Thierry Vercruysse (Anzegem) has the fastest West Flanders pigeon at Bourges national

That Bourges national was not going to be a sweet-tasting pancake was fairly quickly apparent.  With a release on the verge of ‘good or bad weather’ (the conditions were quite difficult to make a good decision) the pigeons were released with a fairly strong south-westerly wind and advancing rain showers from the west. So it was literally rushing to be home before the gusts...which unfortunately did not succeed for every pigeon. The provinces of Brabant, Antwerp, Limburg and Wallonia were spared from rain and the flight went relatively smoothly there with the national top logically there in these areas.

From 10am onwards, West Flanders and parts of East Flanders were not dry for the rest of the day. A drizzly wall of dark rain suggested it would not be a smooth flight for these provinces. But it had to be flown and, as always, there are pigeons that were not deterred by these conditions.

The ‘Bourges 248’ gave everyone the slip
At Thierry Vercruysse (55 years young) in Anzegem, on the border of West and East Flanders, the two-year old cock with the ring number BE23-3075248 arrived at 11.45h with a minute speed of 1,605.65 metres per minute like a rocket through the drops.
He outclassed all West Flanders pigeons with this performance (3,111 old birds and 2,449 yearlings were basketed). Thierry had only 3 pigeons in the basket and his 2nd released cock did the job with flying colours. 

Until 2020, Thierry played the pigeons together with his father. A father-son combination, as there were so many at the time, which successfully competed with the best lofts in the region.
After father's death in 2020, Thierry remained faithfully active with the pigeons at home.  And with success !
The colony is based on pigeons from their own old strain, pigeons from Eric Limbourg, Nicky Devos, Gebroeders Desbuquois, Rino Verheye and Bert Vanden Berghe. 
Thierry only plays with cocks on classic widowhood. The racing team consists of 8 old birds and 30 yearlings. They raised a nest (after pairing on 6 December) and were then trained on the flights Arras, three times Clermont, once Fontenay, Vierzon.
Thierry wanted to participate in the national flight from Bourges, but the conditions put him off. Therefore, 3 pigeons were taken from the loft.  Where they normally get their nest dish in the nest box at basketing, Thierry had not done this now to avoid making the other pigeons unnecessarily nervous. Apparently this had little effect on the performance of the provincial winner and did not prevent him from taking the provincial palm to Anzegem !
He is a late youngster from 2023 that was little or not reared in his year of birth. As a yearling he showed the best of himself with a top prize on Poitiers which made Thierry decide to stop him and let him fully develop as a two-year old pigeon.  A good move it now appears !
Along fathers side is our own old strain (with a dash of Vanthemsche pigeons in it) and along mothers side he is a grandson of the 2nd national Brive of Nicky Devos from Asper.  It is also this breeding line that successfully led to a top pigeon in the long distance with Rino Verheye (there is regular co-breeding between Thierry and Rino).

A very nice start to the national season at Thierry in Anzegem. We should not be at all surprised that pigeons from this loft will nest at the front of the rankings in the coming flights. The potential is there and so is the dedication of the fancier.

Congratulations to the Herbots team on this beautiful provincial victory !

Geert Dhaenens