Leturcq-Duponchelle (Wadelincourt) 1st Olympiad bird short distance KBDB Dortmund 2026.

The friendly duo "Leturcq-Duponchelle" from Wadelincourt, a small village in the province of Hainaut, part of the municipality of Beloeil and near the French border, consists of Dany Leturcq and his wife Chantal Duponchelle, who happily helps with the daily work in the pigeon loft. Dany Leturcq, now 71 years old, has always been fascinated by pigeon racing. His grandfather introduced him to the hobby at a young age and instilled in him a passion for our feathered friends. So much so that, while serving as an officer in the gendarmerie, he and his father-in-law decided to build two small dovecotes in the courtyard of the barracks where he lived—unusual, but if you love pigeons and the passion is there, anything is possible. Dany Leturcq obtained his first pigeon license in 1987, built his house in Wadelincourt in 1988 (where his pigeon lofts are also located), and dismantled the barracks' dovecotes to rebuild them in his garden. It's also worth noting that Dany Leturcq was a councilor for the municipality of Beloeil and a member of the KBDB national sports committee – a full and active life.

Dany Leturcq is a well-known name in the pigeon racing world. He runs one of the most consistent and successful lofts in the province of Hainaut, with numerous national KBDB titles and rankings. The list is too long to include here, but here's an overview of the top 10 rankings:

1st National Champion KBDB Middle Distance Young Pigeons 1994
1st National Champion KBDB Middle Distance Yearlings 2013
2nd National Champion KBDB Sprint Young Pigeons 2019
2nd National Champion KBDB Sprint Young Pigeons 2016
3rd National Ace Pigeon KBDB Sprint Yearlings 2024
3rd National Ace Pigeon KBDB Middle Distance 1997
4th National Champion KBDB Middle Distance Old Pigeons & Yearlings 2021
4th National Champion KBDB Middle Distance Old Pigeons & Yearlings 2024
4th National Champion KBDB Middle Distance Old Pigeons & Yearlings 2011
6th National Champion KBDB Middle Distance Old Pigeons & Yearlings 2004
6th National Champion KBDB Middle Distance Old Pigeons & Yearlings 2018
7th National Champion KBDB Middle Distance Old Pigeons & Yearlings 2015
7th National Champion KBDB Middle Distance Old Pigeons & Yearlings 2017
8th National Ace Pigeon KBDB Middle Distance Old Pigeons 2022
8th National Ace Pigeon KBDB Sprint Yearlings 2021
8th National Champion KBDB Yearlings 2003
9th National Champion KBDB Sprint Old Pigeons & Yearlings 2020
9th National Champion KBDB Middle Distance Young Pigeons 2011
10th National Ace Pigeon KBDB Middle Distance Yearlings 2019
10th National Ace Pigeon KBDB Middle Distance Yearlings 2021

And to complete this already impressive collection, one of the pigeons from the loft is "OLYMPIC TWENTY" (BE23-1074020), 1st Olympiad KBDB Dortmund 2026 Sprint. To be selected, "OLYMPIC TWENTY" achieved the following prizes:

1st Pont (157 km) 372 p.
1st Ecouen (190 km) 814 p.
1st Pont 948 p.
1st Pont 1,142 p.
1st Pont 1,355 p.
2nd Ecouen 984 p.
2nd Pont 1,646 p.
3rd Pont 468 p.
4th Pont 1,310 p.
4th Pont 1,510 p.

Besides these results, which qualified him as an Olympiad pigeon, "OLYMPIC TWENTY" also achieved the following victories during his career:

1st Ecouen against 396 pigeons
1st Pont against 486 pigeons
1st Pont against 602 pigeons
1st Pont against 649 pigeons
2nd Pont against 851 pigeons
2nd Pont against 588 pigeons
2nd Ecouen against 1,444 pigeons.

This exceptional pigeon was already 3rd National Ace Pigeon KBDB Sprint Yearlings in 2024.

It is also worth noting that "056," a full brother of "OLYMPIC TWENTY," also distinguished himself by achieving five first-place finishes in races from Pont Ste Maxence.

The origins of the colony

The foundation of the colony rests on the bloodlines of Bernard Van Renterghem from Pipaix (the golden pair of this colony), Herbots Brothers from Halle-Booienhoven (the "155," "National 1," and "King"), Bernard Bonte (Tongre-Notre-Dame) through purchased vouchers, Alain Lefebvre (Ouistretam/Calvados, France), and Alain Van Houcke (Stambruges), with whom promising joint breeding programs have recently been established. It is also worth noting that among the breeders are six pigeons that have been among the KBDB Ace Pigeons for sprint and middle distance in recent years, thus securing their future.

Colony composition

The breeding loft houses 14 pairs of pigeons, and the racing pigeons consist of 30 cocks (15 old birds and 15 yearlings) that are raced according to the classic widowhood system. Every year, 80 young pigeons are raised from breeding pigeons and top racers. As you can see, it's a small colony in terms of number of pigeons, but of high quality, as the results demonstrate.

Method and Care

The breeding pigeons are paired again at the end of December, as are the racing pigeons, which raise their own young, before being separated. The second pairing of the racing pigeons takes place in April, and the hens are removed before they lay eggs. Widowhood training then begins. Between these two pairings, the boxes are closed, and the widowers remain on the perches placed on the sides of their racing loft.

To increase motivation during basketing, the nest bowl is simply turned over without showing the hen. Upon returning, the racing pigeons can stay with their respective partners for a few hours, depending on the difficulty of the race. It is also important to note that the young pigeons from the first and second rounds are also raced according to the classic widowhood system, paired with old hens. The old widowers receive daily training twice a day, while the young pigeons receive training in the afternoon. Dany Leturcq has a strong preference for sprint and middle-distance races and would like to see a single basketing day reintroduced for middle-distance races (currently, two nights in the basket). This could boost this discipline in the province of Hainaut and thus increase the number of participants.

For veterinary care, Leturcq-Duponchelle relies on Kobe Herbots (Chapelle-lez-Herlaimont) for vaccinations and treatments (for tricho, coccidiosis, worms, and respiratory problems) as needed and based on his recommendations, as well as for continuous monitoring of the colony throughout the season. The pigeons are vaccinated against paramyxovirus, paratyphoid, smallpox, and rotavirus (young pigeons), and an antiparasitic drop is also administered to the neck of the racing pigeons.

Regarding nutrition, widowers are fed individually, and Dany Leturcq uses Beyers products. After returning from races, the racing pigeons are first given Galaxy Energy mix, then Galaxy Sport Light, and then Galaxy Energy again for the last three meals. During the racing season, a pinch of small seeds is also provided between morning and evening meals. On the day of return, Herbo Ma Liquid (Herbovet) is mixed into the mixture and Electrolyte (Beyers) is added to the water. During the week, Herbochol (Herbovet) is mixed into the mixture, and if high temperatures are forecast, Electrolyte (Beyers) is added to the water on basketing day. Urtica Mineral Mix (Beyers) is also available to the pigeons daily.

With this report, Dany Leturcq also wants to thank his wife Chantal for her invaluable daily support, his son Fabien, Aland, Philippe, and the Alain François family, on whom he could count, especially during his back and hip surgery in 2023.

On behalf of Team Herbots, we congratulate the duo on their brilliant results with so few pigeons per race, and we wish Chantal Duponchelle and Dany Leturcq every success in the Olympic year of 2026.

Bernard Henry