Maes Anthony – Waregem 1st National ace bird KBDB Long Distance Old 2019
24 Jun 2020
Waregem: The first national race of the new season 2020 is knocking at the front door but first we went for a visit to great champion Anthony Maes from Waregem. Those who say Anthony have to mention in one breath his fine wife Chantal as they are in together for the successes of this national known top colony. Although….honesty makes us say that Chantal is the ‘working horse’ on the lofts. Anthony runs a wholesale in vegetables and fruit. This means not a lot of spare time and at that point Anthony is really happy that he can rely on his wife Chantal who really knows the pigeon profession. On a daily base, Chantal works about 5 to 6 hours on the loft to have everything in place and to give their feathered friends an optimal care. Anthony is therefore really grateful as because without Chantal this all wouldn’t be possible.
“Den Bonte Crack”, 1st national ace bird KBDB Long Distance
The national ace bird title long distance old pigeons…for every fancier that has a bit of long distance blood running through his veins, this is the highest you can achieve. There isn’t a title that is more wanted. And the past season this title went to the “Den Bonte Crack” from Chantal and Anthony.
“Den Bonten Crack” (B17-3033516) wasn’t a youngster from the 1st or 2nd round but hatched later in the year. As year bird this cock already raced himself in the spotlight with a 3rd National Chateauroux 13,098b – 86th National Argenton 19,859b and 44th National Z Chateauroux 8,080b. But just when the train was running the bird flew broke out. Exactly 5 weeks no racing and this in full season, a drama for the passionate pigeon couple. They could make a cross over their championships. Maybe luck with bad luck as this is how the “Den Bonten Crack” got in line for the season of 2019 and impressed again as no other and won the most wanted ace bird title with a coefficient of 0,3914% over 3 long distance race.
Limoges II nat. : 2 / 9,661 b. (prov. : 2 / 1,947 b. and reg. : 1 / 367 b.)
Limoges I nat. : 12 / 13,569 b. (prov. : 11 / 2,614 b. and reg. : 3 / 408 b.)
Libourne nat. : 13 / 4,605 b. (prov. : 4 / 953 b. and reg. : 2 / 154 b.)
Anthony what can you tell us about the “Den Bonten Crack” ? “Well…not that much…it was a pigeon with a special appearance…a guy that was always in shape and the warmer the weather got, the better he raced…unbelievable. He is of the average type and wasn’t ever ‘out of shape’ when he got home after a heavy long distance race. Aside that, I can’t tell anything special about him unless he always got in first when we called in our widow cocks after their daily training. Before every race he got just as the others to see his nest dish. Also for the last race there wasn’t any extra motivation….no…we just did what we always do!”
When we have a look at the pedigree of the “Den Bonten Crack” we see that his father “De Crack” (3006002/14) was a top racer himself with amongst other a 1st Provincial Bourges and in the meantime one of the current base breeders of the Maes colony. We also find him as grandfather to base breeder r “Den Bonten Provinciaal” . Aside that we see the old strains from Jacques Catteeuw, Charles Matthijs and André Debeouf. Mother to the “Den Bonten Crack” has as name “Bontje Staf” (3073396/11) and is a full sister to the father of “Serosero”. This pigeon is directly from Chris Debacker and goes mainly back to the old strain of Gaby Vandenabeele with amongst other descendants from “Bieke” via Rik Cools.
Another 2 Maes toppers that deserve some attention :
If we could make a top 3 of the Maes-toppers than we find next to the “Den Bonten Crack” the hen “Pappillon” and national winner “Serosero”
“Pappillon” (3002971/13), on a lonely heights
Sometimes you have a phenomenon on your racing loft. One that is better than all the others. One that just races all the others home. Anthony got to now this kind of phenomenon with ‘Pappillon’ (3002971/13). As summer youngster 2013 she could fully show herself for the first time in 2015. And how…on the preparing short distance and middle distance races she noted down already 2 top 100 results: 64th Clermont 8,382b. and 79th Fontenay 9,261b.
But what she managed afterwards was truly phenomenal. In a matter of four weeks’ time she succeeded to win no less than twice the provincial palm next to a 2nd and 14th spot.
- 17/05/15 Tours provincial 5,697 b.: 2nd (0,0351%)
- 30/05/15 Bourges I provincial 2,365 b.: 1st (0,0423%)
- 06/06/15 Châteauroux I provincial 3,078 b.: 1st (0,0325%)
- 13/06/15 Guéret provincial 1,769 b.: 14th (0,7914%)
When you can experience this during your pigeon career, you live on a cloud for a while. Then you think your invincible. But then the realization strikes saying that this might be very exceptional. This is what Chantal and Anthony realized fully. Agreed, continue to race ‘Pappillon’ could have made her immortal. But it wouldn’t be the first phenomenon that dies at the field of honour. Everything well thought trough, they made a very wise decision and ‘Pappillon’ could move to the breeding loft hoping that she could give her amazing genes onto the next generations. At the moment they have 6 children on the breeding loft and one amongst the racing team. Anthony could conclude that especially in 2nd generation good breeding results are set.
‘Pappillon’ is on fathers’ side out of “Broer Sonja” (BE04-3144281), a very good breeder who is father to amongst other the provincial winner ‘De Bordeaux’. We see in his heritage Valère Vandepoele. “Beauty 847” (BE11-3168847) is mother to this top hen. She has the noble blood of ‘Den Turbo’ from Gaby Vandenabeele and ‘Sonja’ from Charles Matthys running through her veins.
“Sero sero” (3079100/13).. the national Argenton winner
There are more than one crack at the loft in Waregem. One of these exceptional cracks is “Sero Sero” (3079100/13 – 3rd provincial ace bird greater middle distance 2015) . “Sero Sero” is the living proof that beauty and top result can be combined perfectly. Enjoy his impressive palmaris :
1 National Argenton 9,255b. Old Fastest old & yearling 496 km 2016
4 National Chateauroux 21,515b. 467 km 2014
28 National Chateauroux 25,126b. 467 km 2016
31 National Argenton 12,187b. 496 km 2015
Next to the national top results this amazing cock also won underneath provincial top prizes. Every time on another race than the races mentioned above !!
3 Provincial Gueret 1,769b. 515 km 2015
6 Provincial Tours 1,416b. 435 km 2015
7 Provincial Tours 5,697b. 435 km 2015
23 Provincial Fonteany 9,261b. 308 km 2015
39 Provincial Argenton 2,644b. 496 km 2016
Anthony and Chantal have 14 children out of “Serosero” and it can be said…the breeding results are very promising!
Father is ‘Staf junior’ a son to ‘Staf’ who won at Chris De Backer the title of 3rd Provincial ace bird middle distance year birds. Mother is ‘Katy’. She is out of a very special breeding couple at the Maes loft namely ‘Superkweker 806’ x ‘Sonja’.
(Photos taken after the national victory of "sero sero")
The season 2020
Just as everybody else Anthony and Chantal are very happy that the season could start of. This season they chose for the very first time for the system of total widowhood. In total they have a team of 50 cocks and 40 hens. ‘Indeed…10 cocks more than hens’ is what Anthony says ‘but we will solve that…without a doubt one will get lost or one will be taken out of the team and then you have to be able as pigeon fancier to keep a close eye on everything and when one or the other cock looks ‘unhappy’ then we will take a partner for him out of the aviary.
The old pigeons bred early and the yearling pigeons stayed in the aviaries until the beginning of March. Due postponing the season we darkened all our old and yearling pigeons. The curtains were closed daily at 17h until 7h in the morning. Once the season started, we stopped darkening.
During the season the hens stay in a modified department (see photo). A sloping floor and only chapels to sit on must avoid the ladies pairing up amongst each other. Whether the hens train well during the week…well…to be honest, when they train 10 to 15 minutes I’m happy. They have to train during this short time very powerful and enthusiastic…you have to hear them pass by. When they train this hard and have to race on a weekly base for a middle distance or a greater middle distance race they don’t have to train for a full hour during the week.
All racing pigeons train once a day and are being fed once a day. The youngsters from the 2nd round train at 7h30, at 08h30 the youngsters from the first round are up. At 9h30 it is the hens’ turn and at 10h30 the windows open for the cocks tot train.
At the moment of our visit there were 55 youngsters from the 1st round present and 80 youngsters from the 2nd round. The hens from the 1st round will have to do the nationals for young birds. The others will have to do several different short distance and middle distance (provincial level) races so they will get the necessary experience.
When feeding they take care of a outbalanced meal. They prefer a light mixture which they get at ‘De Stoop’, a local shop that makes their own mixtures. The feeding towards a race is being done in a classic way and do this the last 4 meals before basketing. Direction long distance this can go to the 6 last feeding meals. The pigeons are always being fed in a common tray, where the amount is being adjusted to their lust. In a matter of side products Chantal and Anthony are very happy with ‘Röhnfried’. With the regularity of the clock these products go into the drinking pot to strengthen the natural resistance of the pigeons ‘Hexenbier’, ‘Avisana’, ‘Avidress’ and other products of the gamma are being used faithfully. The medical care is in hands of the vet with the advice that curing blindly isn’t on the program, but where with regular check-ups nothing is being left to the coincidence.
Chantal and Anthony…from the entire Herbots team we like to wish you a lot of success and we are already looking forward to your next top result!
Stefan Mertens
