Vandeputte – Van den Bosch (Beersel) win 1-2-3 Provincial Valence yearlings

Last weekend we had to deal with super hard races with easterly wind and very warm temperatures. The races became very hard classics and very few lofts clocked their pigeons on the assembly line. This rule does not apply to one colony and the colony of Vandeputte – Van den Bosch from Beersel in Brabant had 6 pigeons on Valence II. They clocked all 6 of these pigeons and with their yearlings they won the first 3 provincial. They had 3 old pigeons and 3 yearlings. This is a result that is rarely seen in pigeon racing and certainly with a minimum of pigeons in the basket. Gerard and Marc also had 5 old pigeons on the previous Valence and then they also scored 2 pigeons in the first 100 National.

But their yearlings did much better and nationally they won silver and bronze against 1,361 yearlings which is an exceptional achievement. Knowing that their best old cock was caught by the hawk the week before Limoges, they are in a good position with this new colony.

In 2022 Gerard Vandeputte sold all his old pigeons via LCB in the hall, he kept some young pigeons and a group of late young pigeons from his best racers and breeders. With this he made a new start and the new collaboration with Marc Van den Bosch was born.

Overview of the 2 races on Valence

Valence II Br.Unie 175 yearlings: 1,2,3 3/3
Valence II Br.Unie 233 old: 2,31,… 3/3
Valence II National 1,361 yearlings: 2,3,29 3/3
Valence II National 2,344 old: 17,248,… 3/3
Valence I National 3,852 old: 57,86,281,… 4/5

Other long distance and marathon races of this season 

Limoges Prov 1,300 old: 51,57,104,134,… 5/6
Cahors Prov 551 old: 9,29 2/3
Pau Prov 351 old: 44,47 2/3

System with cocks

There were 14 cocks that are raced on classic widowhood and that only have to think about rest during the winter period. No breeding or pairing, just get through the moult perfectly and then be ready for the season that is to come. From the first flight they were given a hen when they returned home and the rule here is that they get their hen as long as the first pigeons fly. Afterwards from the long distance flights they always stay together until the next morning.

The pigeons only get to see a hen from Limoges when they are basketed, never before. The motivation and the goal here are the long distance flights so everything else before that is wasted energy.

The pigeons train twice a day, only in very warm temperatures do we only do it in the morning.

The pigeons flew a few speed flights in preparation for the Rhone valley flights, then 2x middle distance and then Bourges National. Then they got a week's rest and then they went to Valence. The old pigeons flew nothing between the 2 Rhone flights. The first yearling that now wins 2nd national flew 3 national flights as a young pigeon and is now showing his talent again.

In the run-up to the long-distance flights, the pigeons get 6 to 7 different types of mixtures from sports to fatty mixtures that I mix together myself. They are allowed to eat 2x full bowl of this each time and after 30 to 45 minutes I clean everything up. This way they eat what they want and they always have enough. I also give Immunol over the food of Schroeder Tollisan 2x a week and vitamins 1x a week.

In the medical field, we always go for a check-up with Pascal Lanneau and his advice is followed. In the field of tricho, I put them pure before the racing season and I use a Belgamagic from Belgica – De Weerd every 4 weeks. The week after that I give them a coccidiosis pill and they can continue for another 4 weeks. In the month of April on the shorter flights we have put our pigeons pure against the head so that they are in top form when their flights of truth come. They have certainly proven that.

First 3 yearlings from Valence presented to you below

BE 24-2036612 “De Valence” Red Cock
1 Br.Unie Valence 175p (2 Nat 1,361p) 
Also won 1st Argenton as a yearling and 1st Chateauroux as a young pigeon

BE 24-2036627 “Kleine Vos” Red Cock
2 Br.Unie Valence 175p ( 3 Nat 1,361p )* after loft mate 
Also won 2nd Bourges and 2nd Argenton locally as a young pigeon and 2nd Argenton as a yearling.

BE 24-2036602 « Baptiste » Checkered Cock 
3 Br.Unie Valence 175p ( 29 Nat 1,361p )

Gerard and Marc, congratulations on these great results and you will hear a lot more from this colony this season and in the coming years.

Buelens Kim