Jelle De Bock (Kluisbergen) hangs on to the national top of the greater middle distance !

Jelle De Bock (Kluisbergen) hangs on to the national top of the greater middle distance ! 

The youth is the future. This saying is as true as hell, also within pigeon sport. They complain a lot about the fact that the average age of pigeon fanciers has increased a lot, but luckily we are also being confronted with strong racing youthful talent who are really driven and enter the arena with an open view and a lot of passion. 

Spoonful wise….

Jelle De Bock from (Berchem) Kluisbergen is such a topper. Jelle is 30 years old and lives together with his wife Annelies and daughter Lena close to the Schelde in Berchem, a commun of Kluisbergen. Jelle is original from Horebeke and as a small lad he was always present together with his father and uncle when the pigeons arrived at his grandfathers’ house. 

In 2000 the garden shed in Horebeke was re-build to a pigeon loft. The father from Jelle, Stefaan, has golden hands and is a real craftsman in woodwork. At the age of 9 Jelle was already a pigeon fancier and this under the guidance of his father and especially his grandfather who became quickly his most loyal fan. Grandpa stopped in 2001 and until he died in 2013 he was always of service at Jelle’s pigeons when they arrived home. Another example of how pigeon sport can strengthen the family bond. 

In Horebeke they raced especially short distance races, but by the stimulans from Joost De Smeyter (and with pigeons from Joost) a small loft was kept for the extreme long distance…and with success. Jelle won as young guy the 29th and 77th National Barcelona and had also the 5th Best Barcelona pigeon over 5 races…results where a lot of long distance racers only can dream of. These pigeons were raced on the traditional nest position. 

We dare to describe Jelle as affable, pleasant, lovable but also very correctly driven. He likes to get everything done to get his pigeons in top condition at the start and doesn’t spill any effort to get there. The kind of guys we would like to have more of in our modern pigeon sport. 

Love

Jelle met Annelies De Clercq and in 2014 they moved in together in Berchem Kluisbergen. Annelies is also born in a pigeon nest and is the daughter to Johan De Clercq and (late) Peggy Vervaeren (the former top colony on the long and extreme long distance De Clercq-Vervaeren from Rillaar).

Annelies and Jelle are both working in schools in the neighbourhood. Since last year, Jelle can, when necessary, ask full time for the advice and help from his father in law Johan (De Clercq) who was an international top racer on the long and extreme long distance and can be called without a doubt a guy with knowledge and a true craftsman within pigeon sport. A top care taker, modest and a fine pigeon guy. 

The first year they raced from the new loft was in 2015 and it was immediately a hit in the rose. They won a 1st provincial Chateaudun and a 10th National Chateaudun. The living together was being sealed with a marriage…and to get the priorities straight they raced only youngsters in that year to give the marriage priority. 

Focus on the middle and greater middle distance 

The eldest racing pigeons are born in 2017. The first years the focus was set especially on the middle distance and it is only since the season of 2020 that the cart of the national races on the greater middle distance is being drawn fully.

Under guidance of father Stefaan a new racing loft was built where 30 couples on total widowhood are being raced and yearly about 150 youngsters are being weened

Jelle doesn’t need to keep breeding pigeons as he has the big luxury to get his youngsters on a yearly base from Joost De Smeyter.  Joost doesn’t only possesses a superior breeding- and racing platoon for the long and extreme long distance, but also a breeding loft of top pigeons for the middle and greater middle distance. The youngsters out of these last once are being placed on the racing loft of Jelle and are doing really well over there. The origin of these pigeons are especially from middle distance toppers with emphasis on pigeons from the Dutch topper Willem De Bruijn and accomplished with top pigeons from the greater middle distance. Not willing to take the risk to forget anyone we don’t mention any names. 

The KIS-system

KIS stands for Keep it simple !  The care, guidance, management is clear, simple, not confusing for the pigeons and based on basketing healthy pigeons of a high quality. 

The pigeons that are being raced on total widowhood are being coupled in Winter and are separated a few days before weening of the youngsters and each can raise one youngster until weening. The pigeons are being darkened from the beginning of March until the end of April. Stopping the darkening is at the same time for the cocks and hens. Jelle does notice that the hens get in shape quicker than the cocks after stopping the darkening. 

All pigeons are on rosters (also in the nest box) on the bottom of the lofts. The hens reside in cupboards, not locked up but can’t see each other when they are in their box. 

The pigeons train once a day separately and mostly in the afternoon. The training isn’t being stimulated with a flag or something like that. In Spring when the weather is really chilly they sometimes make use of traditional heating plates and this to get rid of the coldness. 

Jelle tries to race the pigeons always on the same races and this to keep the structure for the pigeons clear. Before basketing they can’t see each other but the rewards wait when they get home. Once they get this, the motivation isn’t a problem anymore and can be basketed really quietly, which is good for the built up energy according to Jelle. At arrival they are being fed according the intensity of the race a bit lighter or a bit heavier and can stay together until the evening or the day after. They ‘play’ a bit with this along the timing in the season, the hour of arrival, and so on…

Before the season they get the obliged paramyxo vaccinations. The medical guidance is in hands of Pascal Lanneau. This renomated pigeon vet makes a pro-active check – up every three weeks on general health, with as credo, only interfere when necessary. At arrival yellow drops are being given over the food. From the moment 2 nights baskets are up, the yellow drops are being given in the beak. 

Yearly about 150 youngsters are being kept who all come from the breeding loft of Joost De Smeyter.  These youngsters are being separated along the season and are being raced on the sliding doors system. They race normally never a national race but as many provincial races as possible. 

The used food is the gamma of Versele-Laga with as base food Gerry Plus and Super Star Champion Black Label.  Towards basketing the pigeons get more food with as last meal an Energy mixture. They also get on a daily base grit-all-in-one. And concerning the side products they get next to Wonderpigeon also the Belgavet-gamma (Twister-olie, Garlic-olie, Joost-recup, Joost-prepare…).

Until now no real wonder means, you think? Well, they aren’t necessary either, the quality of the pigeons and a correct care…there’s nothing more to it !

Lena wins in 2020 1st national Bourges and gives the start for more !

Last year happened what every fancier hopes for but can’t really expect namely winning a national victory. Hen Lena (BE19-4169696) won the national victory on a really nice Bourges – race against 8,585 yearlings. It was a hit in the rose, it was a nice and honest race and gave with this the start for many more that happened in the year 2021. With this victory Jelle was nice between the national stars and confirmed only what was in the line of the expectations namely that there was a new top loft in the greater middle distance range. 

A very strong 2021 as confirmation of a rising star 

Where the year 2020 was framed as the year of national victory on Bourges it was in 2021 clear from the first weeks on that it was a loft in shape. At the middle distance races as preparation (Pont St Maxence, Toury…) on the provincial and national greater middle distance the team of Jelle showed being in top form. The pigeons came home as a team and the results were to dazzle. Jelle and his team succeeded to peak at the right time with very strong results and very nice victories as consequence. 

Striking was that it were in the first races especially the hens that did best. They changed the hens loft a bit in Winter and this was obviously a good thing. There were always already a few hens home before a first cock came in. Along the season continued also the cocks came more and more forward. Jelle couldn’t point out how this happened, but these are positive concerns, as the results were amazing. 

Provincial victory on Bourges, Issoudun and Montoire and several different zonal and national head prizes  

It was immediately a hit in the rose on the first national race out of Bourges. A wonderful result was set with as reward the provincial victory and no less than 7 pigeons within the first 100 national against more than 20,000 pigeons ! 

This achievement was almost repeated on Chateauroux with a 2nd provincial and several head pigeons. 

To confirm very strong along the season with a 1st Provincial on Montoire and on Issoudun. 

The national top, and certainly in the case of the greater middle distanc, is strong dependant of the wind and national position, but also here the pigeons from Jelle could hold base. 

Oriana does it on Bourges

Oriana (BE20-4146150) is a very good hen who next to the 1st prize on Ecouen and Orleans won on Bourges with 1st club, 1st provincial (6,268b), 1st zonal (3,733b) and 4th national (25,096b).  Her father is a breeding cock from Joost with some Casaert and Deno-Herbotsblood in his ancestors. Her mother comes from the lofts of doctor Henk de Weerd (Belgica de Weerd) and is a mixture from Gaston Van de Wouwer and Kris Cleirbaut. Her grandfather is a ½ brother to Bourges-national-winner Lena… who said something about trees and apples or good come out of good? 

Montana wins Montoire provincial

Montana (BE20-4146136) did it on the race out of Montoire (Blois) to celebrate Provincially. She was fastest against 5,093b and wasn’t her first result with a lot of other head prizes on other races. A fixed value in the racing team. 

Her father is a crossing between Willem De Bruijn x Gaby Vandenabeele (strain Rudy). On mothers’ side a crossing between Willem De Bruijn x Robert & Bart De Clercq.

Super Marcel wins Issoudun provincial

As head man of the cocks team ‘Super Marcel’ (BE19-4169639) doesn’t need to blush between all the hens. He is a real topper with a marvellous palmaris:

• Issoudun
• 1st provincial 1,993b
• 5th national 9,777b
• Chateauroux
• 1st club
• 2nd provincial 5,887b
• 25th national 24,617b
• La Soutteraine
• 1st club
• Toury
• 1st club 1,366b
• Bourges
• 17th national 8,424b

His father is a crossing of their own kind from Jelle x the mother from ‘Marcel’ from Dirk Deroose (national winner Chateauroux). This cock was at his turn a good racer on the loft of Jelle. Mother is a Willem De Bruijn hen (Heremans Ceusters x Olympic Hurricane).

We look back satisfied….

Is a saying that fits the ambition and attitude from Jelle. He is, together with is family and is court supplier Joost very satisfied what has been put down on paper in such a short period of time in Berchem. But this doesn’t shut up the ambition, and this is how it supposed to be. Pushed by the force of the youth and the love for a pigeon and pigeon sport we didn’t see the last of this family loft yet, but not without enjoying first the necessary celebrations on national and provincial level.

And without a doubt Master Jelle would right on the report ‘good job, congratulations and enjoy a well-earned holiday’ 

Geert Dhaenens

Results 2021

Results 1st  Provincial Bourges