Annemie Vanhee (Wervik)
1st National ace KBDB ½ Fond young birds
Wervik: The name “Vanhee” rings like a bell in the international pigeon world. Grandfather Gerard Vanhee started pigeon racing as a 15-year-old guy in 1925. Gerard was a man with ambition and possessed the unprecedented urge to buy super pigeons. If he knew one, he was at the front door of the relevant fancier in no time and was only satisfied when the “crack” was in his pigeon basket. His search for superior pigeons was, in those days, rarely seen because thanks to the crossing of these superior pigeons, Gerard bred his “own strain”, read “breed” that, from the 1960s to the early 1990s, dominated the long-distance races and dominated Belgian pigeon racing. When son Michel became increasingly involved in pigeon sport at the end of the seventies, beginning of the eighties, and even took over the torch from Father Gerard in the loft, he not only changed the approach in terms of care but also the breeding strategy of the Vanhee team was rewritten. Father Gerard was in favour of “crossbreeding”, but Michel thought it was a shame that the superior characteristics of the created basic lines such as “Motta”, “Iron”, “Remi”, “Patrick”, “Monsieur”, “Bambino”, “Atom”, “Dreamer” etc… would just be lost through crosses. Therefore, he tried to capture the dominant traits of these breeding lines through close inbreeding and embed them in his lineage. When such an inbred product then met the set external requirements, he or she was usually immediately assigned a box in the breeding loft. Here, he/she was then paired with an “inbred product” from another breeding line or paired with an unrelated pigeon of top-origin.
Michel thus used “close inbred” to then “cross” with. This is how the superior Vanhee strain came into being, which at that time was almost impossible to play against in long-distance and very long-distance races. National victories, national titles and ace pigeons, Olympic pigeons… it was almost unimaginable how the Vanhee pigeon raced in that period. A true supremacy at national and even international level. A supremacy that lasted until well into the mid-nineties.
21 x 1st National
2 x 1st International
16x 2nd National
4x National champion Fond KBDB
2x General champion KBDB
A lot of Olympiad birds
But disaster struck when both grandfather Gerard and father Michel died within a span of a few weeks in 1998. Michel died in a car accident just a few hundred metres from his home. A hard blow for the Vanhee family but daughter Annemie decided not to let this life’s work go to waste and to take over father and grandfather’s torch so the Vanhee name wouldn’t disappear from international pigeon racing and so the business in the well-known Vanhee by-products could be continued. Before all Vanhee pigeons were sold (in 1999), Annemie was able to breed a round of late youngsters out of all the toppers. This late round served as a basis for her own stock breeding, to establish this noble heritage in her own new colony. She obtained descendants from the very best top lines such as ‘Atoom’ (winner 1° Nat Limoges), ‘Motta’ (top flyer and super breeder), ‘Patrick’ (Gold Medal Olympiad Katowice), ‘Napoleon’ (1° Internat Narbonne) and the old ‘Janssen’ line (line ‘Tobias’: 2° Nat La Souterraine). Meanwhile, these own ancient stock lines were supplemented with pigeons of Roger Florizoone-origin (including the ‘Freddy line’, in which the Vanhee blood flows so richly), Marcel Aelbrecht, De Rauw- Sablon (Grandson “Freddy” – inbred “Freddy”), Etienne Meirlaen, Xavier & Raoul Verstraete (Son “Xtra” 1st National Cahors 2008 and hen out of provincial ace pigeon 2011 “Magic Ace”), B. De Ceuninck (Koopman x Prange, “Silver Shadow”), Stefan Steenbergen (Son “Iron Man”) , co-breeding with Chris Hebberecht and last but not least the successful contribution of Gino Clicque pigeons (son “Red Filip” )
Meanwhile, Annemie sought and found her way in pigeon racing and proved that she has pigeon blood running through her veins. The actual start came in 2001 with the youngsters and now, a good 20 years later, she is one of the best fanciers in Belgium. Especially last season she had a top season with as highlights 1st National Tulle against 6,842 yearlings (also fastest of 16,605b.) and 1st National ace KBDB ½ Fond ’22.
“Super Ace Gerard” B22-309116 – 1st National ace KBDB ½ Fond youngsters ’22
Winning a national ace pigeon title KBDB, who doesn’t dream of it. Well, this dream came true for Annemie last season. Although her colony was built to shine in long-distance and very long-distance racing, she won the national ace pigeon title with a young cock in the small middle-distance race. It is blue cock “Super Ace Gerard” (B22-3091116) who, with the necessary 4 best results in middle distance, is the best young middle distance racer in all of Belgium. He shone with:
3rd Fontenay 2,992d. (1st club 384b.)
3rd Fontenay 1,579b.
5th Fontenay 2,592d. (1st club 384b.)
12th Orleans 2,366d. (1st club 645b.)
“Super Ace Gerard” was born from “Super Ace Raketje Atoom” (B16-3106042) x “Magic Bambino” (B16-3106052). This pair are also the grandparents of “Magic Princess Bambino”, winner of 1st Prov. ace pigeon and 6th Nat. ace pigeon KBDB ’21 great middle distance.
Annually, Annemie breeds 130 youngsters bred from breeders and racers. They are darkened from the end of February to 15 June and after that they are not lighted anymore. In six stages, the youngsters are trained to 55 km and then they go into the basket for Arras.
No sliding door system for the youngsters in Wervik. No, all the youngsters stay together and can produce a nest during the season. There will be motivation trays in the loft and the youngsters are on bean straw. At basketing, the youngsters are simply taken from the loft and put in the basket. Despite preferring to play with old and yearling birds, the youngsters are not left to their own devices. They normally finish the first two national races, namely Bourges and Argenton I, so that they can start the season as yearlings with the necessary experience.
Every year, Annemie has many losses with the youngsters. On the one hand because she lives close to release sites, her youngsters often fly with overflying groups and on the other hand the problem of birds of prey that gets worse from year to year.
“Michelle Princess” 1st National Tulle – fastest of 16,605 pigeons
Another highlight of the 2022 season was winning the national victory from Tulle. For this brilliant victory, “Michelle Princess.” She not only showed the 6,842 yearling birds her tail, but was also the fastest of all 16,605 Tulle racers
“Michelle Princess” is a 100% Gino Clicque hen and born out of “Red Filip Junior” B16-3107443 (direct son of “Red Filip” x “Marriott” ) x “Granddaughter Golden Prince” (B17-3107465)
This pair are also the parents of the 49th prize final Algarve Golden Race, Portugal, Bragança (505 km)
Annemie races her hens in 2 different groups. One group is played on total widowhood and a 2nd group on pure widowhood. The first group consists of 30 couples, and they are paired at the beginning of December and are allowed to raise a nest. Once the youngsters are grown, they are separated and a “rest period” begins. A 2nd pairing is scheduled for the end of March. Then they breed for 5 days, and the pigeons are trained. Afterwards, total widowhood is a fact. When basketing, the boxes are opened, and dishes are put on the loft and the partners meet for half an hour to an hour and a half. When returning home from a long-distance and middle-distance race, the partners stay together until the next morning. In the beginning, the hens are fed away once during the week. There is little trouble with mutual mating of the hens because the females fly a heavy programme.
The 2nd group of hens consists of 12 units and is played on pure widowhood. They are paired for the first time at the end of March and are allowed to over-breed (no youngsters). Together with the hens from “total widowhood”, they are reared. This group works first on widowhood Agen International and then on nest on Narbonne International.
Care
Homecoming (Saturday):
Sport mixture Van Robaeys + Van-Biergist liquid 17000 + Vanergy 13000 (condition powder) + APF (Brockamp proteins)
Drinking: Van-Electrolyth 11000+ and Recup Boost 7000
Sunday:
Hens get “Lady Mix” and cocks “Relax” both from Van Robaeys
Drinking: Vanasept Nature 12500 (for the airways) and Recup Boost 7000
Monday
50% sports mix + 50% purification
Vanasept Nature 12500 or Van-Tea liquid 5000 A
Tuesday:
50% sports mix + 50% purification
Van-Vitamino 16500 (amino acids + vitamins)
Wednesday
100% mixture “Golden Racing” Clicque
Van-Union oil 13500 and Van-Endurance 15500 on the feed
Van-Elektrolyth 11000+ (liquid electrolytes) in the drink
Thursday (basketing):
100% mixture “Golden Racing” Clicque
Van-Oliemix 10500 and Vanergy 13000+.
At basketing, the pigeons are doused with eye and nose drops Van-Ogentroost 4000. The pigeons for middle-distance and middle-distance are given one Victory Power Pills 3000+ and the pigeons for long-distance and middle-distance are given two pills.
The pigeons are bathed once a week on Wednesday with Vanisanbad 6500, bath salts with essential oils of eucalyptus.
Medically, we play very close to the ball because veterinarian Pascal Lanneau comes to examine the pigeons every 14 days. His advice is always followed. In 2022, the old and yearling pigeons received a 5-day treatment with Soludox and Linco-Spectin in mid-May. Against tricho, the well-known “yellow drops” were given weekly.
Results racing season 2022
28.5 Bourges (415 km)
Lokaal 334 jl: 1, 7, 10, 13, 21, 23, 31, 32, 35, 36… (26/62)
Nat. A1 2574 o: 7, 33, 39, 90, 110, 122, 168, 174, 204, 210, 216, 236, 249, 250… (22/46)
Nat. A1 1369 jl: 5, 17, 22, 28, 43, 49, 63, 66, 69, 70, 73, 91, 104, 106, 116, 125… (26/62)
Prov. 3696 jl: 84, 183, 199, 221, 270, 291, 324, 329, 345, 349… (29/62)
11.6 Limoges (597 km)
Nat. A1 1418 o: 7, 212, 216, 279, 318
Nat. 17.356 o: 145, 2196, 2244…
28.6 Tulle (584 km)
Reg. 230 jl: 1, 2, 15, 25, 32, 34, 40, 50, 54, 58, 59 (11/23)
Nat. A1 477 jl : 1, 5, 41, 64, 79, 85, 97, 120
Prov. 1458 jl : 1, 13, 149, 204, 255, 269, 309, 386, 402, 420, 421
Nat. 6842 jl : 1, 20, 288, 428, 555, 588, 728, 993, 1059, 1127, 1128, 1611, 1705 (13/23)
2.7 Agen (781 km)
Prov. 1589 o : 4, 229, 288, 390, 425 (5/13)
Nat. 6657 o : 4, 650, 863, 1266, 1371
Nat. 7331 jl : 131, 245, 346, 466, 1092, 1679, 1682 (7/14)
Internat. 16.864 o : 6, 341, 1748, 695, 2779, 1300
Internat. 16.932 jl : 203, 269, 292, 398, 2136, 1464, 1465 (7/14)
9.7 Brive (637 km)
Nat. A1 406 jl : 2, 28, 41, 42, 44, 53, 74, 91, 94, 98
Prov. 1137 jl : 5, 102, 145, 146, 152, 184, 251, 306, 322, 336, 366
Nat. 5885 jl : 20, 278, 436, 437, 468, 583, 838, 1087, 1155, 1227, 1354
9.7 Fontenay (287 km)
Zone A1 2292 jo : 3, 15, 21, 28, 92, 119, 119, 122, 219, 244, 245, 276, 280, 287… (26/72)
16.7 Orléans (326 km)
Reg. 345 jo : 1, 12, 14, 20, 34, 34, 37, 44, 49, 50, 51, 57, 60, 66, 67, 75… (28/71)
Zone A1 2366 jo : 12, 66, 92, 133, 205, 263, 299, 334, 345, 347, 390… (28/71)
23.7 Fontenay (287 km)
Reg. 384 jo : 1, 2, 10, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 2, 22, 27, 27, 29, 34, 36, 41, 43, 43… (43/76)
Zone A1 2592 jo : 5, 6, 18, 38, 44, 45, 56, 57, 58, 59, 75, 110, 110, 118, 135… (48/76)
30.7 Bourges (415 km)
Reg. 492 jo : 1, 7, 9, 12, 16, 20, 22, 23, 31, 32, 33, 38, 46, 50, 51, 52, 58, 90, 99… (32/75)
Nat. A1 1924 jo : 2, 25, 29, 41, 58, 66, 73, 74, 106, 109, 110, 121, 155, 167, 168, 172… (26/75)
Prov. 4705 jo : 5, 72, 82, 82, 112, 162, 192, 208, 215, 307314, 315, 343, 441, 476… (32/75)
Nat. 23.847 jo : 72, 735, 806, 1038, 1391, 1677, 1850, 1951, 2706, 2767, 2780…
6.8 Montoire (370 km)
Zone A1 2704 jo : 7, 43, 62, 113, 141, 155, 170, 172, 174, 207, 237, 240, 240, 245, 246… (45/64)
Prov. 6382 jo : 34, 208, 293, 464, 627, 664, 696, 700, 709, 811, 903, 908, 908, 919… (30/64)
21.8 Argenton (477 km)
Nat A1 2048 jo : 10, 18, 38, 51, 58, 63, 110, 111, 155, 156, 184, 195, 284, 298, 307…
Prov. 5555 jo : 121, 179, 309, 383, 425453, 702, 705, 838, 839, 954, 999, 1225, 1257…
One Loft Races 2022
1e extra finale Derby del Mediterraneo, Spanje, Merida (557 km)
11e extra finale Derby Brod, Kroatië (482 km)
49e finale Algarve Golden Race, Portugal, Bragança (505 km), met broer Princess Michelle, 1e Nat. Tulle 2022
40, 46, 72 finale Derby Costa de la Luz, Tarancon (485 km)
6e Belgisch Kampioenschap Spaanse One Loft Races
Loft
Winner
