Although Jean and his wife Truike are still in good spirits, he must, on doctor's advice, hang up his lab coat after 70 years: “I regret it,” says Jean with a trembling voice. “In ’53, I started with the pigeons and in ’73 I switched to long-distance racing. By coincidence, I entered a hen in Barcelona and lo and behold, she flew a nice prize, 23rd provincial. That same year, I entered a male pigeon for St Vincent and this one also won a nice prize, 17th provincial. My long-distance breeding pair was born, and my heart was captivated by the long-distance racing.”
The small basket
This certainly applies here; there are fewer than 50 pigeons in the lofts in Linde-Peer. And that has almost always been the case.” I don’t keep breeders; I breed from my racing pigeons, even the best from the yearlings. The yearlings and the old ones get the same hens, so I keep my stock small. For long-distance racing, I take a maximum of 2 or 3 pigeons. But I’ve always participated.” Previously under the tandem Evens-Gielen (brothers-in-law), now under Jean Evens. “But never with many pigeons. I even went to basket without pigeons in the crate before, but that was just to get away from home,” jokes Jean.
Keep it simple
“Before the season, I always visited the veterinarian once, and in my whole life, there were worms only once; never otherwise. Trichomonas, yes, and I treated for it a week before the season, but in the season, never. Treating for the heads? No, never because I never treated for the feet,” says the cheerful pigeon fancier. “I’ve never seen anything wrong with the heads of my pigeons, healthy lofts, low occupancy, and strict selection, right?”
The game system is possibly even simpler. “Between Christmas and Candlemas, I pair them, and the fliers raise a young one. I buy a maximum of 40 rings. When training, the hen stays at home. Once learned and as we begin the big game, they get nothing more. No hen on departure and no hen on return. They fly for their loft and for their box. Then they are nice and calm when they sit in the crate for a week.”
Simplicity adorns man; great are the achievements.
Bookkeeping was not Jean’s forte, but the newspaper clippings speak volumes. Jean has been among the great champions for years. In 1979, they already won 2nd provincial Barcelona, narrowly beaten by Gaston Bastijns from Halen, but in 1983, it was their turn as the tandem won provincial Barcelona. It was one of the toughest editions ever since the prizes were only awarded on Wednesday, but the Provincial palm went to Peer, just ahead of Nouwen-Paesen. The Barcelona ’79 also became 4th National ace pigeon long distance. And they continued to breed, maintaining the old bloodline and supplementing it with established pigeons. He strings the ace pigeons and championship titles together. A selection of the titles we happened to find.
Vice champion long-distance marathon 1995
2nd ace pigeon long distance LFM 1995
2nd provincial Cahors 1996
Vice champion long-distance marathon 1999
2nd ace pigeon long distance 1998
1st provincial Dax 2006
1st champion long distance 2011 LFM
2nd champion heavy long distance 2011
2nd general champion LFM 2011
3rd champion Marathon 2011
1st and 3rd ace pigeon long distance 2011
4th champion Marathon 2013
3rd ace pigeon marathon 2013
10th general champion LFM
Marseille 1st designated 2017
1st champion long distance LFM 2020
1st and 4th ace pigeon long distance 2020
2nd champion marathon 2020
Best Marseille pigeon Belgium over 3 years 2020-2021-2022
This list is just a glimpse of what Jean has won, but this is what we could find.
Golden breeder
Jean currently has a golden breeder in the loft. “Den As” 2262667 /16 accumulated an impressive palmarès and became 1st ace pigeon Long Distance Limburg long distance marathon, but also 11th National ace pigeon Rhône valley 2020. And as mentioned, Jean has no breeders, but in 2018 he bred the 5100815/18, which was named “the Marseille” after being the Best Belgian pigeon over 3 years from Marseille. It flew in 2020 2nd provincial 12th national out of 2102 pigeons. In 2021, 2nd provincial and 25th national from 1882 pigeons, and in 2022 7th provincial and 43rd national from 2326 pigeons. Note here, in 2021 Jean found him rested in the loft in the morning. Not a single pigeon had returned home, and Jean expected none more for Limburg and went to sleep. This likely cost him the 1st provincial. But the following year in 2019, it happened again because he bred from “Den As” namely the 5080917/19, which became 1st ace pigeon Long Distance Limburg long distance marathon in 2022, just like his father two years earlier and was henceforth named “the young As.” Unbelievable from the few pigeons he produced as racers, so much talent. Another promising talent is the 5043764/17; it flew beautifully for three years in a row in 2020-2021-2022 at Barcelona and was on track to finish high in the ranking Primus inter pares, but unfortunately, this will no longer happen. The closure must irrevocably happen to the pigeon loft on doctor's advice. A seasoned bloodline of marathon pigeons is thus for sale. An exceptional opportunity for long-distance enthusiasts.