Philip Declerck from Avelgem wins 1st Provincial Argenton against 2,208 old pigeons

An impressive performance in West Flanders: Philip Declerck from Avelgem wins the 1st Provincial Argenton against 2,208 old pigeons. Nationally this translates to the 638th place against 11,557 old birds. For this modest fancier, only ten years active in the sport, it's a win with deep personal meaning.

Philip (60) started with pigeons after the death of his father. “He became seriously ill and passed away suddenly. I continued to look after pigeons as a tribute - and this gradually turned into a real passion. Ten years later, he finds himself at the top in one of Belgium’s toughest provinces.

The winning pigeon is a 3-year-old blue cock from 2022. He descends from a proven line, and his pedigree confirms it. The dam, "Fourneau 720" (BE21-3095720), is descended from a son of Nico Fourneau's "Super 040", whose sire was able to record top placings at national level with pigeons such as:
16th Nat. Souillac against 3,733b.
31st Nat. Limoges against 15,979b.
46th Nat. Limoges against 13,569b.
52nd Nat. Cahors against 6,903b.
59th Nat. Brive against 8,807b.
On the mother's side, we find “Hautekiet 903”, directly from Michel Hautekiet. Again, achievements such as 1st prov. Châteauroux and top rankings against thousands of pigeons can be found in this line.

Dam's pedigree : BE21-3095720

The cock was marked as a favorite before the race. Philip: “He was in top shape, I had real confidence in him.” Rightly so, as the win provincially and 638th nationally against over 11,500 pigeons confirm his class. Before this, this pigeon also had the following performances recorded:
20th Clermont against 486b.
25th Toury against 597b.
27th Chateauroux against 1,963b.
28th Noyon against 578b.
31st Clermont against 413d.
63rd Maissemy against 1,519d.
99th Sancoins against 1,021d.
149th Chateauroux against 2,102d.
209th Boourges against 3,111d.

Philip uses the classic widowhood system. His preparation was “nothing special”, which highlights the strength of his system. For feeding, he uses the Matador range with "Athletiek" and "Turbo" mixes. Supplements are kept simple: a 3-in-1 mix in the water, and yellow drops upon return.

His breeding loft houses 23 pigeons. Selection is done with care: “I’m not too strict. Especially with yearling birds, you need patience.”

Philip doesn’t make grand statements. “No, I don’t do anything special compared to others.” Still, he finds inspiration in people like Nico Fourneau. For the rest of the season, the goal is clear: “Try to perform on the national races.” And yes, he's already looking forward to… Argenton.

Maarten Herbots