The international success ensures that not only the pigeons, but also Gerard himself completed the necessary flying hours. “I think I have flown to China fifty times. The first time I walked around Taiwan, as a fairly inexperienced boy from the Drenthe countryside, it made a huge impression.”
“Thirty years ago, in parts of China, I saw quite a lot of poverty on the streets. That makes you think how blessed we actually are in our country, with always a stocked refrigerator and clean drinking water from the tap. In short, this work brought me a lot more than just pigeon racing.”
The pigeon craze has grown over the years. A good racing pigeon can now easily fetch a few thousand euros at auctions, especially the Chinese brokers who make money easy for these winged friends.
Koopman: “Let me put it this way, I can make a good living from it. The most expensive pigeon ever sold in the world fetched 1.6 million. Anyway, that was an exception. For me it was always a hobby, but the fact that I also earned a good living with it was a nice bonus.”
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Tags: Pigeon racing legend Gerard retires years reveals secret top breeder
