BOSMANS-LEEKENS - 1st Nat. Bourges 7666 yearlings

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Beverlo – Marc and Dirk have been on a roll for a whole year. They won first prizes this year in 35 different races (played 20 weekends, won 1st prize 19 times), they were first in the region 14 times, and they already took home a 1st Provincial prize 4 times, leaving only the cherry on top, the salt on the potatoes.

Pigeon racing is a wind game, this weekend the wind was favourable, so you have to score, and they did. After a day's delay, Bourges was finally released on Sunday, and at 14:01:48, "The Lucky One" (BE24-5007028), a blue hen, arrived. With an average speed of 1480.49 m/m, she won 1st National Bourges among 7,666 yearlings and became the 2nd fastest of the release after the winning young pigeon from Tournelle.

Dirk and Marc had already won 2x 1st National Châteauroux, 1st National Argenton, and 1st National Gueret earlier in their careers. Dirk had previously won 1st National Brive. Bourges is therefore the sixth national trophy for the veteran, but it does mean something to him to win Bourges. Dirk: “Bourges was certainly something that was high on my list. This is pretty much the last national race where everyone is still really going for it. It is the most important race for the young ones and the rest is still in top form.”

They started the season in Beverlo with 16 old and 35-year-old hens (now still 8 and 20 that are usable). They speak very highly of the hens team, but the gentlemen are somewhat lacking. They started with 18 yearling cocks and 16 old ones. Quite a few have already been removed, so now only 5 and 4 remain. For the next season, two more need to go. They want to play with fewer cocks and only want one team of seven old ones for next season.

Dirk: “The cocks are not performing as we hoped. We don't have many good cocks, but those who remain are sufficient and two are even very good. Two cocks, including the top performer “Marco,” have already won 1st provincial twice this season. The hens are racing every week, but once they start the national flights, the cocks only fly every 14 days. Staying home really means staying home; they only fly once a day for 1 to 1.5 hours near the house.

The season, however, did not start brilliantly. Many pigeons came back in poor condition from the first Bourges.

 Dirk: "Just write that this was, in my opinion, an irresponsible release. Congratulations to the winners, they couldn't do anything about it and their pigeons managed to avoid the bad weather just before, but what followed was a disaster. There is nothing to eat on the way so early in the year, they only find stones! As a result, many pigeons returned poorly or got lost. Many pigeons were spoiled then."

They are not completely satisfied with the youngsters, from Bourges, they played 34/54.

Dirk: "The pigeons were with us, we were in a good position, so there must have been something earlier. On a provincial flight from Sens, they had a setback. The care they received was certainly good, but from this race they experienced a different design of crates with drinking holes and the full length aluminium troughs instead of plastic panniers with the regular blue drinkers for the first time. Very good, but those youngsters were not used to that yet. Something new is always dangerous; you must try to change as little as possible. The young ones from the second round are also significantly better than those from the first round; they have suffered even less in this tough season."

From now on, the focus is on the young ones. Next week, one more race from Argenton and then the season is over for most of the old/yearlings. A number of hens that have been raced under total widowhood until now will now go to the nest and continue to be raced this way. However, this is a very limited number and according to Marc and Dirk, this is somewhat of a 'frivolity'.

Dirk attributes part of the success to the new feed from Vanrobaeys that they have been using since last season. This feed contains pellets with many extras. As a result, much less of other by-products needs to be given; nothing needs to be added to the feed, and yet they receive everything they need.

The Bourges National winner is named 'The Lucky One', she previously flew 13th Chimay 1,527 b, 29th Soissons 2,199 b, and 48th Nat. Argenton 13,988 b. However, the week after that Argenton, she returned home seriously injured on her chest from an intermediate flight. Undoubtedly pressed down during the release by the mass. She then stayed home for 6 weeks and was re-entered at Sancoins (Interprov.) where she achieved a beautiful 37th out of 2,956 b as a result.

She is a pigeon full of quality bloodlines. Her father is a son of "Lucky Luke", one of the absolute toppers in the loft of Dirk and Marc before their auction when paired to a daughter of "Athena", one of the top breeders by Rik Hermans. Her mother is from "Ito" (4^th Olympiad pigeon yearlings in Oradea '22) x a granddaughter of the "Harry" from Jan Hooymans.

Dirk can now cross Bourges off his list. Marc can focus on the youngsters. Although they are not playing a flat price anymore this year, the season can hardly go wrong now. Now it's just about enjoying the pigeons and some fun.