De Swaef Gert (Hofstade) 1° Provincial ace short distance East-Flanders

Hofstade, borough of Aalst located in East Flanders , 6.61 KM2 in size and has 5980 inhabitants . The origins of the village of Hofstade can be traced back to a settlement founded two Centuries BC , when the original Celtic population was expelled and mixed with Nerviens , who migrated from across the Rhine . A small settlement was located in this period on the ‘vondelbeek’ at the southern foot of the Steenberg . Perhaps it was a few small farms . Urne and bone graves testify to their existence .

GERT DE SWAEF !
Gert was born 51 years ago in Aalst and grew up in the hamlet ‘Babelaar’ in Hofstade . He lives in the Overbroekstraat at 300 m from his parental home in the Zakstraat where everything started and where the pigeons still reside. As a youngster he studied metal and immediately after finishing school he was put to work at the biggest ‘Dredger’ in the world: Jan De Nul. For 34 years now, he has kept the screen in front of his face as a welder and mechanic, making heavy spare parts for ‘dredgers’. Gert has an 18-year-old son and in Overbroekstraat the game is raced in the name of De Swaef Niels !

HOW IT BEGAN !
All fairy tales have a beginning and Gert's began as a young boy. The neighbours had pigeons and grandfather, who lived two houses away, had pigeon fanciers in a 150 m radius ! (At that time, Gert was always sitting in some pigeon loft and it would not take long before some pigeons would flutter around the De Swaef home ! He got some from the neighbours and a year later father Petrus built a beautiful loft of 4 by 3 m ! As a 13 year old he started on this loft with ‘warrior birds’ which he got from the baker at home André Govaert son of the legendary Remi Govaert from Lede ! They were immediately first prize winners, the train had left and today it keeps on racing !
So Gert started with pigeons from André and Remi Govaert and Fanny van Huygh both from Lede and that type is still there .

CURRENT STRAIN STRUCTURE !
The old strain (see above) was later joined by the following names . Etienne Buylle, Patrick De Mey, Braem Robert, Patrick Van Den Abbeel, Luc Van Mechelen , Stickers-Donkers, Bob and Steven Fenech (England) , Gert Van Limbergen, Daniél and Luc Van Heddegem, Eijerkamp.  The last 2 years pigeons have been brought in from Dominique Velghe , Istvan Bartos the ‘Blizard’ line of Piere Beyl . The last 3 years we have been breeding together with Frans and Timmy Van Heirstraeten and Jo Claeskens . Also the strain of Eddy Den Haeze who supplied the father of the 4° Nat Ace pigeon !!!

ON WHAT DO YOU PAY ATTENTION WHEN PAIRING !
Gert is a guy with his heart on his sleeve and prefers not to take detours. When asked what he pays attention to when pairing his breeders, the answer is . "No two small or two big pigeons together , I don't look at the eyes . Just good pigeons descended from champions . These are coupled on the strain of ‘DE VEIlLE STICKKERS’ or ‘HET RAKETJE’ , if I don't succeed with these then they go into the soup" !

THE LOFTS !
The lofts are on some sort of posts that you can walk under so the air has free passage underneath which probably makes the lofts drier ! Nevertheless when no quality is present the loft may be on the release site ! The roof consists of corrugated iron , the lofts are airy and dry and with the youngsters there are small runs in front and the door is always open although with a mosquito door in front !

THE RESISTANCE !
Not a lot of pigeons in the De Swaef house, only 8 widowers and 8 playing hens, the base that provides a solid foundation consists of only 10 breeding couples ! Annually about 50 youngsters from the first round are let out , only one round of youngsters . Mother Nicole is the ‘guardian angel’ of the youngsters , ‘ without my mother I would not be able to achieve such results with the youngsters ’ says Gert .

5 DECEMBER !
We usually pair around 5 December , when a few days of sunshine are predicted and also what time is available . Breeders and racers are always paired at the same time. They are paired three times beforehand, also on weekends. The racing hens do not raise youngsters, they do not even come with eggs. According to Gert you keep them quiet as long as possible !

HOW TO PREPARE ?
As a working pigeon fancier it's not easy but as soon as the days get longer the widowers are let out . At this moment they already get a light mixture because our host says that pigeons that are too fat do not train. Mother of the house Nicole takes care of the hens , she lets them out at 15h30 and when ‘the master’ comes home he calls them in ! Then it's the turn of the widowers , with good weather , when it's cold or raining they don't see the open air ! At the end of March the baskets are taken from the attic and when the weather is good, they can be used for training. Usually on weekends, Saturday and Sunday, because there is no time during the week. The pigeons are taken away four or five times at most ! As for their feed, after their youngsters have grown up, they are put on light food, because during the breeding they already got a full meal. Then it becomes 50% Purification and 50% Light food (Pro Light Van Robaeys ) . During the season Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday Pro Light and on Friday Pro Sport ! On Saturday morning (day of basketing) they receive another feeding Sprint by Aidi ! The youngsters get the same as the old ones !

THE MEDICAL SIDE !
Before the season the man in the white smock will be consulted and on his advice. Old birds get a shot against Paramixo and young birds get two shots, one at weaning and another one a month later. After the season, all pigeons are put clean Since a few years, the pigeons are also injected against Parathyphus.

YOUNG BIRDS !
Youngsters are dropped off when they eat independently and are big enough , they are fed in the nest box and become independent faster . Never hens are added. The first three weeks they are fed a full-fledged breeding mixture after which they are switched to a Rui mixture. Once they have been taught they are fed like the old racers. The youngsters are darkened from mid-March to mid-June , until two years ago they still had extra light because they also participated in the autumn races. From 2024 they no longer participated in the autumn races and they were therefore no longer lighted !

THE GAME ITSELF !

With widowers we play with partners staying at home , pure widowhood . With the hens it is rather chaotic , some have a fixed cock that stays at home and others are lesbian and make themselves master on the ground. Some others have no cock but are allowed to join the cocks of their loft mates after a few races ! As for the youngsters , they are separated after two races from Noyon and are played on the sliding door . As for the old playing hens, they are put in the loft with the young hens and left together with the cocks before basketing.

DO A LOT FOR IT !
Every morning when the clock has struck six, the loft doors are opened at the De Swaef home. The birds are fed and given fresh drinking water and the lofts are scratched already ! The youngsters are fed by mother Nicole in the evening. Meanwhile, the ‘welding post’ of De Nul is already waiting for Gert and it goes for him to Aalst because ships have to stay afloat ! In the evening the same ritual awaits and the widowers and hens are fed around 17h30 .

PERFORMANCE !
Some results from the old and yearlings !
All from Noyon.

363 JL. 1°.14°.43° (6/7)
235 .OUDE. 2°,11°,16°,21°,23°,42° (10/12)
257 JL.1°,7°,7°,20°,68° (9/12)
337 OUDE . 2°,31°,38°,89°,90° (5/8)
401 JL. 2°,8°,10°,26°,34°,58°,61° (10/10)
138. OUDE. 3°,6°,8°,14°,41° (8/12)
480. O+JL. 3°,7°,12°,21°,41°,75° (16/17)
92 .OUDE. 1°,4°,6°,12°,16° (7/12)
280 JL. 1°,3°,10°,13°,14°,19°,68° (10/11)
167 JL. 1°,2°,7°,9°,17°,19°,26° (10/11)
112 JL. 1°,3°,9°,18°,23° (7/10)
120 JL. 1°,2°,16°,23° (5/8)
127. OUDE. 1°,2°,13°,20°,24° (9/10)

JONGE DUIVEN 2024 !
9/6.   2050 JO. 2°,4°,8°,10°,18°,28°,48° (11/14)
23/6.  810 JO. 1°,3°,8°,43°,45°,46°,51°,62°,64°,65°,78° (23/29)
7/7.  801 JO. 1°,3°,15°,17°,21°,27°,72°,73°,74° (17/26)
14/7. 480 JO.1°,12°,13°,19°,19°,49°,50°,63°,67° (17/23)
21/7. 572 JO.1°,3°,4°,106° (12/15)
28/7. 513 JO. 1°,2°,3°,4°,5°,6°,7°,9°,10°,12°,19° (22/27)
4/8. 302 JO. 1°,4°,5°,6°,7°,13°,14°,15°,17°,20°,21°,23°,25° (22/23)
11/8. 280 JO. 1°,2°,4°,5°,6°,7°,27°,30°,38° (15/20)
18/8. 393 JO.1°,2°,3°,5°,14°,69°,72°,73° (16/20)
25/8. 474 JO. 1°,2°,3°,4°,5°,14°,23°,30° (15/22)
1/9. 435 JO. 1°,1°,3°,4°,5°,6°,8°,10°,11°,13°,16°,17° (17/18)
8/9. 205 JO . 1°,2°,5°,9°,20°,21°,33°,34° (16/18)
15/9. 191 JO. 1° TOT 10°,12°,13°,15° (16/16)

TITLES !
That such figures lead to winning titles should come as no surprise.

4° Nat. acebird speed young KBDB
1° Prov acebird young East-Flanders
1° acebird Dendervallei young

1° Super Asduif Dendervallei (meest prijzen)
1° Crackduif jonge V.N.V.B
1° Superstar Vitesse Gouden Ring Oost-Vlaanderen
5° World B.Pigeon jonge snelheid

In het “land van Aalst”

1° Algemeen Kampioen 1°+2° Get
1° Kampioen Jaarse
1°,2°,3°,4°,5° Asduif Jaarse
1° Kampioen Jonge 1°+2° Get
1°,2°,3° Asduif Jonge.

25 First prizes were won: 

3 x old birds
10 x yearbirds
12 x young birds

A series of top placings were played in the alliance such as

1°/5966 – 1°/4666 -  1°/3008 – 1°/2792 – 1°/2380 – 1°/2234 – 1°/1084 – 2°/5190 – 2°/3683 – 2°/2050 – 2°/2010 – 2°/1947 – 2°/1679 – 2°/975 – 3°/3223 – 3°/1808 – 3°/1389 – 4°/2380- 4°/2148 – 4°/1947 – 5°/6780 – 5°/5197 – 5°/4804 – 5°/3683 – 5°/1907 – 5°/1737 –

SOME PERFORMANCE PIGEONS !
The youngsters flew the corrugated iron off the roof in 2024, so to speak.

“BLAUW RAKETJE” 4041040/24
Steeds uit NOYON
1°/2380- 4°/2148-12°/1644-15°/3008-21°/3223
Won 9 X 10 tal
Als vader heeft ze “ISTVAN BLIZZARD” Als moeder “RAKETJE” won 6 X 1° bij zoon Niels !

“DONKER STEVEKEN” 4041044/24
1°/474-1°/205-7°/513-10°/435-10°/191-14°/302 Won 7 X 10tal.
Als vader “STEVEN” een rechtstreekse Bob en Steven Fenech (England) Als moeder “BLUE MISS HAUWKEYE” eveneens Bob en Steven Fenech.

WHAT IS YOUR FINEST MOMENT ?
"My finest moment or memory in the sport were in the years 2017,18 and 19 when I owned two super hens . They were ‘ MISS NOYON’ she won 23 times first and ‘SUPER 008’ won 21 times first ! For these two it did not matter whether it was Noyon, Quievrain or Momignie . Whenever they were in order they flew to the first prize . To experience this together with my late father Petrus and mother Nicole . Another beautiful moment was on 1 September of the same year when my two first signed youngsters with warm weather and eastern wind ‘dived’ together side by side to the shelf and both won the first prize and this against the crowd ".

WHAT IS YOUR WORST MEMORY ?
"I have those too of course one of them is the theft of my better breeders in 2019 . Having to lose my two super hens on the same day at an irresponsible release on the second day and never to see them again . Leaving top pigeons and Prov Ace pigeons behind in one and the same local ! But all this is in fact nothing compared to having to give up my father Petrus, he was everything to me. Together with my mother two people who did everything to see their children grow up happy . I will be eternally grateful to them for that ".

WHAT ADVICE SHOULD YOU GIVE A BEGINNELING ?
"First ask him if he has a clear idea of what he is getting into because pigeon racing has changed enormously . It has become very expensive and without help as a normal working person it is almost impossible to do. Competing every week in any discipline against professionals or fanciers who are at home every day. Unless you really have a gift for working with pigeons and you are lucky to start with a good quality base. Perhaps the most important thing is to have some patience ".

HOW DO YOU SEE THE FUTURE IN PIGEON RACING ?
"If everything in price continues to rise like this regarding the pigeon sport and the right people of our board do not stay at the helm , I only see it bleak. When also ‘the green ones’ who interfere too much with the course of the races and continue to protect the birds of prey . Because the latter are a hell for our so beautiful pigeon sport might soon turn around ".

IN A NUTSHELL !
Change in approach: for two years we have been feeding Revolution by Vanrobays in the beginning of the week Light and on Friday Sport. After training the old and young birds, they are no longer ridden in between. Not necessary according to Gert , when they fly 172 km every week they need a day of rest rather than extra training . Tuesday and Wednesday one training session, Thursday a rest day and Friday another training session. They always train when the weather is good , mother Nicole takes care of the youngsters and the hens . After Gert's day job, he lets the widowers fly for half an hour.

GERT HIS THOUGHTS !

"We probably play here in the strongest alliance on Noyon from Belgium , the Interprovincial release where weekly between 20000 and 40000 pigeons are released at the same time . It is the ideal release to discover the good pigeon and to build a stock . Hopefully this great game with Antwerp and Brabant and our province of East Flanders can be maintained . If this would be destroyed, many fanciers who live on the border with Brabant might give up ! Hopefully, after the elections of 2025, the right people will take the helm to keep this Interprovincial release" .

TO DECIDE !
That we visited one of the strongest speed lofts in our province is beyond doubt. Gert a waterfall of words with his heart on his sleeve but always fair. Does not mince words and backs everything up with evidence , his son and his parents are his everything . It may be said, a family man in heart and soul, the football of son Niels goes for everything, yes also for the pigeons. Not being able to see him play football, no! Any secrets? No he doesn't have any, all the more good pigeons, quality and everything else is rubbish for the books.

Congratulations from the whole Herbots team .

Rudy Fosselle