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Marcel and Pierre
Loppe
The wing of
"Diablo"
The birds are
comfortable
7th national
ace-pigeon 2005
Wing of the
7th ace
The wing of "Anita"
The loft complex
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Rixensart:
Located in the shadow of the better known Brussels, Rixensart was the
place to be to congratulate the national champion little middle distance
2005. For those who very closely follow the Belgian pigeon sport, the
name Loppe will not sound unfamiliar. Not only about their fantastic
results on the middle distance, but about most of all the results of
their blue crack "Diablo" (B98-2002204) did many fanciers speak with
respect about this colony. For those who are not informed, "Diablo"
was in 1994 the 4th national ace-pigeon middle distance and in 2000
the 3rd national ace-pigeon. In that same year, "Diablo" also represented
Belgium at the Olympiad in Cape town (South-Africa).
The nice thing about this story is that although a lot of euros were
offered for this fabulous cock, he was never sold and stayed at the
lofts on the Rue Rochefoucaulde, number 31, and nowadays he let his
talents explode in the breeding loft. "The best thing we ever did,"
says Marcel, "because his children and grandchildren won the national
title." By the way, the 7th national ace-pigeon little middle distance
2005 is also a grandson of the "Diablo." In other words, it runs in
the family!
VERBRUGGEN
Father Marcel has been a pigeon fancier his whole life. As a 15-year-old,
boy he was in the lofts of his own father every day. Short distance
was the favourite game, and if there was a race somewhere you could
find Marcel at the basketting table. In those days you could basket
several times a week and the question of "if there would be enough pigeons
in the race" was never asked. Those were very nice times!
In 1969 Marcel constructed his house, and built nice pigeon lofts at
the same time. But his very busy job at the bank made it almost impossible
to take good care of the birds. The results were more bad than good.
But that was not counting on the assistance of son Pierre. He was also
very interested in racing the pigeons, and every free minute he had
was spent in the lofts. Suddenly the results became much better, and
that was for Marcel the sign to invest in better pigeons. In 1988 Marcel
and Pierre took the car and went to a world-famous name--Gommair Verbruggen
(Scherpenheuvel) to buy birds. It was a golden investment, and certainly
the birds out of the line of the "Kletskop" were very successful.
The results improved yet again, and with the Verbruggen birds as a foundation,
our father-son combination looked out for new blood. This was successfully
found in the lofts of Driessens (Vilvoorde), Debiève Jean-Claude (Hornu),
Herbots Jo and Raf (Halle-Booienhoven), Goris Jan (Westerlo - where
the superb hen "Anita" was bought), Van Malderen Willy (Messelbroek),
Van den Bossche Xavier (Beersel), Carlier Olivier (Wauthier Braine)
and recently Thibaut-Boons (Sombreffe - pigeons out of the 1st national
ace-pigeon) and Frans Van Dorpe (Borsbeke).
EARLY BREED
The favourite game of our friends is without any doubt the game with
the widowers, and therefore they have well counted 48 birds (20 old
birds and 28 yearbirds). These are housed in four different lofts.
The season ends with Bourges (at the end of July) and after this race
cocks and hens stay together and may brood twice over 10 days. After
the second brood, the widowers who did not receive enough points following
their ring number are selected out, and the others get a ticket in the
direction of the aviary. Their boxes in the widowers loft are closed,
and all the other boxes are opened. At the same time, the new yearling
cocks come into the loft and may sleep for the first time in their new
loft. They get all the time to select a favourite box.
At the beginning of December an early round with all the birds is scheduled
on the programme. First, the year birds are coupled, and two days later
the old widowers come into the loft. Also those are immediately coupled.
By handling in this way, the old cocks are only interested in their
hen and don't spend time fighting against the new year birds.
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The widowhood
loft
Inside the
widowhood loft
Widowers in
winter
The window of
the widowers' loft
Careful feeding
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At the same time,
the 28 breeding couples are also coupled, and after they have nested
for ten days, the eggs of the stock birds go under the widowers. Only
the eggs of some important widowers are kept. Once the youngsters are
16 days old, one youngster stays with the widower and the other youngster
goes together with the hen to the young bird loft. Once the youngsters
are 23 days old, all the babies are weaned and the widowers come into
a kind of winter period.
Winter period means that the whole loft is cleaned and disinfected.
The boxes are closed and the cocks have to sit on perches. The feeding
is very light (3/4 depurative and ¼ moulting mixture) and this at a
quantity of only 27 grams per day per pigeon. This winter regime is
in effect until March 20th. Once this date is on the calendar, the boxes
are opened, the hens come again into the loft and they may nest for
five days. After those five days, the hens and eggs go away and the
cocks are on widowhood. Then they're fed and trained twice a day, are
treated for five days against canker and get Omniform for seven days
in the drinking water.
During the season nothing is left to co-incidence! It is father Marcel
together with his wife who stands in for the birds, but it is son Pierre
who decides what is done and which system is followed. As already mentioned,
the team consists of 48 widowers in four different lofts, and not all
the pigeons of the same loft go every week to the same race. Whoever
creates plans like this needs to be careful that everything is followed
well. Every week the whole "pigeon team" writes little notes whereby
they decide which widower has to be treated and fed for his next race.
Marcel explains, "Our team of widowers is divided into two groups. One
team is basketted every week for a little middle distance race (around
the 300 km) and the others go the big middle distance (races around
400 and 500km). During the racing season we feed our birds from light
to heavy. This means upon arrival 100% Champion Plus I.C., then for
two days 50% Super Diet and 50% Gerry Plus I.C., then for two days 100%
Gerry Plus I.C. and then the last days a combination of Champion Plus
I.C., Super Star Plus I.C. and Energy Plus I.C."
Pierre continues, "In the beginning of the season, the weather can be
cold and rainy, and therefore heating plates are installed in our lofts.
When it is necessary, these plates are turned on, and in that way we
can keep up the condition among the widowers in a better way."
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Stockbirds' aviary
Inside the
stockbirds' aviary
Special wire
for ventilation
Just weaned
youngsters
Pierre in the
youngbird loft
A youngbird in
his box
The proud
champions
"Le Nelson"
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"For the rest,"
Pierre goes on, "everything happens like in a lot of other lofts. There
is only one thing we keep in mind, and that is that the more energy
you put into the birds, the better the results are!"
A REAL TOP SEASON
In 2005 our father-son partnership achieved a real top season. From
the first weekend, the widowers team was in real top condition and flew
home as if the devil were behind them. If you don't believe it, just
look at the results and judge for yourself.
04-23-05: Vervins-362 old birds: 1-2-9-13-16-17-19-30-33-35 (13/20)
04-23-05: Vervins-404 year birds: 1-11-15-19-23-27-28-34-41 (14/23)
05-01-05: Soissons-899 old birds: 2-19-26-49-58-59-73 (12/20)
05-15-05: Melun-793 old birds: 1-2-7-8-17-21-29-32-34-40-50. (18/20)
05-21-05: Gien-894 old birds: 1-2-3-4-5-6-8-9-13-14-16-18-28 (15/20)
05-22-05: La Ferte-427 year birds: 1-4-6-13-15-19-20-23-25-28-32-33
(17/20)
05-28-05: Gien-519 old birds: 3-5-6-7-8 (5/8)
05-28-05: Bourges-772 old birds: 3-5-6-7-13-22-34 (9/10)
05-29-05: Melun-325 year birds: 1-3-5-11-12 (8/20)
06-04-05: Gien-390 old birds: 1-9-27-50 (4/8)
06-11-05: Chateauroux-Local 672 old birds: 3-5-216 (3/8)
06-11-05: Chateauroux-Semi-national: 12,992 old birds: 67-100
06-11-05: Gien-490 old birds: 1-5-8-11-18-35 (11/21)
06-18-05: Gien-456 old birds: 2-7-10-12-27-29 (13/23)
06-18-05: Gien-308 year birds: 2-13-27-30 (6/14)
06-25-05: Sens-274 old bird: 1-2-3-5-9-12-13-14-15-16-17-18-19-26 (18/23)
06-25-05: Sens-171 year birds: 1-5-6-7-8-12 (10/14)
06-25-05: Montlucon-Lokaal 483 old birds: 5-8-131
06-25-05: Montlucon-Semi-national: 7149 old birds: 159-231
07-16-05: Gien-219 old birds: 1-3-4-5-6-7-8-14-15-19-27 (16/23)
07-16-05: Gien-140 year birds: 1-3-4-5-7-12- . (8/12)
07-23-05: Gien-310 old birds: 1-2-3-21-32- (11/27)
07-30-05: Bourges- 503 old birds: 4-6-13-39-40 (6/12)
07-30-05: Bourges- CFW 3714 old birds: 62-106-180-447-448-1083
SO THEY BECAME NATIONAL CHAMPION
To win the national championship little middle distance, you have to
take the best six results with the 1st and 2nd nominated old birds.
The races have a minimum distance of 250km and a maximum distance of
400km, and in total over the six races calculated you need a minimum
1500km. This championship can only be won with old birds.
Only races organized between May 7th and August 20th (with the exception
of the national race from Bourges) can be taken.
Only one race per weekend can be taken, and races during the week don't
count. A minimum of 100 pigeons must participate in the race and as
well as a minimum of 10 fanciers.
First three classified fanciers 2005:
1. Loppe Marcel & Pierre - Rixensart (21.9251 %)
2. Van den Bruel Raymond - Hallaar (35.1377 %)
3. Kemerlinckx Leon - Budingen (39.0058 %)
Date: 05-15-05
Race: Melun (264.931km)
Number of Pigeons: 666 1st Nominated: 1
2nd Nominated: 22
Date: 05-21-05
Race: Gien (362.984km)
Number of Pigeons: 894 1st Nominated: 13
2nd Nominated: 8
Date: 05-28-05
Race: Gien (362.984km)
Number of Pigeons: 519
1st Nominated: 5
2nd Nominated: 6
Date: 06-11-05
Race: Gien (362.984km)
Number of Pigeons: 490
1st Nominated: 1
2nd Nominated: 5
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