…this colony is exploding! The continuity that characterises this loft since a few seasons is impressive. This is without any doubt one of the 10 best lofts of our country in races up to 800 kilometers. That is because Sébastien is not only limited to the heavy middle distance races: every time he baskets his pigeons for the long distance races, it is always in the hope of putting one of his pigeons at the top of the results.
Sébastien is probably one of the most gifted pigeon fanciers of his generation. In our sport he has been known for many years as a fancier who knows how to prepare his racers. He is a peerless manager who has found the road to success.
After being hired as loft manager at Hétru & Toye, Sébastien decided that it was time to think about his own career and he started on his own at the beginning of the new millennium.
He became a true specialist in the game with the youngsters and he saw his dedication rewarded with a first success: a title of national champion.
What was already remarkable at that time was the long series of clocked pigeons he managed to achieve. When the first pigeon landed on the trap, the rest of the troops followed quickly and you never had to wait too long to see the other birds falling from the skies like rockets.
Ten years later, nothing has changed. In fact, this year Sébastien has also achieved a few stunt results:
26/05 Bourges CFW - 5.044 Olds 3, 4, 6, 37, 54, 89, 93, 99, 114, 120, 131, 169, 426, 433, ... 18/25 26/05 Bourges CFW - 4.760 Yearlings : 7, 15, 23, 25, 28, 35, 37, 41, 43, 50, 52, 53, 64, 65, 75, 91, 96, 97, 117, ... & 37/51 02/06 Châteauroux CFW - 3.803 yearlings: 3, 4, 9, 17, 18, 22, 30, 34, 41, 44, 45, 65, 101, 106, 107, 109, 134, 143, 181, 186, 241, 243, 284, 287, 303, 304, 305, 356, 358, ... & 45/54 16/6 Montlucon National Zone - 6.081 Olds: 7,13,33,130,304,332, ... & 10/20 16/6 Montlucon Local - 671 Yearlings: 1, 2, 6, 9, 10, 12, 13, 18, 23, 24, 25, 27, 28, 36, 37, 40, 47, 49, 53, 54, 56, 62, 64, ... & 45/64 30/6 Argenton Provincial - 1.209 Olds: 1, 8, 13, 22, 42, 46, 52, 55, 85, 212, ... & 10/11 30/6 Argenton Provincial - 1.864 Yearlings: 6, 8, 9, 10, 20, 23, 26, 27, 32, 35, 40, 41, 45, 60, 61, 91, 92, ... & 31/44 15/7 Bourges - 1.489 Olds: 1, 27, 32, ... & 4/5 04/8 Toury - 320 Youngsters: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, 11, 12, 14, 16, 18, 19, 20, ... & 26/44 11/8 Toury - 287 Youngsters: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 13, 15, 17, 19, 23, 24, ... & 16/20 11/08 Argenton CFW - 5,930 Youngsters: 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 20, 31, 38, 44, 64, 65, 72, 85, 88, 96, 127, 146, 170, 172, 226, 246, 279, 310, 413, 452, 464, 481, 570, ... & 46/64 01/09 Soissons local - 406 Youngsters: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 30, 37, 39, ... & 34/40 08/09 Guéret provincial - 851 Youngsters: 2, 3, 5, 26, 27, 33, 34, 36, 46, 48, 50, 53, 54, 59, 63, 64, 82, ... & 22/35
Would it be a coincidence that all these results were always won with north wind and in hot temperatures? You have to be crazy to think the opposite!
This is certainly a huge colony that baskets a lot of pigeons but when we take a look at the prize percentages below we can only bow our heads for the mastership demonstrated by this owner. Lofts who basket large numbers of pigeons are always struggling to achieve a 50% prize percentage. In the loft of Russeignies the prize percentages are often amazingly high and they are close to perfection with 70% at provincial level while the loft often has several dozens of pigeons in the race. I guess you would like to see the figures, so here they are:
– Heavy middle distance national races olds & yearlings : 255 prizes with 342 basketed birds, which means 74,5% prizes
– Heavy middle distance national races youngsters : 92 prizes with 145 basketed birds, which means a 63,5% prize percentage (except for Bourges, where only 2 youngsters were basketed)
How can you explain that? First of all Sébastien is the kind of fancier who does everything he can to have his racers in perfect health throughout the racing season. In addition, the class of his strain makes them constantly struggle for victory. Secondly, he pays a lot of importance to the quality of his pigeons. It gives him the opportunity to significantly increase the level of his family of birds. Those who manage to form a racing team that constitutes a lot of very competitive racing birds will sooner or later have a luxury problem. But that is not much of a problem for those enjoy a challenge…
Well how about we take a look at these so called racers! We introduce you to the best pigeons of the 2012 season. The first of them is in fact the best racing hen of the loft and she was called
– Adèle (BE 10-9039364)
2012: 1st Vierzon provincial - 954 p. 6th Vierzon DH - 1,933 p. 15th Vierzon Interprov - 6,257 p. 4th Bourges local - 659 p. 6th Bourges CFW - 5,044 p. 28th Bourges National - 20,589 p. 7th Châteauroux provincial - 1,315 p. 12th Châteauroux CFW - 3,630 p. 183th Châteauroux National - 16,479 p. 8th Argenton provincial - 1,209 p. 95th Argenton CFW - 3,696 p. 385th Argenton National - 12,384 p. 32th Bourges Interprov - 1,489 p.
(To take look at her listof achievements, click here & here)
2010: 6 single prizes with 38th Argenton provincial 1,379 p. & 52th Guéret provincial 738 p. 2011: 14 single prizes with 8th Toury 639 p., 28th Vierzon Interprov 6,659 p., 556th Châteauroux National 25,263 p., 5th Orléans 158 p., 2nd Orléans 143 p. 94th Bourges National 12,607 p.
Sire: Hugh (BE 01-9040073), a direct Erik Limbourg, this pigeon is already father of the 12th nat. Bourges 2007 of 31,824 youngsters as well as ‘Hugo’, 1st Aces of Aces Youngsters LCB 2006. He is a son of the Wondertik Vooruit x Daughter Black Opium. Wondertik Vooruit represented our country in the Olympiad of Cape Town in ’00 and Black Opium won the 2nd national Argenton 15,682 p. in ’96 as well as the 3rd national Narbonne…
Dam: Stana (BE 07-9023360), a daughter to one of the stock pigeons of the loft, Spencer, comes from Erik Limbourg and is sire of super racers like Stan, Stani, Sofia, Sofie, etc. He was coupled to Gladys, one of the best breeding hens of the colony (dam of Stan, Stani, etc)
(Cou can take a look at her pedigree by clicking here)
– Nikolaas (BE 11-9065429)
7th best yearling of Belgium in 4 national heavy middle distance races (Vanrobaeys-Duivenkrant championship)
2012: 6 single prizes with 18th Pont local - 243 p. 3rd Bourges local - 586 p. 4th Bourges provincial - 1,690 p. 7th Bourges CFW - 4,760 p. 20th Bourges National - 16,859 p. 24th Châteauroux provincial - 1,299 p. 41th Châteauroux CFW - 3,835 p. 390th Châteauroux National - 15,902 p. 56th Montluçon provincial - 2,096 p. 213th Montluçon Zonal - 7,828 p. 10th Argenton provincial - 1,864 p. 95th Argenton CFW - 5,912 p. 328th Argenton National - 22,384 p.
(Click here if you want to check his palmares)
This very promising cock is a late bred from 2011 and had only trained a few times during his year of birth. He was stopped during the season and he is one of the favourites for the next racing season. His pedigree makes you wonder…
(Click here to check the pedigree of this pigeon)
Sire: Rodeo (BE 09-5110352), directly from the late Pros Roosen. A super racer who won 18 prizes with 7x per 10. He is a mix of the best lines of Kermt as his sire is a grandchild of Superkweker Freddy and his dam is a grand-daughter of Flits.
Dam: Palme d’Or (BE 09-6111726), the new breeding pearl of the loft, imported directly from Gaston Van De Wouwer and directly put to the breeding loft where she quickly became the new sensation. Her mother is a direct daughter of the world famous Kaasboer. Last year, her daughter Amalia (born in 2010) won the prestigious title of the 1st National Ace Pigeon Heavy Middle Distance. The 2011 vintage is also really good; she is also the dam of:
– Amalia’s sister (BE 11-9065223)
2012: 13 single prizes with 1st Angerville local - 219 p. 26th Vierzon provincial - 1,010 p. 15th Bourges provincial - 1,690 p. 37th Bourges CFW - 4,760 p. 120th Bourges National - 16,859 p. 4th Châteauroux provincial - 1,299 p. 4th Châteauroux CFW - 3,835 p. 45th Châteauroux National - 15,902 p. 9th Toury local - 275 p. 32th Argenton provincial - 1,864 p. 476th Argenton Zonal - 8,476 p. 24th Argenton provincial - 574 p. 372th Argenton National - 7,046 p.
2011: 10 single prizes with 7th Toury 277 p., 80th Bourges CFW 9,071 p. & 375th National 31,719 p. 85th Argenton provincial 1,539 p. & 460th Zonal 6,979 p.
Sire: Geert, a direct Erik Limbourg where he won the 86th international prize of Narbonne against 14,505 p. Geert was bred from a pair formed by Grandson Nieuw A x Grand-daughter Dubbele
Mother: Palme d’Or, introduced above.
(Click here if you want to check her pedigree)
– Sydney (BE 10-9039208)
2012: 7 single prizes with: 14th Angerville local - 322 olds 15th Toury local - 214 olds 2nd Bourges local - 659 olds 3rd Bourges provincial - 1,859 olds 3rd Bourges CFW - 5,044 olds 15th Bourges National - 20,589 olds 338th Châteauroux CFW - 3,630 olds 46th Argenton provincial - 1,219 olds 96th Montluçon Interprov - 1,426 olds
(If you want to check her palmares, click here & here)
2011: 15 single prizes with 16th Angerville 618 p., 82th Vierzon Interprovincial 6,659 p., 51th Châteauroux provincial 1,815 p. & 639th 25,263 National, 22th Argenton provincial 1,318 p., 1st Bourges provincial 1,082 p. & 8th National 12,607 p. 2010: 6 single prizes with 41th Ecouen 838 p., 6th Bourges 368 p., 3rd Guéret provincial 738 p. & 215th National 13,885 p.
Sire: Staaf (BE 07-9023814), father of Stecy who was ranked 6th National Ace Pigeon Heavy Middle Distance KBDB ’09. His sire is the Slim, 1st semi-national Châteauroux of 7,495 p. and highest speed of 19,021 p. (bred from the pair Stan x Simbi). His mother is the Shady, a full sister of the 9th national Bourges 40,471 p. (Spencer x Bomba)
Dam: Gabriella (BE 07-9023819), a confirmed breeding hen as she is already mother of Stecy. She is daughter of the pair Kleine Wittenbuik x Rosa. The Kleine Wittenbuik is a direct son of the legendary Wittenbuik from Gaby Vandenabeele and the Rosa is a full daughter of the Dax who won for instance the 1st International Dax from 11,808 p.
(Click here if you want to check her pedigree)
And somewhere else ?
The quality of a loft is measured by the ability to perform well in other lofts as well. The Gaie brothers from La Bouverie had positive experiences: they have won the 1st national Bourges I of 16,442 yearlings in May this season. The parents of this superb winner (who had already won four victories before Bourges) were obtained as eggs by Jean & Gaston Gaie in Russeignies. That is quite a reference!
After two titles of national champion in Belgium and several semi-national & interprovincial victories the son of Maurice senior would now like to add a national victory to his list of achievements. It would be a fair return when you take into account the numerous sacrifices and all those years he has been at the top. I think it could happen pretty soon… why not in 2013 already?
