Sponsered by H.J.M. De Weerd Belgica-De Weerd
Gubbelmans from Diepenbeek (B)
Diepenbeek
Me host of today is Robert Gubbelmans from Diepenbeek in the province Limburg. He told his friend Eric and Stefaan ‘t Jolijn in March 2005: ‘Twin brothers, be sure to book the championship of Cureghem Centre in your agenda. I will get a trophy in the Anderlecht stadion this year.’ They all laught but half a year later….this dream became reality. Robert wins one of the most wonderful championships of Cureghem Centre: Championship Very Long Distance. This championship (free championship and all fanciers in Belgium can compeet) can be won by first 3 signed birds on Cahors, Barcelona, St-Vincent, and Biarritz (old and yearlings). The results came out of the computer by the end of August:
1. Robert Gubbelmans Diepenbeek 11 prizes out of maximum 15
2. Devlaminck Eric Hulste 10 prizes 84,52%
3. Vets Paul en Dave Broechem 10 prizes 103,95%
4. Bogaerts Hugo Kuringen 10 prizes 130,45%
5. Kempeneers J & W N-kerken 10 prizes 139,42%
Former champion of Belgium Eric Devlaminck (2nd of the result in 2005) said:’ How is it possible? Robert Gubbelmans sells almost every year his best birds but each year he had other top racers!’ Yes , this is possible Mister Devlaminck. Robert had super breeding birds from one of the most famous fanciers in the world…. Jan Theelen from the Netherlands.
I drove to Diepenbeek on a misty morning in September. His friends Erik and Stefaan ‘t Jolijn arrived some minutes later and Robert starting telling me the whole story. Enjoy!
The man Gubbelmans and his strain
Robert got in contact with pigeon racing because his late father was racing pigeons on the short distance. Robert was not interested in short races but wanted to enter the longer distances. He knew this would take other strain of birds and went to the famous writer of pigeon articles Rik Vrancken. He adviced Robert to go to Carlens from Zepperren. Robert was lucky and had good results from the beginning. Some results in those years were: 2nd provincial Cahors ’81, 2nd provincial Perpignan ’83, 2nd provincial Lourdes ’87… Robert had one very good breeding pair in the 80’s . He crossed this with several strains of top fanciers but…no good results anymore. The birds were not good enough for top racing. Than Robert went to the famous man Jantje Theelen in 1992. His birds are spread all over the world. Theelen and Gubbelmans became friends and each year several birds came from Theelen to Hasselt. Robert still lived in his house of his parents. The results improved thanks to Theelen. The father of Robert passed away in 2002 (after being sick for several years) and Robert moved from Hasselt to Diepenbeek. The first birds moved to his new home and loft in 2001. Most of the birds were sold in an auction in 2002. Robert had to start over again with new birds in Diepenbeek but was lucky to have the birds of Theelen. He did not race a lot in 2003 (because of chicken flew in Belgium) but he entered his best birds on the national race Perpignan:
Provincial 1039d: 20-75-85-99-148-182-222 (7/12)
National 7537d: 265-719-800-880-1266-1468-1734 (7/12)
These same birds were raced on Barcelona 2004 and had another good success:
National 12.245d: 350-393-508-862-1153-1540-2151-2403-2428-2777 (10/12)
Robert missed the ‘Cup of Flanders’ (Barcelona 1-10 signed) because he clocked his 11th signed bird.
Robert is not happy with his result on Barcelona 2005. He had several prizes (7/11) but not very early. He has to wait till 14.20 PM for his first bird to arrive. He phoned Jan Dons ( responsible for the release of the Barcelona race each year) who told him: ‘ The birds that followed the Rhone Valley good not be in time in 2005. These birds were later that the birds that took the other line along the cost’.
An old and a new breeding pair
I can be short about the old breeding pair. The sire is ‘NL1413309/93’ (direct from Jan Theelen: M. Vangeel x line 10 x Gouden Kuypertje) and the mother is ‘NL1413313/93’ (direct Jan Theelen: Vale Marathon x line 10 x Deceunink-Vanhoecke). These are the parents of 15th national Barcelona 2001 at the loft Gubbelmans. Robert has 15 direct children of the pair on his breeding loft. He puts the best birds of this couple (THE OLD SUPERPAIR) on stock birds since 2000. He has many grandchildren of this pair on his racing loft. Robert had crossed these birds with strain Emiel Denys from Zulte. Robert won 4th national Beziers in 2001. He sold the bird but crossed the cock with a hen from Emiel Denys (3108287/99 = sister of Wittenbek, 6th national Barcelona) via ‘t Jolijn brothers. A son of the pair matched to ‘469/01’ (daughter OLD SUPERPAIR) are the parents of:
-2de provincial Bordeaux 2004
-68ste national Dax 2005
-60ste national St-Vincent 2005
-197ste national St-Vincent 2005
-671ste national St-Vincent 2005
Robert has also A NEW BREEDING PAIR. The cock is ‘NL618/99’ (direct Jantje Theelen) and the hen is ‘325/03’ (granddaughter OLD BREEDING PAIR). Four direct sons of this pair won on Bordeaux, St-Vincent and two of them again on Biarritz. Amazing for yearling cocks! The best of this brothers were: 5173407/04’ (Bordeaux 863p-52, St-Vincent 10.020p-155, Biarritz 771p-177) and ‘5173432/04’ (Bordeaux 863p-195, St-Vincent 10.020p-392, Biarritz 771p-143).The future looks good!
Golden results
5148306/01
Perpignan ’03 7537d-800
Barcelona ’04 12.245d-350 - Barcelona ’05 12.998p-1833
He is a grandson of OLD BREEDING PAIR.
5148417/01
Perpignan ’03 7537p-880
Barcelona ’04 12.245p-1153 - Barcelona ’05 12.998p-1162 - Biarritz ’05 2067p-33
This cock is one of 4 brother that did very good. They all won on Perpignan 2003, Barcelona 2004 , Barcelona 2005 (3/4), Biarritz 2005 (2/3). They were bred from ‘NL452/98’ (direct Theelen) X ‘251’ (halfsister of 325/03, the New Breeding Pair). Amazing about the cock NL452/98 is the following story: This direct breeding cock from Theelen did not give good results and Robert wanted to sell him via ‘t Jolijn. He already put him on the loft ‘t Jolijn before Perpignan race in 2003 . The first bird on that race was a direct son of ‘NL452/98’. ‘t Jolijn Erik asked Robert ‘Do you want your cock back?’ Robert wanted him back after the 4th bird on Perpignan. It were all sons from that cock. This cock is still on the loft Gubbelmans!
The 1st and the 2nd bird on Dax were brothers too. The first won 58th national and the other one won 94th national. The father is a son of OLD BREEDING PAIR and the mother is direct Theelen (with 50% Nouwen Paesen).
Method
Robert has 18 pair of breeders (15 children of OLD BREEDING PAIR). These breeding pair are matched in December. The widowers (25 old and 25 yearlings) are matched on March 1st.They can breed for two times but no youngsters. The yearling were already matched on the new loft in the Autumn and could breed youngsters once. Robert tossed his widowers several times in the beginning of the season. Than: 4 x 100 km, 240 km (2x) en Vierzon. The yearlings race 2 x Bordeaux and Narbonne; some others Bordeaux-St-Vincent and Biarritz. This are 3 races on very long distance with midday-release. NO PROBLEM for these strong birds.
Young birds are tossed many times and raced in the club on 130 km and 170 km. No national races for the youngsters. Robert goes to vet Norbert Peeters in the beginning of the racing season. He cures the birds in March against tricho ( BS Belgica-De Weert) , coccidioses (Belgica –De Weert) and head disseases (Belgica- De Weert). He cures again before a long distance race. Robert gives lots of vitamins, salad oil and minerals during racing. He gives garlic oil, minerals and thee of herbs during the Winter.
He feeds a cheap moulthing mixture (of Germany) + barley after racing and ‘Ultra –sport’ of Beyers from April- August. The stock birds get breeding mixture of Versele-Laga. The widowers get one spoon mixture/bird. Three days before basketing one spoon extra, 2 spoons two days before basketing. The cocks can eat as much as they want the last day.
Conclusion
Gubbelmans is a fine and honest man. He works very hard for his birds during racing but rests in the Winter. (rest for fancier and birds). Congratulations with this championship Robert.
Results 2005
Narbonne 4664p: 86-133-167-690 (4)
Biarritz 1481p: 28-164-199-329 (10)
Biarritz 771jl : 143-177(3)
Dax 4534p: 58-68-94-225-258-389 (13)
St-Vincent 10.020p: 60-155-197-392-433-671-2103-2137-2168-2227 (12)
Barcelona 12.998p: 1151-162-1270-1305-1695-1833-1838 (11)
Cahors 9275p: 1279-1528-1590-2308 (14)