The 2019 season was again a major success for Paul Gevaert and fellow team member Carlos Lannoo. Earlier this year, in January, the combination celebrated their title of 1st Olympiad Pigeon middle distance KBDB with the now famous racing hen Olympiad Ivanka. And the racing season that followed was packed with highlights as well, with for instance 16 first prizes (no doubles), numerous top prizes at national level, and most notably of course their 1st National Argenton of 5,158 old birds, followed by a 1st Provincial Orlean old birds just a week later (with a full sister of Olympiad Pigeon Ivanka). They had already won a 2nd Nat. Bourges, a 3rd Nat. La Souterraine, a 4th Nat. Gueret, as well as 3 x 1st Nat. Zone, 5 x 2nd Zone and 13 x 1st Provincial. And this year they also managed to claim a long awaited and well deserved national first prize: a 1st National Argenton. They had already been close on a number of occasions, with a 2-3-4-6-6-6-8-8-8-8-9-9th National.
Olympiad Ivanka: 1st Olympiad Pigeon middle distance KBDB 2019 - Poznan
Bound to happen
It was the talented racing hen Enable - named after the thoroughbred that won the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe - that claimed a coveted first prize from Argenton. We saw an impressive display of strength in a demanding race on a hot 24th of August. She had already won a few top prizes in provincial and national races earlier on. We take a look at her palmares:
Enable BE18-4091036
In 2019:
24/8 Argenton Nat 5,159 p. 1
25/5 Chateaudun OVOU 996 p. 19
Chateaudun OVOU 672 YL 12
15/6 Argenton Prov 4,986 p. 22
22/6 Argenton Nat 22,826 p. 836
29/6 Chateauroux Prov 2,355 p. 63
13/7 Argenton Prov 1,947 p. 41
21/7 Issoudun Zone 2,780 p. 40
In 2018:
29/7 Toury Club 391 p. 1
21/7 Blois Prov 1,635 p. 3
15/7 Orleans Prov 2,445 p. 30
15/9 Chateauroux Zone 4,035 p. 51
Sire: New Baron BE17-4176043
A talented new breeder in the lofts of Gevaert-Lannoo. He is a son of top breeder Baron BE10-4275541 (a grandson of Bliksem, bred from Bliksem CEO BE04-3230979 x golden stock dam Chateauke BE05-3202164) x Renate BE15-3095344: winner of a 1st Nat. Argenton 11,215 young birds in 2015 (for D. & B. Delodder).
Dam: Twiggy BE16-4070106
Winner of a 1st Nat. Zone Argenton and a 32nd Nat. 3,966 p., a 1st Bourges club and 4th Nat. Zone 1,002 p. She is a daughter of Ensor BE14-4032050 (a grandson of top breeder Bliksem CEO, as well as a grandson of Dikke Antoon and stock dam Chateauke, which are the parents of Kaafje) x Amber BE12-4175014: winner of a 1st Prov. and 6th Nat. Argenton 25,949 p., a 1st Angerville 382 p., a 1st Arras 119 p., and a 49th Nat. Zone Poitiers 3,342 p. (and a granddaughter of stock breeder Dikke Antoon).
Click here for Enable's pedigree
It goes to show that champions breed champions. This pigeon is related to several highly regarded race winners, even at national level.
Breeding from race winners
The Gevaert-Lannoo combination specialises in first prize winners and ace pigeons at provincial and national level. If a pigeon wants to join their renowned breeding loft, it better have an extensive palmares, including several first prizes, provincial/zonal wins, national top results and perhaps an ace pigeon title as well. Pigeons that fail to meet the demands will never be granted access to the breeding team. And that brings us to the secret behind the many successes of Gevaert-Lannoo: they breed youngsters from highly talented first prize winners and ace pigeons. This is the road to (lasting) success.
They do set a high bar. Their pigeon lofts are limited in space, and this forces them to keep only their best pigeons on board. And this has been the key to success for them. Their lofts in Meigem house no more than 16 breeding pairs and 12 pairs of racing birds, alongside 50 youngsters that get ringed every season. Only the very best pigeons get a chance. And you can tell from the many first prize winners and top class racing birds that are bred every season, that this breeding loft is well on track.
And let's not forget the many other pigeon fanciers that were able to claim first prizes or ace pigeon titles with Gevaert-Lannoo descendants. And that was particularly the case in 2019:
The three best young birds of Belgium in 2019: all Gevaert-Lannoo descendants
Is this coincidence? We don't think so. This is simply the world class Gevaert-Lannoo pigeon breed working its magic. The best three young birds of Belgium in 2019 all have one parent that is a 100% Gevaert-Lannoo. No other pigeon loft in Belgium has had such an impressive set of references. Keep in mind that the KBDB has sold around one million pigeon rings to its members in 2019.
Princess Platina, the grandmother of Eden: 1st Best young bird of Belgium over 4 national races KBDB
-Remco BE19-4050583: 1st Nat. Ace Pigeon longer middle distance YBs KBDB 2019 (over 3 national races) for Patrick Vd Abbeel-Van Paesschen from Lebbeke. He is a grandson of the aforementioned Twiggy BE16-4070106 Gevaert-Lannoo (the dam of Enable: 1st Nat. Argenton 2019).
-Eden BE19-4050486: 1st Best young bird of Belgium over 4 national races KBDB (PIPA ranking) for Patrick Vd Abbeel-Van Paessche. He is a grandson of Princess Platina BE16-4070132 Gevaert-Lannoo
-Remco 967 BE19-4036967: 2nd Best young bird of Belgium over 4 national races KBDB (PIPA ranking), as well as 7th Prov. Ace Pigeon middle distance KBDB for Karel & Stijn De Rouck (Oosterzele). He is a grandson of super class hen Platina BE15-4146027 Gevaert-Lannoo
We're not done yet. An additional four provincial ace pigeons KBDB from 2019 are related to the Gevaert-Lannoo bloodlines.
-Daughter Ragnar BE18-4206430: 2nd Prov. Ace Pigeon middle distance yearlings KBDB 2019 for Luc Standaert (Landegem). This is a 50% Gevaert-Lannoo pigeon, from the line of stock breeder King Gaby.
-Juliana BE19-4050573: 2nd Prov. Ace Pigeon middle distance YBs KBDB 2019 for Patrick Vd Abbeel-Van Paesschen (Lebbeke). This is another granddaughter of super class hen Platina BE15-4146027.
-7th + 8th Prov. Ace Pigeon middle distance young birds KBDB 2019 for Karel & Stijn De Rouck (Oosterzele). These are two grandchildren of that same Platina.
And these references clearly illustrate the breeding potential of the fantastic Platina. This is an invaluable new breeding hen for Geveart-Lannoo, and she is without doubt going to become a new stock breeder. Platina was quite a successful racing hen; she wins:
-Platina BE15-4146027
1st Prov. Ace Pigeon middle distance YBs KBDB 2015
5th Nat. Ace Pigeon shorter middle distance YBs KBDB 2015
Chateaudun Club 590 p. 1
Prov 4,634 p. 15
Villemandeur Club 345 p. 1
Prov 2,885 p. 20
Fontenay Club 748 p. 3
Fontenay Club 412 p. 4
Issoudun Prov 2,874 p. 25
Nat 11,984 p. 96
Arras Club 384 p. 9
Fontenay Club 737 p. 24
Bourges Prov 4,490 p. 145
The results in bold are the ones that led to her provincial ace pigeon title. She is a beautiful looking hen related to the old bloodline of Oude Antoon, which comes from Willy Vanhoutte from Wevelgem, combined with the golden line of Chateauke (Team BDS & G. Vandenabeele), the line of Fideel (Houfflijn-Vandenabeele) and Red National (Marc De Cock). For the full pedigree of Platina, click here.
She is also the dam of Soho BE17-4176093, winner of four first prizes:
Orléans 798 p. 1 Fontenay 334 p. 1 Clermont 181 p. 1 Fontenay 51 p. 1
And there is so much more. Platina is a full sister of:
-Sister 01 Platina BE16-4070001: 1st Fontenay 552 p.
-Brother 3 Platina BE16-4070113, a super class bird and winner of:
6th Prov. Ace Pigeon middle distance old birds & YLs KBDB 2017 1st Fontenay 263 p. (fastest of 671 p.) 1st Fontenay 334 p. 1st Fontenay 277 p.
What more can you ask for?
An endless source
The golden bloodlines of King Gaby, Bliksem CEO, golden stock dam Chateauke, racing and breeding star Kaafje, or the new stock dam Platina. They have proved invaluable for the Gevaert-Lannoo combination. They are the basis behind man years of great successes in the middle distance and the national longer middle distance. They are now one one of the leading teams at national level in the longer middle distance, with just a small team of pigeons. This is quite unique...