Widowers that have  cast out 3 flight feathers can still race… but once the 4th flight feather has gone, the real ‘top’ is missing, some will even start the moulting of the ‘small feathers’… and once the 5th flight feather has gone, it is Liberty Hall, you cannot stop it now! Pigeons in that state will in very tough conditions, in races with a head wind being flown at 1.100 meter, so as in this Argenton… have to concede to the clappers that are holding better trump cards at the time, and are not as far in changing the flight feathers… and can so still be real ‘top’ at this moment.
That was more than proved in this Argenton, because it was anything but smooth… Agreed, for youngsters these are very difficult conditions, because this is the first time in their lives that they go beyond the  500 Km… but experienced old birds and yearlings don’t usually have much of a problem with such racing weather in the full summer period. It was bit different this time, and that had everything to do with … condition! Someone by whom the top condition could be ‘felt’ was definitely Willy Francois from the East-Flemish Serskamp! Willy basketted 2 old birds, 2 yearlings and 8 youngsters for Argenton. It was Willy’s wife who first saw a pigeon flying low over the hedge to the trap, a yearling… That had to be a very early one. Willy clocked the pigeon so as the national regulations stipulate, quickly the control rubber ring… in order to then telephone the club to register the pigeon while still holding the rubber ring…when suddenly… his 2°yearling landed behind him at the trap. That caused an immediate rush of adrenaline, the heart was in the mouth…because having your 2 basketted  yearlings at the trap within a minute… and then at the head of the race, certainly not an everyday occurrence! Of course, what Willy couldn’t have known at the time, was that he had performed the ‘stunt of the year’, and for himself the ‘stunt of his life’ by clocking the 1° + 2° prize nationally against 6.358 yearlings… with his 2 basketted yearlings! Willy clocked his winners at 16h14’03” and 16h15’32” from a distance of 519,688 Km… with a velocity of 1107,94 and 1104,45 m/min. Just super… and impossible to beat! Willy clocked another 2 old birds in the prizes later in the afternoon against 227 old birds 15-68 (2), and by the youngsters it was against 1.961 youngsters 84-108-302 (8 youngsters)!
Willy is more a small fancier whose lofts contain a total of 16 breeding couples, 18 racing widowers and about 60 youngsters. In the pedigree of both national winners we see, amongst other things, pigeons from Herman & Marita De Schepper-De Temmerman from Merelbeke, Eric Brootcorens from Idegem, Andre De Coen from Moortsele, Gevaert-Van Schoorisse from Ronse, Charles De Keer from Serskamp, Jules Humblet (via Frederick Uytendaele from Smetlede)… and also a touch of Romain Legiest-blood from Oostakker! Because the youngsters are systematically darkened, not all the young cocks had changed enough feathers to be coupled at the beginning of December for the ‘early breed’. That’s why they were only allowed to brood for a few days in December. Just before  New Year they were already in widowhood, and were not coupled again before the start of the season… before being trained around the middle of April. Willy only races his pigeons in the small middle distance (Read: Etampes-Dourdan-Angerville) up to Bourges I at the end of May. Then 6 pigeons are reserved for the small middle distance while the other 12 pigeons are divided into 2 groups of  6 who work the grand middle distance every two weeks. 

His 2 national winners answer to the names ‘Argus’ (1° Nat) and ‘Turbo’ (2° Nat)!

The ‘Argus’ ring B08-4295290 has already flown the following honours list:
’08 Toury       229 p.        6
’08 Toury       574 p.        2
’09 Angerville       355 p.        99
’09 Bourges       502 p.        69
FCD    1.474 p.    176
’09 Chateauroux  316 p.    37
FCD        927 p.    100
’09 Chateauroux  445 p.    17
FCD    1.209 p.    31
’09 Argenton       439 p.        7    (van 27 June)
FCD    1.361 p.    15
’09 Limoges    1.183 p.    308
’09 Vierzon        201 p.    27
’09 Argenton    6.358 p.    1    National!

 

There is no doubt that this ‘Turbo’ will be a topper between the Provincial Ace pigeons Middle Distance!
Striking … the ‘Argus’ managed his performance from Argenton with a full wing (1°flight feather was quasi completely ingrown), the ‘Turbo’ in turn had just rejected 2 flight feathers! For extra motivation  Willy opened a few empty boxes in the loft on the Wednesday, and on Thursday he threw straw on the floor so that the cocks would start preparing a nest, before being basketted whilst super motivated for Argenton!
A more than deserved national ‘double’ from a small fancier, who has rivalled the very best in the middle distance races for years, but up until now just lacking that little bit of luck for achieving a provincial or national victory! That was now more than made up for… it couldn’t be any nicer or any better! For which our sincere congratulations to Willy and his wife… a performance ‘to be framed’!