“Our performance has been less consistent this season”, Peter said. “We started the season with nothing but one year olds and we can be quite satisfied so far. This is our team for the future, so we decided not to take too many risks. We competed in two one day long distance races with a limited group of pigeons, even though this is usually our main goal for the season. It takes some getting used to but it looks promising.”
Even though all yearlings originate from the breed that has made Peter an internationally renowned fancier, having to race with a group of nothing but one year olds can be quite a disadvantage at times. They started the season with a large group of pigeons (102 pigeons of Peter and 26 pigeons of Gwen) but the lack of experience is often a problem. These were the most successful races for the team that is raced in double widowhood (Peter and Gwen together):
Nanteuil (327 km) - Peter Van De Merwe and Gwen Van De Merwe
TT vlucht 15,640 p.: 1st-3rd-4th
Rayon oost 6,295 p.: 1st-4th-23rd-28th-37th-38th-41st-42nd-48th-53rd-59th-60th (73/99)
Drechtsteden 1,443 p.: 1st-2nd-3rd-8th-9th-13th-14th-15th-16th-17th-20th-21st-22nd-23rd-24th-25th (65/99)
Quievrain (170 km) - Peter Van De Merwe
Drechtsteden 4,117 p.: 1st-2nd-5th-9th-10th-14th-18th-25th (52/102)
Duffel (80 km) - Gwen Van De Merwe
Drehctsteden 3,544 p.: 1st (10/26)
Peronne (243 km) - Gwen Van de Merwe
Club 602 p.: 1dy
Peronne (243 km) - Gwen Van De Merwe
Club 948 p.: 1st-9th-19th-25th-28th-34th-47th-54th (20/24)
Peronne (243 km) - Peter Van De Merwe en Gwen Van De Merwe
Drechtsteden 2,247 p.: 3rd-6th-7th-10th-15th-16th-17th-18th-21st-23rd-26th-39th-42nd-45th (80/115)
Nanteuil (327 km) - Gwen Van De Merwe
Drechtsteden 3,306 p.: 3rd-4th-6th-17th-33rd (15/26)
Nanteuil (327 km) - Gwen Van De Merwe
Club 364 p.: 1st
Drechtsteden 2,235 p.: 2nd-5th-8th-9th-10th-21st (12/23)
Prov. 21,853 p.: 2nd
Nanteuil (326 km) - Peter Van De Merwe
Drechtsteden 2,335 p.: 3rd-12th-13th-20th-30th-43rd-44th-45th-47th (45/81)
Bourges (539 km) - Peter Van De Merwe
Drechtsteden 1,079 p.: 5th-12th-13th-19th-20th-30th-31st-37th-38th (26/44)
NPO 9,742 p: 19th
Duffel (80 km) - Peter Van De Merwe
Drechtsteden 1,243 p.: 2nd-6th-28th (6/9)
Duffel Y.B. (80 km) - Peter Van De Merwe
Drechtsteden 2,355 p.: 1st-2nd-5th
Duffel Y.B. (80 km) - Peter Van De Merwe
Drechtsteden 2,474 p.: 1st and fastest in the race
NL14-1061646 ‘Rivaldo’ - 1st Teletext Nanteuil 15,640 p.
The kras cock Rivaldo showed his talented quite a few times already, but his teletext victory from Nanteuil was by far his best result. He is winner of:
1st Teletekst Nanteuil - 15,640 p.
2nd Asse Zellik - 620 p., as well as 6th - 1,939 p.
3rd Peronne - 2,247 p.
8th Duffel - 120 p., as well as 31st - 1,243 p.
Sire: United, a top class racing bird and winner of a 2nd Nat. young ace pigeon Best Of The Best 2009 with three first prizes. He is also the sire of a 1st NPO Argenton 10,432 p. 2012 (Shane), a 1st Peronne 2,817 p. and a 4th s-prov. 9,776 p. (Sky Dancer).
Dam: Nathalie, winner of a 1st NPO Chantilly 30,074 p. and bred from stock breeder Replay. She is the dam of a 1st prov. Ace Pigeon Middle Disttance 2014, a 1st Peronne 2,817 p. and a 4th s-prov. 9,776 p., a 1st Strombeek 2,303 p., a 1st Nanteuil 1,170 p., etc.
Click here for the full pedigree of Rivaldo
NL14-1061592 - 3rd Teletext Nanteuil 15,640 p.
Nanteuil was a breakthough race for this great looking blue coloured hen:
3rd Teletext Nanteuil - 15,640 p.
The 592/14 is bred from a 100% Leo Heremans cock (via the Van Toor brothers) x Flora, 2x 1st prize winner and 3 top 100 prizes NPO. As a result the 592/14 is a full sister of the winner of:
1st prov. Peronne - 19,425 p.
3rd Peronne - 526 p.
9th prov. Peronne - 11,930 p.
Click here for the full pedigree
NL14-1061639 - 4th Teletext Nanteuil 15,640 p.
The third Van de Merwe pigeon has an impressive pedigree as well, and this resulted in a number of great results. The 639/14 is winner of:
1st prov. Peronne - 19,425 p.
12th prov. Peronne - 19,772 p.
She is bred from Broer Jaimy x Verona, one of Peter's most talented breeding pairs, which he sold in his PIPA auction in 2015. These are some other youngsters bred from this pair:
- ‘Bonfire’ 764/13
1st club / 2nd NPO Troyes - 14,723 p. 2013
1st club / 8th s-prov. Peronne - 10,767 p. 2013
9th club / 38th NPO Morlincourt - 8,625 p. 2013
- ‘Zus Bonfire’ 873/13
46th s-prov. Nanteuil - 4,359 p. 2014
88th s-prov. Peronne - 6,940 p. 2014
- ‘Chanel’
9th Nat. Ace Pigeon 2013
2nd fastest from Pommeroeul - 27,000 p.
8th s-prov. Peronne - 11,930 p.
8th Nijvel - 732 p.
10th Duffel - 1,472 p.
And 31st-43rd-45th-82nd prov.
- Winners of
8th NPO Peronne - 19,772 p.
9th NPO Nanteuil - 16,722 p.
Brother Jaimy is also the sire of Maserati, winner of a 1st prov. Peronne 40,972 p. in 2009, a 1st Creil 2,843 p. and a 7th s-prov. 10,371 p. Maserati is the sire of a 2nd prov. young ace pigeon 2014, a 1st Nanteuil 751 p., a 1st Nijvel 712 p., a 23rd NPO Mantes La Jolie 7,918 p., and a 43rd NPO Sens 6,302 p.
Click here for the full pedigree
These results sound very promising for Peter and Gwen. Next year their breeding loft will be home to a talented group of young birds bred from their previously sold breeding and racing pigeons, so we are confident that they will be winning many more top prizes in the near future.