National ace pigeons and national winner
Eight different fanciers were fortunate enough to win a national top result by combining their own breed with that of Rik Cools:
1st Nat. Ace Pigeon Longer Middle Distance YBs 2014 – Tarzan (Leo & Gerry Dockx) – 100% Rik Cools 1st Nat. Limoges 2015 & 2nd Nat. Ace Pigeon Long Distance 2015 – Favoriet (Rudi De Saer) – 50% Rik Cools 1st Nat. Ace Pigeon Longer Middle Distance Yearlings 2014 – Carla (Freddy De Jaeger) – 50% Rik Cools 1st Nat. Ace Pigeon Longer Middle Distance YBs 2013 – Sun (Benny Steveninck) – 25% Rik Cools 2nd Nat. Ace Pigeon Long Distance 2014 – Gloria (Bert Van den Berghe) – 25% Rik Cools 3rd Nat. Ace Pigeon Longer Middle Distance YBs 2015 – Benji (Marnick De Neve) – 75% Rik Cools 4th Nat. Ace Pigeon Long Distance Old Birds 2015 – Impact Florian (Filip & Nicolas Norman) – 50% Rik Cools 4th Nat. Ace Pigeon Longer Middle Distance Old Birds 2014 – Christa (Chris Debacker) – 50% Rik Cools 5th Nat. Ace Pigeon Longer Middle Distance YBs 2015 – Angelina (Marnick De Neve) – 50% Rik Cools 5th Nat. Ace Pigeon Longer Middle Distance Old Birds 2014 - Leila (Marnick De Neve) - 50% Rik Cools
These impressive results are without doubt just a few of many successful Rik Cools introductions in recent years.
Top breeder Rudy (Vandenabeele), 50 % Rik Cools (Cools-Blancke)
The Rik Cools pigeon breed has led to the creation of some renowned stock breeders as well. For instance, the current top breeder of Gaby Vandenabeele (Dentergem, BE) is Rudy, a 50% Cools. In his home loft he is the sire of Super Romeo (1st Nat. Ace Pigeon Long Distance YLs 2013) and New Bliksem (1st Nat. Tulle 5,731 yearlings 2014). Rudy's descendants have been doing great in other lofts as well: a 1st Nat. Limoges 6,275 yearlings 2015 for Gino Clicque (grandchild Rud), a 1st Nat. Ace Pigeon Longer Middle Distance YBs 2015 for Jespers-Vanderwegen (grandchild), an 8th Nat. Ace Pigeon Longer Middle Distance YBs 2015 for Anthony Maes (great-grandchild), etc. Is there any other breeder that can match this?
Stock dam Chateauke of the Deinze-based combination of Gevaert-Lannoo is in fact a 100% Rik Cools (Cools-Blancke). Chateauke's descendants have won several provincial and national top prizes and ace pigeon titles in recent seasons, and they have also managed to win two ace pigeon titles in their own loft as well: 1st Prov. Ace pigeong Middle Distance 2016 (grandchild) and 7th Prov. Ace Pigeon Middle Distance 2016 (great-grandchild).
The pigeons of Cools appear to combine really well with the Geveart-Lannoo pigeon breed, and Chris Debacker (Beveren-Leie) has had similar experiences, winning provincial ace pigeons with Cools based pigeons on a yearly basis.
The racing lofts in Ruiselede
A title role Marieke in Ruiselede
Many fanciers have been very successful with his pigeons, and Rik Cools can look back on a great 2016 season as well. He finished in second place in the final race of the Belgian Master in August, and his old birds and yearlings had a great season overall: they have won several top results throughout the season, with a prize percentage of 70%. Click here for Rik Cools's palmares of 2016 at club level.
The bloodline of top class breeding hen Marieke BE08-3037512 (1st Prov. Ace Pigeon KBDB 2008) proved particularly valuable this summer, which is not really a surprise given her impressive pedigree. She is a 50% Vandenabeele: her grandfather is none other than the iconic breeder Bliksem (Vandenabeele). Her dam BE04-3238531 Flicka is a sister of Darling, 1st National Bourges 2004 for the former Cools-Blancke combination (Riek and Piet). Click here for Marieke's full pedigree. We take a look at the best results of Marieke's descendants in 2016:
- BE15-3109588 Monty (grandchild Marieke): 6th Prov. Montluçon 1,206 p., 36th Prov. Bourges I 2,227 p., 74th Prov. Argenton I 3,339 p., etc. and 36th in the PIPA ranking for Best Yearling Longer Middle Distance 2016
- BE15-3109577 Carlo (grandchild Marieke): 4th Arras 391 p., 7th Fontenay 828 p., 30e National Châteauroux 29.591 p., 76th Prov. Tours 6,083 p., etc.
- BE13-3076800 Amy (grandchild Marieke): 9th Tours 312 p., 16th Prov. Bourges II 523 p., 75th Zone La Souterraine I 2,176 p., etc.
These new breeding references add to an already impressive number of successful descendants that Marieke has bred over the years:
- Lady Messi (daughter Marieke): 2nd Prov. Ace Pigeon Middle Distance 2011 (with a 1st Prov. Bourses 1,427 p. and an 8th Nat. Argenton 19,757 p.)
- 13-800 (grandchild Marieke and youngster Broer Lady Messi): 1st Prov. Châteauroux 405 p. and 3rd Prov. Bois 1,131 p.
- De Kleinen (grandson Marieke): 3rd Prov. Ace Pigeon 2012
- Amigo (great-grandchild Marieke and youngster De Kleinen): 2 x 1st Prov. Tours (no doubles)
- 13-703 (great-grandchild Marieke and youngster De Kleinen): 1st Nat. Zone Châteauroux 661 p.
Click here for another series of top results from Marieke's descendants.
No nine without a ten
Rik Cools made his fellow fanciers happy with an impressive nine national top five ace pigeons and one national winner. We think that a tenth ace pigeon title is likely to follow in season five; perhaps in his own loft this time? Needless to say, stock dam Marieke will probably be involved in the team's next ace pigeon title as well.