Pierre & Patrick Philippens ('s Gravenvelden) – 1st National Champion sprint young birds KBDB 2023

We drive to a region we don't visit much, the entire east of our country. We visit Pierre and Patrick Philippens from 's Gravenvoer who became 1st National Champion young pigeons on the speed KBDB in 2023. Here they took a podium place for the 3rd time in 4 years in this tough competition. Pierre has had pigeons for decades and he cannot continue without pigeons. In 1962, the cages in the garden were already there before the house was built. Over the years it was mainly the sons Patrick & Christian who were also interested in pigeon racing. After Patrick completed his studies and military service, he was an employee of the Natural company for 35 years and editor-in-chief of Duifke Lacht. He has recently stopped experiencing this last job so intensively and is now focusing on taking care of his father and pigeon racing as a whole together with his family.

3 x PODIUM IN THE LAST 4 SEASONS

1st National Champion speed young pigeons KBDB 2023
1st National Champion speed young pigeons KBDB 2020
3rd National Champion speed young pigeons KBDB 2022

Lineages of this colony

Due to their rich career, you will find several stock pigeons at different distances that have had a major impact on this colony.

The 1st basic pigeon for the heavier work is “Den Bordeaux” BE 77-1065420. He himself won an 8th Int.Nat Bordeaux and 6 x TOP 31 National extreme long distance. He was a cross between Paul Gilmont and Marcel Englebienne.

The 2nd stock pigeon is “Tramontane” BE 92-5106212, 1st Nat Olympiad pigeon long distance Blackpool 1999. It is bred from son Bordeaux x granddaughter Bordeaux. He became father of “Mont Ventoux 1” winner of the national time trial Mont Ventoux 2002. He was grandfather of 10 x 1st provincial and also grandfather of “Den Bourges” 6 x 1st and 2nd National Bourges. He became great-grandfather of “Mont Ventoux 2” winner of the 2003 national time trial Mont Ventoux.

The 3rd stock pigeon is “Golden Eye” BE 09-1000322, he became 2nd National Ace Pigeon Long Distance old birds KBDB 2011, 1st Intercontinental Cup Budapest, 3rd Nat Ace Pigeon Marathon European Cup Dortmund 2003. He was bred from Vrosch – Meyers x “Mont Ventoux 2” origin. “Golden Eye” became the grandfather of 17 x 1st provincial. His best granddaughter is “Home Alone” BE 19-1012020, which is a double granddaughter of “Golden Eye” and became 1st I.Prov.Ace Pigeon Long Distance and 3rd National Ace Pigeon Rhone Vallei KBDB 2021 with, among others, 9 Prov. Montelimar 834d – 15 Nat Marseille 1,882p and 68 Prov Valence 1,206p and won 15/15 that year.

For the shorter distances up to and including the longer middle distance, they have several calibers that will ensure posterity here.

The most important is “Son Bourges” BE 10-1049957, he is a son of “Den Bourges” who was already mentioned above with his 2nd National Bourges. He is father of 30 x 1st and grandfather of 70 x 1st.

“Engels 55” comes from Jos & Jules Engels. This is a double grandson of “Den Argenton” 1st National Argenton and is father of 28 x 1st and grandfather of 90 x 1st

“Witten Engels” is a full brother of the previous top breeder and is the grandfather of 10 x 1st provincial. His regular hen is “Gaston Duivin” which comes from Gaston Van de Wouwer.

“Van der Veken” cock comes from top star Jos Van der Veken. He is from 2012 and was bred from 2 proven racers. He is the father of 35 x 1st and grandfather of ... (the number is no longer kept).

Photo of stock cock "Son Bourges" BE 10-1049957
A real super breeder who still fertilized flawlessly in 2023.

BE 19-1012020 "Home Alone" Hen
3rd National Ace Pigeon Rhone Vallei KBDB 2021
Won, among others, 9 Prov Montelimar 834p – 15 Nat Marseille 1,882p and 68 Prov Valence 1,206p and won 15/15 that year.

Young pigeon season 2023

The young pigeons of 2023 were one month younger than other seasons, normally younger pigeons always train better than older ones, but this was not the case here in the spring. The bad spring and a construction crane caused more bad than good. We then spent a lot of time training the young pigeons and started them at 500m. Between 1.5 and 2 km they were taken away 4 times during the construction, this took a lot of time and patience, but it paid off. After that we always drive up to a maximum of 30 km.

These were darkened from April to mid-June from 6 p.m. to 8 a.m. and always train once a day. In terms of motivation, I believe in this less and less. We believe more in the condition and confidence of a pigeon. 

Young pigeon flights have not been easy in recent seasons, especially the first flights of the season are always with a little heart. That was also the case here with them. 42 Chimay pigeons flew, of which only 21 were back in the loft in the evening and 10 were lost, which is too many. Of course you lose, that's the case with everyone. The following week, 9 went to Chimay, of which 8 won prizes. So health-wise it was good. After that, the youngsters flew to the top every week and achieved some fantastic series. So you see how quickly the tide can turn. We did not use medication but gave the boy a second chance and they clearly took it.

We only achieved our first result for the national championship in mid-July. We never thought we would get 6 more good ones and certainly not that we would win. The disadvantage that we and probably other fanciers have is that sometimes several youngsters fall at the same time, which means that your results are worse because of your own pigeons, but that is also part of it.

In terms of nutrition, they get Rui Maxi from Natural, we also believe in one good mixture so that the pigeons inside do not always get a different mixture. As a result, we rarely have problems with adeno. In addition, the pigeons are only provided with grit and vitamin RAL and we do not use any by-products. The pigeons always get a bath the day after the flight and the racing hens sometimes twice a week. If you can do this, they will also be less likely to mate with each other.

The pigeons are compulsorily vaccinated against paramyxo and the young pigeons also receive a vaccination against smallpox. Before the racing season there is usually a 5-day cure against tricho and during the season itself we try to stay off it as much as possible. We have good cages so we have few problems with the respiratory tract. In the autumn they receive a treatment and vaccination against paratyphus.

Toppers among the young talent

BE 23-1029902 Blue Cock

Won 9 prizes last year, including 8 times per 30, including 1/613p – 3/482p – 4/850p – 6/662p – 8/411p - 16/509p – 18/776p – 23/762p

Father is a son of foundation breeder “Son Bourges” 
Mother is a daughter of “Engels 55”

BE 23-1029920 “IQ” Blue Hen 

Won 12 prizes per 10, including 11 per 20, 1/1,029p – 5/850p – 10/662p – 11/613p – 11/509p – 14/762p – 16/776p – 19/422p – 22/754p - 24/482p – 34/768p

Father is a grandson of “Golden Eye”, “Golden Eye” won 2 Nat. Ace Pigeon long distance old birds KBDB 2011
Mother is “Home Alone”, this is a double granddaughter of “Golden Eye”

BE 23-1029930 Checkered white flight hen 

Won 9 prizes, 4 x 1st, including 1/850p – 1/662p – 1/372p – 1/203p – 3/482p – 8/613p – 21/411p

Father is a son of “Cock Jos Van der Veken” x “Granddaughter Bourges” 
Mother is a daughter of super breeder “90” Engels x Gaston Van de Wouwer x “New 22” (daughter Engels 55)

BE 23-1029933 Blue Hen 

Won 14 prizes including 11 per 10, including 1/843p – 1/521p – 3/482p – 6/613p – 12/1,098p – 13/913p - 13/776p – 20/411p

Father is a son of stock father “Son Bourges” and has won 4 x 1st prizes. 
Mother is a granddaughter of “Golden Eye”

Some top results from the old and yearlings in the middle distance in 2023

02/07 Rethel 1.029p : 1,13,57,… 6/8
08/07 Dizy 430p : 1,8,… 3/7
15/07 Chimay 458p : 1,2,26,40,… 9/21
22/07 Chimay 622p : 1,2,3,4,5,6,10,33,34,35,44,45,46,… 19/22
            Pont St.Max 843p : 1,13,57,58 4/4
29/07 Rethel 850p : 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,12,16,17,19,21,22,… 27/30
05/08 Dizy 776p : 3,4,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,20,21,…. 25/30
13/08 Dizy 237p : 1,1,1,4,7,8,12,14,15,16,19,22,… 21/26
19/08 Trelou 521p : 1,5,6,7,9,12,13,14,15,16,17,44,45,… 20/24
26/08 Rethel 482p : 1,1,3,3,3,3,3,3,3,10,11,11,13,14,14,14,… 48/83
            Melun 175p : 1  2/3
02/09 Dizy 509p : 4,5,7,8,11,13,14,15,16,17,18,20,23,24,29,… 50/83
            Melun 113p : 1,2 2/3
09/09 Dizy 411p : 2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,14,16,17,18,19,… 51/81
17/09 Momignies 499p : 1,1,1,1,1,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,                    
           20,21,22,23,24,25,26,27,28,29,30,31,32,33,35,36,39,40,41,
           43,44,45,47,49,… 51/71
24/09 Momignies 372p : 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,18,19,  
          20,21,22,23,24,30,32,33,35,37,… … 42/58

Some top results from the old and yearlings in the middle distance in 2023

06/05 Melun 1.966p : 21,22,23,37,38,40,50,93,113,115,136,156,159,162,187,… 31/35
13/05 Melun 2.229p : 8,14,47,49,50,62,93,97,116,117,118,142,156,… 25/29
24/06 Orléans 1.410p : 17,25,31,63,84,107,… 8/11
08/07 Melun 653p : 1,5,16,17,19,… 8/17
16/07 Lorris Prov 612p : 5,7,8,15,16,17 6/8
22/07 Pont 782p : 1,6,7,10,10,13,13,19,26,44,45,47,48,49,… 20/29
            Orléans 1.007p : 2,2,4,11,16,25,… 8/10
07/08 La Ferte AWC 2.097p : 3,27,35,55,… 6/6

Patrick and Pierre, congratulations on these great results and they will certainly not be the last.

Buelens Kim