I was first alerted to the Romario bloodline of the German fancier  Hans-Jörg Hallmann by the fantatstic series of articles by Henk Simonsz  ‘Ace Four Forever’ that we translated and published on the Duif Chronicles site around five years ago.

It fascinated me not only because of the super results being achieved by this line but also the origin was based on the Ace Four bloodline of Ad Schaerlaeckens and of course that means the incredible Mattens and Sissi.

The sire of Sissi was Picanol the first Champion that Gaby Vandenabeele bred from his base breeder the Kleinen. As the sire of Galileo the cock of our base breeders The Young Couple was also bred from a son of Picanol with a daughter of Wittenbuik his half brother also from Kleinen, so I made a mental note of a future potential introduction into our Young Couple offspring. Sissi was bred over 35 years ago but never the less the potency of this bloodline continues all over the Pigeon Sport world today.

Getting some of this blood was going to be difficult as Hans-Jörg Hallmann was very difficult to contact as he wasnt interested in selling anything as it is a peure hobby for him.

Then in 2018 the cock ‘Thomas 6’ won the Golden Algarve One Loft Race in Portugal on a very tough day from 535 km winning by a clear 24 minutes. To my own delight Mike Ganus bought ‘Thomas 6’ and his parents after the race. Mike and I knew the original Mattens and Sissi blood very well from the early ninties when they started creating quite a stir in the C.U.B.A.G. the five club Federation and Brabant 2000 Provincial that included many famous names as members and was super competitive, and it still is.

The Mattens and Sissi birds were a certain type , not so beautiful but had a class of their own. It was with this in mind and Mikes help and patience that ‘Inbred Thomas 6’ a son of ‘Thomas 6’ paired with his own dam ‘Queen’ a daughter of ‘Romario’ found his way to our breeding loft.

Quite incredibly the Algarve Golden Race in 2019 the year after ‘Thomas 6’ was won by ‘Lena’ yet another grandaughter of ‘Romario’. It must also be mentioned that the same Algarve Golden Race was won by ‘Corina’ a hen bred and entered by Miroslav Vidhold of Slovakia and this was also the same bloodline with the famous ‘Ace Four’ in her pedigree three times.

Mike Ganus also bought both parents of ‘Lena’ and once again with Mikes help GFL20-777 bred from ‘Thomas 6’ with ‘Super Natural’ also a daughter of ‘Romario’ with will be out of quarantine next week and breeding with us at the end of February.

*Information and photos with grateful thanks to Henk Simonsz  www.pigeonfever.nl

Head study of ‘Romario’.

Offspring ‘Romario’ probably the best One Loft breeders in the world winners of: *1st Golden Algarve 2014 *1st Golden Algarve 2018 €120,000 *1st Golden Algrave 2019 €120.000 *1st Victoria Falls 2019 54 minutes ahead $225.000.00 *1st Crooked River Challenge USA 350 mile final race 2020 $47.000 *1st Flying D 400 mile Final 2022 $107,300 *1st Grand Averages SAMDPR 2013 *1st Burghofrennen Derby 2019 *1st Nordseerennen 2017 €15,000 *1st Acebird DK Derby 2011 *1st Acebird Derby Ostseerennen 2014 *1st Super Cup Winner 2014 *1st Cape Town South Afrika 2020,120 km *2nd Victoria Falls 2020 $100.000 *2nd Acebird Derby Ostseerennen 2013 *2nd Cape Town South Afrika 2020, 100 km *3rd Pattaya Race Final 530 km 2022 4.033 birds winning $40.000 *4th Acebird Schleswig Holstein Derby 2013 *8th Victoria Falls 2020 Also 1. Knock Out Winner $20,000 Also 4. Super Ace Competition $45,000 *8th Victoria Falls 2019 $10.000 *7th Final SAMDPR 2011 $24.000 *7th Final Schleswig Holstein Derby 2014 *9th Champion KBDB All Belgium 2020