Nechin, Belgium – The combination Maurice (80) and Gregory Casaert (36) can already look back on a fantastic career … peppered with an impressive series of national victories!

In 1992 they won 1st National Montauban against 5,335 pigeons … in 1999 1st & 2nd semi National Chateauroux against 15,507 pigeons … in 2000 1st National Souillac against 7,154 pigeons … in 2001 1st & 2nd semi National Argenton against 7,613 yearlings and 1st semi National Argenton against 8,405 old pigeons … in 2004 1st National Brive against 7,446 pigeons … in 2006 1st semi National Chateauroux against 11,526 pigeons … in 2008 1st National Bourges against 13,472 pigeons … and now in 2012, they won 1st National Bourges against 20,577 old pigeons.
They couldn’t have wished for a better start of the new season.

During these years they also became 1st National Champions Middle-Distance K.B.D.B. 1998 … 3rd National Champions Middle-Distance K.B.D.B. 2000 …
3rd National Champions young pigeons K.B.D.B. 1999 … 4th National Champions young pigeons K.B.D.B. 2001 … and 2nd National Champions Long Middle-Distance 2006.
Without any doubt nationally one of the best and most complete families at this moment …

The 2012 team of widowers has 13 old pigeons and 12 yearlings … for the rest some 100 young pigeons … and 20 pairs of breeders. The cocks are coupled on 25th November and rear two young. On 1st April, the second pairing is planned, after which they sit for another five days. After being taken out by car for some 7 to 8 training flights the races are started. Toury was the first race of the season … much later than usual … because the bad weather put a ‘spanner in the works‘.
The cocks are raced every week or sometimes every fortnight. Gregory is very strict … everything depends on the weather! He doesn’t want to basket his pigeons for races where they won’t have a chance to win! If the weather forecast is bad, his pigeons won’t get basketed!

Feeding is an important part of the pigeon sport for Maurice and Gregory Casaert.
After returning from a race, the pigeons get a cleansing mixture + maize as a supplement … and only for the last 5 to 6 feeds do they get 100 % sport mixture in the feeding trough.
Before basketing the cocks are allowed to be with their hen for a short period … but never for too long!
Observing the racing pigeons is important as well, both in the air and in the loft. It is remarkable how tame most of the pigeons are … they really defend their nest box forcefully. This must be something in there genes, because the fanciers do not interfere very much.

Medical care consists more of ‘looking’ than of ‘treating’! Gregory regularly uses his own microscope … and even for a slight tricho-infection nothing is given.
Before the early pairing … at the end of March … and during August, the pigeons are treated against trichomonas with 1/4 tablet Flagyl. When necessary during the season, they also get a tablet of Belgamagix (de Weerd).
From October until April, all antibiotics are banned from the loft … and until now, they have never treated against bronchial diseases. Only when the wattles are no longer chalk white and the form is slipping, the pigeons are given a two-day treatment with a Rohnfried/de Weerd product. And sometimes, when the pigeons are expected to perform well in ‘special races’, they are given a ‘cure against bronchial infections’.

And to what do they owe that series of national victories? Believe it or not, Gregory says … ’It is solely because of the quality of our pigeons. Bad weather … races at 1200 meters per minute… that is when our pigeons come into their own‘.

The 'Olympic Fifteen' gave Gregory and Maurice national fame again!

 

The winner of the day is the ‘Olympic Fifteen’ (B08/9044015) … a blue cock … of average build … with good muscles … and above all, a lively, tame pigeon. He was nominated as 3rd on the pooling paper, and with a velocity of 1,227.97 meters per minute he easily won the national victory against 20,577 old pigeons. He was also fastest of the total contingent of 37,444 Bourges racers.

Hugo