Tom Van Den Berghe (Meerbeke) 1st, 3rd and 5th Prov. Argenton 2,265 old (East-Flanders)

No one will contradict Tom when we call him one of the ‘rising stars’ of South-East Flanders. Anyone who has followed the results of the last few seasons can only admire the top results Tom's racing team puts on paper. For those who can't quite follow it, these are some ‘highlights’ from the 2024 season

2e World Best Pigeon Allround
4th National Champion KBDB Great Middle Distance  
8th National Ace KBDB Great Middle Distance yearbirds

9e National Bourges 9,654b.
10e, 85e en 87e Nat. Sancoins 12,958b.
29e en 39e Nat. Argenton 11,177b.
57e, 67e en 91e Nat. Argenton 16,547b.
69e Nat. Bourges 18,785b.
69e, 80e en 96e Nat. Sancoins 9,753b.

And the 2025 season also got off to a very strong start with the provisional top results being

Noyon 6,147b.: 1-6-7- enz (19/25)
Noyon 6,592b.: 3-3-20-85-enz (18/24)
Noyon 5,752b.: 1-3-5-5-7-enz.. (20/24)
Melun 4,942b.: 5-6-7-21-36-55 enz.. (14/22)
Bourges 4.,020b. 3-10-46-61 enz.. (9/12)

 

Only with hens

Tom (born in '87) is a self-employed gardener and then there is not much free time. The day's work starts early and he doesn't mind working an extra hour because the young family still has a lot of plans in terms of renovations to their new house, so any extra budget is welcome. But a man also needs relaxation and Tom finds it in our beloved pigeon sport. Those who know Tom know that he does not like half measures and that is why he chose to concentrate on playing with hens. No widowers here and the 65 youngsters are only taught very well. Some speed races and if possible some middle distance races is the only experience they gain in their 1st year of life. 

Tom started the 2025 season with a team of 25 hens (old and yearling). These 25 hens (currently still 18 hens present) are paired against 11 cocks. Some of the hens are paired early and may raise a pair of youngsters, while the other part will not see a cock in the spring. 

The first time this 2nd group of hens sees a cock is during the first learning flights. For them, it is a bit of a search. The cock is locked in a box and in front of this box are 2 planks with a partition between them (see photo). The fact that that 2nd group of hens is searching and sitting here today and there tomorrow gives the necessary motivation to the other hens that did breed. On the other hand, if one of the hens from the 2nd group does find the love of her life, that's another extra incentive. 

As preparatory flights (results see above) the hens flew 3 x Noyon, Melun, Toury, Montargis, Bourges, Noyon and then Argenton . 

‘In the morning at 6 a.m. my hens train’ Tom starts his story "Until now they train smoothly for 1h to even 1h20 and this all by themselves. I really don't need a flag to keep them in the air. As a fancier, when you see this training behaviour you always go to sleep with a clear conscience. In the evening around 18h, a 2nd training session is scheduled. The hens are then also fed twice a day. I use Beyers' mixtures (Vandenabeele, Sport Light and Galaxy Energy), I also use all Beyers' by-products. In fact, it is quickly explained...take Beyers' promotional leaflet and you have my system. I really do copy/paste.

The racing hens are released once a week at 27km. One week I drive, the other week my friend Dieter Van Laethem drives. The cocks are then locked in the box and when they return home, the hens are allowed to admire their cock from behind the bars for about 15 minutes. On the day of basketing, they no longer see a cock and are thus taken from the loft. Only for this national Argenton flight, I deviated from my system and left the hens with their cock for an hour on basketing day. Was this the motivation to get the provincial win?

When the hens come home from a national race, they are allowed to stay with their cock for about 15 minutes and then they move to the hens section. The day after, when they have recovered well, they are then allowed to cuddle their cock for 1 hour. This is done in turns so that each hen has the cock to herself for a full hour. 

Medically, I go to vet Van der Cruyssen (Oosterzele) every month. His advice is followed but for now I haven't had to cure anything. The hens do get a yellow drop every week and an eye drop (Lysocure) the day after returning home. 

During the week, the hens live in their resting loft. This loft is fairly dark and on the east side there is windbreak netting."

Second start

‘It's my 2nd start in pigeon racing’ Tom continues "I used to play on a small loft in the garden of my parents' home in Aalst. There I won provincial Bourges youngsters in 2009. When I met my wife we moved to a flat and I was off pigeon fancier for a while. But in 2019 we bought this house in Meerbeke and the deed had not yet been signed or I built my current loft with a lot of planks and beams. It is all ‘home-made’, may not look like it, but the results prove that good performances are won on it. 

When I came to Meerbeke, I got 8 pigeons from Danny Coetsiers (Erembodegem), 2 breed really formidable. And then there is that direct Wout Spierings pigeon (NL18-1821736) called ‘Roger’ who is the basic breeder here. Almost all my good pigeons are children or grandchildren of the ‘Roger’. In my breeding loft, I have 13 breeding couples. Two couples are not children of him. Now it is up to me to look for the right crossing material.

A Philip De Maeseneer hen

"The provincial winner B22-4116711 is another direct Philip De Maeseneer hen. Purchased as a voucher but a lady I have already enjoyed a lot. Her main results are on her pedigree card.

She is a granddaughter of Philip 1st national ace KBDB ‘Finnman’.

And, what is also important, she breeds very well because a child of hers won - without doubles - from Noyon: 1/3,831d. - 1/1.478d. - 3/6.592d. - 5/723d."

Tom, from the whole Herbots team congratulations on this provincial win and many more successes to come

Stefan Mertens