Jo Bauters (Gavere)… Back at the top thanks to “Fabian”

Let's call things as they are… Jo Bauters disappeared from the pigeon racing scene for several years. Not because he no longer had pigeons or had lost his passion for the sport, but because serious health problems forced him to take a step back. Sometimes life doesn't go as planned. What initially seemed to be a relatively simple diagnosis turned out to be far more complicated than expected. And we won't even go into the hospital-acquired bacterial infection and the further complications that followed. Those who know Jo personally are well aware of just how difficult this period was for him. Fortunately, things are much better now, and Jo has regained his strength, courage and determination. With the full support of his family, he is once again ready to devote himself wholeheartedly to his beloved pigeon racing sport. The old, highly successful breeding base, responsible for so many outstanding national achievements in the past, has been carefully preserved and strengthened with a number of carefully selected new acquisitions. And this strategy is already proving to be a winning formula! 
During the past racing season, Jo achieved the following impressive national results. Just take a look at these performances:

2nd National Tulle – 6,780 pigeons
2nd National Cahors – 3,156 pigeons (with his top performer "Michael")
25th and 73rd National Valence
26th National Aurillac
38th National Brive
41st and 52nd National Périgueux
67th National Tulle
91st National Brive
And many more…

Yes indeed… twice 2nd National!

Any pigeon fancier would gladly sign up for such results before the start of a racing season. But when you finish runner-up at national level not once, but twice, as Jo did, it's only natural to feel a little disappointed at having come so close to victory. Nevertheless, Jo knows perfectly well that success in pigeon racing can only be achieved with pigeons of exceptional quality. Fortunately, he can still rely on his proven and highly successful breeding lines of "Fabian", "Totti", "Salvatore" and many others.

It All Started with "Fabian": 1st National Poitiers 2014 Against 12,377 Old Birds

Let's turn back the clock to the summer of 2014. Following Bourges and Châteauroux, Poitiers was the third major national middle-distance race of the season. No fewer than 12,377 old birds were entered for this prestigious competition. They were liberated at 8:30 a.m. under a perfectly clear blue sky, with a north-easterly wind. "Under such conditions, true class always rises to the surface," experienced pigeon fanciers often say. And they were absolutely right! The magnificent winner was "Fabian" (B11-4239270), an outstanding racing cock who had already built up an impressive record before his sensational national victory from Poitiers. His previous achievements included:
1st Provincial Bourges 2012 – 2,473 pigeons
3rd Angerville – 305 pigeons
4th Provincial Argenton 2012 – 5,548 pigeons
24th National Argenton 2012 – 22,384 pigeons
5th Souppes 2014 – 151 pigeons
38th Provincial Bourges 2013 – 1,791 pigeons
49th Provincial Argenton – 3,161 pigeons
55th Provincial Bourges 2012 – 2,175 pigeons
160th Provincial Châteauroux 2013 – 4,287 pigeons
197th Provincial Montluçon 2013 – 3,550 pigeons
311th Provincial Montrichard 2012 – 3,796 pigeons
703rd Provincial Châteauroux 2012 – 4,660 pigeons

And to underline his exceptional class even further, his national victory from Poitiers was achieved at an average speed of 1,111.89 metres per minute. One particularly remarkable detail deserves special attention: "Fabian" was the ONLY old bird in the entire competition to exceed the 1,100 metres-per-minute mark! A truly outstanding performance by an exceptional racing pigeon!

Then came "Ellis": 1st National Ace Pigeon KBDB Long Distance Young Birds 2016

The KBDB National Ace Pigeon Championship for young birds… undoubtedly one of the most prestigious and highly coveted titles in Belgian pigeon racing.Winning such a title means joining the elite ranks of Belgium's very best pigeon fanciers. Every year, competition for this prestigious distinction is incredibly fierce, with the smallest details often making the difference between victory and defeat. In 2016, it was "Ellis" (B16-4076089), an extraordinary hen, who claimed the highly prestigious title of 1st National Ace Pigeon KBDB Long Distance Young Birds. And when we take a closer look at the pedigree of "Ellis", we discover something truly remarkable… She is a granddaughter of the legendary "Fabian"! Once again, this exceptional bloodline demonstrated its extraordinary breeding qualities. Winning is clearly written into the DNA of the Jo Bauters pigeons!

"Totti": 1st National Cahors 2018 against 6,356 old Birds

"Totti"… another exceptional champion who brought the Bauters loft its second national victory within just four racing seasons. Before his magnificent national triumph from Cahors, this outstanding pigeon had already demonstrated his quality with several impressive national performances:
227th National La Souterraine – 9,580 pigeons
252nd National Brive – 9,132 pigeons
355th National Limoges – 15,789 pigeons
435th National Limoges – 9,162 pigeons

These excellent results had already confirmed that "Totti" possessed all the qualities required to compete at the very highest level. And in 2018, he crowned his racing career with a magnificent national victory from Cahors!

"Salvatore": 1st National Limoges Against 10,699 Yearlings (Fastest of 20,277 Pigeons)

Let's move forward to the 2019 racing season… The famous national race from Limoges for yearlings was on the programme. Exactly 10,699 yearlings made the journey to Limoges, where they were liberated in excellent weather conditions, once again with a north-easterly wind. One might almost start to believe that these weather conditions are the absolute favourites of the Bauters pigeons! Because once again, a pigeon from Jo's loft delivered an extraordinary performance. "Salvatore" claimed 1st National Limoges at an average speed of 1,178 metres per minute.But that wasn't all! He was also the fastest pigeon of the entire 20,277-bird liberation, old birds and yearlings combined! A truly sensational achievement! And the story becomes even more interesting when we examine his pedigree. The father of "Salvatore" is "Ellis 81", another exceptional pigeon who is a full brother to "Ellis", the 1st National Ace Pigeon KBDB Long Distance Young Birds.In other words, the fabulous breeding line of "Fabian" was once again making its mark at the very highest level of Belgian pigeon racing! What an extraordinary breeding legacy! An Exceptional Foundation Strengthened by Carefully Selected Acquisitions As already mentioned earlier in this report, the outstanding breeding foundation built around "Fabian" has been further strengthened over the years through a number of carefully selected acquisitions. One of these important additions was "Golden Aurillac", winner of 1st National Aurillac 2020 at the loft of Libotte-Eeckhout. This magnificent blue cock won 1st National Aurillac, covering a distance of 655 km at an average speed of 1,072 metres per minute.And today, his descendants are performing at an absolutely outstanding level! Another clear demonstration that Jo's careful selection and breeding strategy continues to produce exceptional results. By combining his proven old bloodlines with carefully chosen new introductions, Jo has succeeded in building a colony that is once again competing with the very best in Belgium. And judging by the latest results, the future looks extremely promising!

A Fantastic Opportunity to Acquire Pigeons of Exceptional Quality!

Jo Bauters is currently offering a strictly selected group of pigeons in an exclusive online auction on Pigeon Bids.This is a wonderful opportunity to acquire top-quality breeding material from a loft that is rapidly returning to the very highest level of Belgian pigeon racing! With proven national winners, exceptional Ace Pigeon bloodlines and a breeding foundation that has already produced generations of outstanding performers, these pigeons represent a fantastic opportunity for ambitious pigeon fanciers. And one thing we can assure you of: the handling quality of these pigeons is absolutely TOP CLASS!

This online auction ends on Monday, November 16th at 2:00 PM. (cet)