Dirk Deroose (Kruisem) wins Dax provincial yearlings and takes the entire podium

At 7:54 a.m. Saturday morning, the day after the release of the international Dax race on Friday, the podium of the yearlings' race in East Flanders was taken by Dirk Deroose's pigeons.

A remarkable example of hard work.

The race from Dax allowed for the basketing of yearlings, and with the anticipated racing conditions, everyone knew this would be a tough race for yearlings. The course of the race further demonstrates this. Dirk and his keeper Kristof had basketed 12 yearlings, and within a little over an hour, three were present in Kruisem. Talk about a strong performance! Five of the 12 pigeons reached their loft on Saturday, which is quite an achievement in itself. Nationally these pigeons classified themselves in 6th, 17th, 19th, 59th, 68th and 364th place, which is a top result.

A strong season
Dirk isn't one to make flashy pronouncements, but in his own style, he does say they're quite satisfied with how the season has gone. The collaboration between Dirk and his keeper, Kristof, is excellent. Kristof is responsible for all the pigeon care during the week. This works well if there's good communication between the two. Dirk then takes over these responsibilities on the weekends, and new arrangements are made for the coming weeks. The quality is there. Dirk invested in the best of the best, and the past results, peppered with several national victories and ace pigeons, confirm the quality of the breeding loft. Pigeons were specifically acquired for various disciplines. While Dirk has a predilection for the long-distance and extreme long-distance, he also enjoys the extreme middle-distance, and the results are proof of that.

Friendship gets the job done.

It was the yearling BE24-4090146, now called Friendship, who got the job done, achieving the provincial victory, 6th place nationally... and already boasting a 26th national Agen finish. He's a cock that will undoubtedly finish very close in the national ace pigeon rankings. He has a pedigree that includes many excellent genes, and when nature treats the mix of breeding origins well, it will result in top pigeons. His sire is a crossbreed of Porsche-New Freddy origins crossed with a hen from Jos & Jan Loobuyck (a sister of the mother of a 1st national Souillac). His dam is the result of a son of New Laureaat (Hugo Batenburg) crossed with Martin Dhooge's 1st National Pau (winner of the provincial Dax old birds) and Dirk's Picsou-Peggy line. An example of how strong long-distance pigeons crossed with extreme long-distance pigeons lead to a top-notch pigeon.

The best….

The best is yet to come? With Dirk's team of pigeons, well-supported by keeper Kristof, now at work, we expect some great results in the upcoming races. In this tough and demanding season, their pigeons have proven to be performing well. Is this a combination of good genes and good form? Everything points in that direction. We expect some fireworks. 

In the meantime, enjoy and find inspiration in what has already been achieved!

Congratulations from the Herbots team!

Geert Dhaenens