Jos & Jules Engels

One of the legendary names in the history of Belgium pigeonsport is Jos and Jules Engels from Putte near Antwerpen. For many years their father Flor Engels dominated the middledistance races in Antwerpen winning not only local, but also provincial and national! Jos and Jules has always been a part of the team at the family Engels, and since their father died in 2002 in the age of 93, they have continued to win first prices and keep their colony of wonderful pigeons strong and fast. The Engels pigeons are very nicely built, are soft feathered and have strong eyes. They still perform on the highest level! Jos and Jules have a unique inbred family which are sensational producers all over the world.
Unfortunately Jos passed away in March 2019 – Jules lost his brother and partner, but continued to race with his son Yves.

In this article we will present this fantastic family of pigeons!

The results from the Engels pigeons have been amazing since 1990 they won 102 provincial and interprovincial victories and 10 x 1. National!
10 x 1st National
17 x 1st National in Zone B
250 x TOP 10 National

2015 became a great season for the brothers:
1. Nat. Limoges 665 km against 15.009 pigeons.
1. Prov. (4. Nat. Limoges 665 km against 8.305 pigeons)
2. Interprov. Vierzon 4.639 p.

In 2014 Jos and Jules striked again by winning 1. Provincial Bourges II from 468 km on August 2nd 2014 against 4.438 youngsters. They were 2nd in the Zone B from 6.802 pigeons and 6th National with 30.180 pigeons!
Also from Sourdun they had a great result i Regio Mechelen from 882 youngsters: 1-5-7-10-21-34-40-54-73-77!

The year 2013 has also been super for Jos and Jules winning the 1. provincial ISSOUDUN 493 km on the 17-08-13 from 808 old pigeons scoring 3. national from 5661 old pigeons!

Winning all over Belgium and the world:
These wonderful Engels pigeons is not only preforming on highest level on the loft of Jos and Jules. Many fancier over the year have been visiting them with a little basket to purchase some of this winnerblod. And a lot of them have been succesful with their acquisitions. Big names in Belgium and Holland have been able to strengthen their there own family of pigeons with these inbred pigeons from the Engels family.

– Jules Lens – 1. National Champion Youngbirds 2012
– Comb. Van Eynde-Goovaerts – Super results with the Tornado couple. The father in this couple is a grandson of DE 231.
– Gerard Koopman – Holland – The father of Deng Lins Favourite 1. Ablis from 10609 pigeons and a superbreeder comes directly from Engels.
– Johan De Belser – Belgian Middle / Long Distance Specialist
– Cees Schroevers – Holland – World class breeding couple FLOR 272 x BONT FLORKE, both direct from Engels.
and many more.

Also in Denmark we have seen the results of these pigeons. The 1. national acebird in Denmark in 2012 comes out of 2 direct Engels pigeons!

The strain:
When Flor Engels in 1947 started with pigeons from his brother Jef, he had succes right form the beginning. These same birds are the foundation for the colony of today.
It all started with DE WITTE DUIVEN. She was a super breeding hen. Her son OUDE ZWARTEN (6287401/73) coupled with a daughter of OUDE BANGE (6546874/80) from Van Hove-Uytterhoeven were the parents of WITPENNER (6578304/81). WITPENDER won twice provincial Orleans within two weeks, and afterwards he became the base-pigeon in the Engels loft. Not only did he become father of the DE 231 (6616231/86) but coupled with DAUGHTER OUDE LICHTEN (6568089/85), he also became father of the WITTE (6324103/89), 1st national Bourges 1990. The OUDE LICHTEN (6084723/78) is also a grandson of the WITTE DUIVEN and he is also mentioned as a very important stock bird and the olympicbird MARIEKE comes from these lines. The mother of the DE 231, DE GROTE BLAUWE BRUTTE (6631331/79) – is also from the line OUDE LICHTEN.

DE 231 – 6616231/86
The most world famous is without a doubt the DE 231. He comes directly from the foundationcock WITPENDER (6578304/81) and he has become a foundationcock himself.
It is not possible to mention all the children and grandchildren of that top stock bird who made top results. But the blood of De 231 is in all of the pigeons on the loft of Engels.

Before DE 231 was gone, Jos and Jules found another nice witpender, which should lead the family further and continue the succes – DE 178.

DE 178 – 6495178/94
He was a real super breeder who is father and grandfather of a whole series of 1st Prize winners, Crack pigeons and ace pigeons, not only in the Engels-lofts, but also in many other colonies all over the world. He became as successful as his world famous father DE 231.

DE 178 is father of:

• 036/95: 1. Prov. Châteauroux 1.275
• 417/98: 1. Prov. Bourges 1.249
• 734/99: 1. Prov. Argenton 1.538, 2. Semi. National Argenton 8.405
• 222/03: 4. National Argenton 3.994

DE 178 is grandfather of:

• 306/98: 2. National La Souterraine 13.988, 7. Inter.Prov Limoges 4.596, 29. Inter. Prov. Vierzon 12.705, 35. National Zone Brive 5.839
• DEN WITTEN AS 730/04: 9. National acepigeon 2005: Longdistance K.B.D.B
• DEN AS 676/06: 5 National acebird Longdistance 2009 K.B.D.B.
• ISSOUDUNKE 6245020/08: 1 Interprov. Issoudun 5.848

And greatgrandfather to HET ASKE, DEN TULLE and other toppigeons.

MARIEKE 01-6153558
Super race and breeder. MARIEKE was 1. Olympic Cat. B Middledistance in Lievin in 2003. MARIEKE was sold for a fortune to China, but before she left, she was coupled up with all the stars at the Engels loft. DE 178, DE 734, DEN ARGENTON, DE MARCEL, DEN AS and the offspring was put directly into the breeding loft!

Results of MARIEKE:
30 June 01 Pithiviers Hafo 9/651 youngsters
08 July 01 Pithiviers Hafo 49/624 youngsters
4 Aug 01 Vierzon Interprov. 7/3.621 youngsters
11 Aug 01 Argenton Nationaal 20/23.493 youngsters
18 Aug 01 Vierzon Prov. 1/1.712 youngsters
25 Aug 01 La Souterraine Nationaal Zone B 2/6.078 youngsters
12 May 02 Pithiviers Haacht 1/566
18 May 02 Vierzon Interprov. 10/12.705
25 May 02 Bourges Nationaal 326/16.945
1 June 02 Châteauroux Prov. 21/2.327
8 June 02 Châteauroux Interprov. 261/6.018
15 June 02 Châteauroux Interprov. 193/8.360
22 June 02 La Souterraine Interprov. 74/5.229
29 June 02 Argenton Interprov. 67/8.142
07 July 02 Bourges Prov. 29/2.230

DE 734 99-6151734:
He was son directly from the superbreeder DE 178. He was himself a really fantactic racer, and afterwards breeding at lot of good pigeons at the Engels loft, and became one of the foundations cocks.
His results was:
1st Prov Argenton 1.538 old birds in 2001
2nd Semi-Nat Argenton 8.405 old birds in 2001
1st Pithiviers 579 old birds.

Father of Den ARGENTON 043/03:
1st National Argenton 3.942 old in 2005

Father of HET SALBRIEKE 673/04: 1st Prov Salbris 443 old in 2005

Father of the 263/05: 38th Nat Argenton 5.001 old in 2007.

DEN ARGENTON 03-6226043:
Also a foundationcock! A wonderful racepigeon and a proven breeder.
He comes from the very best lines of J&J Engels!
He won:
1. National Argenton 3.942 old in 2005
1. Prov. Orleans 2.219 old in 2005
12. National Acepigeon K.B.D.B ½ Fond 2005

He became the father of
540/04: 1. Prov. Chateauroux 4.249 yearlings 2005
679/06: 18. Nationaal Gueret 2.410 old in 2007, 29. Interprov La Souterraine 1.732 old in 2007

Grandfather to ISSOUDUNKE:
1. I.prov. Issoudun – 5,848 birds
3. Nat. Zone Limoges – 3,764 birds
5. prov. Montlucon – 1,260 birds
91. Nat. Zone Chateauroux – 6,149 birds(300. Nat. 17,109 birds)
92. Nat. Zone Bourges – 5,760 birds(179. Nat. 15,508 birds)
100. Nat. Zone Argenton – 1,905 birds(303. Nat. 5,763 birds)
212. I.prov. Vierzon – 8,869 birds
5. Noyon – 458 birds

DE MARCEL (B02-4479161) :
Direct Marcel Aelbrecht. He is a son of DE PERPIGNAN 1. zone Cahors and 26 international Perpignan.
He was a real superbreeder for Engels. He bred several special pigeons:

WITTEN AS 730/04: 9. National acepigeon 2005: Longdistance 1/2 fond K.B.D.B
DEN AS 676/06: 5. National acebird Longdistance 2009 K.B.D.B.
ISSOUDUNKE 6245020/08: 1 Interprov. Issoudun 5.848

DEN AS 06-6154676:
This cock proved to be another fantastic racer on the loft of Engels. In the year 2009 he was real strong and he scored in the top of the lists many time.
He was 5. national acebird fond in 2009 with a lot of topresults!
1. Pithiviers 653.
2. Limoges 2.933.
3. Brive 1.492.
6. Noyon 129.
20. Etampes 1.039.
His father is DE MARCEL. A real superbreeder from Marcel Aelbrecht.
His mother is a daughter of DE 178 x a sister of the mother of MARIEKE.
DEN AS is fullbrother to WITTEN AS.

WITTEN AS (B04-6231730)
He won: 2. Montlucon 2,499b. 4. Argenton 1,872b. 10. Chateauroux 4,299b. 31. Orleans 3,631b. 9th national ace > ½ fond KBDB .
Halfbrother ISSOUDUNKE (B08-6245020) won:
1 interprovincial Issoudun 5,848. 3 zonal Limoges 3,764. 5 provincial Montlucon 1,260. 91 zonal Chateaouroux 6,149. 212 interprovincial Vierzon 8,869.

We have visited the 2 brothers several times – and have had several good pigeon-moments with Jules and Jos.
We wish Jules and Yves all the best of luck on the races!