Team Bassez Bart & Lorenz back at the top: “Twice 2nd National? It feels like the devil’s on my back!”

Dilsen-Stokkem – The tone is immediately set for the 2025 season. None other than Team Bassez Bart & Lorenz secured a double 2nd national place on Bourges I — both with the old birds and the yearlings. And this was no fluke. In fact, one of the winners is a full sister of their top pigeon “Lowie-Lion”, which was crowned 1st National Ace Pigeon KBDB Young Birds in 2024 (over 4 races).

A conversation with a passionate fancier who gave up everything for the sport, and at the same time doesn't shy away from confronting the darker sides of it. “It feels like the devil is riding on my back,” he sighs. “Twice 2nd National… Pretty crazy, isn’t it? And still, it’s no coincidence.” And he proves it.

Track Record: Numbers that speak for themselves

For those who didn’t know: Bart Bassez has been among Belgium’s elite for years. A selection of his results since 2016:
250x 1st prizes (from 145 km to 957 km, including doubles)
10x 1st regional wins
33x 1st ANOH
5x 1st Provincial
1x 1st CFW
90x Top-10 Provincial
8x 1st Nat.-Zone
17x 2nd Nat.-Zone
91x Top-10 Nat.-Zone
12x Top-12 National
51x Top-100 National & International

From Ibiza back to Belgium – for the sake of the pigeons

Bassez's performances stand out once again, but behind the scenes a different story unfolded this past year. When asked how it feels to start the season so strongly, he answered:
“That feels amazing, Maarten,” Bart begins, “especially if people realized what kind of comfortable life I gave up to pursue my pigeon passion — or should I say addiction.”

A new caretaker was supposed to bring peace to the schedule, but it turned into a nightmare: “A horror scenario. While I was finalizing an exclusive building project in Ibiza, I had to rush back to Belgium.”

He had to take care of everything himself again. “With great effort and sacrifice — but it had to be done. On the bright side, my son has been slightly infected with the pigeon virus. He really enjoys the arrivals.”

No classic preparation – but still in top form

Unlike previous years, Bart opted for a more minimalist approach this spring.
“Readers may find it hard to believe, but I just let the birds rest this spring. Yet I’ve been performing incredibly for weeks — often 55 to 87% prizes, even with a northeast wind.”

He is also clear about his method: “In terms of feeding, I follow my own system, which I believe works. As a kid, I read a book by Victor Van Saelen that said: ‘Choose a system and stick to it.’ That’s exactly what I do. Medical? It’s a love-hate relationship with antibiotics — but when things go wrong, we simply can’t do without them.”

5059832/23 – from hawk attack to national glory

What makes the Bourges I result even more remarkable is that the yearling hen who took 2nd National is a full sister of “Lowie-Lion” (Bart’s 1st Nat. Ace Pigeon KBDB Young Birds over 4 races in 2024). But her road to glory was anything but smooth.

“This hen — 5059832/23 — was torn apart by a hawk, just like a few other top birds who didn’t survive.” The damage was severe. She disrupted the training rhythm of the hens for weeks.
“I wanted to pull her out of the team, but didn’t do it. After three weeks she was able to keep up with the training again. On the day of basketing, I still doubted. But leaving just one hen at home? No way. Period. And the rest is history.”

Her achievements so far:
2nd National Bourges against 18,634 pigeons
2nd National Zone against 2,204 pigeons
2nd Provincial against 2,307 pigeons
11th Mettet against 331 pigeons
11th Laon against 33 pigeons
15th Argenton against 242 pigeons
15th Dizy-le-Gros against 346 pigeons
16th Argenton against 585 pigeons
19th National Zone against 1,136 pigeons
24th Laon against 926 pigeons
33rd Mettet against 331 pigeons
72nd Prov. Argenton against 1,715 pigeons
74th Laon against 1,621 pigeons
77th Dizy-le-Gros against 815 pigeons

BE24-4003929 – 2nd fastest of 35,453 birds

Alongside ‘832’, another superstar stood out in the Bassez loft. The yearling cock BE24-4003929, from Haak-Soen, claimed an impressive 2nd National Yearlings on Bourges I against 17,186 competitors. What’s more, he was the second fastest pigeon of the entire race, which had 35,453 entries. A stunning performance that once again confirms the depth of the Bassez loft.

Vision, method and honest advice

Bart is a strong advocate of breeding only from proven pigeons. “I’m allergic to paper champions, even if some do produce good offspring. I swear by performance. That’s why I often win 50 to 80% prizes — sometimes even 25% per ten.”

His outlook? “I feel good — but I need stable weather. Minimum 12°C at night.”
What touched him most? “The many congratulations from real champions — that means something. The downside? The envy and jealousy that’s thriving around the local church tower. A shame.”

And finally:
“The most beautiful thing for me is being able to sincerely congratulate someone else — even a small fancier. Because the American Dream? That’s something anyone can live… with the right bird, at the right time, in the right wind and position.”

What I’ve personally learned — and what I advise others — is to always breed from proven birds. Surround yourself — not easy — with positive people who give you good advice. But the true key to success lies in observation: truly look at your birds, listen to them, feel how they are, smell the atmosphere of the loft. Only then can you understand what they need. And once you know that, it comes down to one thing: how do I get my pigeon from point A to point B — as fast as possible?

Bart & Lorenz, congratulations on this great performance from the entire Herbots Team.

Maarten Herbots