2007 National Winners:
Part 1

by Stefan Mertens

Part 1of Three Parts. For Part 2, click here.
For Part 3, click here.

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Davy Tournelle,
at right, who swept the Bourges race

"Cheyenne"

"Julie"

Brive National
Winners


 

"Alfred" -- the
Brive champion

Gerard & Muriel
with B03-1045968

The Adams's Loft

B03-1045968,
winner of
Montelimar
national

06.02.07 BRIVE NATIONAL
Distance Brussels: 650km

To congratulate the national winner for Brive, we went to Olsene, which is a little village with a lot of pigeon fanciers. Last year we were also in Olsene by Johan Tant (national winner Souillac). Father Alfred was a very good long distance racer, and until 1996 he raced in partnership with his son Jules. In 1996 father Alfred died and Jules then formed a partnership with his mother Germaine Verstaen (95 years old!). They still race from the old lofts which are standing in Germaine's garden.

The base of this loft is built on pigeons from Gilbert Van de Weghe (Olsene). Later, in 1990, friend Clement Dewaele bought 10 eggs from Gaby Vandenabeele (Dentergem). Friend Clement asked Jules to breed the youngsters, and afterward they would divide them. But the Clement's health condition was not good and he decided to quit the pigeon sport. So, our future national winners were able to keep all the Vandenabeele pigeons.




Every year they start the season with 14 widowers, 30 youngsters and 15 breeding couples. Fourteen days before Brive there was a disastrous Chateauroux. It was such a bad race that Jules thought of leaving the sport. Also "Alfred" (B05-4082656) needed two days to come home. But he recuperated very well and had enough energy to win this very hard national race from Brive against more than 16,000 birds.

Before winning national Brive, "Alfred" also won 1st Chateauroux (18th provincial against 5,187b.), 366th national Limoges against 15,507 b.
His father is "Crack" (B00-4160155 - original Gaby Vandenabeele through eggs) and mother is B04-4242049 - origin Alfred D'Huyvetter)

09.06.07 NATIONAL MONTELIMAR
Distance Brussels: 700km

Montélimar, organised by the CFW got 7,872 old birds in the basket. After one day of delay, the birds could be liberated in very good weather. The winners are Gerard and Muriel Adam and these are not unknown fanciers. Before winning this national race, they already won the 2nd national Marseille (1997), the 2nd national Perpignan (1999 - 3rd international against 17,601b.) - 3rd national Périgueux 5,594b., - 4th Bordeaux (2000) against 3,756b., 4th Jarnac against 5,672b.
Gerard Adam (53 years old) has a very busy job, and thanks to his wife Muriel he can race pigeons. Gerard started in 1980 with pigeons, this in the garden of his parents. Father was not a fancier, although they raced several years in partnership. The colony was built up with birds from Marcel Englebienne (Forchies), Claude Andrien (Sprimont), Julien Nibus (Soumagne), Henri Mornard (Verviers) and Edmond Streel (Vreren).

Every year he starts with 50 widowers (20 old and 30 yearbirds). A few years ago, they also raced with hens, but this was less successful. In total there are also 60 youngsters bred, but they are just trained well during their year of birth, because every thing is programmed for their later career as a long-distance racer.

The winning bird is the "B03-1045968." Before his big victory, this widower also won the 161st national Pau (2006) against 7,872b. His father is the "B91-1109127." This cock was bought at the auction of Henry Mornard from Verviers. He comes from the "13," who is father of the 1st international Perpignan 1991 and the 10th national Barcelona 1992. Couples with "La Pin Up" (B81-1066781).


Mother is "Toscada" B97-1009478 (strain Mornard Henri).

The Petits with
"Blauwe 140"







"Blauwe 140"

13.06.07 NATIONAL CAHORS
Distance Brussels: 735 km

This national race got 759 pigeons less than in 2006 and was released with a day's delay but with very nice weather. National winner Francis Petit is not such a well-known name in the pigeon sport. The town of Branine L'Alleud is known for its "leeuw van Vlaanderen" or a statue which was built to remember the big win against the army of Napoleon Bonaparte, this 192 years ago. Francis (54 years old) still lives in the house of his grandparents, and ever since he can remember the pigeon sport has been a part of the family. It was only Quievrain (short distance) that counted. But Francis wanted to try it a little bit farther, and since 1994 he baskets for the long-distance races. Of course he needed some other pigeons and those were found from Francois Collard (Marbais-La-Tour), Van Damme-Boddaert (Oostkamp) and Andre Vermote (Oostende).

Every year Francis has 32 widowers, 150 youngbirds and 30 breeder couples. But from those 150 youngsters Francis gives 75 youngsters every year to his friends, this all for free! This year for the first time in his life, Francis gave the birds a lot of homeopathic products, at advice of a specialized doctor. It all works slowly but it seems to be very effective. The national winner from Cahors is the "Blauwe 140" (B04-1531140). His father is the "B01-15070469" (origin Spitael, Kain and won the 41st national Béziers in 2003). Mother is "Goede Vliegster" (B92-4600992 - comes from Francois Collard).

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06.23.07 NATIONAL MONTAUBAN
Distance Brussels: 780 km

Under the smoke of Liège. That was the place to be to congratulate the national winner from Montauban. Rene Marien has been a pigeon fancier ever since he can remember, and since the 1st of January he has stopped working because he turned 60 years old. More free time, more time for the pigeons, and immediately a national victory. Life can be very nice. Rene has pigeons who have to perform at all distances, because every week he baskets for the short-, the middle, and the long-distance races. The birds that can do all this are a mix of pigeons from Richard Mersch (Strée), Wouters (Flémalle), Thomas Peeters (As), Wijnands and Son (Maastricht), Pol Tossens (Warsage) and Hilaire Verhellen ('S Gravenwezel).

Sixty is the number of widowers which are sitting in the lofts, and seventy-that's the number of young birds. For the rest a system like the one found in a lot of other lofts is followed. Maybe one special thing is that in the month of February all the widowers are vaccinated against paramyxo and paratyphus during one week's time.
For this national race René had basketted six birds and won three prizes. The national winner is named "Thibaut 648" (B05-1023648) and already won: 8th Pithiviers against 100b., 155th Montlucon against 1,203b., 134th Jarnac against 1,996b., 736th Nevers against 3,460b., 180th Brive against 1,099b. and then the 1st national Montauban against 6,200b.

His father is the B01-6477472. This cock comes from Hilaire Verhellen and this from the lines of the "Late Dromer" and "Perpignan II."

On the mother's side we have the "B00-1054015," which is a cross of pigeons from Duchêne (Strée) X Léon Henry (Nadrin).