Strong start to the season for the Best Dutch Fancier National Unassigned 2025 Piet Lindelauf (Vijlen)

Let us go back to the start of the 2025 season, a start that was unlike any previous one for Piet Lindelauf, because on November 22, 2024, his father Gerard passed away at the age of 93. Father Gerard and son Piet did everything together in the pigeon loft, and together they won everything there was to win at national level. But at the start of the 2025 season, Piet stood alone and continued in pigeon racing under his own name. Anyone who knows Piet knows that he is a seasoned fancier, one of those enthusiasts who always manages to get just that little bit more out of a pigeon than anyone else. Piet, calmness itself, enjoyed a top season in 2025 — thanks to the support from above of father Gerard. No fewer than six times his name appeared in the Top 10 of the national championships 2025. Just like in the glory years when he competed together with his father, he masters all disciplines of our beloved hobby. Whether it is sprint, middle distance or long distance… it makes no difference for the Lindelauf pigeons (both old and young birds). In fact, Piet even achieved 2nd National Marseille against 2,347 pigeons on the extreme long distance!

Overview Top 10 nominations National NPO Championships 2025

• 1st Best National Fancier – Unnominated
• 3rd Best National Fancier –Nominated
• 3rd Loft Champion Middle Distance Unnominated
• 4th Loft Champion Young Birds Unnominated
• 4th Loft Champion One-Day Long Distance Unnominated
• 8th Loft Champion Middle Distance nominated

“Liam”

In previous reports we have already described several times the bloodline foundation (mainly Janssens pigeons) of the champion colony, but Piet would still like his current foundation breeder “Liam” to be mentioned. A top breeder of an exceptional level, as no fewer than 35 different first-prize winners carry his blood in their veins. “Liam” dates from 2013 and in his pedigree we see well-known pigeons such as “Wonderboy”, “Mirakel”, “Lorris”, etc.

Piet is always looking for reinforcement for his established Janssens bloodline and over the past 10 years he has been successful with pigeons from, among others: Peter Janssen (Kleve – directly and through PEC), Hok Demely (Moortsele), Drapa Andreas, Ben de Keijzer (Berkel) and Handerek Wojciech (Poland).

Double Widowhood

Since 2010, the total widowhood system has been used in Vijlen.
“We originally started because the young hens were flying so strongly and we thought it was a shame to move them to the breeding loft the following year. We keep around 25 pairs and they are coupled in January. The better racing pigeons raise their own youngsters, while with the others the eggs from the breeders are fostered under them.

Once all the youngsters are weaned, total widowhood becomes a fact.

As for care, the breeding pigeons are fed the Beyers mixture ‘Koopman All-in-One’, while the racing pigeons receive this mixture combined with the low-protein Gaby Vandenabeele mix. At the start of the week, Piet feeds slightly less rather than too lightly. Everyone has their own method and many roads lead to Rome.

Upon returning home (from races with two nights in the basket onward), Belgasol is added to the drinking water, or alternatively Combimix + Tollyamin or BS + Tollyamin. The day before basketing, WN for the respiratory tract is added to the drinking water.”

Start of the 2026 Season

And when we look at the first race results of the 2026 season, we are convinced that Piet will once again pull an outstanding season out of his hat!

18-4 Rethel federation, 3,702 pigeons
2-7-20-36-39-71-72-100-111-144-158-161-199-208 etc. — 34/51

25-4 Rethel federation, 3,681 pigeons
1-12-14-36-38-43-62-66-67-84-100-103-118-162-166-279-319 etc. — 34/47

25-4 Rethel section, 14,638 pigeons
2-21-23-75-84-91-148-153-157-197-253-258-307-424-436 etc. — 39/47

9-5 Sourdun federation, 3,471 pigeons
1-2-3-7-12-13-23-25-37-40-41-43-67-90-123-124-147-151-165-166-170-186-213-234-239-247-278-310-347 etc. — 33/42

9-5 Sourdun section, 14,304 pigeons
2-3-4-14-34-36-61-75-125-129-130-140-197-278-403-405-487 etc. — 35/42

Stefan Mertens