THE RACING PIGEON 26 APRIL 2024
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competition in his area in the vitesse events. Nationally it has been the same story because I have never seen so many De Duif National Ace bird trophies on one sideboard. If my mathematics are correct I counted no less than 11 National Ace Pigeons KBDB hiding amongst many other pigeon awards. There is very little doubt that Karel and now Daniel have the ability to make their pigeons ‘wings sing’ as they simply rocket home in the short race series. How do they do it? I can imagine readers are thinking. I bet that is what the competition within their area also wonder! After listening to the partners and hearing their thoughts it is very evident that the
4th, 5th & 8th Ace bird placings. Yes if you have added the numbers up all five of the partners old birds finished in the top eight places. This is super racing and if I was the bird that finished in 8th place I would be more than a little nervous about my future! The yearlings also performed stoically claiming 1st 3rd 4th 7th & 9th placings. First place was also taken with one of their Young birds in the Samspel. In fact it was only in the Late Young series that the name Boeckx didn’t feature and when I pointed out this fact Daniel smiled and said, “No that is correct because we didn’t compete in all of the races as I went away on holiday with my wife and father choose not to send!” When reading the famous clubs
Daniel Boeckx with one of the star performers of 2013.
that the Boeckx birds were in competition with which includes fanciers from Ravels and Oud Turnhout you will appreciate that the competition is very keen. The partners have 14 pairs of breeders. These are made up in the main with their own retired Ace pigeons which are normally put into the breeding loft after racing for four seasons. Additionally the odd introduction is brought in to give the team the necessary hybrid boost so vital in keeping the race team strong. Daniel told me that they were extremely selective before introducing new stock though because they definitely don’t wish to bring in inferior stock which would have disastrous consequences. The racing cocks normally only race from Quievrain which is a distance of 100kms. Some of the hens though are raced as far as 4-500kms and in the
past have proved to be successful in the middle distance events also. In 2013 50 young birds were bred and after ten races 38 birds remained so once again the selection looks like being very hard. I was keen to hear how the pigeons were motivated and I should have been prepared that though it is quite initiative it is also very simple. What happens is the hens that are coupled to the yearlings are released and they try to gain access to the loft where the yearling cocks are but the traps are kept closed but the birds can see one another which provides great motivation and after a few minutes the trap is opened and the birds are basketed immediately. This is carried out for a few weeks during the early races but once the best racers have revealed themselves these birds only are raced on the classic Widowhood method of 2-3 minutes and then they are put into the basket while their partners
building blocks that their race team is founded upon is besides a good origin of pigeons is a constant severe selection. Quite simply only the very best performers are allowed to move into their old bird team. There is simply no room for maybe or nearly birds. As to how successfully this works was once again highlighted in 2013 with the following devastating series of results which I will reveal in a minute after telling you how many race birds the partners have in their race team. In total they housed 14 yearlings and just five old birds in 2013. Proof of how their severe selection works is highlighted by the fact that in the Turnout Samspel (Combine) races from Quieverain the Boeckx Old birds won 1st, 3rd, Karel, the old master, talks to our friend Ronny Kesselaers.
The most influential bird on the present day loft the 3rd National Ace Vitesse pigeon. His blood is in most of the current inmates on the Boeckx loft.
A quintet of Aces which were sold to his good friends the Fenech family.
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