How it began
In the early 90s, Dirk & Kurt started pigeon racing together with their father. Initially, they focused mainly on sprint and small middle-distance races. Later, they occasionally switched to flights like Bourges at the suggestion of fellow pigeon fanciers.
The focus is primarily on the old pigeons, especially on total widowhood. The young pigeons are trained well and, if possible, they try to make the young ones fly at least once on a small middle-distance flight.
In recent years, they have started racing the old pigeons more on the long-distance and great long-distance flights and, in between, they race on small middle-distance and great middle-distance flights to teach the pigeons.
Bloodline
Their own base line from when they started and in the last few years, they have added pigeons from:
Rans Alex, Rans Jeroen & Stijn, De Schepper Geert (De Smeyter-Restiaen pigeons), Willems, De Backer Koen, Christians Dirk. In short, pigeons specially suited for the further flights.
Breeding
The old pigeons are treated in September against paratyphus and after this treatment they are vaccinated, and 3 weeks later they are also vaccinated against paramyxo/rota. This prepares the pigeons to be paired in early December. The racing team will be paired in mid-January when the young from the breeding pigeons are 14 days old. When the young are 5 weeks old, they are vaccinated against paramyxo/rota, repeating this vaccination 3 weeks later. The pigeons are also vaccinated against smallpox 3 weeks before the season starts. Due to time constraints, the young are not darkened or illuminated. Dirk & Kurt focus on racing with the old pigeons. The young go outside when they have time; one week they are released in the morning and the other week in the afternoon, depending on how the brothers have to work. After all, it remains primarily a hobby.
The training of the young pigeons begins when they fly around the house for a good hour. They are then taken away about five times and go directly to Noyon (158 km). The goal with the young pigeons is mainly to gain experience for the following year.
Racing system with the old pigeons
Sometimes one must dare to change things, and this year they will couple for the first time before the season, which will happen around mid-January.
The pigeons have been outside until the end of November and will only come out again at the end of February, depending on the weather and the birds of prey. Annually, about 10% of pigeons are lost here, especially many young pigeons become victims. When the weather allows, they start training the old pigeons. This is done quickly: 3 to 4 releases and then towards Noyon (2x) before heading to the small middle distance. Then they proceed with the program they want to play with the pigeons.
The pigeons are kept in 4 adjacent lofts and on the day of basketing, they are all mixed by sliding everything open. The doors open into an outdoor run for the loft, allowing the pigeons to choose what they want to do and after 5 to 10 minutes they go into the basket. Dirk & Kurt play total widowhood, but this coming year they plan to race the 14 pairs for the great long distance normally on nest.
Nutrition
They are not really tied to a specific brand of feed; they also look for what is affordable. When you see the price differences between the different brands, it becomes very expensive for working people to race with pigeons.
Medical and supplements
In recent years, they have gone to Stijn Rans for pigeon checks and mandatory vaccinations. This visit takes place 3 weeks before the start of the season; during the year, one or two visits are scheduled, mainly for vaccinating the young pigeons and checking if they are in good shape.
They always follow the veterinarian's guidelines if something is not right. They also do a basic treatment of 1 week against trichomoniasis (green trichomoniasis from Vincent Schroeder) in the water and on the feed with Orniclean before the season, so that the pigeons are ready to start.
During the season, they receive recovery in the water upon their return, as well as vitamins.
Grit and a mineral mix are always available in the loft.
Lofts
Here in Huizingen, they have garden lofts. The 4 racing lofts for the old pigeons are equipped with an outdoor run, and the racing loft for the young from the first round is also equipped with a run. During the off-season, the pigeons are kept at the back of the garden in runs, which makes cleaning easier and allows them to quickly provide food and water.
"Important things to race well"
First of all, start with purebred and healthy base pigeons. You only achieve good pigeons by racing them and selecting them rigorously. These are mainly challenged to cope with the pace of the various races they must complete. In this way, they select themselves. When basketing them, it usually depends on various factors, such as condition, health, and how they are cared for during transport. Here, you do see differences across the various flights, and much also depends on the releases. In recent years, many disasters have occurred due to not observing or misinterpreting weather images and information that is freely available. Such as thunderstorms and rain zones, especially at the start of the flights. Dirk and Kurt recall the race from Narbonne where the pigeons were released and encountered a heavy thunderstorm 20 km later, causing many pigeons to stay behind or be found dead around Narbonne. A lady called Dirk & Kurt, informing them that she had found about 100 pigeons in a forest 20 km from Narbonne. This lady told them that that morning, it had been thundering and raining for a few hours, and it remains a mystery to them how the authorities did not see this on the radar images.
Pigeon sport & future
According to Dirk & Kurt, the future of pigeon sport does not look so good; they explain: "Too much interference from professional players who have the organizers in their pocket. They determine when releases should happen earlier or be postponed. The working person cannot always take time off and therefore misses flights. I personally remember a national race on the great middle distance, which was even basked earlier on Wednesday for a Friday release. We, as small players, were only informed on Tuesday evening, while we later learned that a number of members had known about this since Monday morning." These are things that should really not be allowed anymore, but both gentlemen conclude: "As long as we can enjoy it, we will continue racing, but the day that the interference becomes greater, it will happen without us, and I think many will follow."
Some beautiful results 2024
Noyon 519 old: 13,14,24,25,26,39,40,41,43,45,…
Sermaises 428 old: 2,4,8,11,13,14,15,16,18,19,20,22,24,25,28,30,31,…
Sermaises 247 old: 1,2,3,4,5,8,9,10,16,20,21,24,…
Sermaises 261 old: 1,6,12,15,17,…
728 old: 1,14,27,41,54,…
Sermaises 253 old: 3,5,7,19,21,29,31,35,…
501 yearlings: 16,23,47,59,60,…
Valence 188 old: 4,15,35,37
Sermaises 208 old: 3,4,19,35,39,…
Tulle 62 old: 1,8,13,15,17,18,19
Limoges 6889 old: 4,587
Blois 85 yearlings: 1,9,15,24
Argenton 78 old: 4,7(2-2)
84 yearlings: 1,18,26,27(4-6)
Sermaises 122 old: 5,7,11,15,18,20,..
Tulle 76 old: 4,6,15 (3-4)
Perpignan 155 old: 10,32,36,…(6-8)
First prizes, provincial, zonal, and national peaks 2024
- local 1/247 sermaises 18/May
- local 1/261 sermaises 25/May
- local 1/728 sermaises 25/May
- local 1/287 bourges 25/May
- local 1/54 valance 8/Jun
- local 1/62 tulle 23/Jun
- local 1/641 limoges 5/Jul
- local 1/27 blois 6/Jul
- local 1/85 blois 6/Jul
- local 1/84 argenton 13/Jul
- local 1/25 brive 20/Jul
- local 1/110 fay aux loges 28/Jul
- local 1/109 lorris 3/Aug
- national zone 29/3037 limoges 1/Jun
- national zone 36/4061 bourges 25/May
- national zone 20/1517 valance 8/Jun
- national zone 15/2033 tulle 23/Jun
- national zone 2/2033 limoges 5/Jul
- national zone 59/1740 argenton 13/Jul
- national zone 23/1060 brive 20/Jul
- national zone 66-1155 marseille 19/Jul
- national 4/6838 limoges 5/Jul
- national 135/10653 limoges 1/Jun
- national 175/24006 bourges 25/May
- national 128/5469 valance 8/Jun
- national 80/7883 tulle 23/Jun
- national 160/3491 brive 20/Jul
- national 121/2082 marseille 19/Jul
- provincial 1/631 limoges 5/Jul
- provincial 5/1993 sermaises 25/May
- provincial 9-1107 limoges 1/Jun
- provincial 17/1667 blois 1/Jun
- provincial 25/1667 blois 1/Jun
- provincial 17/718 valance 8/Jun
- provincial 7-734 tulle 23/Jun
- provincial 23-544 sermaises 29/Jun
- provincial 7/440 brive 20/Jul
- provincial 15/247 marseille 19/Jul
- provincial 5/498 lorris 3/Aug
In the auction are youngsters from 2057513/2019, she was the best racing hen in 2020 and 2021. She was twice the ace pigeon in the local, won 5x 1st on the great middle distance, and this with 6x top 120 national! Below is her complete record: