The name of Marcel Braakhuis is destined to be a part of European pigeon racing marathon history for all time. For he formed a strain of steel and no wonder they were given the name the Black Murderers. And like many great marathon strains of the last and present century they contained the genes of two of the greatest distance strains ever namely Jan Aarden and Louis Stichelbaut – what a combination!
The edifice of the Black Murderers were based upon De Ijzeren, an Aarden cockbird rung 72 NL 313744 off the famous 131 of de Weert and the Oude Zwarte a Stichelbaut hen rung 73 NL 978644 (see above – cock left, hen right). Two of the greatest foundation couples witnessed by the fancy. A pair which produced De Barcelona 723 (80 NL 128723) who won 12 National and International prizes at 700 miles plus including 7 flights from Barcelona. In turn 723 was a great producer as was his brother the famous Marcel (81 NL 424634).In fact Marcel fathered countless good progeny across the globe.
A few at random includes the great 34, rung 76 NL 857134, who was 2nd National, 3rd International Barcelona; 22nd National, 179th International Barcelona; 69th National, 76th International Barcelona; 111th National, 322nd International Barcelona plus 16th National Bergerac, 18th National Bergerac and 102nd National Dax. The 71, rung 76 NL 696771, who scored 4th National Dax, 17th National Dax, 17th National Pau, 3rd National St.Vincent amongst other good positions. Other noted pigeons were 74 and 56.The 74 rung 79 NL 2085274 was 1st National Dax, 19th National St.Vincent, 28th National Dax and 118th National Bergerac. The 56 scored 6th National Troye, 26th National St. Vincent as well as 29th National Dax. Both birds scored other good positions in their National careers. A few of many.
Marcel Braakhuis was from Heer near Maastricht and by all accounts was a master when it came to the sport of marathon racing. Today the Brakhuis bloodlines are in the leading lofts in Europe and elsewhere. In fact the bird named Rick which won the International Narbonne race in 2005 carried Brakhuis genes. Its owner a great friend of Marcel Braakhuis, Winand van Engelshoven, was also 3rd National Marseille in 2005 with a pigeon carrying the same bloodlines. And to name but a couple of other major fanciers Raymund Hermes of Westerwald,Germany and the Klip – Verhagen loft of Rotterdam in Holland owe much to Braakhuis bloodlines.