François Callebaut (Meldert-Aalst) winner 3-year classification Euro Diamond Pigeon Club 2024

Confirmation is always more difficult than getting to the top. But that confirmation with the small basket is again important for Francois Callebaut. He won the Silver Wing Barcelona Bruges Barcelona Club in 2023 and excelled in 2024 13 National Narbonne 4,983 old birds and 79 National Barcelona 6,310 old birds. 

As a result, he wins the 3-year classification Euro Diamond Pigeon Club 2024 against impressive colleagues who compete in the extreme long distance at the highest level. In 2 years (2023-2024) he will achieve silver in this strong competition. 

He also scored high in Barcelona in 2022 with 6th National Barcelona against 6,560 old birds and in 2023 6th National Barcelona against 6,533 old birds.

The 2023 season was a real grandcru year

The proof that you do not need to house a large colony of pigeons to regularly excel in the toughest flights has once again been provided. It was no coincidence, it was not a "one-season fly" because François has been top in the extreme long distance for years. Always with a few pigeons in the basket, he easily scores top nationally. The quality is there, the diamonds in the breeding loft are cherished and he is loyal to his basic stock.

The 2023 season was a very nice season, with the crowning achievement of course being the winning of the Silver Wing Barcelona... but above all and perhaps even more so, the regularity of the results that have led to very nice and strong rankings in the toughest competitions:

Winner Silver Wing Barcelona 2023
1st National Marathon (best Belgian player over 7 international extreme long distance races with the 1st pigeon awarded) 
3rd European Cup La Colombe Joyeuse 
1st nominated Euro Diamond Pigeon Club 
3rd place Man of the Year 9th place 2 year ranking 
6th place Silver 
6th champion extreme long distance old birds KBDB East Flanders Club Land van Aalst 
1st General King extreme long distance 1st and 2nd excl 
1st Champion extreme long distance most prizes awarded 1st

The master reveals himself in simplicity

It is pleasant to visit François and Gerda, friendly, tasty coffee and cookies and strong in their simplicity. François is one with head and hands. At 74 years old, he looks spry and lively. He is not an idler, he is always busy with something. If it isn't his pigeons, he is making a beautiful wooden toy the traditional way, i.e. without using a nail or a screw. Delivering solid work... that was the case in his professional history (self-employed construction worker for many years) but also in the practice of pigeon racing. 

He has been addicted to pigeon races in the extreme long distance for a long time. Born in a pigeon racing nest, he has been playing with pigeons since he was 15 years old. He learned the ins and outs of caring and motivating in the speed races that were and are (fortunately still) extremely popular in the Aalst region. In a later phase (and at their current home) he was bitten by the bug of the extreme long distance and knew where the mustard should be found, namely in the Netherlands. He looked for these strong racers very early on from the then star in the extreme long distance Sam De Jong, where he bought some young pigeons and eggs. 

He met the Dutch long-distance racers in other places, but the most success came from the pigeons of Sam De Jong. With one of these pigeons, the basic breeder Geschelpte Witpen, a very broad foundation was laid of pigeons that can cope with the toughest weather and in the toughest conditions. The simplicity of this extreme long distance discipline is mainly due to the quality of the pigeons and a transparent, simple care system. This is the case with François and that is how he is structured. It must be clear, manageable and structurally sound...and then the results will come.

The lineage of Den Bonten and his family is the common thread

François had been performing very well for years, but he did not receive much publicity. He does not show off the performance of his pigeons and a true expert will be able to distill this from the results. But when Den Bonten disbanded his devils in 2016, the spotlight was focused on Meldert. Den Bonten (BE13-4255775) was ringed with an old ring and was only sent out on a very limited basis in 2014. In 2016 (as a 2 year old) he achieved a blistering performance on two Rhône flights in brutal weather.

Montelimar 
1st provincial 423 p 
21st national 4,000p 
Marseille 
1st provincial 226p 
3rd national 2,166p 
8th international 9,641p

Achieving this as a two-year-old pigeon on 2 tough flights was a sign that there is a lot of power in these pigeons. His brother de Montélimar had also shown that they were strong with 3 early prizes from Marseille and Montélimar. François traditionally likes to race the races in the Rhône Valley because the pigeons that can perform there are usually strong pigeons.

Den Bonten is a direct son of Geschelpte Witpen (BE07-4368749), founder of the loft and direct from the lofts of Sam De Jong. François has further spread this breeding line over his breeding loft and racing team. Here and there there is a dash of foreign blood (Peiren Noël, Boonen Gebroeders, Gilbert Van Hassel via Kris Steeman...) but he also does not shy away from breeding within this family (and that can be quite close).

The line of Den Bonten (and even more specifically his father Geschelpte Witpen) is a line that is very well inherited. For example, there is a wonderful reference with the Boonen Brothers from Buggenum (Nl), who won the 1st national Barcelona ZLU 2021 from a hen of François (Miss Callebaut) with their Caatje (1st national of 4,381 p). Miss Callebaut is a direct daughter of Den Bonten.

The "Silver Wing" (BE20-4214417) brings glory to Meldert 

At 6.01 a.m. he arrived beautifully out of the flight line from Barcelona. 1st in the Club, 2nd provincial O-Vl, 6th national was the result. And with this, this beautiful blue cock, which from now on will go through life as the Silver Wing, brings honour and glory to Meldert. He repeats what a loftmate did to him in 2022, namely flying 6th national.

It is a very nice one in the hand, not too big but all just in proportion and very strongly built. This is also how François likes his pigeons. Big or small makes little difference to him as long as everything is in the right proportions....and preferably a soft plume.

He has a very strong pedigree in his blood. His father is a direct cock of Noël Peiren from the line of the Carcassonne and the As Perpignan. The mother is a half-sister of Den Bonten and comes from the basic breeding cock De Geschelpte Witpen x inbred to the progenitor. 

On the first flight Valence this year, he flew the 259th national and that was enough of a signal for François to basket him 1st for Barcelona with a Silver Wing as a reward.

He will now move to the breeding loft where he can try to perpetuate the brilliant tradition of top-flyers on the heaviest flights.

Especially here, Francois brings children of his best pigeons in an internet auction

BE 24-4177027 “Silver Barca 027"

µA beautiful son of “597/20” Zilveren Vleugel Barcelona 2023 coupled to a young hen that has the line of 2 national winners, namely “Barcelona Jan” 1 Nat Barcelona and “Helios” 1 Int.Nat Perpignan 12,349p by Jos Martens

BE 24-4177031 “Barca Lady 031”

This is a full sister of “720/18” 6 National Barcelona 6,560d in 2022. He owns many lines of the best pigeons from Noel Peiren that are doing great here at Francois.

Congratulations from the Herbots team!

Geert Dhaenens