Hok Bommerez from Heverlee confirms with 1st Prov Ace Pigeon great middle distance KBDB 2023

The colony of Michel and Maarten Bommerez from Heverlee in Flemish Brabant has continued its status in 2023. With their best hen “Chiara” they won 1st Prov. Ace Pigeon great middle distance KBDB and this hen also became 5th National Ace Pigeon great middle distance KBDB. For father Michel, pigeon racing is a hobby and will always remain so, family and his job have always stood for this. Now he is enjoying his retirement and son Maarten is more passionate than father Michel. It is not easy for son Maarten because he lives and works in London, but fortunately today's online world is an advantage for being able to follow a lot. As a result, they communicate very often and the cameras film the arrivals online so that Maarten can still experience his part of pigeon racing every week. 

Both Michel and Maarten each have their own opinion and they dare to differ, but that is perfectly possible. No one is flawless and there is always consultation. A pigeon fancier who makes as few mistakes as possible during the season will have a super season.

The 2023 season went well with a provincial victory at Chateauroux, several pigeons at the top of the national results and a test in the one-day long distance by participating in Souillac, where Maarten in particular was very much looking forward to the hen “Batwoman”. She was not disappointed and won an 11th National against almost 5,000 pigeons.

Olivier Poussart's references continue and with 3 National winners and a 1st National Ace Pigeon, he is also doing fantastically and you can rely on a very strong breeding loft here. They certainly want to continue on this path in the coming years.

The story behind this colony

In the early 1980s I had a few pigeons, but due to the busy job I stopped in 1986. In 1992 Maarten made his solemn communion and thanks to the good relationship with the late Filip and Jos Herbots, the pigeon sport started again, they learned a lot from both gentlemen and they are still very grateful to them for that. Over the years they wanted to go more and more towards the long distance and extreme long distance. Michel wrote articles and auctions for the Reisduif and LCB through which he came into contact with several fanciers. That love did not last because between the period 2000 and 2010 we could not be busy with the pigeons as we wanted, Maarten went to university in 2000 and in 2002 to Japan for his studies, so that everything went back to zero. Michel retired in 2010 and the extreme long distance pigeons were still present, but since 

Maarten's return to Europe in 2013, they had changed hands. They wanted to play with the pigeons and not wait for hours before all pigeons were home.
They focused on the Gaby Vandenabeele pigeons. They bought a few and got several on loan from the Herbots family, the Gaby blood also came to Heverlee through Theo Weytjens. Afterwards it was mainly the line of Patrick Vervloesem and Rik & Jan Hermans that did fantastic here.

In the current breeding loft they now have 2 main lines: “Gloria” and “Pelican” (Vandenabeele) and “Jaarling Dondersteen” and “Bazooka” (Rik Hermans). These were then supplemented with pigeons from, among others, Patrick Vervloesem, DVV, Annick Goeteyn, Jules and Yves Engels Theo Weytjens, Johny Jonckers, Jespers-Vanderwegen, Leekens-Bosmans, Wouters-Wouters, Gaston Van de Wouwer, exchanged with Willy Daniels etc. They currently have 40 pairs of breeders where they do a lot of re-pairing.

Best birds from the last seasons 

BE 20-2020339 “Chiara” Hen
1 Prov Ace Great Middle Distance KBDB 2023
5 Nat Ace Great Middle Distance KBDB 2023

1 Prov Chateauroux        1.038p ( 13 Nat 8.075p )
14 Nat (z) Argenton        1.472p
23 Nat Bourges                7.270p
26 Prov Salbris                    558p
32 Nat (z) Bourges          2.290p
49 Prov Salbris                    761p
50 Soissons                      1.344p
69 I.Prov.Vierzon              8.922p
74 Soissons                      1.615p
97 Nat Argenton              9.851p

½ sister “Aston Martin” 1 Nat Bourges 24.496p

½ sister “063” 14 Nat Ace long distance KBDB 2020 – 1 Trelou 1.037p – 8 Nat (z) Brive 747p – 11 Prov Limoges 2.365p – 12 Nat (z) Souillac 1.305p

Sire BE 15-4259525 Orpheus – Annick Goeteyn
Brother “Orlandor” 1 Nat (z) Tulle 2.572p – 10 Nat (z) Argenton 3.455p
Brother “Orlandia” 14 Nat La Souterraine 2.594p – 18 Nat Gueret 11.894p – 19 Nat Montlucon 19.298p
Brother “Andora” 2 Prov Orléans 3.578p
Son from super pair “Orlando” x “Nicofelia” who is grandmother from 2 x 1st National Bourges

Dam BE 16-2050543 Twice is Nice
½ sister “Octomove” 35 Nat Argenton 7.099p – 37 Nat Chateauroux 9.847p – 84 Nat La Souterraine 3.118p
Daughter from “Cheops” ( Rik Hermans x Vervloesem ) x “Guilty Pleasure” Gaby Vandenabeele

The first child to be auctioned from super hen “Chiara” after her super season of 2023

BE 23-2008565 “Nevada” 

BE 19-2027653 “Tiny Rebel” Hen

This hen has not stolen her name, as a youngster she was not trained and she was away from the loft for a few weeks. As a yearling she occasionally classified her well, but from 2021 she started flying top, she continued that in 2022 where she flew very strong but unfortunately was injured in June. She was then allowed to retire and go to the breeding loft, she classified her as 19th World Best Pigeon Middle Distance 2022.

  1 Prov Argenton         1.559p
18 NAT                        20.467p
  1 Club Salbris                761p
  3 Br.Unie                     1.655p
  2 Club Bourges          1.169p
  8 Nat (z)                      4.514p
  5        Soissons              574p
  7        Sermaises        1.370p
20        Melun               1.204p
67 Prov Vierzon          1.296p
68 Prov Bourges         3.095p

Sire BE 16-2289575 “Kalypso”
1/2 brother “Missing Wing” mother from “Patrick” 1st National Tulle 7.267p by Olivier Poussart
½ brother “Route 66” 10 Nat Bourges 8.340p and 16 Nat Bourges 10.173p
Son from “Pelican Cluster” 100% Gaby Vandenabeele x “Fijn Bont” Vanoppen Luyten

Dam BE 14-3150591 “Skyfall” Orig.Gaby Vandenabeele
Daughter from “399/10” Son Neptunus x “764/09” Inbred Champion Chris Hebberecht

There are 2 children of this top hen in this auction where “Tiny Rebel” was coupled to super breeder “Dirty Harry” from Patrick Vervloesem.

BE 23-2008567 “Jealous Guy”

BE 23-2008569 “Gin Tonic” 

BE 21-2072801 “Batwoman” Hen

Won an 11th National Souillac against 4,827 pigeons in a long distance race in 2023. 

She previously also won 13 Issoudun 556p – 19 Bourges 342p – 31 Gueret 488p – 49 Sermaises 924p

Sire BE 19-2027644 Big Shot – 100% Gaby Vandenabeele
Nestbrother “Big Louise” 3 Prov Salbris 1.832p
Son from “Big Deal” x “Eloise” ( Granddaughter Neptunus )

Dam BE 18-2009127 Isolde
Won 3 Chevrainvilliers 366p – 8 Nat Issoudun 10.603p – 25 Prov Fay Aux Loges 1.561p – 61 Prov Salbris 4.074p – 206 Nat Gueret 7.175p
Daughter from “Daydream” x “Platina Bliksem” ( Granddaughter and inbred Bliksem )

There is a full brother of this hen, which will represent the racing team in 2024.

BE 23-2008541 “Colossus” 

Pearls in the breeding loft

BE 18-2009125 “Tobacco” x BE 17-2148550 “Fifty Fifty”

They are the parents of “Carina” 1st National Bourges 33,615p and fastest of 57,621 pigeons in 2022, this top hen also won 4 Nat (z) Issoudun 2,145p – 18 I.Prov Bourges 1,120p – 30 Nat (z) La Basement 809dThis top hen is bred from "Tobacco" who is himself a ½ brother of "A-Team" who in turn is father of 1st National Tulle 12,334 pigeons. “Tobacco” itself was bred from “Tarantino” and is a son of the top couple “Den 30 x Marina” from Jespers – Vanderwegen. He was coupled to "Smokey Blue" from De Vroe - Van Gaver, who is therefore grandmother of 2 x 1st National.

“Tobacco” was coupled to “Fifty Fifty” who herself was a proven racing hen in the middle distance and sprint. She is a daughter of "Hugo Boss", he is a full brother of "Super Gaby" who father of "Devil Prince" of Gino Clique who won 1st National Montlucon 19.298p. He himself is a grandson of Bliksem from Gaby Vandenabeele. “Orphelia” was coupled to “Hugo Boss”, which comes directly from Annick Goeteyn and is a daughter of super couple “Orlando” x “Nicophelia”

The auction includes 3 children from that top couple

BE 23-2008550 “Boris Bourges” 

BE 23-2008501 “Bacardi Bourges” 

BE 23-2008410 “Beardy Bourges” 

BE 15-2000922 “A-Team” x BE 18-2009150 “Missing Wing”

They are the parents of “Patrick”, who won 1st National Tulle 7,267 yearlings and was the fastest of 12,334 pigeons by Olivier Poussart.
This couple therefore consists of “A-Team”, a cock who is also the father of “Vaper”. This pigeon won 7 x TOP 20 Provincial in the heavy middle distance and “A-Team” was bred from “Ferrero Rocher” which comes directly from Annick Goeteyn and is a son of “Memphis” x “Beauty Betsy”. “Ferrero Rocher” was coupled to “Smokey Blue” from De Vroe – Van Gaver, who is therefore grandmother of 2 x 1st National. She is a full sister of 1st National Bourges 41,783 pigeons.

“A-Team” was coupled to “Missing Wing”, this hen is inbred to the top hen “Route 66” ( father x daughter ), who won 2x TOP 16 National from Bourges. She is a daughter of “Pelican Cluster” 100% Gaby Vandenabeele via Theo Weytjens x “Route 66” ( daughter “Pelican Cluster” x “1/2 sister Super breeder 564” Patrick Vervloesem )

There are also 2 children of this top couple in this auction

BE 23-2009780 “Tokyo Boy”

BE 23-2008598 “Tsunami” 

Michel and Maarten, many congratulations on the current achievements here and elsewhere from the entire HERBOTS TEAM.
Buelens Kim