François Callebaut (Meldert-Aalst) winner Silver Wing Barcelona 2023

Yes, the hidden shining pearls still exist. It sometimes takes some detective work or an eye for detail, or taking the time to read the results of a race flight objectively, to discover them. Personally, we had already noticed that Meldert-Aalst is home to a player with a small basket, but a basket with a golden edge on the long-distance races, who plays strongly year after year with only a few pigeons. It was therefore no surprise to us that we could visit the Silver Wing Barcelona 2023 in this loft. And even more remarkable is the fact that François played 6th national on Barcelona last year (2022) and can repeat this in 2023 (albeit with another pigeon).

In simplicity the master shows himself

It is pleasant to visit François and Gerda, friendly, delicious coffee and biscuits and strong in simplicity. François is one with head and hands. At 74, he looks sprightly and lively. He does not sit still, he is always busy with something. 
If it is not his pigeons, he is making a beautiful wooden toy in the traditional way, i.e. without using a nail or a screw. Delivering solid work....that was so in his professional past (self-employed construction worker for years) but also in practising pigeon racing. 
He has long been addicted to heavy-distance pigeon racing. Born into a nest of pigeon fanciers, he has been playing with pigeons from the age of 15. He learned the fine tricks of taking care of and motivating them on the speed races that were and are (fortunately still are) hugely popular in the Aalst area. 
In a later phase (and at their current home), he was bitten by the microbe of the long-distance races and knew where to get the mustard, namely in the Netherlands. Very early on, he looked for these strong racers at the then veteran long-distance racer Sam De Jong, where he bought some youngsters and eggs. He fetched the Dutch long-distance racers in other places, but most success came from the pigeons of Sam De Jong. 
With one of these pigeons, the basic breeder the Scalloped Whitebirds, a very broad base of pigeons that could do it in the toughest weather and conditions was laid.
The simplicity of this discipline in the heavy-distance is mainly in the quality of the pigeons and a transparent, simple system in care. This is the case with François and this is how he is put together. It has to be clear, manageable and structurally sound...and then the results will come.

The line of Den Bonten and his family as a common thread

François had been performing very strongly for years on end, but a lot of publicity is wasted on him. He does not advertise the performance of his pigeons and a true connoisseur will be able to distil this from the results. 

But when Den Bonten unleashed his devils in 2016, the spotlight did turn towards Meldert. Den Bonten (BE13-4255775) was ringed with an old ring and was only sent out on the trail on a very limited basis in 2014. In 2016 already (as a 2-year-old) he made scorching exits on two Rhone flights with rock-hard weather.

- Montélimar
1st provincial 423d
21st national 4,000d

- Marseille
1st provincial 226d
3rd national 2,166b
8th international 9,641b

Achieving this as a two-year-old pigeon on 2 rock hard races was a sign that there is a lot of power in these pigeons. His brother the Montélimar had also shown their strength with 3 early prizes on Marseille and Montélimar. François traditionally very much likes to play the Rhone Valley races because the pigeons that can do it there are usually strong pigeons.

Den Bonten is a direct son of Geschelpte Witpen (BE07-4368749) progenitor of the loft and directly from the lofts of Sam De Jong. François further spread this breeding line over his breeding loft and racing team. Here and there a dash of foreign blood is added (Peiren Noël, Boonen Gebroeders, Gilbert Van Hassel via Kris Steeman...) but he also does not shy away from breeding within this family (and that can be quite dense).

The line of Den Bonten (and even more specifically his father the Scalloped Witpen) is a line that inherits very well. For example, there is a superb reference with the Boonen brothers from Buggenum (Nl) who out of a hen by François (Miss Callebaut) won the 1st national Barcelona ZLU 2021 with their Caatje (1st national of 4,381 d). Miss Callebaut is a direct daughter of Den Bonten. 

The "Silver Wing" (BE20-4214417) brings glory to Meldert 

At 6.01 a.m. he arrived beautifully out of the flight line from Barcelona. 1st in the Club, 2nd provincial O-Vl, 6th national was the result. And with this, this beautiful blue cock, which from now on will go through life as the Silver Wing, brings honour and glory to Meldert. He repeats what a loftmate did to him in 2022, namely flying 6th national.
It is a very nice one in the hand, not too big but all just in proportion and very strongly built. This is also how François likes his pigeons. Big or small makes little difference to him as long as everything is in the right proportions....and preferably a soft plume.
He has a very strong pedigree in his blood. His father is a direct cock of Noël Peiren from the line of the Carcassonne and the As Perpignan. The mother is a half-sister of Den Bonten and comes from the basic breeding cock De Geschelpte Witpen x inbred to the progenitor. 

On the first flight Valence this year, he flew the 259th national and that was enough of a signal for François to basket him 1st for Barcelona with a Silver Wing as a reward.

He will now move to the breeding loft where he can try to perpetuate the brilliant tradition of top-flyers on the heaviest flights.

With the K of quality

You are not going to find the great mass of pigeons here. About 20 breeding couples are kept and sporadically something is brought in...a bit of milk in the coffee, but the coffee remains the old line of the Geschelpte Witpen (Sam De Jong) and the old strain. 

The focus is on the international flights heavy middle distance and nothing else. The heavy middle-distance and one-day long distance is used as a value meter for the forme and as a training course for the youngsters and yearlings.

This season we started with 15 old pigeons (older than yearlings) and about 20 yearlings. The yearlings prefer two heavy middle distance races and one or two one-day long distance races as a basis for the future.

A maximum of 50 youngsters are ringed and they are reared so that they have a few times a flight like Noyon or a little further in the wings.

Breeding is only done from March onwards as the losses of youngsters are also much more limited then.

The racers do not breed before the season and can incubate for about 10 days to allow them to be trained and easier to handle. After the season, they are allowed to raise a pair of youngsters to increase their nesting feeling and stability.

Many frivolities are not included in François' care. Before the season, a manure sample is sent by post to the vet. Based on these findings, action is taken or not but usually this is nope.  The lofts at François are healthy, tidy and daily maintenance is included in the hotel service...but no more.  Regular garlic and onion in the drinking jar, electrolytes on arrival home, some brewer's yeast and with this the menu is known. For feed, 3 mixtures of Paloma are put together (moulting, diet, flight) and they are fed in a trough on the bottom of the loft. After half an hour, the table is cleared. In season, the pigeons also get some candy seed as a snack.  On the other hand, we can say that nothing is left to chance. François is a winner and in case of a lesser flight, he will make an extra effort to bring them to the start in top condition on the next flight. That too typifies truly passionate players !

Besides the Silver Wing, there are some cocks that have more than earned their stripes.  We will pick out another one as an example, namely the Sint-Vincent (let's call him, because he didn't have a name yet...).Sint Vincent (2021)

• 1e club 51d
• 17e prov 721 d
• 64e nationaal 3.080 d
• Marseille (2022)
• 1e club 34d
• 28e prov 328 d
• 161e nationaal 2.326 d
• Pau (2023)
• 7e club 69 d
• 59e prov 822 d
• 176e nationaal 3.080 d
• Sint Vincent (2023)
• 1e club 71d
• 2e provinciaal 777d
• 8e nationaal 2.326 d

The father of this pigeon is a pigeon from Gilbert Van Hassel (Zele) via Kris Steeman, the mother in turn is a half-sister of Den Bonten (out of the base breeder the Scalloped Witpen).

With silver cutlery !

For François and Gerda, winning the Zilveren Vleugel is a fine crowning achievement of living a hobby without worrying much about what those around them think. Years ago, François decided for himself that the long distance is the branch of pigeon racing that appeals to him most. He started searching and selecting the right pigeons for it. He practices his hobby passionately, with a lot of drive and dedication and he remains faithful to simplicity in care. The quality of the pigeon, taking good and solid care of it and then testing it on the long distance. And above all enjoying the beautiful results. Quite a pure form of pigeon racing.

And now it will be looking forward to the coming flights and also looking forward to celebrating the Silver Wing.....a beautiful party with silver cutlery !

Congratulations from the Herbot team !

Geert Dhaenens