King of Long Distance, Emiel Denys.

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We’re once again revisiting the remarkable history of the legendary pigeon racing career of the King of Long Distance, Emiel Denys.

Enjoy reading in the days ahead!

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Eric T’Jolyn

👉 All texts and photos are the intellectual property of IPA Pigeons and may not be used without permission.

🔺The Legendary Denys Family

100 years at the top of pigeon racing, driven by one great passion: extreme long-distance racing at the highest level.

The story begins in 1920 — enjoy the journey!

The History of a World-Famous 

 — Part 1

Emiel & André Denys

Emiel and his brother André Denys

The Provincial Governor of East Flanders

“In the Mosselstraat 18.”

Emiel Denys Sr. was born on October 22, 1891, in Westkerke and attended school in Oudenburg, where he was taught by Theo Vandevelde — the founder of many long-distance lofts along the coast.

In 1912, Emiel married Ida Titeca, also from Westkerke. Their first son, Camiel, was born on September 3, 1913.

Shortly after, Belgium was occupied by German forces. One day, little Camiel was picked up by a German soldier — and in the commotion, he peed on him. Needless to say, he was quickly returned to his mother.

This story, of course, was retold countless times by Grandmother Ida.

Emiel was drafted into the army. During his service, their second son, Cyriel, was born on January 3, 1915.

At the end of the war, Emiel’s priority was to care for his family. He became a truck farmer — not an easy job, since Westkerke-Gistel was on the German side of the front near the Yser River.

As life slowly returned to normal, Emiel began racing pigeons.

He started with short-distance races, as options in Flanders during the 1920s were limited.

Gradually, he raised the bar and began competing in longer middle-distance races, organized by pigeon centers in Bruges, Ypres, and Roeselare.

His sons shared his vision and passion. Together, they sought out better breeding stock — mainly from the pigeons of master breeder Theo Vandevelde. Indeed, Theo Vandevelde was, directly or indirectly, the foundation of nearly all renowned coastal pigeon lofts before and just after World War II.

His bloodlines can clearly be seen in the pedigrees of Cattrysse, Devriendt, and Charles Van der Espt.

The Denys family eventually acquired one of the region’s most famous Vandevelde pigeons: “Hercules,” previously owned by Meyns of Roksem.

This reflects the family’s enduring drive to acquire only the best — a true Denys trait. They also collaborated with Nestor Tremmery of Oudenburg — one of the first Flemish long-distance fliers who dared to challenge the great Walloon champions: Bricoux, Duray, and Stassart.

To be continued…

 

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♦️The History of a World Famous Strain – Part 2

Emiel & André Denys

COPPI 3245564/48 – Son of “Libourne”

The national competitions from Pau, Biarritz, Dax, etc… But the pigeon with which they had the most success was a blue cock, nr. 3202596/36, named “De Dikken”. He won 2nd prize in Orléans (Roeselare) and 2nd prize in Tours (Ypres). These were, at the time, two major provincial races held one after the other.

In 1937, Emiel Denys was one of the co-founders of the West-Vlaamse Vereniging (West Flanders Association). Very soon, great results followed, including a 2nd and a 4th place from Bordeaux. In 1939, the last season before the war, Denys finished 2nd in the championship of the West-Vlaamse Vereniging.

Then came World War II. Gistel, where the Denys family was residing at the time and operating a poultry slaughterhouse at Mosselstraat 18, was located in a restricted zone. All pigeons were seized by the Germans and taken away, a real disaster for this flourishing loft. After the war, a few pigeons were recovered by the De Scheemaecker brothers in Denmark. Most of them were sick, and very few could still be used for breeding.

They immediately began looking for new breeding material.

In 1946, a late-bred pigeon was purchased from André Vanbruaene, which was later named “Libourne”. He was the son of “Kortebek”, nr. 3392093/34, who was also the grandfather of “Jonge Stier”, 1st National Pau winner. “Libourne” quickly proved to be a golden purchase. He was only paired in 1948, but a whole range of long-distance champions with a capital C immediately descended from him.

Among them:

“Bulte” (1948): 8th place at Bordeaux in Ghent, also placed in Carcassonne and Barcelona.
“Schotte” (also 1948): 8th National Pau (1,222 pigeons) in 1951, and 17th International San Sebastian in 1953.
On that memorable San Sebastian international race, André Vanbruaene won 1st prize with “Tarzan”, while Emiel Denys Sr. won the Ambassador of Spain Trophy for the 1st team, with the “San Sebastiaantje” in 13th place and the “Schotte” in 17th.
The most famous of all sons of “Libourne”, and foundation stock bird No. 1 of the lineage, was

“COPPI” 3245564/48

The mother of “Coppi” was a Van der Espt–Vandevelde hen, from the bloodline of the aforementioned “Hercules” from Meyns.

In two seasons, he recorded results in nine long-distance races:

10/06/1950 Angoulême – National: 3,800 birds – 12th (646 km)
24/06/1950 Libourne – International: 1,474 birds – 352nd (730 km)
24/06/1950 Libourne – National: 2,030 birds – 366th
08/07/1950 Limoges – National Derby: 1,602 birds – 6th (604 km)
08/07/1950 Limoges – National O.B.: 2,360 birds – 15th
22/07/1950 Angoulême – National: 3,143 birds – 120th
22/07/1950 Angoulême – Provincial: 775 birds – 16th
1st Ace Pigeon – West-Vlaamse Vereniging, 1950
09/06/1951 Tulle – National: 4,122 pigeons – 190th
24/06/1951 Libourne – National: 2,661 pigeons – 109th
07/07/1951 Angoulême – National: 1,927 pigeons – 108th
21/07/1951 Brive – National: 1,922 pigeons – 61st
05/08/1951 Bordeaux – Ghent: 313 pigeons – 30th

Had he raced these results today, he would certainly have earned a place in the Belgian Olympiad team.

In 1950, the Cattrysse Brothers paired a sister of the world-famous “45” with “Coppi”, each receiving one egg. This was standard procedure for these uncrowned world champions from Moere.

“Coppi” was not only a racing ace, but also a true stock bird. His descendants, who would play key roles in building the bloodline, included the “Quick Star” 3014948/54, his brother “Zwaren”, the “Kaers”, and his last daughter, “Grijspenne” 3427223/59.

During this time, son Cyriel became president of the Union Gistel, the long-distance cradle par excellence. The Cattrysse brothers, Oscar Devriendt, Charles Van der Espt, Boels, and others celebrated one triumph after another there.

The Cattrysse family, deeply admired by the Denys family and close friends as well, regularly brought in new breeding stock.

At a 1949 auction, a small dark check pigeon was bought, believed to be a hen. It turned out to be a cock and was named “Oude Cattrysse”.

From him descended, among others, the “San Sebastiaantje” (13th International San Sebastian 1953), and a whole series of breeders who continue to leave their mark.

One granddaughter won 1st prize Chatellerault Provincial for young birds in 1958.

Another grandson was “Tintin”, a tough long-distance racer. As a yearling, he scored twice from Angoulême and later from St. Vincent, Barcelona, Marseille, and more.

André Vermote received a daughter of “Oude Cattrysse”; she became the mother of the “Atleet”, 2nd National Ace Pigeon Long Distance KBDB 1971. Vermote gave a sister of the “Atleet” to Emiel Deweerdt, and she became the mother of the phenomenal “Spiritus”, 1st National Cahors 1978. This clearly demonstrates the red thread descending from the “Old Cattrysse”.

The baker from Moere, Charles Van der Espt, was visited every week on their way to the coast, and regularly some of his best pigeons moved to Mosselstraat 18 in Gistel.

Charles had a pigeon memory like a computer. He knew the ring numbers of all champion pigeons and their descendants. One of his well-known sayings was:

“Only 10 couples rule the entire Belgian long-distance sport.”

That was, of course, a saying from the 1950s, when participation in long-distance races was still low. Yet, there was much truth in his words.

Up to and including 1957, the colony raced under the name Emiel Denys at Mosselstraat 18 in Gistel. After that, the loft was moved to Markt 15.

To be continued…

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Express 144 – The Barcelona Legend of Emiel Denys
By Eric T’Jolyn

The blue cock Express 144 (BE 03-3203144) is one of the most iconic Barcelona pigeons in the rich history of Belgian pigeon racing. Bred and raced by Emiel Denys from Tielt, this exceptional long-distance flyer gained national fame through his consistently top performances in the legendary race from Barcelona.

Key achievements of Express 144:
 • 337th National Barcelona 2006 against 11,802 pigeons
 • 67th National Barcelona 2007 against 12,612 pigeons
 • 1st National Ace Pigeon Barcelona KBDB over 2006–2007–2008

These achievements highlight his remarkable endurance and reliability in the toughest long-distance races. Express 144 was not only celebrated for his racing performances but also for his value as a breeder. His descendants, such as the “Sproete Barcelona,” also achieved impressive results, including 101st national in Barcelona 2020.

The influence of Express 144 is still clearly felt in today’s long-distance pigeon sport. His bloodline lives on in the current top pigeons of Emiel Denys, such as “777 Barcelona” and “Ringo 306,” both of which secured multiple top rankings in Barcelona races.

 

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♦️ The History of a World-Famous Strain – Part 3

Emiel & André Denys

AT THE MARKT 15

Cyriel Denys, Emiel’s son, was not only president of “Union Gistel” but also of the West-Vlaamse Vereniging. He was deeply committed to these roles—perhaps even a little too much. At the same time, the family business continued to grow, as the children were quickly coming of age. Alongside the hides and wool trade at Markt 15 in Gistel, the family acquired a plume business in Opwijk, where Cyriel became the manager. He also moved his residence to this village, which happened to be the birthplace of our former bishop, Mgr. Desmedt.

The demands of his leadership roles in pigeon racing and the pressures of business eventually took a toll on Cyriel’s health, leading to a heart attack. As a result, responsibilities within the Denys family had to be redistributed. Cyriel, now living in Opwijk and still in poor health, had to prioritize the business, where a significant amount of money had been invested. Pigeon racing took a back seat.

Cyriel stepped down from his role as president of the West-Vlaamse Vereniging, where he was succeeded by the current president, Norbert Norman, who has done an outstanding job. Emiel and his wife Ida supported their son and helped maintain the business in Opwijk. Meanwhile, Camiel, who still lived at Markt 15, took charge of expanding the operations in Gistel and also assumed responsibility for the pigeons.

During the winter of 1957–1958, lofts were built above the sheds, and the most important birds were relocated and settled into their new environment. It required a great deal of patience and time, especially to get “Coppi,” the godfather of the loft, used to his new home. True enthusiasts at heart, though limited in time, they once again made competitions a priority.

That same winter, at a traditional charity sale benefiting “Union Gistel,” they acquired several donations, including one from their close friends, the Brothers Catrysse.

In 1958, the racing season with the newly acclimatized pigeons was not very successful.

However, in 1959, two pigeons began to show promising results. One was “Favori” 3369001/57, a grandson of the 1948 “Coppi.” In his birth year, he managed to win a minor prize at Angoulême Waregem (646 km) while still housed in the old loft. His results as a yearling in the new loft were poor, but at two years old, he truly came into his own:

13/06/59 Angoulême – Interprovincial: 912 pigeons, 46th
27/06/59 Angoulême – National: 1,024 pigeons, 40th
12/07/59 Limoges – National Derby: 1,769 pigeons, 69th
25/07/59 Libourne – National: 2,644 pigeons, 141st
With these results, he ranked among the Ace pigeons of Belgium.

In 1960, he continued this strong performance:

04/06/60 Angoulême – Interprovincial: 468 pigeons, 31st
18/06/60 Bordeaux – National: 2,350 pigeons, 9th
03/07/60 Dax – National: 807 pigeons, 43rd
In 1960, Favori was paired with the “Witoog-hen” 3427218/59, a granddaughter of “Quick Star.” From this pairing came “Kuiper.” Both “Quick Star” and “Zwaren 54” (Favori’s father) were full brothers, sons of “Coppi.”

“Kuiper” was then paired with “Daughter Leeuw” 3423203/60, also a granddaughter of “Quick Star.” This pairing produced, among others, “Daughter Kuiper 111” 3301930/61, who appears in the pedigree of the world-famous “Tee.” This demonstrates a strong linebreeding on the 1948 “Coppi.”

Another standout racer in 1959 was “Dikken” 3208854/56, a great-grandson of the “Dikken” from 1936. That season, he achieved:

9th International Bordeaux
25th International Libourne
25th National Cognac (2,400 pigeons)
Interestingly, very little remains of the “Dikken” bloodline in the current colony—perhaps just by coincidence.

To be continued

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♦️The History of a World-Famous Strain – Part 4

Emiel & André Denys

THE DONATION – 1958 FROM CATTRYSSE

The pigeon purchased at the charity auction held by “Union” Gistel could be exchanged for a youngster from the second round at the lofts of the grandmasters from Moere. Camiel was accompanied by his eldest son, Mieltje, who was becoming a true pigeon enthusiast. He idolized the Cattrysse Brothers and André Vanbruaene.

Mieltje, born on August 11, 1946, was the eldest of his generation and had Emiel Sr. as his godfather. From a young age, he helped his grandfather care for the pigeons. During the difficult years of 1956–1957, Mieltje would begin his day by serving Holy Mass at 6 a.m. in the convent of Gistel, followed by cleaning the lofts. To this day, many fanciers in the Gistel region still refer to the now 50-year-old Emiel as “Mieltje.”

At the Cattrysse lofts, they were allowed to choose a youngster from the second round, though not from the most famous breeders. Camiel picked a blue youngster—not much to look at, but from strong bloodlines. Its ring number was 3101595/58. It was bred from two yearlings: the father, 129/57 “Son Erkul,” was a son of the legendary “87.” The mother, 109/57, was either a daughter or granddaughter of the famed “45” via “Vooruit.” The youngster grew into a cock bird and was named “Sprinter.”

As a young bird, he was trained with great care, though he always had a dirty nose. If he hadn’t come directly from the Cattrysse lofts, he probably would have ended up in his mother’s soup pot.

As a yearling, he was raced as far as Orléans. He was paired with a daughter of Kaers, 3208806/56, a granddaughter of “Coppi.” In 1959, some of their offspring were ringed, including “Hengst” (3140832/59) and “Simpson” (3283720/59). These two were carefully raced as yearlings in 1960, and from 1961 onwards, they achieved top results from Dourdan to Royan. They also raced from Périgueux. “Simpson” continued racing until the age of nine.

Meanwhile, their father, the “Sprinter,” was entered in longer-distance races. In 1960, during a National race from Angoulême—released midweek in freezing northern winds—he returned two days later, looking like an old man. That same race was won by the “90” of the Cattrysse Brothers, who later became the foundation bird of the Vereecke loft.

The “Sprinter” and the other pigeons that returned late from that grueling race were given to a customer in Brecht. But as mentioned, his sons began to show their worth the following year. At the end of 1962, the “Sprinter” was brought back to the home loft and again paired with the “Daughter Kaers.” In 1963, they produced a series of outstanding racers and breeders.

In the winter of 1963–1964, the “Sprinter” died—a bird with fragile health, but extraordinary hereditary qualities.

To be continued

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♦️The History of a World-Famous Strain – Part 5

Emiel & André Denys

1965: 1st National Limoges Derby and Old Birds

The 1965 racing season had a slow start. Emiel was in better shape than his pigeons. They didn’t have many old birds to work with, but the two-year-olds were showing real potential. During the National race from Angoulême, held in very hot weather, the birds arrived late in the evening. The “Vechter” placed 40th National, closely followed by his loyal teammate, the “Blauwe Dikken”.

The next race for this duo was the Limoges National Derby. The weather was scorching hot with an eastern wind – it became a historic day. The “Vechter” (3308886/63) took 1st National with a velocity of 941 meters per minute. The triumph was complete when the “Blauwe Dikken” won the first nominated series with a 61st National, securing the Great Prize Georges Goossens. He also won the first nominated series provincial, claiming the Great Prize of the coastal town of Knokke.

But the key victory was that the “Vechter” defeated two other top birds from famous lofts, both of which also placed in the national top ten: the “Benoni” from Pol Bostijn and the “Patrick” from Vanhee. As pigeon expert Piet Deweerdt often said: “In exceptional weather, exceptional pigeons rise to the top.”

The “Vechter” was a son of the “Sprinter” (3105595/58) and the “Daughter Kaers” (3208806/56) – a true super couple. Two weeks later, the “Vechter” also placed 32nd National Perigueux. Truly a phenomenal racer!

The Vechter – 3308886/63

🏆 1st National Limoges 1965

Judaske – 3361274/66

🏆 1st Governor’s Cup Angoulême 1966

1st National Limoges, 40th National Angoulême, and 32nd National Perigueux – all in one season.

The first double national victory was now a fact for the Denys family. A new wind was blowing through the loft. From this point on, young Emiel was given carte blanche when it came to the pigeons.

Emiel had come to realize that his Catrysse-Vanbruaene line performed excellently in good weather, but under doubtful or bad weather conditions, they were less consistent. To compete in long-distance races, one must have pigeons unafraid of rain or thunderstorms. In our Western European climate, skies are rarely clear and sunny along the entire route.

So Emiel began searching for a bloodline that could handle adverse weather. In the pigeon magazine Duivenbode, he read that Descamps-Vanhasten was going to sell a number of their breeders.

At the time, every Monday morning Camiel and Emiel would be at the poultry and hides market in Kortrijk. Their local café was the Zuiderbond, then run by Roger Depraetere from Lauwe – a big fan of Descamps-Vanhasten. He himself had crossed this strain successfully for middle- and long-distance racing.

After the market, they would visit Bissegem for a drink with Daniel Labeeuw, then head through Gullegem, Wevelgem, and finally Lauwe, where they knocked on the door of Descamps-Vanhasten. After carefully weighing the pros and cons, they left with the famous “REM!” (3037744/54). He was already 11 years old but still in excellent condition.

Little did they know that they were holding a true goldmine in their hands. More about his descendants in a later chapter.

To be continued

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🔺The History of a World Famous Strain - Part 6  

Emiel & André Denys  

Angoulême Young Pigeons 1966 - 646 km  

A tested method by Charles Van der Espt and Maurice Vandevelde was simple: all young hens had to go to Angoulême, 646 km. Emiel wanted to test the offspring of each pairing and sent all his juniors—both cocks and hens—to Angoulême. In the long run, this was probably a mistake for the cocks. The hens weren’t entered into competitions later anyway, but for these cocks, it was a mortgage on their future. Learning comes at a cost, and in this case, that cost was pigeons.  

The widowers and breeders were paired for the first time around February 15. With this first round, plus a second round from "REMI" 3037744/54, pure Stichelbaut breeders, the lofts were well filled. The youngsters were trained in the third week of June, first to Arras, then to Clermont, Doornik, Boils, and Poitiers, each trip only once.  

At that time, there was no talk of administering cortisone drops, using blackout curtains, or even racing them in nest positions. They were motivated solely by their own perch. However, they were trained morning and evening for a full hour, under the supervision of Emiel Sr.  

The first major competition was Angoulême-Waregem, on the last Sunday of August, where four hens were entered. The weather was harsh: cold with a northern wind. Only about 20 pigeons out of 1350 made it home the same day.  

The first hen from the Denys brothers was clocked around 19:30, half an hour before sunset, based on the old summer time. She won 1st regional and 13th provincial. She was a daughter of "Spletborst" (from the bloodline "Dikken") and "Prinses '57", a golden breeding hen—though father Camiel never acknowledged her as such.  

The next morning at 8:30 AM, another pigeon was clocked, also winning a fine prize. The remaining two were still missing.  

A week later, it was time for Angoulême National, where 18 pigeons were entered. This time, the weather conditions were completely different: strong western wind and rain.  

Around 3 PM, the first junior arrived—number 13 on the pool sheet. From then on, it earned the name "Judaske," with ring number 3361274/66. That tiny hen won 1st regional, 1st provincial, and even the Governor's Plate of West Flanders. She was a daughter of "Blauwe Sprinter" 3308905/63, a son of the top pair "Sprinter" x "daughter Kaers." She finished 6th National out of 6011 pigeons.  

"Blauwe Sprinter" was then paired with "Witoog-duivin" 218/59, descending from a brother of "San Sebastiaantje," with a daughter of "Quick Star," granddaughter of "Coppi '48."  

Ten minutes later, a blue cock arrived, securing 2nd regional, 2nd provincial, and 10th National. He came from the bloodline of "Dikken" and "Coppi."  

The third pigeon was "Bekske," a daughter of "Bek" 3361254/63, another son of the top couple.  

The total result of the day: 10 out of 18 entered pigeons arrived, along with a double provincial victory.  

The second round pigeons had also been sent to Tours that same day and were blown homeward. But such an easy race did not convince Emiel.  

So, the entire group, including the second round, was prepared for Angoulême two weeks later—this time 33 pigeons in total.  

As is often the case in mid-September, the weather was ideal for pigeons—warm with an eastern wind.  

Whether the pigeons enjoyed this race was another matter. Only about five, those with the shortest distances, were clocked Saturday night.  

By Sunday morning, the Denys brothers started clocking a whole series. "Judaske," yes, that tiny one, opened the show at 8:38 AM, securing 1st regional and 34th National against 2684 pigeons.  

Every 10 to 15 minutes, another pigeon was clocked. The late Joseph Huysentruyt from Deerlijk was there and marveled at the arrivals.  

By 12:30, 12 pigeons had already been clocked.  

They hoped to have 20 of the 33 pigeons home by evening, but none arrived after that. The east wind remained steady all week, and it took an entire week before their 13th pigeon arrived—truly separating the champions from the rest.  

The results were phenomenal: Against 2648 pigeons:  
34th, 46th, 54th, 58th, 100th, 109th, 140th, 170th, 189th, 320th, 346th, 397th.  

A Decision Was Made:  

These pigeons and their parents were kept for breeding.  

The cocks from this team were not raced the following year but competed again at 2 and 3 years old, with great success. After that, racing stopped for them.  

The pigeons that survived these tough tests became the foundation of today’s long-distance bloodline.  

The method of Charles Van der Espt and Maurice Vandevelde was simple, brutal, but effective.  

To be continued