Olivier & Justin Poussart - Vaulx-Les-Chimay: 1st National ace ½ Fond yearling.

Olivier & Justin Poussart - Vaulx-Les-Chimay: 1st National ace ½ Fond yearling.

 At the start of the new 2024 season, we were welcomed to Vaulx-Les-Chimay by Olivier Poussart and his son Justin, who are undoubtedly among our country's best middle distance racers. If you are still in doubt, here is a summary of the best performances of this colony.

A palmares most of us can only dream of!

1st National ace small middle distance yearlings KBDB 2023.
8th National Champion Large middle distance old and yearlings KBDB 2022.
13th & 28th National Ace pigeon large middle distance yearlings KBDB 2022.
21st National ace pigeon great middle distance old KBDB 2022.
1st National Bourges I against 33,410 old 2022 (fastest of 57,631 pigeons).
1st National Bourges II against 24,221 yearlings KBDB 2022.
1st National Zone B4 Argenton III - 1,110 old KBDB 2022.
1st National Zone B4 Argenton IV - 388 yearlings KBDB 2022.
1st National Ace pigeon Great middle distance yearling KBDB 2021.
13th National Ace pigeon Great middle distance old KBDB 2021.
1st National Tulle 7,267 yearlings 2021.
1st National Zone B4 La Souterraine II - 512 old 2021.
1st National Zone B4 Bourges I - 4,164 old 2021.

History and origins of the colony:
Like many fanciers, this is also a family story where it all started in 1978 with the help of his grandfather, Zenob Mercier, from whom he got his first pigeons. This adventure lasted into the 1990s before there was a five-year break.
It was in 2000 that everything could start (again) at the current address with pigeons from his brother, Daniel Poussart de Bourlers, who played mainly long-distance. At the time, Olivier concentrated more on the Rhone line, like many amateurs in the region, where he soon achieved good results.
It was also thanks to his brother that Olivier came into contact with Paul Santens. 
The latter was an avid young pigeon fancier and played in Sint-Martens-Latem in the province of East Flanders.
A friendship soon developed between the two men and each year they exchanged 20 youngsters.
Later, when Paul Santens stopped playing, he decided to give all his breeders (about 10 pairs) to Olivier. Spicy detail...Paul mainly owned pigeons from the very best of Gaby Vandenabeele. Pigeons he bought from Marc Evans from Withley Bridge in the UK, who only had Gaby Vandenabeele. So we can say that the main strain is based on Gaby Vandenabeele's pigeons.
Every year, young pigeons are added from Patrick Vervloesem from Rijmenam, with whom he exchanges pigeons and with whom he also has a close friendship.
He can also count on the colony of Michel Bommerez, from whom 15 to 20 youngsters are bought every year, as well as 20 youngsters from PIPA. (PEC)
To strengthen the breeding team, Olivier sometimes places a good flyer in the breeding loft, such as this year "Emilie", the 1st National ace pigeon small middle distance 2023.
Finally, we should also mention a breeding cock from Geert Munnik of Noordbroek in the Netherlands.
As you can see, the colony has a solid foundation with reputable, high-quality bloodlines and pedigrees. We were lucky enough to judge quite a few pigeons from these pigeons and we can only note exceptional quality.

Olivier's teams.

The colony has about twenty breeding pairs, which were paired on 18 December this year. The racers also raise their own youngsters, which are played with. Olivier and Justin have already found out several times that even from the racers, toppers can be born, which often leads to very nice surprises! Regarding the racing team, Olivier and Justin can count on a solid team of 50 hens, divided as follows: about 30 yearlings and the rest are the older experienced hens. The latter can stay in the team until they are 3 years old, after which they can enjoy a well-earned rest. At that age, some will join the breeders or become partners for the racers. The hens all have their own place where they spend the day in peace and are darkened until 10 May. From late June/early July, the days are artificially lengthened again.  All partners stay at home and they are not played with. This requires extra work, but the loft construction has been well thought out to be faster and more efficient. The department for the cocks staying at home is located between the different departments of the hens. You just have to open the sliding doors for the partners to join the hens. The work is shared equally between father and son Poussart and it is hard work every day, early in the morning, in the dark, even with a headlamp at the beginning of the season before going to work. But this little anecdote proves that nothing is left to chance and they work hard. The same goes for the widowers (team of 30 cocks, including 10 old ones), who also have a stay-at-home partner. Partners are never shown at basketing but when the racers come home, the partner must be ready. 
For the season, hens and widowers start flying home in early March. And, as with most fanciers, we have not escaped attacks by birds of prey, which have already claimed 6 victims since the start of the season. At the beginning of the season, they fly the flag and as soon as a certain period of one-hour training, the first training flights can take place.  The pigeons are trained 4 or 5 times before flying to Vervins (first flight with the club) to start the season. As for the youngsters, each year a team of 120 youngsters (2 rounds) is formed to provide reinforcements for the future. The youngsters are also darkened and the sexes are separated about 3 weeks before the first national race to play them on the sliding door afterwards. The first round will be played "full" and the second round will be played a little more "on reserve". They are trained about 15 times before leaving for the first competition. After the season, the cocks and hens are paired and continue to brood on calcareous eggs until the nest is abandoned. Then they all go to an aviary to complete their moulting in the best possible conditions.

Care and medical follow-up of the colony

Such results cannot be achieved without meticulous and impeccable medical follow-up to keep the pigeons healthy and fit every week. Medical care is provided by veterinarian Vincent Schroeder. Two visits are scheduled every year and there is regular telephone contact. Droppings are also sent regularly so that immediate action can be taken if necessary. Again, nothing is left to chance! In autumn, all pigeons are treated against paratyphoid and then vaccinated. Before the season, they are vaccinated against paramyxovirosis and smallpox. The youngsters are also vaccinated several times. The first time with the RP vaccine, followed by PHA and smallpox. They were also given a 14-day course of Paracoly before finally receiving the final vaccine against paratyphoid. In this way, the youngsters are protected as much as possible against the various infections that could jeopardise all or part of the season. 
On the medical front, the Schroeder schedule and system is applied during the flying season. On each return, the racers are given something in the water (for respiratory, tricho, etc.) for 2-3 days, depending on the race and flight schedule.  Drops are also administered in each nostril. The pigeons are fed Beyers mixtures. A fairly simple but effective scheme is followed with mainly 3 mixtures during the season (Purification, Galaxy sport light and Galaxy Energy). They are fed twice a day  During the racing season, they get Purification from Sunday to Monday evening. Then Galaxy Sport from Tuesday morning until the Energy mixture on Wednesday (the last ration is given one hour before basketing) Each time with a transition of 50/50 mixture. On Wednesday, each pigeon gets extra fat by giving them 3 to 4 peanuts.  Grit, pecking stone and other minerals will also be available daily.

An exceptional track record!

This is a list of all the top rankings Olivier and Justin have won at Vaulx since 2015!

2015
2nd and 9th Nat. Argenton against 11,223 youngsters.
8th Nat. Tulle yearling 8,621d.

2016
1er Nat. Bourges yearling 19,889d (fastest of 39,628d.)

2019
1st Ace pigeon Nat. KBDB small middle distance old and yearling.
3rd Ace pigeon Nat. KBDB small middle distance old.
3rd Ace pigeon Nat. KBDB speed yearling.
4th Ace pigeon Nat. KBDB small middle distance yearling.

2020
1er Nat. Guéret old 7,175b (fastest of 20,063b).
13th Ace pigeon Nat. KBDB Grand Demi Fond pigeonneaux.
14th and 21st Ace pigeon Nat. KBDB Fond old.
12th Nat. Bourges yearling 12,888b.

2021
1st Ace pigeon Nat. KBDB Large middle distance yearling.
1st Nat. Tulle yearling 7,267b (fastest of 12,334b.).
13th Ace pigeon Nat. KBDB Grand Demi Fond Vieux.
12th Nat. Châteauroux yearling 22,196d.
14th Nat. La Souterraine yearling 14,037d.
4th, 7th and 18th Nat. La Souterraine old 3,118d.

2022 
1er Nat. Bourges old 33,410d.
1er Nat. Bourges yearling 24,221d. (1 and 2 fastest of 57,631d )
5th et 14e Nat. Bourges old 33,410d.
2nd et 9ième Nat. Argenton old 5,160d.
1er Nat. Châteauroux 1936d.
3rd Nat. Châteauroux youngsters 17,081b.
8th Nat. Guéret Yearling 12,208b.
8th Nat. Argenton 2,276b.
6th, 7th and 10th Nat. Châteauroux 1,936b.
8th Ace Nat. KBDB Large middle distance old and yearling.

2023
1er Ace pigeon Nat. KBDB small middle distance yearling
1er World Best Pigeon catégorie Sprint Belgique 
4th World Best Pigeon Catégorie Sprint FCI 
9th Nat. Châteauroux 2,331d.

We wish Olivier and Justin Poussart a great season and hope to add to their extraordinary palmares!

For the Herbots team,

Lelièvre-Damit Julien