Gino Clicque (Wevelgem) was again outstanding in 2017 with a 1st National Ace bird GMD year birds KBDB as a reward

Reculer pour mieux sauter

A nice French saying that says it all what Gino and Jasper realised over the last few years. They had a marvellous sale of all pigeons older than one year old, only the youngsters 2016 were kept. This was a conscious choice in their strategic plan that they are unfolding with success since a few years now.

A few years ago, Gino has turned in the professional road. After years of hard work with his family in building up a nice business, he chose resolute for his passion and hobby namely pigeon sport. He had been a driven pigeon fancier since childhood and dreamt about it making it his profession. But life is all about making plans; keep on dreaming and trying to realize it.

Gino, who turned 56 by now, thought it was time to realize it all. The base was present namely a very good knowledge based on the different victories and national titles, a very firm strain of pigeons where was built on for many years and a set up that makes it possible to carry it out well structured. But especially the passion to win and the necessary daily efforts that have to be made are present.
Reculer pour mieux sauter….setting back a few steps to be able to jump even further and higher with a renewed run-up, to do it even better.

A breeding loft with 3 base strains

The entire care is in the hands of Gino, his wife and son Jasper. They do it all what needs to be done on their own account. This means working hard from morning until evening. During the summer time (during the racing season) it is about 16 hours a day, during Fall and Winter the intensity is a bit less, but then they have a lot of visitors, foreign trips they go on and so on that is being done as well.

After the sale in 2016 they kept about 125 (new) breeding couples. These young couples all come out of the former strain of breeding- and racing pigeons that were sold. They did a restart with 100% the same basis.

The breeding base was historically formed back to about 3 strains namely:

The Robert-strain (is the oldest strain based on the pigeons of Robert Dobbelaere). These pigeons came on to the loft in 1996 and were very successful in the after breed. These are pigeons that can manage the long distance and extreme long distance races and take care of the necessary strength in the breeding.
The Figo-strain has been introduced in 2000. The skills of the pigeons of the Reynaert family with excellences the ‘Figo’ and the ‘Goen’ are worldwide known and are successful on many lofts. They are fast pigeons with a super GPS. These pigeons have been crossed in all other strains within the strain of Gino, but are being kept rather pure as well.
The Gaby-strain: in 2012 they got 6 pigeons from Gaby Vandenabeele. Out of these 6 they bred 2 pigeons who gave 1st national winners. Afterwards some more pigeons were bought at Gaby, in total about 20, whereof 12 of them gave very strong results in the after breed.
A 4th strain, a kind of reserve strain, is the pigeons with ancestor ‘Red Filip’ (Lucien Staelens). These pigeons are very good for the more heavy work as from 600km and more and are being crossed in with other strains but also being kept rather pure.

A big and powerful team is ready for 2018

The competition will know, the riffles are loaded for the coming season and there are a lot of bullets ready waiting.

In total they have 250 old (2-year old) and year bird at disposable for the distances from 400km to 800km. About 70 cocks are being raced on the classic widowhood and about 180 on double widowhood. There is also a modest team ready for the extreme long distance for the season of 2018.

From these 180 pigeons there are 150 hens and 75 cocks. They are being raced in a form of double widowhood – chaos system. It is out of this colony and with this approach that the biggest and most beautiful successes from the last few years were set.

The pigeons on total widowhood are being coupled around March the 28th; they can breed for about 2 to 3 weeks, but can’t get on to youngsters.
During the winter time they aren’t being coupled and stay in the aviaries all the time, but do fly out two to three times a week. As mentioned before they try to keep as many pigeons as possible in the aviaries (this is timesaving and the pigeons come out very healthy as well).

The old ones are being darkened with screens to make sure that they have all their feathers left on the last national races. As they race especially to win ace birds, every race can be important.

The team of youngsters exist of about 250 pigeons, whereof the 80 oldest are being raced on the lofts of Ronny Menten in Rummen. This has been a success story since a few years now where the pigeon knowledge from Ronny matches extremely well with the super pigeons from Gino. Both gain beautiful results and this cooperation leads to both their satisfaction.

The youngsters on the lofts in Wevelgem exists out of the 1st and 2nd round and are brought together beginning of May. Both teams race equally well by so they can be trained as a group. The youngsters are being darkened (pitch dark) from the 2nd half of February until the 21st of June (during this period they have 10 hours of daylight). They are being darkened from 17h45 until 08 o’clock in the morning, where after they are being brought in the aviaries to be able to train later on. The focus with the youngsters is on the national races whereby they don’t start to train too intensively too soon (is also almost not doable with the big team of old and year birds that are competing fully at that moment).

The pigeons get the Vanrobaeys mixtures. As Gino has a large team of pigeons, they work close together with this feeding company to make customized mixtures. The pigeons that are being basketed every fortnight are being fed heavy at home coming. This will be built off so the last 4 to 5 meals can be built up heavy again. When feeding them, they always keep the weather circumstances into account and are being adjusted when necessary. At home coming they get electrolytes and a few Röhnfried products (as f.e. Gerwit W) are being provided. Also a few supplements from vet Pascal Lanneau are being given. Pascal passes by preventively weekly or two weekly for a check-up. Occasionally (if necessary) they cure against trichomoniasis and very occasionally against orthosis. They also state over here ‘better safe than sorry’.
2017? Outstanding!

You have to do it, sell your entire basis and restart with pigeons that are at maximum one year old and set a season to bow for. This is only given to the ‘big’ ones and the Clicque’s proved it abundantly. A small lecture of what they accomplished last season:

1st National Ace Bird KBDB LD Year birds
4th National Ace Bird KBDB All-round
5th National Ace Bird KBDB LD Year birds
9th National Ace Bird KBDB All-round
10th National Ace Bird KBDB LD Year birds

A few top results of the former season 2017

6th National Limoges against 10,554 yl
6th National Jarnac against 5,117 yl
7th National Jarnac against 5,117 yl
8th National Jarnac against 5,117 yl
11th National Tulle against 9,578 yl
12th National Limoges against 10,554 yl
12th National Tulle against 9,578 yl
14th National Tulle against 9,578 yl
17th National Limoges against 10,554 yl
18th National Jarnac against 5,117 yl

Give results per race would lead us too far in the sum-up but they are just impressive.

Golden Princess (BE16-3107401) is 1st Ace Bird LD Year birds KBDB 2017
She is a wonderful blue hen, a small orb with a very bright head and eyes like pearls. And she is the best year bird 2017 in Belgium on the long distance.
She realized it with a few top results such as:

1st National Z Jarnac 1,342b
6th National Jarnac 5,117b
32nd National Limoges 10,554b

She also won the 9th place in the all Round competition KBDB 2017
And as it usually goes, it is in the genes. She is a granddaughter of the ‘Golden Prince’ who became himself 1st National Ace Bird LD in 2014 and she is also a granddaughter of the ‘Super Prince’ who became the 2nd National Ace Bird LD in 2010. Speaking of good blood strains!

‘Red Elisabeth’ (BE16-3107005) is the 5th National Ace bird LD Year birds KBDB 2017
This red lady followed shortly after ‘Golden Princess’ and gave super results with:

7th National Jarnac 5,094b
40th National Limoges 10,554b

She is a daughter ‘Red Filip’ coupled to the mother of ‘Argentina’. Again a coupling that runs as a red wire through the colony of Gino and built out the base of the 4th breeding line.

‘Limo’ (BE16-3107416) is 4th All round bird 2017 and 10th nat Ace bird LD year birds KBDB
It rained literally top pigeons out of Limoges, Jarnac; and so on…one of the most regular pigeons from this new team is ‘Limo’ with underneath palmaris:

4th National All Round pigeon 2017 KBDB
10th National Ace bird ELD year birds KBDB
1st Provincial Limoges 1,993b
6th National Limoges 10,554b
42nd National Jarnac 5,117b

She is a granddaughter of the ‘Piraat’ who won himself 3rd National Ace bird GMD in 2007.

They whisper regularly ‘but yes, Gino, with this amount of pigeons’. Indeed, it’s Gino’s choice to race the pigeons on a professional base with the consequence that the loft occupation is a bit bigger than standard. Even though he doesn’t go the challenge out of the way, he races the entire range and races head of the race from short distance up to extreme long distance. It has been for several years now that he gathers national top pigeons but above all ace birds. And as we all know, ace birds are the ones that race the head of the race on a regular base and not the one off ones. This isn’t something new. Gino’s cocktail exists out of the ingredients : super pigeons and a more then motivated fancier that works from early morning to late evening so nothing will be left to the coincidence and a set up that makes it possible have a well-organized caring. These raw materials lead to fireworks! Selling everything and starting up successful with year birds is only possible when your basis is broad enough and when you’re more than 100% convinced about the strength of your strain.

We can’t add many words here as the results are always right!

by Stefan Mertens