On the penultimate national race of the season, 1,787 old birds took the start. The season was long and tough with usually a few days left, which makes this low number at the end of the season logical. That is why we certainly cannot detract from the performance that this 5-year-old hen has achieved in taking the national victory here, all the way in the east of the country. This hen was bred by the tandem Jérémy & Stéphane Roland from Hotton.

Stéphane got into pigeon racing as a teenager when he received his first pigeon from his neighbor. Fortunately, son Jérémy was also interested in pigeon racing in the 1990s, so they both picked up the thread again and practiced this hobby together. Both live very close to each other, so the tasks are divided. 

The intention here is mainly heavy middle distance and long distance races where they can compete with the best lofts in the region in the province of Luxembourg. The location is definitely not favorable but they make the best of it.

The racing team consists of about 15 couples that are raced in total widowhood. At the beginning of the season the first flights are raced on the nest and afterwards they are in widowhood for a few months. When the end of the season is in sight, the pigeons are returned to the nest. This also happened to the national winner who now flew to national fame on a large youngster. 

The hen also flew Limoges, Souillac and Argenton this season. But she always achieves her best results at the nest at the end of the season. 

The young pigeons are raced here for up to 2 nights in the basket, but not on the national flights, the unfavorable location and the inexperienced pigeons would only cause major losses. That is why they are played on provincial flights with 2 nights in the basket with a view to their later career. 

The pigeons here get a sports mixture every day and at the end of the week they get a little more, just some grit and pecking stone as an extra. The supplements we add are vitamins every week and that's it. We don't like a lot of medicines and only visit the vet when necessary. The pigeons are vaccinated against paramyxo and smallpox in the spring and are given a treatment against paratyphoid in the autumn.

BE 19-1148214 Checkered white flight Hen
1st National Argenton 1,787 old

Arrival: 12:39:10
Distance: 493.795km
Avg.Speed: 1869.26 m/min