The "racing pigeon pictorial" featured Frank and Ann Tasker in November 1985, Number 191 Volume 16. The Tasker story was one of three articles featured on Haelterman based birds;
- Paul Haelterman, Pictorial No. 188
- Samain & Son of Hyon, Pictorial No. 189
- Frank and Ann Tasker, Pictorial No. 191
Frank and Ann Tasker added the Haelterman birds in 1977. This strain began with four unrelated pigeons: the 'Short' (Korte) a Breynaert of Onkerzele; the Valere a grandson of Desmet-Matthys's 'Klaren'; the 'Paula', a daughter of Paul Santen's 'Vooruit' and the 'Nolfke', a daughter of the 1st National Montauban of Omer Nolf of Bissegem. Combined together by the Menche-Haelterman partnership, the descendants of these four pigeons scored many notable wins, and when the partnership was dissolved Paul Haelterman bought the best at the dispersal sale and carried on with even greater success.
All the Haelterman strain now go back to 'Jonge Korte' (Young Short), a bronzed blue chequer from the 'Short' x the 'Paula'. He was a fabulous racer winning 75 prizes and 12,000 pounds and the award for 3rd best middle distance pigeon of all Belgium. But he was an even better stock bird. Every bird in the Tasker lofts descends from him, mixed with the 'Telstar' line ('Valere' x 'Nolfke') while another son of the 'Short' x 'Nolfke' gave 'Small White Flight'; this pigeon was bought by Claude Hetru for 1,000 pounds at the dissolution of the MH partnership.
Frank and Ann founded their loft on this bird by buying his son, the 'Blue Eole', and his grand-daughter, the 'White Nose'. Paired together they rapidly became the base producer pair that has given them a host of winners. They then paired the children of this golden pair with birds direct from Paul Haelterman, and from Samain & son of Hyon who had also founded their extremely successful loft on birds from Haelterman.
Occasionally they use an outcross by employing descendants of the 'Bijter', a long distance pigeon from De Stercke of Ronse. But they use this line very sparingly, going back in the next generation to the Haeltermans again. They also use the pigeons of M & G Santens of Oudenaarde, which are based on Janssens, Commines, and Haelterman, as another outcross, and they exchange birds with Paul Haelterman himself so often that virtually his loft and theirs are one big breeding colony. The results are outstanding!
' The Lomoges', son of 'New Telstar' x 'The Limoges Hen' from Paul Haelterman, a daughter of his 5th National winner.
'The Luc' Named after Paul Haelterman's son, this cock is bred from the 'Blue Eole' x 'The Film Star Hen'. Bred for stock, its first two youngsters in 1985 were 1st and 2nd in the same race.
Pictures and information taken from the Pictorial,
November 1985
