What a result! We’re used to this type of result from this partnership already, but given the circumstances this was not a result that was easy to achieve.

They clocked six pigeons within a minute and win 48 prizes from 74 pigeons, in a competition that was open for over an hour.

Fourteen days ago it was nothing like this. The entire provincial including Bas and Gerard received an ‘uppercut’ with a very bad race from Nevers.  The liberation was after three night’s basket, and the temperature plus the south easterly wind made sure that in the evening they only had 56 pigeons home  from a total of 131 entries. The race was open for more than 4.5 hours.

The following days the birds drifted in and all but 18 pigeons returned, but they were totally distraught.  “It seemed like they had seen hell,” Bas tell us. “I decided on Tuesday to visit the clinic of Henk de Weerd in Breda for an inspection. I wanted to exclude if there was an infection. The vet noticed that there were a number of pigeons dehydrated and a single pigeon had a littletrichomonas. I gave them Belgasol for the recuperation to all pigeons, even the 30 pigeons that had not been to Nevers, and they received‘Belga Magic’ for a week starting Saturday afternoon.

We had decided during the week that followed, the one day long distance pigeons would not race together with the 30 middle distance birds in the race that week.

I subsequently handled a number of our one day long distance pigeons and saw that they were in the best condition we could have hoped for. They were well recovered in my opinion. In hindsight I don’t think I could have done any better.

 

Of our first six pigeons from Tours, were four pigeons that were raced the week before from the middle distance. Another two were ‘rested’ one day long distance pigeons that had stayed home for a week. My conclusion is that’rest’ was important.”

“A season like this is not easy for the pigeons. We started here in Section 5 with the short distance and that including two nights basket twice due to the weather.Also from a middle distance flight with a late release it didn’t really go well. Even a speed flight from 200 kilometers was difficult. And then that second one day long distance race from Nevers, and a disaster like Nevers costs us dearly, including loosing some good pigeons. Our best yearling to date at this moment is still not home and the 2nd best young pigeon from the middle distance in the Pipa Ranking 2022 has also ‘kicked the bucket’.

The normal care pattern that is followed:

The pigeons get for a day every week a combination of Probac 1000 and Forte Vita in the water. Furthermore, there is fresh mineral powder in the lofts (Fernand Marien) every day and this is mixed with Candy seeds and Tovo.  And like always plenty of feed with well-known by-products such as P40, but that system is well known.

They are phenomenal there in Reeuwijk. Never too far away from a super result and Tours was definitely one.

Finally, we will briefly mention the top podium flyers :

The 1st National Sector 2 Tours 7782 birds was 22-471 “J.Lo” already a previous winner of a 17th Nanteuil 17.711 birds, 15th NPO Vierzon 10,397 birds, 26th Quievrain 4078 birds, 112th Pontoise 24,495 birds and 166th Melun 18,401 birds. She is a daughter of “Ponto” (1st Pontoise 8289 b. and 2nd Morlincourt 9559 b.from “Eye of the Tiger” x “Yolanthe”) x 21-432 (daughter “Ton” (A. Snoek and father 1st NPO Vierzon 10,637 b.) x “Lola-Lily” (1st NPO Bour-ges 9742 b. out of “Atlantis” x “Feline”).

The 2nd National Sector 2 Tours 7782 birds was 22-465 also a winner of 2nd Lennik 4851b. / 2nd fastest 10,163 b. and comes from “Bob” (“Atlantis” x “New Olympic Solange” Olympiad Pigeon Poznan 2019 and 1st Nat. Ace Pigeon Long Distance NPO 2018 and also mother of “Nikkie” 1st Interprov. Brive 2687 b. with a 17 minute lead) x “Olympic Bibi” (Olympic pigeon Budapest 2015 and also mother of “Ace Isabelle”)

The 3rd National Sector 2 Tours 7782 birds was 22-392, a previous winner of 3rd Lennik 4851 b. (3rd fastest 10,163 b.) , 12th Morlincourt 19,899 b., 36th NPO Foursun 10,397 b. And she comes from “Maradona” (“Ton” x “Delirium”) x “Flying Wonder” (1st Nat. Ace Pigeon yearlings and allround 2018).

Foppe