Bob Ringoet from Berlare wins 3rd national Argenton V for yearlings and old birds

Berlare - Bob Ringoet and his 'Astra' put in an impressive performance at the Argenton National. Competing against 1,787 yearlings and old birds, the duo took 3rd prize in the national competition. In addition to the national prize, Astra also won the 1st provincial prize (344 pigeons) and the 1st zonal prize (222 pigeons), putting it even more in the spotlight.

Astra: The Star 

The name 'Astra' means 'star', and with good reason. Over the past two years, this yearling hen has proved herself to be one of the best birds in Bob's loft. With an impressive track record, including several top 10 finishes, Astra has become a fixture in Bob's pigeon colony. Right from the start there was music in the yearling hen game, 'Astra' started immediately with a 1st prize at Noyon. Her last flight of the season was Argenton and she finished that too with a 1st prize. At no time did she show any interest in the other hens, which was different with the other hens. Bob Ringoet lists some of her more notable performances, including a series of places of honour at Noyon and Toury, but the icing on the cake is of course the recent win at Argenton.
Astra's best performances:
3rd Noyon (201p Club)
2nd Noyon (2,827 pigeons, after loftmate)
1st Noyon (305p Club)
1st Toury (92p Club)
3rd Argenton (1,787p National)
1st Argenton (344p Provincial)
1st Argenton (222p National Zone)

A Family Tradition

The quality clearly runs in Astra's bloodline, as her nest brother 'Alfa' flew weekly top 10 placements last year and even secured 4th place in the provincial championships for short middle distance in East Flanders. A younger sister also won 1st provincial prize in Toury this year against 4,093 young pigeons and was crowned ace pigeon in the Hafo Dender federation and 18th national ace pigeon short middle distance KBDB 2024.

System

Bob has two base pairs whose bloodlines form the common thread in his pigeon loft, and the parents of 'Astra' come from these two pairs. "Astra is a yearling hen that I raced among my young pigeons on the sliding door system. Her season starts simultaneously with that of the young pigeons, and she flies almost the same races as the young pigeons," he explains. When the last young bird is weaned, Bob starts darkening (at this time, the hens are also brought into the loft), and from July onwards, lighting is used. The pigeons are kept in the aviary as much as possible (without windbreak netting), and the weakest young pigeons naturally weed themselves out.

Careful Care and Training for Successful Flights

Bob Ringoet follows a strict regimen when it comes to the care of his pigeons. From weaning, the pigeons get a weekly bath on Wednesdays, and although training at home has been less intensive in the past two years due to the large number of pigeons in his loft, Bob corrects this during the racing season with weekly training flights of 20 kilometers or more. Once the season is well underway, the pigeons also participate in weekly races.

Nutrition and Medical Care

Regarding nutrition, Bob chooses Beyers Premium mixtures (Van den Abbeele and Youngsters) for the racing pigeons and Vanrobaeys energy mix at the time of basketing. Medically, he keeps it simple but effective: his pigeons receive annual vaccinations against paramyxo, rota, and herpes, and the pox vaccination is administered with a brush. Beyond this, he rarely consults a vet.

On the day of basketing and upon return, the pigeons receive a yellow drop in the beak, a method by Jaap Koehoorn, and Herbots Golden Eye in the eyes and nose. Additionally, the drinking water is enriched with two types of electrolytes after their return, alternating with garlic water and Avidress from Rhönfried throughout the week. Occasionally, he also adds oregano tea: "We don’t drink the same thing every day either," Bob jokes.

No Pigeon Racing Without Family

Despite his busy life as a psychiatric nurse and father of a young family, his sporting results have not suffered due to lack of time. Even though he doesn’t race with widowers, the number of proven pigeons in his loft has continued to grow. Bob's impressive results are all the more remarkable because, due to his shift work and two weekend shifts per month, he cannot always be present. His father, who is not a pigeon fancier himself, regularly steps in to take care of the pigeons. "He really enjoys the pigeons coming home and has always been my biggest supporter," Bob says proudly. This was also the case for the flight from Argenton, where Bob had work commitments and could not witness his pigeons' return, but his father was fortunately on hand.

Future Plans

Despite his busy life, Bob looks ambitiously toward the future. With 35 breeding pairs last winter, Bob wants to significantly reduce this number to maintain a healthy balance in his loft. With the successes of Astra and her family in mind, the future of Bob Ringoet and his pigeons looks bright. Bob proves with his passion and dedication that even with limited time, you can achieve great results in pigeon racing. 
The entire Herbots team would like to warmly congratulate Bob for his wonderful results!

Maarten Herbots