Tom & Ante Platteau, Sint-Katharina-Lombeek, top from short distance to greater middle distance

The twin Tom & Ante Platteau from Sint-Katharina-Lombeek don’t only live next to each other but are each other’s anchors since childhood what the pigeon game is concerned. They didn’t got the love for pigeons from their father or grandfather, no, it was there neighbour who had pigeons. When they were about 10 years old they were fascinated about the thousands of pigeons that came out Quièvrain, which is only 60km away and the pigeons from their neighbour who came down like rockets from out that immense pack to get inside as quickly as possible. Also the training of the pigeons was something they looked at with all of their attention. 
The fascination went that far that Ante bought a book at the book fair in Antwerp and started to read in it with a lot of passion.
At the age of 12 mother and father Platteau had to give in and gave them their first loft where they could keep 2 pigeons. These two pigeons came from Hilaire Van Schelvergem, a topper on the short distance races. The pigeons born in 1992 were trained but unfortunately one was found back poisend so they had one cock left to race with. This cock named obviously ‘Hilaire’ won at his first race immediately the 2nd prize. He was placed on the breeding loft after his racing career and turned out to be an amazing breeder as well and this is how he became the base breeder of the Platteau brothers. They say that they were really lucky that they had a super racer from the start and who also seemed to be a super breeder. Hilaire Van Schelvergem said afterwards many times :’ If I would have known it was going to be such a good one…’
Soon pigeons were added to the loft trough amongst other Roger Schauwers who was a teacher from them. The uncle of Roger had passed away and was a top racer on the short distance. Roger only raced the extreme long distance races and so he couldn’t do a lot with these pigeons and this is how they got to the loft from Tom and Ante. They did really well with these. 

Due to their location at 60km from Quièvrain, this was the game to race when they were young, many short distance racers in the neighbourhood, they could basket in 5 to 6 clubs and there was even a separate hens game on Quièvrain. 

System and game

Since this year they only race hens and only because they don’t have enough time to race cocks, they can divide the work amongst each other but both have a full time job and a young family. When they have to train during the day the hens, the cocks and the youngsters, they just don’t have time enough. 

The future is set to the greater middle distance races but the short distance game is in their blood and in the blood of their pigeons so they won’t put it aside. Next Quievrain (60km), Noyon (165km), Sermaises (320km) they also race the Greater Middle Distance (read national races).

At the moment they race with a hens team that counts 50 old and yearlings and about 120 youngsters who are being trained in separate groups to avoid losses as much as possible where they seem to succeed in very well in comparison with many other fanciers. These pigeons are being bred out of 20 breeding couples, but they also breed out of the racers otherwise they won’t get to 120 youngsters. They don’t make a lot of difference between breeders and racers, as that is for them a good breeder; a good racing pigeon that earned his spot on the breeding loft. End of November everything is being coupled and the 20 breeding couples breed a 2nd round. After breeding they all go into aviaries until mid of February, before that they won’t come out as before this date they only serve as food for the birds of prey, also they don’t come out immediately on a daily base. The daily trainings only start when the racing season starts so beginning of March and even than the training depend on their working schedule, they alternate and follow a system that works for them. First family, than work, than pigeons and succeed in doing this. 

Food and care 

The pigeons are being basketed each week with exception when they are bad weather predictions. All pigeons are together so they get all the same food. They gave for years Paloma, last season it was Van Robaeys and since this season it is Paloma and Beyers Galaxi Sport Light. So they raced for years Noyon on Paloma Breeding mix, only at the beginning of the week they got a bit of depurative but nothing else. 
They are of opinion that this isn’t sufficient as food towards the greater middle distance and so they are looking for a better mixture, a more thought trough system. At the moment they do give already towards the end of the week Beyers Energy and grit is standard on the lofts. Once in a while they give Sedochol or Naturaline and at arrival they get Belgasol for a good and quick recuperation. In the moulting period they cook tea and is being given during 10 days so they can get through the moulting period well
Only when they are really sick they will give medication, they don’t cure blindly. Once a year they go to the vet for a check-up and this before the breeding period, only when they notice something themselves another visit will be planned in. 
The pigeons are being darkened from the beginning of March, normally they don’t darken the old pigeons but due to the weird Covid year last season they did this this year so they are able to race a bit longer. According to them the many losses with the youngsters is due to the darkening, as this is an unnatural way. 

Top pigeons 

A mentioned above the brother don’t make a lot of difference between the breeders and racers in a matter of quality and so they breed out of both of them. Good racers get automatically to the breeding loft.
You will notice that the parents of the top pigeons that we will introduce underneath also raced always really well.

We will start with the BE19-2030959, this crack won on 08/05/2021 de 1st Sermaises against 4,908 old pigeons. His entire palmaris with 2x 1st, 2x 3rd, 1x 4th, 2x 6th, 4x 7th , … can be found on the underneath pedigree.

His father BE16-2004988 raced himself:
1/412b
1/295b
1/235b
2/344b
5/436b
7/389b
9/336b
…
And is a proven breeder, also a ½ brother to the 3rd Provincial Ace Bird Short Distance KBDB and son to BE16-2004871: 3rd Provincial Ace bird All-Round 2016 – 1st Ace bird Noyon Liedekerke 2016 and proven breeding hen, she is mother to ao. BE18-2026656 3rd Provincial Ace bird GMD KBDB 2018 (see pedigree)

The mother BE18-2132503 is a direct Geert Van Roy pigeon out of the strain of the ‘Zwarte Olympiade’ who became 1st Olympiad bird 2013 Nitra and 3rd National Ace bird KBDB 2012 with 7x 1st prizes.

Another top pigeon is BE19-2013827 is with no less than:

8x 1st prize
6x 2nd prize 
3x 3rd prize
…
and all of this on Noyon (see pedigree)

And also this one comes out of a top racer namely BE15-2010332 with different 1st, 2nd , 3rd, 4th, 5th prizes…
The mother is their base breeding hen BE13-2016823 who took care of many top racing children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. 

A yearling that we don’t want to keep a secret is BE20-2003142.

Won at least 16 prizes with as icing on the cake :

1 Sermaises 2,632b

The parents are also racers and are from 2018 and 2019 and an amount of won prizes. The BE18-2026699 has won as youngster 11/12 races per 3 (!!) and also the mother BE19-2013841 can show off with 3x 1st prizes and more…

And to show that also the youngsters 2021 started off really well proofs BE21-2010857.

This top pigeon wins:

1 Noyon against 3,266 youngsters

Also here you see very youthful parents with a father from 2018 and a mother from 2020. Do I have to mention again that also these are super racers and turn out to be super breeders as well? 

You can read it all on the pedigree…

When seeing so much young strength, quality and drive with the fanciers, breeders and racers, you see that this is a colony in full growth and who we only don’t have to take them into account on the short distance and middle distance races but in the near future also on the greater middle distance. 

When asking what they want for this season the answer from Ante is that he hopes that pigeons can be kept healthy and the losses on the races will be limited. Tom would like to have a really early youngster on one of the nationals. In 2018 on Chateauroux they should have clocked a pigeon at 15h10 to have an early one, around 15h00 they were basketing pigeons for another race but when they had a look at the registration list they all of a sudden saw themselves standing as 1st national (which eventually would end up being the 1st Provincial). They didn’t see the pigeon get home but this was such a kick that they would like to experience it again

Seen how this team runs smoothly according their own knowledge, time, enthusiasm, pigeon love…this could come through. And what the follow up is concerned, they have Senne, Ante’s son, totally possessed by pigeons and at the moment crazy about ‘gulls’. Hopefully he keeps his passion, he does have 2 good teachers and an amazing breeding loft where he can take out of later on for sure. 

Tom & Ante, thank you for the cosy talk and a lot of success on the coming races. 

Nice results 2021

18/4 Noyon 166 km : 271 oude :  1-4-5-7-10-11-13-,,,,(17/18)
18/4 Noyon 254 oude: 1-5-9-10-11-12-13-16-22-,,,,(19/30)
18/4 Noyon 360 oude : 1-7-9-12-14-15-16-23-24-25—34-35-37-38-39-40-42-43-44-45-,,,,(40/54)
25/4 Noyon 166 km 261 oude : 1-2-4-11-12-16-17-18-19-,,,(20/21)
25/4 Noyon 650 oude : 1-2-4-8-9-12-13-14-16-19-20-27-31-32-32-37-40-45-46-52-57-58-58-,,,(41/50)
25/4 Noyon 375 jaarse : 1-2-6-8-9-12-16-18-21-23-26-33-,,,,(17/22)
1/5  Sermaises 320 km 1687 oude : 5-6-7-13-25-28-29-34-,,,,(26/40)
1/5 Sermaises : 827 jaarse : 1-11-12-,,,,(11/18)
1/5 Noyon 522 oude : 1-2-2-4-8-11-11-13-14-15-16-17-20-23-25-36-,,,,(25/32)
1/5 Noyon 318 jaarse : 1-1-6-7-8-9-10-11-14-,,,,(14/19)
1/5 Noyon 243 oude : 1-3-5-,,,(6/12)
8/5 Sermaises 320 km 2632 jaarse : 1-,,,,,
8/5 Sermaises 962 oude : 1-2-3-16-16-19-21-22-27-47-48-53-69-78-81-,,,,,(24/51)
8/5 Sermaises 4908 oude : 1-2-8-,,,
8/5 Noyon 239 jaarse : 1-2-3-4-6-17-17-,,,(9/13)
8/5 Noyon 334 oude : 1-2-4-6-7-8-9-14-15-19-21-23,,,,,,(18/22)
15/5 Sermaises 320 km : 706 oude : 1-7-12-20-22-23-32-35-,,,,(21/40)
23/5 Sermaises 2774 oude : 2-3-34-38-89-116-131-133-137-139-,,,,
23/5 Sermaises 384 oude : 1-2-5-6-18-21-24-25-26-27-31-33-37-,,,,(26/40)
23/5 Noyon 174 oude : 2-3-6-7-8-,,,(10/10)
29/5 Sermaises 320 km 3353 oude : 1-4-20-24-29-30-40-,,,,
29/5 Sermaises 1902 jaarse : 1-12-17-18-,,,,
29/5 Sermaises 791 oude : 1-4-10-13-15-16-21-30-39-39-41-42-46-48-58-64-80-82-83,,(26/33)
29/5 Sermaises 424 jaarse : 1-7-9-10-27-38-,,,,(9/14)
29/5 Bourges 440 km : 384 jaarse : 1-6-23-30-,,,,(7/12)
29/5 Noyon 166 km : 143 oude : 1-2-11-15 ,,(6/6)
29/5 Noyon 105 jaarse : 1-7-9-(3/3)
29/5 Noyon 218 oude : 1-2-3-4-6-8-10-12-13-,,,,(12/14)
29/5 130 jaarse : 1-2-3-5-8-,,,(6/7)
6/6 Sermaises 320 km : 2705 oude : 4-5-19-46-47-,,,,
6/6 Sermaises 1541 jaarse : 3-4-29-30-41-,,,,
6/6 Sermaises 603 oude : 1-2-7-13-14-20-30-31-33-40-42-45-47-47-53-54-55-57-,,(25/28)
6/6 Sermaises 318 jaarse : 1-2-9-10-13-18-21-,,,,(10/12)
6/6 Chateauroux 485 km : 237 oude : 1-9-15-,,,(4/6)
6/6 noyon 166 km 141 jaarse : 1-4-5-6 (4/5)
6/6 Noyon 241 oude : 1-2-6-10-11-12-13-14-15-,,,(11/12)
12/6 Sermaises 320 km 395 oude : 2-6-11-14-22-39-,,,,(18/24
19/6 Argenton 512 km 232 jaarse : 3-9-14-18-,,,(5/8)
28/6 Noyon 3266 jongen : 1-9-35-110-116-,,,(18/30)
3/7 Sermaises 320 km 217 oude : 1-2-5-6-7-11-12-13-21-,,,,(17/24)
3/7 Noyon 311 oude : 3-4-6-7-8-9-11-12-24-25-26-33-35-35-,,,,(17/23)
3/7 Noyon 198 jaarse : 3-4-5-6-7-10-11-15-,,,(10/14)
3/7 Noyon 451 jongen : 3-4-7-8-20-21-22-32-39-,,,,(19/31)
3/7 Sermaises 1064 oude : 2-3-8-9-11-26-27-29-57-105-125-146-147-,,,,(17/24)
11/7 Noyon 4,746 jonge : 1-3-14-18-….
11/07 Sermaises 221 oude en jaarse: 1-2-7-9-10-11-12-…

MOST IMPORTANT CHAMPIONSHIPS:

2020

10 National champion SMD old and yearlings 2020 KBDB
12 National ace bird SMD old 2020 KBDB
16 General champion 2020 KBDB
22 National champion short distance old and yearlings 2020 KBDB
3rd provincial champion SMD KBDB old and yearlings 2020 Flemish- Brabant
7th provincial champion SMD KBDB youngsters 2020 Flemish-Brabant
5th ace bird SMD KBDB old and yearlings 2020 Flemish-Brabant

2019

1st SMD old and yearlings Provincial KBDB Flemish-Brabant 2019
6th Short distance old and yearlings Provincial KBDB Vlaams-Brabant 2019
6th Short distance old and youngsters Prov KBDB Vlaams-Brabant 2019
3rd All-round ace bird yearlings Prov KBDB Vlaams-Brabant 2019
4th All-round ace bird youngsters Prov KBDB Vlaams-Brabant 2019
6th ace bird youngsters short distance Prov KBDB Vlaams-Brabant 2019
7th ace bird youngsters short distance Prov KBDB Vlaams-Brabant 2019
7th ace bird SMD old and yearlings Prov KBDB Vlaams-Brabant 2019
8th ace bird SMD old and yearlings Prov KBDB Vlaams-Brabant 2019
9th ace bird SMD old and yearlings Prov KBDB Vlaams-Brabant 2019

2018

1st Greater short distance youngsters Prov  KBDB Vlaams Brabant 2018
2nd Greater middle distance yearlings Prov  KBDB Vlaams Brabant 2018 
3rd Short middle distance old Prov  KBDB Vlaams Brabant 2018
4th Greater short distance yearlings Prov  KBDB Vlaams Brabant 2018
4th Short middle distance youngsters Prov  KBDB Vlaams Brabant 2018
1st ace bird Shorter middle distance youngsters Prov  KBDB Vlaams Brabant 2018
2nd ace bird Shorter middle distance youngsters Prov  KBDB Vlaams Brabant 2018
3rd  ace bird Greater short distance youngsters Prov  KBDB Vlaams Brabant 2018

 2017

17th National Champion KBDB short distance old and yearlings 2017 
4th  prov. Champion Greater short distance yearlings KBDB Vlaams-Brabant 2017 
4th  prov Champion Greater short distance old KBDB Vlaams-Brabant 2017
5th  prov. Champion Greater short distance youngsters KBDB Vlaams-Brabant 2017
General Champion Recht Voor Ieder Gooik 2017
1st  ace bird yearlings Recht Voor Ieder Gooik 2017
1st  ace bird youngsters Recht Voor Ieder Gooik 2017
General champion De Snelle duif Lennik 2017
1st  ace bird yearlings De Snelle duif Lennik 2017
1st ace bird youngsters De Snelle duif Lennik 2017
1st ace bird old De Snelle duif Lennik 2017
1st Champion Noyon De Vereniging Liedekerke 2017
1st  King Noyon De Vereniging Liedekerke 2017
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8 Ace bird youngsters Noyon De Vereniging Liedekerke 2017
1st  ace bird yearlings Noyon De Vereniging Liedekerke 2017

2016

1st prov; Champion Greater short distance youngsters KBDB Vlaams-Brabant
2nd prov. Champion Greater short distance yearlings KBDB Vlaams-Brabant
3rd  prov. Champion Greater short distance old KBDB Vlaams-Brabant
3rd  prov. Champion SMD yearlings KBDB Vlaams-Brabant
2nd  ace bird Allround yearlings KBDB Vlaams-Brabant
2nd  ace bird Allround youngsters KBDB Vlaams-Brabant
3rd  ace bird Allround yearlings KBDB Vlaams-Brabant
3rd  ace bird Allround old KBDB Vlaams-Brabant
EMPEROR Noyon De Vereniging Liedekerke
1-2-3-4-6 Ace bird youngsters Noyon De Vereniging Liedekerke
General champion Recht Voor Ieder Gooik
1st ace bird yearlings Recht Voor Ieder Gooik