They were 2 beautiful red cocks. He was then directly infected with the pigeon virus. No medicine could cure him.
In his time his grandfather was a champion to be feared, who won many first prizes and championships. He was a man with a few, yet very strong pigeons.
For Koen his pigeons are a real hobby. Working in banking, this is an escape from the daily bustle and after a hectic day at work he can relax in his lofts.
His wife Elke and his daughters Karolien and Anne-Loes are his first and most ardent supporters.
Racing system
Due to his work, he restricts himself to just the game with the youngsters. The 1st and 2nd round are used for this purpose. So as by nearly all the racers with the youngsters, the pigeons are darkened and then lighting is used.
Up until 2004 he only raced from Quiévrain. Through the introduction of the EC in the grand sprint Koen began to race Noyon in 2005 and started racing the middle distance in 2006.
His favourite races for the last four years have been the middle distance races. In 2010 he opted to only race Dourdan (Angerville), this because of the good district with a few thousand pigeons in the high season.
If there comes such a covenant for the extreme middle distance, then he will probably race these races also.
Dream Team 2010, they won the provincial and national title small middle distance 2010.
Loft consistency
As stated earlier, he only races with youngsters. A maximum of 70 youngsters are bred, for which there are 20 breeding couples available. Actually the term “breeder” is exaggerated. Let us say that, apart from 4 couples, everything is given a new partner every year.
Our national champion actually prefers breeding to racing. Every year, starting in April/ May he does some tests. He even dares to try father-daughter or grandfather-granddaughter combinations. This results in him having 20 late youngsters ever year which he can, if they are good enough, tries to fit into the breeding.
Feeding system
Some ten years ago Koen disagreed with the fact that the breeders, once they were feeding grain to their youngsters, wasted nearly all the corn. That’s why he experimented by making his own breeding mixture consisting of 50% super diet 50% classic breeding mixture. This was a great improvement.
From the moment that Eddy Noël became food advisor by Matador he switched over to was switched to this scientifically compound food. "You can plainly see that the pigeons feel better by this" says Koen.
He got to know Eddy via the worldwide web. A great deal of good advice and good pigeons moved to Relegem. Without seeing each other much, he can say that a good friendship has emerged.
This is the nicest thing about the pigeon sport!
Medical guidance
Our national Ace pigeon winner attaches a great deal of importance to the natural resistance. Small children don’t grow up without having a runny nose now and again. That’s why no, or hardly any, action is taken during the first few months. A dirty nose can, watery “poo” as well……. but not for too long. According to him, the best medicine is a strict selection. This then begins from the birth. The chance that a good pigeon is liquidated is small, simply because there are not that many good pigeons!
The only blind cure is one against tricho when the 2nd round in the loft is weaned from the 1st round. Once the newcomers eat well, they are all given a cure for 7 days.
This isn’t to say that he doesn’t visit the vet, quite the contrary. Each to his own. The man there studied hard so it is normal that they decide whether or not something is given. Anyway, all the pigeons are given the compulsory paramyxo vaccination. Starting in the month May he tries to have a monthly consultation, in other words, having a few pigeons (and their droppings) examined for all the usual sicknesses. No sickness, no cure, acting when necessary.
In 2010 this was the case after 3 middle distance races. Some pigeons are troubled by one-eye-cold and on the advice of the doctor they are cured for 4 days for the heads (soludox) in combination with 2 days Tricho-Plus.
Koen doesn’t believe in very strong nature pigeons which don’t get sick, well in very strong pigeons which are coached responsibly during the season.
Here they are only cured then after a diagnosis has been made.
The breeders for example haven’t been given anything apart from the compulsory paramixo vaccination for the last 3 seasons, not even a cure for tricho.
Can this?
Apparently so, because examinations prove that they are not contaminated.
What are the motivating factors?
The class of the pigeons ensures that they are easy to motivate. According to Koen you can motivate a “bad one” as much as you want, i twill always turn out wrong. He does however add that in the middle distance not a single pigeon is basketted which hasn’t been approved of by his good friend and example Frans Ricou.
During and after the season he “approves” all the pigeons in my lofts. Apart from a major exception, all the pigeons which don’t pass the approval are removed.
Frans has kept pigeons all his life and has raced in real championship style from Noyon for years. He came into contact with him via his son Freddy, who is a real bosom friend.
Koen especially likes the social aspect of the pigeon sport. Passionate people who can talk passionately about the pigeons for hours.
Performances 2010
ZoalAs stated, I only raced Dourdan this year: 26-06-10 Beersel 335 pigeons 1-2-5-8-11-23-24-26-28-32 (10/28) 26-06-10 BOW 613 pigeons 1-3-8-14-17-42-43-45-47-52 (10/28) 26-06-10 Pajot 1803 pigeons 3-8-17-31-41-102-103-116-121-138 (10/28) 04-07-10 Beersel 174 pigeons 1-2-3-4-5-6-20-23-26-39-49-57 (12/26) 04-07-10 BOW 330 pigeons 1-2-5-6-7-10-35-42-48-76-92-107-110 (13/26) 04-07-10 Pajot 1253 pigeons 3-5-14-32-40-50-155-189-207-305-36 (11/26) 17-07-10 Gooik 788 pigeons 6-13-14-29-30-37-50-57-75-127 (12/20) 17-07-10 Pajot 2993 pigeons 50-103-105-159-164-183-243-265 (12/20) 31-07-10 Gooik 632 pigeons 31-32-35-40-42-66-79-84 (11/17) 31-07-10 Pajot 3131 pigeons 133-135-146-187-193-315 (11/17) 07-08-10 Gooik 641 pigeons 8-9-18-21-23-30-31-41-50-52-57 (13/16) 07-08-10 Pajot 2918 pigeons 50-56-139-156-158-177-181-212-283 (13/16) 14-08-10 Gooik 485 pigeons 1-8-13-14-36-39-64-83-90-103 (12/12) 14-08-10 Pajot 2153 pigeons 6-43-60-63-166-188 (10/12) 21-08-10 Gooik 381 pigeons 1-17-25-27-28-36 (7/9) 21-08-10 Pajot 1737 pigeons 6-66-97-109-120 (7/9) 28-08-10 Gooik 214 pigeons 3-5-11-12-29-30-39 (7/10) 28-08-10 Pajot 1071 pigeons 12-29-78-84 (7/10) A few results from previous years: Angerville 15-08-09 303 pigeons 2-9-10-15-16-18-20-22-23-36-58 (11/12) Le Mans 01-08-09 443 pigeons 2-6-11-15-26-34-38 (12/19) Le Mans 01-08-09 2374 pigeons 3-9-33-50-92-129-146 (12/19) Vierzon 18-07-09 96 pigeons 1-4-5-7-11 (8/19) Noyon 22-06-09 670 pigeons 1-5-10-18-20-21-25-39-45-56-57-58-60-67 (25/34) Noyon 11-06-06 324 pigeons 1-2-5-10-15-32 (13/24) Noyon 02-07-06 567 pigeons 2-3-4-6-8-18-19-36-45-46 (22/28) Dourdan 15-07-06 341 pigeons 1-2-4-6-9-11-13-15-16 (17/26) Argenton 12-08-06 141 pigeons 1-2-3-4-5-7-11-13 (11/18) Argenton provincial 2040 pigeons 48-69-71-111-112-117 (11/18) Argenton national 14534 pigeons 135-243-249-432-436 (11/18) La Souterraine26-08-06 125 pigeons 2-3-4-7-8 (11/17) La Souterraine prov. 1830 pigeons 32-93-96 (10/18) La Souterraine nat.l 13965 pigeons 100-292-297 (9/17) Gueret 09-09-06 111 pigeons 1-2 (5/8) Gueret provincial 1298 pigeons 24-29 (5/8) Gueret national 10670 pigeons 348-413 (5/8)
Top performances of the loft, titles achieved previously…
1999 6th Ace pigeon Small sprint youngsters Flemish-Brabant with "Mickey". 2003 14th Ace pigeon Small sprint youngsters Flemish-Brabant with "Minny". 2006 6th Ace pigeon Grand middle distance youngsters Flemish-Brabant with "Jeff". 2010 1st National Ace pigeon Middle distance youngsters with "Girl Power". 2010 National Champion Small middle distance youngsters with "Dream Team" 2010. 2010 1st Provincial Ace pigeon Small middle distance youngsters with "Girl Power". 2010 3rd Provincial Ace pigeon Small middle distance youngsters with "Loes". 2010 Provincial Champion Small middle distance youngsters with "Dream Team" 2010.
Special outward appearances
Koen likes an evenly balanced, not too big a pigeon, thick plumage, supple muscles with a fast wing.
"Yet I have to admit I can’t see it in a pigeon and that it is in particular the volition (mordant) and the class of the pigeon which determines whether or not it will classify itself at the top" says Koen
Cultivated breeds
A few years ago Koen bought 20 eggs from Louis Van Den Eynde from Brussegem. Today there are 2 pigeons left which are very good breeders.
For the last five years pigeons have been bought every year from the combination Van Hoeck-Noël. The father of the national Ace pigeon and the father of the 3rd provincial Ace pigeon are bred from a direct pigeon from this duo.
These pigeons bred very well with the sort of his Ace hen from ’98. This hen won 8 pure first prizes from Quiévrain and was mother of a.o. the 6th Provincial Ace pigeon Small sprint youngsters 1999 (Mickey) and the 14th Provincial Ace pigeon Small sprint youngsters 2003 (Minny).
This was supplemented with a few pigeons of the, unfortunately, stopped J-M Hoogstijns and a hen from Erland Vermeire.
As stated, in the summer Koen dares to experiment with inbreeding, in his view racing pigeons are mainly bred from cross breeding.
The best pigeons from the loft :
He had a few real cracks from Quiévrain, especially out the line of the Ace hen’ 98 nl 2082833/1998.
The first real top pigeon in the middle distance was the "Jeff" 2015038/2006.
He raced 3 national races:
From Argenton club 1st/141, provincial 48th/2040, national 135th/14534 From La Souterraine club 4th/125, provincial 96th/1830, national 297th/13965 From Geuret club 2nd/111, provincial 29th/1298, national 413th/10670
With this he was 6th Ace pigeon Extreme Middle Distance youngsters Flemish-Brabant.
The following top pigeon is "Girl Power" 2135714/2010
She raced each time from Angerville:
1st/335 club, 1st/613 doubling, 3rd/1803 Pajot 1st/174 club, 1st/330 doubling, 3rd/1253 Pajot 4th/368 club, 4th/526 doubling, 5th/2416 Pajot 21st/641 club, 156th/2918 Pajot 1st/485 club, 6th/2153 Pajot.
With this she was 1st national and 1st provincial Ace pigeon.
A full brother of hers, the "2196601/2008", raced
On the 27/07/08 2nd club Bourges, zonal 146th/16504, national 474th/41783. On the 09/08/2008 he won 1st club Argenton and national 46th/25583.
Another member of the Dream Team is "Loes" 2014702/2010.
She raced a.o.
6th/788 club, 50th/2993 Pajot 31st/632 club, 133rd/3131 Pajot 9th/641 club, 56th/2918 Pajot 39th/485 club, 181st/2153 Pajot 1st/381 club, 6th/1737 Pajot 3rd/214 club, 12th/1071 Pajot
She was 3rd provincial Ace pigeon and 1st reserve by the national Ace pigeons middle distance
Finally there is "Shaquille".
He broke his chest bone in the first Noyon and so out of the race for a few weeks. Against his better judgement he was thrown to the lions.
This with the following result.
26th/613 Noyon Then from Angerville. 14th/788 club, 105th/2993 Pajot 32nd/632 club, 133rd/3131 Pajot 18th/641 club, 139th/2918 Pajot 8th/485 club, 43rd/2153 Pajot 5th/214 club, 29th/1071 Pajot
