.
Four references to watch before the auction season
The upcoming auctions will place renewed international attention on the performance bloodlines of Team van Oss. These four references explain why.
NL.24-8627727, Son Dream Artus won 4th in the Afrika Pro semifinal over 508 kilometres against 1,775 pigeons. He had previously claimed 5th against 2,091 pigeons and 11th against 2,550 pigeons.
The nestmate of NL.24-8627727 underlined the strength of the same family by winning 11th against 2,658 pigeons in Race 2 of Afrika Pro.
New Kyann, NL.24-8518477 was bred through the collaboration between Comb. Mevr. Snellen en Zoon and Team van Oss. New Kyann won 1st National Sector 1 Issoudun against 9,464 pigeons and finished 4th National against 32,812 pigeons.
NL.24-8518769, a daughter of Blue Rum, won 1st NPO Saint Soupplets against 18,841 pigeons. Her victory provided undeniable proof of the breeding power behind Team van Oss.
These are important signals for prospective buyers. The home team wins major races, full sisters reach the provincial top together and descendants compete successfully on the international stage.
The finest promotion lands on the clock
Gien did not bring Team van Oss a victory, but it produced a result that may reveal even more about the loft’s true strength.
The 6th and 7th prize winners arrived within 37 seconds. Five pigeons finished among the first 23. Eight reached the top 100. In the end, exactly half of the entered team won a prize.
You cannot manufacture that kind of consistency.
With major victories, a provincial ace pigeon, proven international references and a breeding loft packed with established quality, Team van Oss has delivered a powerful statement throughout 2026. As the auction season approaches, serious fanciers should look beyond the pedigrees alone.
The results tell the real story.
Jan de Wijs
The Pigeon Boss
