Stevenink Benny (Hamme) 1st Nat (z) and 1st Provincial Bourges East Flanders 4,020 old pigeons

Nothing is more fun than winning the zonal and provincial victory on the first national flight of the fresh season. This was the feeling of the well-known champions Benny and Carine Steveninck from Hamme.
It was their cock “Louis” (B22-4085963) who took care of the victory. “Louis” played on pure widowhood is doing super well because he has already won this year:

27/04 Noyon 19/382p.
10/05 Orleans - Local 4/661p. - Association 8/2,341p. – 43/5,306 Provincial
17/05 Vierzon - Local 3/710p. – Provincial 8/5,981p.
24/05 Bourges – Local 1/323p. – Provincial 1/4020p. – National 233-17,186p.

Next weekend he will complete a speed flight to then continue the season with the successive national flights from Argenton, Bourges, La Souterraine. Afterwards the balance will be made and Tulle can possibly be participated in. But again, everything depends on the flights that have passed and the Belgian summer weather.

Few old pigeons
At the end of the 2023 season, the best old pigeons were placed in the breeding loft. Despite this “handicap”, people were very satisfied with the 2024 season – which was a kind of transitional season. After the 2023 selection, 4 old pigeons were left over and these were moved from the attic loft to the garden loft and one of those 4 is “Louis”. Normally I play the long-distance flights with the cocks, but for this season this will be with a more limited team. I have these 4 old cocks and there are also 4 old hens among the hen team. It will be a puzzle to participate in all the flights.”

Failed
Champions do not sit still and are also looking for improvements to their system every year to improve just a few percent. For example, Benny paired young cocks with old hens for a few seasons and then raced them on widowhood, but this experiment was given a failing grade by Benny. “The problem was that we suffered far too many losses. Those young guys are probably too nervous and at the slightest “obstacle” I had to close a few boxes because the occupant did not make it home.
Give me young hens…that game suits me and my pigeons much better.”

Carine and Benny…congratulations on this victory and who knows what the 2025 season will bring

Stefan Mertens