When you talk about the heavy marathon races at the kitchen table in Made, one name quickly comes up: Rex de Leeuw. Together with his girlfriend Toos, he experiences the pigeon sport with a huge amount of pleasure and a healthy dose of bravado. But between all the laughter and enjoyment, the performances at the Lions Pigeons lofts are absolutely brutal. The absolute pivotal figure in this success story is a cock that has now earned the status of a living legend. We are talking, of course, about NL18-3804281, better known in the corridors as Bertus. A bird in a million, blessed with an iron character and genes of pure gold.
The Hard Facts of a True Heavyweight
Some pigeons are made famous by nice stories, but the Rex de Leeuw Bertus dynasty rests on hard, irrefutable facts. Before this blue powerhouse claimed his spot in the breeding box, he showed the absolute world elite how to dominate the skies. Anyone who looks at his racing record immediately sees that we are dealing with a phenomenon.
In the challenging year of 2020, Bertus captured the highly coveted 1st prize in the Dutch Pigeon International Ranking from Narbonne. He completely tore the competition apart that day. Nationally, he won the 9th prize against 6.732 birds in a thrilling ZLU Narbonne, while in the tough Brabantse Superleague, he left the entire racing convoy of 1.184 pigeons behind to claim the 1st prize. As if that was not enough, he proved on both afternoon and morning releases that distance means nothing to him. He captured the 108th National Agen against 3.940 yearlings in 2019 and repeated that trick as an old bird in 2020 with the 125th National Agen against no less than 6.878 pigeons. That is not luck, that is pure class.
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The Golden Legacy in the Breeding Box
The true greatness of a foundation sire is only revealed when his children take over the torch. And believe us, the children of Bertus are flying the lights out. Take his direct daughter Fayenne for example. This fantastic hen showed what real character means in 2025. She took the 1st prize in the NIC Marseille and repeated that stunt provincially by claiming the 1st prize in the entire section. Nationally, she nestled herself right among the elite with a brilliant 36th National Marseille.
Fayenne proved she inherited the elite genes of her father Bertus on Bordeaux as well. While most pigeons were still asleep, she dropped onto the landing board in the darkness of the early morning at exactly 05:05 AM, good for the 81st NPO Bordeaux. A year earlier, she already demonstrated her exceptional class with the 87th National Agen.
Quality That Never Skips a Generation
The Rex de Leeuw Bertus bloodline passes on its traits so dominantly that even the grandchildren are storming the national podiums. In Made, Rex talks almost daily with his racing buddy Jan van Gijzel. They train together, basket together, and share the ultimate passion for the sport. The fact that this collaboration works became crystal clear in 2024. In the lofts of Jan van Gijzel, the super talent ring number 224 unleashed its power. This cock is a direct grandchild of Bertus and achieved the incredible by winning the 2nd National in Sector 1 against a massive field of 7.109 pigeons.
This is exactly what Rex de Leeuw lives for. Enjoying the sport, sharing successes with friends, and building a strain of pigeons that sets the pace generation after generation. With Bertus as the solid bedrock of the breeding loft, the competition better prepare themselves. The lions from Made are just getting started.
Jan de Wijs
The Pigeon Boss
