The weather was expected to be less than ideal, with heavy rain in the central part and to the east of Belgium, and so Filip Norman (chairman of the Belgian Entente) and Dirk Schreel (chairman of national sports committee) agreed to release the pigeons on Sunday instead of Saturday, even though the weather had been great between Brive and Paris. The idea was to ensure similar weather conditions for all competitors. It was a good decision, since there had been a heavy rainstorm in the east of the province of Flemish Brabant.
The pigeons were eventually released on Sunday Morning at 7am, under a bright sky and with hardly any wind across the entire route. This was promising to be a trouble-free national long distance classic.
Frederik Everaert claims victory in yearlings' race
The yearlings' race was won by Frederik Everaert from Zwijnaarde, a renowned pigeon fancier in the long distance and extreme long distance. His long distance pigeons were once again very successful in the race from Brive. Earlier this season he also claimed a provincial first prize in the opening classic of the national long distance from Limoges (you can read an earlier report about the Everaert pigeon family here). He has now added a national first prize to his 2016 palmares as well.
Frederik clocked his Blauwen Brive at 14:48'47", after completing 669.357 km with a velocity of 1265.8396 m/min, the highest speed of all the yearlings. The rest of the team was not too far behind, as you can tell from these impressive results:
Brive club 276 yearlings: 1-6-9-11-37-45-86 (7/8) Prov 1,354 yearlings: 1-17-22-29… (preliminary top-50, and 6/8) Nat 5,925 yearlings: 1… (probably a 7/8) Brive club 313 olds: 8-19-42 (3/6) Prov 1,318 olds: 23… (preliminary top-50, and 3/6)
In his year of birth Blauwen Brive was trained up until Blois, just like most other young birds. By the end of July, after the old birds' season, they get a long break, partly because they do not have enough feathers. This season Frederik relied on a fairly large group of yearlings, which is why one of his young birds' loft was changed into a loft for one year old widowers. This team completed quite an extensive program, with twice Chateauroux and twice Argenton, and now a national long distance race as the ultimate test. Blauwen Brive performed as follows:
-Blauwen Brive BE15-4122561
1st Nat Brive 5,925 p. ’16 96th Prov Chateauroux 2,934 p. ’16 (Club 25/527, on 21 May) 1187th Nat Argenton II 12,449 p. ’16 (Club 73/556) 3769th Nat Argenton I 18,363 p. ’16 (Club 262/1032) 542nd Prov Blois 3,776 p. ’15 (Club 131/905)
Blauwen Brive is a pigeon with an excellent pedigree:
Sire: Zoon Mirages BE12-4208262
A direct son of stock breeder Mirages BE05-4295838 (12th Nat. Brive 16,007 p., 75th Nat. Limoges 15,507 p., 27th Nat. Brive 17,456 p., 36th Nat. Narbonne 7,156 p., 13th Nat0 Cahors 8,651 p.), which was bred from a crossing of Noël Lippens and Antoine Van Landuyt. Mirages was paired to Lora BE09-4223258, a daughter of top breeder Blauwe Lippens 394/03 (a grandson of 1st Nat. Ace Pigeon Long Distance KBDB Vital x Lore 631/05).
Dam: Dikke Gaby BE09-3095110
A direct Gaby Vandenabeele. She is a daughter of top breeder Rudy BE06-3008003 (the sire of Super Romeo and New Bliksem) x Martina BE05-2076701.
Click here for the full pedigree of Blauwen Brive
Good bloodlines give good descendants. The pedigree of Blauwen Brive shows several super class breeders and such renowned stock breeders as Mirages, Vital and Rudy. This has proven to be an exceptional combination. His two parents have now been transferred to the Royal Collection of Roger Debusschere, who clearly knows where to find top quality pigeons.
Frederik Everaert became an internationally renowned fancier after winning the prestigious title of General Champion of Belgium Entente in 2012, a title only the very best long distance fanciers can win. Frederik has continued to perform well, achieving great results in the long distance: he has won several provincial first prizes and in 2016 he adds a provincial victory from Limoges and a national win from Brive yearlings to his list of achievements. Many congratulations!
Frederik Everaert, his wife Ania, his two daughteres, and a couple of friends