In the glory years of the ‘Kletskop’, the ‘Teen’, the ‘020’ and the ‘Massis’… it seemed as if national victory was not to be for the colony of Gommaire Verbruggen. They ended up in 2nd place no less than 3 times nationally from Bourges, but on the other hand he managed to win a recital of provincial victories… even more semi-national victories, particularly from Chateauroux… which led to him becoming known in the area as ‘Mister Chateauroux’. Sensational performances which gave the Gommaire Verbruggen pigeons ‘world fame’. Scherpenheuvel not only becmae a pilgrimage for many religious believers… but also for pigeons. Because at the foot of the basilica, in the borough of Kaggevinne, where Gommaire and his wife Annie live, visitors came from all over the world… in search of descendants from that legendary ‘As’, the national Ace bird Sprint KBDB 1974, which Gommaire bought in the auction of Maurice Vandevelde… and which cost Gommaire a great deal of money at the time… but later grew to be a ‘golden buy’, as he became the cornerstone for an unbelievable success story, where today, anno 2011, it is still being continued!
In the nineties Gommaire also started to concentrate on the long distance and extreme long distance (Barcelona in particular)… and great successes were immediately booked. The highlight was without doubt the winning of the 1° Nat Ace Bird Long Distance KBDB 2007 with the ‘Nieuwe As 299/05’, the year after Gommaire finally had his first 1° National victory form Bourges against 11.215 yearlings in 2006! Nothing seemed to be able to stop the Verbruggen colony… numerous national triumphs suddenly fell to them, it seemed as if it was a piece of cake! Until… yes, for the 2nd time in his career Gommaire became the victim of a ‘cowardly theft’!
It made Gommaire think… and he finally decided to stop racing the long distance, and concentrate on his old love… the (national) ‘grand middle distance’!
Times change
In the meantime our sport has undergone a real metamorphose at that level over the last decade… where you used to see a greater number of fanciers with a small or ‘select’ team of ‘top athletes’ at the basketting table… you now see less participants, but with ‘bigger baskets’ filled with pigeons at the basketting. The game has evolved more and more and based on success with the ‘mass’… as a result of which smaller strong racing lofts (so as Gommaire at the time) are often ‘blown away’ out of the results… not really noticable between the mega lofts. The game has also changed where the care of the pigeons is concerned… Gommaire used to race his ‘widowers’ every 2 weeks (with a rest week in between), then the rise of the hen game, and the system of ‘total widowhood’ has also changed everything… and the hens have to be raced almost every week in the 500 Km-races.
An evolution in which as topper so as Gommaire Verbruggen then has to decide… either to remain more or less stuck in the pattern… or to jump on the wagon which is pulling the ‘modernisation’ in our sport! Gommaire is not a man to ‘run away’ from challenges… quite the opposite, he would rather try to attach his own wagon. That’s why at the end of 2009 Gommaire decided to get rid off his entire ‘racing team’ for the middle distance… and make a new start in 2010 with a few youngsters. Gommaire is still a man of the ‘hard line’… his motto is race and prove! Have patience with the pigeons… is not necessary according to Gommaire… what is good soon happens, also by the long distance pigeons! A loft full of ‘eternal promises’ has never been for him! The pigeons obviously have to been in top health… but then there is only 1 thing left… good food, tough training… and testing them to the full in the races! The sharpness of the knife at the end of it all… is the benchmark for a colony in the ‘scale of values’ at national level!
Bull’s eye!
With this vision at the back of his mind, Gommaire took on the fight last year with an extensive team of youngsters. From these, he selected and formed a team of about 80 yearlings for 2011 (39 cocks and 41 hens), with which he has bombarded the opposition over the last few weeks and months, especially in the national races from the grand middle distance! As proof, here follows a spectacular row of figures from a few national middle distance classics:
28/5 Bourges I Prov 2.752 yl: 2-3-12-13-18-21-23-25-26-48-49-51-62-64-76-97… Interprov 5.761 yl: 5-6-23-24-33-37-40-41-43-61-63-87-90…
18/6 La Châtre Prov 2.521 yl: 4-6-7-8-9-14-31-44-45-54-55… National 21.180 yl: 9-20-21-22-23-31-74… and in total 44/57.
02/7 Argenton I Nat Zone C 4.979 yl: 9-12-19-26-27-44-45-54-77-82-87-90-94….
13/8 Argenton II Regional 384 youngsters: 1-5-6-7-19-20-22-27-35-37-42-51-55…
National 20.383 youngsters: 1-25-26-30… etc (preliminary forecast).
You can see the complete performance list at the bottom of this report! They are simply… dominating at the highest level, which was crowned last weekend… the icing on the cake… with national victory from Argenton against 20.383 youngsters, also the fastest pigeon of the entire Argenton contingent of 28.019 pigeons! Gommaire clocked his winner at 13h36 from a distance of 550,250 Km, which gave the highest average velocity of 1637,65 m/min. With this he beat the youngsters from Frederik Motton from Tienen, and Albert Derwa-Luxem from Herent… or 3 Brabanders on the national podium!
The national winner answers to the name ‘Gust’, and his previous most predominate performances:
-The ‘Gust’ BE11-2083023
Argenton Nat. 20.383 p. 1 Soissons 1.221 p. 61 Nanteuil 836 p. 56 Nanteuil 649 p. 52
Click herefor pedigree of the 'Gust'
As you can see in the pedigree, both parents wear a German ring. The ‘Gust’ was also born and ringed in Germany. The story goes like this…
For the second year in a row Gommaire obtained a round of youngsters from his friend Rolf Bender from Sinsheim/Hoffenheim. In 2002 he had obtained a round of youngsters from Gommaire, out the very best, and moreover out the ‘old sort’… in other words ‘Kletskop’, ‘Teen’, ‘020’, ‘Godfather’ and so on! Seeing as how Gommaire wanted to make a new start in 2010, and had in mind for this at least 200 youngsters… he could rely on the help of his German sport friend. Gommaire gave him the necessary rings (BE10-2045001 up to and including 100), which, as it turned out in 2011, included many fine yearlings! This year he also obtained 80 youngsters. Including then the national winner Argenton, the ‘Gust’… a beauty of a blue cock, with brown tinted eyes!
The youngsters in Kaggevinne were raced with the sliding door. For this Gommaire allowed the sexes to remain together until the beginning of July, until everything was paired! Before leaving, the sliding door is opened, and the pigeons remain together for 30 to 45 minutes, before being basketted… just like on the day of basketting for Argenton, with the known result!
With this the colony of Gommaire Verbruggen can add a new jewel to the richly filled crown… and this hardly 2 years after making a new start, with a new approach… but one that clearly pays off! A sign that he’s got it right… and a signal to carry on along the same path, or to continue on this momentum! Congratulations Gommaire and Annie... and remember, third time lucky!
BEST RESULTS IN 2011
|
Date
|
lib. place |
result |
sort |
enetered |
prize |
number |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
24/04 |
Soissons |
regional |
yearlings |
76 |
46 |
642 |
2 |
6 |
7 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
12 |
14 |
16 |
29 |
31 |
32 |
34 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
36 |
39 |
40 |
80 |
93 |
94 |
95 |
108 |
.... 76/46 |
|
|
|
|
01/05 |
Nanteuil |
regional |
yearlings |
|
|
597 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
12 |
13 |
14 |
15 |
16 |
24 |
25 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
29 |
31 |
41 |
44 |
45 |
46 |
54 |
65 |
70 |
71 |
81 |
.. |
|
07/05 |
Pithiviers |
regional |
yearlings |
|
|
396 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
12 |
16 |
19 |
20 |
28 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
29 |
38 |
39 |
40 |
46 |
47 |
48 |
59 |
60 |
61 |
62 |
..... |
|
14/05 |
Pithiviers |
Fl Brabant |
yearlings |
|
|
1.373 |
1 |
9 |
17 |
18 |
19 |
20 |
21 |
22 |
28 |
31 |
33 |
34 |
40 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
41 |
47 |
48 |
53 |
57 |
58 |
59 |
62 |
68 |
69 |
82 |
....... |
|
21/05 |
Pithiviers |
regional |
yearlings |
|
|
402 |
2 |
3 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
13 |
14 |
18 |
20 |
31 |
32 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
35 |
38 |
41 |
42 |
43 |
47 |
48 |
50 |
53 |
65 |
...... |
|
|
28/05 |
Bourges |
regional |
yearlings |
|
|
293 |
1 |
2 |
5 |
6 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
12 |
17 |
18 |
19 |
22 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
23 |
25 |
30 |
... |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
provincial |
yearlings |
|
|
2.752 |
2 |
3 |
12 |
13 |
18 |
21 |
23 |
25 |
26 |
48 |
49 |
51 |
62 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
64 |
76 |
97 |
98 |
105 |
144 |
145 |
146 |
150 |
158 |
163 |
188 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
196 |
217 |
.... |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
interprovincial |
yearlings |
|
|
5.761 |
5 |
6 |
23 |
24 |
33 |
37 |
40 |
41 |
43 |
61 |
63 |
87 |
90 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
101 |
127 |
128 |
134 |
180 |
181 |
183 |
186 |
198 |
202 |
232 |
233 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
254 |
307 |
308 |
341 |
394 |
397 |
409 |
410 |
..... |
|
|
|
|
04/06 |
Chateauroux |
National C |
yearlings |
|
|
5.560 |
21 |
22 |
26 |
36 |
43 |
78 |
123 |
145 |
197 |
...... |
|
|
|
|
18/06 |
La Chatre |
Regional |
yearlings |
|
|
224 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
7 |
13 |
14 |
15 |
18 |
19 |
24 |
..... |
|
|
|
Provincial |
yearlings |
|
|
2.521 |
4 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
14 |
31 |
44 |
45 |
54 |
55 |
...... |
|
|
|
|
national |
yearlings |
|
|
21.123 |
9 |
20 |
21 |
22 |
23 |
31 |
74 |
107 |
109 |
138 |
139 |
... |
|
|
02/07 |
Argenton |
National C |
yearlings |
|
|
4.979 |
9 |
12 |
19 |
26 |
27 |
44 |
45 |
54 |
77 |
82 |
87 |
90 |
94 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
104 |
120 |
124 |
139 |
142 |
149 |
184 |
196 |
.... |
|
|
|
|
24/07 |
Nevers |
provincial |
yearlings |
|
|
883 |
1 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
13 |
33 |
35 |
51 |
69 |
100 |
107 |
...... |
|
|
31/07 |
Nanteuil |
regional |
youngsters |
103 |
69 |
649 |
1 |
5 |
9 |
10 |
14 |
17 |
18 |
22 |
24 |
25 |
26 |
27 |
28 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
30 |
31 |
32 |
33 |
34 |
35 |
35 |
45 |
51 |
52 |
61 |
62 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
63 |
64 |
... |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
13/08 |
Argenton |
Regional |
Youngsters |
|
|
384 |
1 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
19 |
20 |
22 |
27 |
35 |
37 |
42 |
51 |
55 |
|
|
|
National |
Youngsters |
|
|
20.383 |
1 |
25 |
26 |
30 |
.. |
|
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