Marc Van Eynde and Joseph Goovaerts achieved a fantastic opening of the season with 1st Interprovincial Vierzon 2900 yearlings (fastest of 9310 pigeons) and 1st Provincial Vierzon 1827 old pigeons.

Putte, Belgium – The interprovincial race from Vierzon, established by Derby Henegouwen, is the classic run-up to the national racing program.

This race was right up the sleeve of the Marc and Joseph Van Eynde-Goovaerts partnership. Not only did they win the interprovincial victory yearlings with flair, they also had the Antwerp provincial victory with old pigeons and yearlings. And as the icing on the cake they were the fastest of all 9,310 Vierzon racers as well.

This successful colony from Putte is for 90 percent based on the names Jos & Jules Engels from Putte and Gaston Van de Wouwer from Berlaar. There is also a good breeding hen from Jos Maris from Integem… an excellent breeding cock from Luc Daans from Begijnendijk… and the best pigeons from Vervloesem & Son from Rijmenam and from Wim De Troy from Berlaar.

Marc and Joseph started the new season with a team of 24 widowers… 30 hens on classic widowhood… 120 young pigeons… and 35 pairs of breeders. For the race from Vierzon they basketed 9 hens and 3 cocks.

With the yearlings, it was the ‘Miss Vierzon’ (B12/6225820) who managed to win the interprovincial victory Vierzon… and the ‘Mister Vierzon’ (B11/6262292) who won the Antwerp provincial victory with the old pigeons.

Unlike previous years, the team of hens was coupled as late as the15th March, and they only sat for five days. The main reason for this is to race the hens from a nest in the last seven national races of the season.

Also, the hens were darkened from the 1st March until the 15th April, together with some late breds. This has to achieve a slowdown of the moult.

Until the 1st March, the hens stayed in the aviary, but pigeons that come out of the aviary are never coupled straight away in Putte, because afterwards it is difficult to motivate them to race.

From the 1st to the 15th March, the pigeons were released daily, and once they were exercising well, they were allowed a nesting bowl for the first time on the 15th March.

After that, they were taken away by car three times (15 kilometer) and were then entered in the race from Momignies… then Noyon… Soissons… 2x middle-distance… and then Vierzon.

The ‘Miss Vierzon’ is a bright, blue hen… of medium build… with a red/yellow eye… and last weekend she finished at the top of the pooling paper. Marc and Joseph had full confidence in her, because as a young pigeon she already classified as first young pigeon of the loft (152nd national) in the race from Bourges II.

The wing of the ‘Miss Vierzon’… fastest of 9310 Vierzon racers!…

The ‘Mister Vierzon’ was paired on the 15th December and he reared two young. There was no second coupling… he came together with his hen for three days… and in the meantime his training was started. Then he also flew Momignies… Noyon… Soissons… 2x middle-distance… and Vierzon. He is a nervous, white eyed pigeon… of medium build… and has a very charismatic head.

An important pillar of widowhood is that the pigeons start with an excellent basic fitness. For that reason, the cocks have to exercise well around home from February onwards… and there is no reason at all to fear winter conditions.

But pigeons that fly hard have to be fed well. During that period, they are given 1/2 Racing mixture + 1/2 Start (diet mixture).

What the strategy for the new racing season will be ?… the situation is reviewed weekly, and everything depends on the weather. In any case, the pigeons never stay at home, and when they are not entered in a national race, they will be basketed for Momignies.

Medical care is also carefully monitored! Before the start of the season, the health of the racing team is finely tuned as much as possible. They are inoculated against paratyphoid… in March they are treated for six days against trichomonas… and 8 days against bronchial infections (with Soludox). For the rest of the racing season, the intention is to keep the medicine cupboard closed for as long as possible… that is, as long as the performances are good.

Every two months, the pigeons are checked by the vet… the young pigeons even a little more frequently… and ‘blind treatment’ is avoided as much as possible.

Before basketing for Vierzon, the widowers only got the nesting bowl in their nest box… and the hens were lifted from their perch and put into the basket without any fuss. Marc and Joseph don’t find it necessary to motivate the racing pigeons any further!

Hugo