Ludo Engelen from Kuringen wins Orléan's race from Limburg for youngsters

As an annual tradition, the car flight from Orléans is always a party and special prizes are to be won. For the youngsters this is the first test towards the national races. The winner in 2023 can be found in the lofts of Ludo Engelen in Kuringen, for the first time in 18 years another winner from Greater Hasselt who can triumph in this special race.

Ludo had small young pigeons but his wife and children could no longer combine this, he was away for more than 30 years, but in 2012 he picked up the thread again. This thanks to his teacher Ferdinand Schroyen with whom he had previously worked. Ferdinand said, I'll make you a pigeon fancier and he has already kept his word. In recent years, several national ace pigeons have been won in the sprint and middle distance and Ludo competes with the very best colonies in a difficult regional combination of Central Limburg.

There is barely room for 7 or 8 couples in the breeding loft, rather be strict than bring half of them to the breeding loft. Ludo believes in good pigeons that will give you faster results than other pigeons.

Lofts

There are 6 racing lofts here, a loft for widowers ( 9 pieces ), a loft for hens ( 10 pieces ), 1 loft for young cocks that are raced on widowhood in the sprint, 2 lofts for youngsters that are raced with the sliding door and then another loft with late youngsters. 

The youngsters are trained well, starting at 3km and they have to be home before Ludo or it is not good. They must know the straight way home. The maximum that is driven is Hannut. After they have flown Chimay 3 times, the sexes are separated and they come together one hour before basketing. When they return home they can stay together until the evening or sometimes even until the morning after a difficult flight.

The winner of Orléans was something special, on the day of basketing Ludo released his young hens and after 3 hours a number of them were gone, including the winner. He knew from the last few weeks that the condition was good, but he would have preferred not to train so hard on Thursday. The training had no influence on her performance as she was the fastest of all 3,540 youngsters.

Between the beginning of March and June 21, the youngsters fly here 2x a day, later in the season this reduces to 1x a day.

The pigeons are checked by Ludo himself for tricho under the microscope, if a pigeon is infected, all pigeons from that loft will be checked and only the pigeons that have something of tricho will be given a pill and the others will not. A person who is not ailing does not take any medicines. When they return home and leave, the pigeons get a yellow drop in their mouths, which means that I have little trouble with tricho in general. If there are any problems, I always go for a checkup with Karlo Van Rompaey in Sint-Truiden. The feeding schedule is very simple, Superdiet from Beyers and Versele Sport Plus are mixed here and towards the end of the week the distribution always becomes less and less superdiet.

Winner Orléans 

BE 23-5042519 “Orleana” Blue Hen
1st Provincial Orléans 3.540 young birds

Father BE 21-5045246 Blue – 100% Schroyen – Henderix

Gr.F. BE 10-5123049 Son 491 - Schroyen – Henderix
            Superbreeder
            Father from 3 Nat Ace Middle Distance KBDB 2020 - 7 Nat Ace KBDB 2019
            Grandfather from 2 Nat Ace Middle Distance KBDB 2022
            Son from “491/06” Den 91 won himself 1/2.103p – 1/2.102p – 1/1.763p – 1/1.196p
            1/168p – 1/123p – 108p x “496/06” Sister 1 Prov Gueret ’06 Jules Lens 
Gr.M. BE 15-2202388 Blue - Schroyen – Henderix
            Daughter “491/06” Den 91 won himself 1/2.103p – 1/2.102p – 1/1.763p – 1/1.196p
            1/168p – 1/123p – 108p x “401/13” Daughter Pokkeman and sister 8th Nat Ace
            great middle distance KBDB 

Mother BE 20-5032438 Blue white feather – Etienne Pauwels

Gr.F. BE 14-2041931 Topracer – 3rd Ace pigeon young birds
            Won 1st Sourdun 6.659p ( fastest 11.774p ), 1 Sourdun 292p - 2 Chevrain 2.222p – 2de Chevrain 804p
            Son from “524/11” x “136/06” 
Gr.M. BE 18-5036224 Dochter Patrick – Luc & Geroges Hayen
            Daughter “321/13” The Patrick 1st Prov Fay Aux Loges 1.871p Vanoppen – Luyten
            x “970/12” De Schuwe 2nd La Souterraine 222p – 4 Pithiviers 204p

Ludo, congratulations from the entire HERBOTS TEAM on this great victory and may many more follow.

Buelens Kim