Julien Marien wins 1st Provincial Argenton II West Flanders against 784 yearlings

In the national race from Argenton II (22 July 2025), Julien Marien from Kooigem achieved an impressive result. His blue yearling “Leo” (BE24-3013878) not only won 1st Provincial West Flanders against 784 yearlings, but also turned out to be the fastest pigeon of the entire provincial field of 1,433 pigeons (yearlings and old birds combined). Nationally, “Leo” placed 197th against 6,523 yearlings.

“Leo” (BE24-3013878): class from proven bloodlines

This result didn’t come out of nowhere. “Leo” is a son of 3047970/2021 from Velghe Pigeons and 3091496/2023 from Billet Yves. His sire “970/21” proves to be a top breeder: on Argenton II, three half-brothers of “Leo” were entered, all of whom delivered solid results.

Results of “Leo” in 2025:

4/5 Pont St Maxence – 37/364 yearlings
10/5 Pont St Maxence – 15/272 yearlings
8/6 Argenton – 36/609 yearlings, 93/2,014 prov., 2,451/13,988 nat.
21/6 La Souterraine – 11/328 yearlings, 33/1,653 prov., 71/5,288 nat.
5/7 Bourges – 85/370 yearlings, 304/1,377 prov.
22/7 Argenton II – 1/245 local, 1/784 prov., 1/829 zone, 197/6,523 nat.

Also his half-brother 3013872/2024 proved his worth

24/5 Bourges – 47/735 yearlings
8/6 Argenton – 55/609 yearlings
21/6 La Souterraine – 17/328 yearlings
5/7 Bourges – 29/370 yearlings
22/7 Argenton II – 6/245 yearlings

A colony built with vision

Julien Marien works with a small but highly efficient team. His season starts with about 12 widowers and 36 young birds. The breeding loft holds around six fixed pairs. His strain is based on pigeons from:
Roland Dupont
Anthony Maes (daughter Rudy Papillon × Papillon)
André Roodhooft
De Waele-Toye (Mr. Magic bloodline)
And last but not least “Jules” – a voucher bird acquired at the sale of the Nieuwe Kortrijkse Vereniging, donated by Dominique Velghe, containing top bloodlines like Armando, Perfect Sero Sero and Olympic Jules.

Fierce competition in the Nieuwe Kortrijkse Vereniging

Julien races in one of the most competitive clubs in Belgium: De Nieuwe Kortrijkse Vereniging, where top names like Hooymans, Sierens, Leutenez & M., Lefebre, and Fourneau compete. In such a strong field, Julien Marien stands out with a tough selection, thoughtful breeding, and rock-solid results.

A well-deserved feather in the cap for Julien Marien and his “Leo” – a pigeon and a loft to keep an eye on!

 

Maarten Herbots