Double Provincial Victory for Van den Abbeel-Peleman in East Flanders at Vierzon

Buggenhout - Last weekend a special achievement in East Flanders pigeon racing history was achieved by the tandem Patrick Van den Abbeel and Rony Peleman. During the national flight from Vierzon, they managed to achieve a double provincial victory, both with the young pigeons and with the old pigeons and yearlings. This is a remarkable achievement for a partnership that was only formed in 2023. For Van den Abbeel-Peleman, these are now their third and fourth provincial wins, along with as many national wins in their zone.

Isis Shines 

The first provincial win came in the youngsters category, thanks to BE24-4043618, better known as ‘Isis.’ This youngster landed on the shelf at 16:05:30, leaving 4,159 other youngsters behind. Besides this provincial victory, ‘Isis’ also took the national victory in her zone against 2,370 pigeons and was even the fastest of the whole province against 5,335 youngsters , yearlings and old birds combined. Nationally, she achieved a 422nd place against 16,895 youngsters. ‘Isis’ has started her racing career well, with a 200th place Provincial Orleans against 9,741 youngsters earlier this season.

Pedigree of Isis
"Isis" has an impressive pedigree. Her father comes from the famous "King Nero" line (Jacobs Willy-Jan and Jeroen) and the "Matthieu line". On the mother's side, a sister of "Ernest", the second National Ace Bird Speed KBDB 2020 at Nechelput-Cornet, brings class into the mix.

Athena Dominates at Old + Yearlings

The second provincial win came from BE23-4091767, "Athena," a yearling that proved to be the fastest in the old and yearlings category against 1,176 pigeons. Remarkably, Athena landed on the board just five seconds after "Isis". This performance earned her a 176th place nationally against 5,780 old and yearling birds. "Athena" also achieved a national victory in her zone against 749 pigeons.

Pedigree of Athena
The pedigree of Athena speaks for itself: she is a top hen, with the right genes, who already achieved excellent results as a young pigeon. This season, she has already won three first prizes. She is also a full sister to the 6th National Ace Pigeon All-Round KBDB Young Birds in 2022. Her father, a tremendously beautiful pigeon with then the right pedigree and genes, has now become Patrick and Rony's stock breeder. Meanwhile, they have bred several good pigeons from several brothers of "Mister P" with the topper being "De Jules" (Click here for more info) , the 7th national ace pigeon speed KBDB 2023, at Nechelput-Cornet. They themselves bred in their satellite loft in Brakel from another brother (borrowed from good friend Glen De Deyn) a hen that has already won 3 x first prize from Noyon. The mother of "Athena" comes from a cross between Patrick and Rony's two best youngsters in 2018, "Nafi" (2nd Nat. ace KBDB G.H.F youngsters 2018) and "Matthieu" (8th Nat. Ace KBDB G.M.D.). She, too, has since become the mother of several good pigeons.

Results 2024

Click here for the results of the yearling hens in 2024
Click here for the results of the youngsters in 2024

The system behind the success

Van den Abbeel-Peleman's success is no accident, but the result of a well thought-out system and good cooperation with friendly pigeon fanciers.

Yearling hens: from aviary to champion
One of the cornerstones of their system is the way they treat their yearling hens. The best young racing hens, who have already proved that they have the required qualities, are placed in the aviary at the end of the season. They remain there in complete tranquillity until the end of March, when they move to the youngsters' loft. This stay in the aviary gives them a period to recuperate and prepare for the next racing season. Although they sometimes lay eggs, these are removed so that they can continue to concentrate on flying.

The yearling hens are trained with the youngsters and fly the same flights. Thanks to this integrated training programme, the yearling hens develop their skills while playing a leadership role for the younger birds.

The Young Pigeons: From Selection to Success
The young pigeon stock of Van den Abbeel-Peleman consists of 120 young pigeons weaned from their own breeders, supplemented with about 30 young pigeons coming from friendly lofts of established names such as Raf Herbots, Jacobs Willy-Jan and Jeroen, Gauchez Robert, and Van Megroot Dirk. The young pigeons are vaccinated against diseases such as Rota, Herpes, Smallpox and Paratyphus from the earliest possible age.

Food 
Food plays a crucial role in the Van den Abbeel-Peleman system. Every day, the pigeons are fed Beyers' Galaxy mixtures. During weaning, this starts with the Breeding mixture, which is gradually replaced by the Moulding mixture. During rearing, 50 per cent Sport Light is added, and this mixture remains on the programme for the rest of the season. For feeding during the national races, they switch to Sport Energy.

Besides the mixtures, the duo uses various by-products to support their pigeons' resistance and condition. Elderberry syrup and Ropa B are used for resistance support, while products such as Oil, Optimix, Elite Pigeon and Hepasan help build strength and stamina.

Training
The training of pigeons is a process carried out with great care. In short stages, we build up to a distance of 25 kilometres, releasing the pigeons several times. This systematic approach ensures that the pigeons are prepared not only physically but also mentally for the longer distances that await them during the national races.

Another important aspect in their system is the darkening and supplementary lighting of the pigeons. In mid-July, the pigeons are separated and darkened to help them better adapt to the changing seasonal conditions. Later in the year, supplementary lighting is used to regulate their biological clock, which is essential for maintaining their optimal condition.

Basically, the pigeons fly every flight and do not keep pigeons at home. What has already happened several times this season is that some latecomers or injured pigeons follow an alternative programme to get back in the national pack. If weather conditions really did not allow otherwise, they opted for a shorter flight.

The Team
Although Patrick and Rony are the faces of their success, they stress that their achievements would not be possible without the support of their team. Their partners, Hilde and Janice, play an indispensable role by stepping in when work commitments prevent them from looking after the pigeons themselves. For Patrick and Rony, pigeon racing is and remains a hobby, despite the high degree of professionalism they display.

Now that they also have a satellite loft in Brakel where Noyon is played under the name Peleman - Van den Abbeel, they also have extra work to do there. Rony does most of the work in Buggenhout, Patrick in Brakel. They do consult each other on a daily basis and are each other's support in good times and bad.

Besides the support of their partners, they also work closely together with pigeon fanciers, whom Patrick and Rony would like to thank once again for their support, help and advice, such as Eddy De Block, Kristof Nechelput, Robert Gauchez, Jacobs Willy-Jan and Jeroen, Gilbert Vermeir, Willy Arts, and the Thierens family. These collaborations provide not only an exchange of pigeons, but also valuable knowledge and experience that contributes to their continued success.

Conclusion

The performance of the tandem Patrick Van den Abbeel and Rony Peleman in pigeon racing in East Flanders, taking a double provincial victory in the national flight from Vierzon, is remarkable. Their success, partly thanks to the strong pigeons "Isis" and "Athena", is the result of a well-thought-out and refined system, in which everything from feeding, training to cooperation with other pigeon fanciers is perfectly coordinated. This achievement underlines the importance of an integrated approach and the crucial role of teamwork in pigeon racing.Patrick & Janice and Rony & Hilde, well-deserved congratulations from the whole Herbots team!

Maarten Herbots