Stefan Meilink (Berkhout, NL) - The Beast From Berkhout Leaves P.V. De Eenhoorn With No Answers, Claiming 8 of 9 Prizes From Pont St. Max

Introduction

Stefan Meilink (NL) is quickly becoming a name to know in Dutch pigeon racing. Based in Berkhout, his colony is built entirely on Klinkenberg bloodlines, carrying Camphuis/Klak blood that has proven highly successful at his loft. His birds have already claimed 10th in the Pipa Best Pigeon Speed ranking for 2025 and 42nd in the FCI World Best Pigeon Speed standings for 2025.

Now Meilink has added another standout result to that list. When he basketed nine pigeons for the race from Pont Saint Maxence, eight came home with a prize position, an 88.89% strike rate, in a race contested by 105 pigeons across 13 lofts.

The Stefan Meilink Colony

Meilink's loft in Berkhout is a relatively new chapter. He executed a full racing restart at this address in 2023, racing for P.V. De Eenhoorn, within Kring 2, Afdeling 6 Noord-Holland. His team competes across the full spectrum, from sprint racing at 100km out to one-day dagfond races up to 700km, alongside a dedicated young bird program.

"In 2024, I received 20 eggs from Jelger Klinkenberg, National Champion of the Netherlands in 2022," Meilink explains. "These pigeons, carrying Camphuis/Klak blood, have been very successful at my loft. My breeding loft is now built entirely on Klinkenberg pigeons, with eight breeding couples."

Those Klinkenberg birds carry deep Peter Crans genetics, including the celebrated 'Okidoko x Miss Paris' cross, a pairing that sits directly inside this race's own winning pigeon.

The Pont St. Max Domination

This result came on June 13, 2026, in a race organised by P.V. De Eenhoorn. The pigeons were liberated from Pont Saint Maxence at 07:15 under clear skies, covering 407km back to lofts across the club. Meilink entered nine pigeons. What followed was a near sweep of the result sheet.

Of the nine pigeons entered, eight claimed a prize position, an 88.89% prize percentage. The positions achieved were 1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 9th and 24th, out of a total field of 105 pigeons.

The winning pigeon, NL24-8336932, clocked a velocity of 1471.00 metres per minute over the 407.626km distance to take the race victory.

The Blood Behind The Results

The pedigree of winning pigeon NL24-8336932 reads like a showcase of the Klinkenberg bloodlines now anchoring Meilink's breeding loft.

On the sire's side, NL24-8336932 is a son of 'Brother New Mistral', full brother to the loft's 1st provincial ace pigeon for Middle Distance in 2019. 'Brother New Mistral' is out of 'New Okidoko', the Crans-bred product of the Okidoko x Miss Paris cross, paired with 'Blue Mistral', a dam behind 106 first prizes in the top 1%.

On the dam's side, the hen behind NL24-8336932 descends from 'Super Leo' and 'Lucinda', a broodhen credited with 3rd and 6th national ace yearling honours in 2022.

Two elite pairings feeding into one pigeon, drawn straight from the Klinkenberg lines Meilink has built his breeding loft around.

More Than A One-Off

The race results back up just how consistent this loft has become. At Duffel, Meilink swept 1st through 11th in his club, good for 4th overall against 12,110 pigeons in Afdeling 6 Noord-Holland. At Sainte Maure de Tours, his team took 1st and 2nd club, placing 45th against 3,148 pigeons provincially.

On May 9, 2026, Meilink added another strong result, finishing 5th provincially in the Morlincourt-Noyon race with '48336975', clocking 1260.80 metres per minute against a liberation of 14,030 pigeons entered by 524 participants in Afdeling 6 Noord-Holland.

The Pont Saint Maxence race's winner carries a strong record too, with 17th Ace Pigeon Short Distance and 18th Ace Pigeon Middle Distance honours from 2025.

Looking Ahead

Three years after his restart in Berkhout, Stefan Meilink (NL) already looks like a fancier with the bloodlines, the depth and the results to keep climbing. An 88.89% prize percentage from nine birds is a statement on its own, and with national and world rankings on the rise, there's every reason to expect more before the season is through.