Bert & André Leideman

Exceptional series of results at the start of the season

 

13.5 Arlon (329 km) 16.036 b. :  1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, etc. (150/96)

06.5 Tongeren (214 km) 5416 b. : 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, etc. (158/94)

29.4 Venlo (137 km) 17.325 b. : 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, etc. (150/100)

 

Collendoorn.  Last Saturday, the provisional result list from Arlon in Sector 10 already gave us an indication, and when of all results where finalized at the end of the evening, it turned out once again just how exceptionally well the brothers are racing. They won no less than the first10 positions against 16,036 pigeons. They had also performed in a similar way for the previous two weeks also achieving a great series of results. These achievements come after previous years of top performances and it has not come out of the blue, but even they did not expect to reach these levels at the start of this season.

André and Bert spent a lot of time over the year’s putting a great team of pigeons together. They have put in a lot of work with a lot of travel and always looking for the best. Naturally, it has also required a serious investments and the ‘piggy bank’ was several times emptied. And to this day they still continue to search. I speak to them now and then and every time the phenomenal drive of both brothers to become the best they can be is very evident. Everything is done, and certainly nothing is overlooked, to achieve that goal.Two souls with one thought, and they complement each other perfectly. Several years ago they took the step to be full time with the pigeons.  Of course, that led to a lot more time available but they had to dare to take that step.

As of 2020 they have raced at the current address and actually it gets better every year. The team of racing pigeons is becoming more and more balanced due to a better age structure and in 2021 they bred an exceptional group of youngsters who as two-year-olds have shown even further what they can do. The pigeons this year were prepared a fortnight earlier and already in December they were exercised more extensively than the year before. They find it is very important to have the pigeons sufficiently fit to the start the season.

Halfway through February the racers were coupled and they produced a round of youngsters after which they were put on widowhood. The team are released once a day to exercise for a sufficient time (1.5 hours). They need to do this in order to perform well on flights like last weekend and to get off to a good start. The flight last weekend was quite tough. There was a strong NE wind and they needed the experience of sufficient training. It is a must.

As the season progresses the young pigeons must listen well, so that in the trap smoothly so that the old birds can now and then train twice a day.  On the basketing day the partner is not shown. The pigeons are quietly taken out of the loft before departure and they are allowed to spend time together when they return home , and at the beginning of it season this won’t last long. At most one to one and a half hours.

The winning hen from Arlon against more than 16,000 pigeons had previously scored 3rd from Tongeren against 16,978 pigeons. Her sire was bred out a son of ‘Arturo’ and ‘Tila’ x ‘Daughter Sieka’  from G. and S. Verkerk. Her mother is a daughter of ‘Asante (‘Ace 820’ x half sister ‘Eva’) x ‘Daughter Olympic Leo’ from Wolfgang Roeper.

The winning cock from Venlo (29 April) stormed home into the loft alone. He won last year also a 1st Weert 6,850 pigeons in Sector 10 (also fastest 13,141 pigeons Sector 10 + Sector 11). He also started his career as a youngster with a 1st from Venlo. He’s a direct son of ‘Arturo’ x ‘Tila’ and Bert and Andre placed him a few weeks after his victory directly in the breeding loft and baptized him ‘Cobalt’.

‘He is a calm and sensible pigeon with a great look,’ says Bert. ‘We gave him an empty box in the breeding loft and he immediately knew how to find his new place. No fuss, no frills, no fighting. I love that. We need such pigeonsLike this also within the racing team. And our flying squad is exceptionally well behaved. They are well trained, well fed and they are pretty quiet. I like to see this.  The calmness of the team is of paramount importance. Pigeons must feel at home, and then they will perform best.”

Among the first four pigeons from Arlon was also the last year’s Gran Prix winner from Dizy-Le-Gros. He raced to a hen on a nest in the garden shed. This year was he moved to ‘upstairs’ loft and he also settled well up there. Andre and Bert bred six youngsters from him in the autumn of ’22, with as a partner that was another Grand Prix winner from Issoudun. This hen is called ‘Rosa’ (daughter ‘Arturo’ x ‘Tila’). “Five of the youngsters went directly to the breeding loft and that we hope will turn out to be a good decision. We hope last Saturday has provided confirmation for ourselves of his ability,” says Andre.

We are very curious about the sequel. As are all of the pigeon-loving fanciers in the Netherlands, by the way, because they are the brothers are the absolute eye-catchers of the moment.

  Foppe