SURINX-PLETSERS WIN PROVINCIAL MELUN (Limburg) FASTEST AGAINST 7,329 BIRDS

Nieuwerkerken: Man-wife tandem Hilaire Surinx and Nadia Pletsers don’t need any introduction. They aren’t only known as the owners of the beautiful full-colour magazine La Colombophilie Belge where they publish monthly interesting articles about pigeon sport in all its aspects, but are also known for their top results. In a far past, namely the year 2000, they became 1st National Champion KBDB Long Distance young birds and didn’t have an ‘off’ season since. The ones who know Hilaire and Nadia know that they are true fanciers. From the 1st until the very last race they are present at the basketing table. ‘Racing pigeons’…that is what they like to do or in other words, it doesn’t care whether it is a short distance, a middle distance or a long distance race…they will always be there for the full 100%. And if there is a bad result they will always look at themselves first and will never find excuses somewhere else.

The base of this strong Limburg colony is based onto the pigeons of ‘Nationaal I’ (Schellens/Herbots) and “Clerinx/Soontjes” (also trough Herbots). The past years they heavily invested in off spring of the national KBDB ace bird “Yvan” (Herbots Gebr.) and with the purchase of the wonder “Boonen” ( B06-8017514 – 11 x 1st ) they won a “win-for-life” ticket. Hilaire bought several original Devos pigeons a few years ago and also here the successes came quick. Goossens-Druart won in 2018 the 1st National Montélimar (fastest against 6,694b) with a direct Surinx-Pletsers pigeon born out of 2 direct Etienne Devos pigeons.

MELUN PROVINCIAL
Pigeon season 2019 is almost at full speed. Hilaire and Nadia placed some old pigeons on Vierzon, 5 old and 40 year birds on the provincial race out of Melun and some on a short distance race. Hilaire explains: “It is not because I’m the winner of the race, but first of all I want to thank the provincial KBDB management led by chairman Wim Kempeneers, for their marvellous initiative they took to organize provincial middle distance races. Already two weeks in a row we had about 9,000 pigeons per race and all of this looks promising for the coming weeks. A cheaper game against many pigeons…who can be against this?

But let us talk about the race itself. Our provincial winner has the name ‘Bonk’ written on his pedigree and is part of a 36-headed cocks team that is being raced on total widowhood. Despite most of them don’t have a fixed partner or box, ‘Bonk’ does have a fixed partner and his own spot on the loft. Our cocks and hens are placed during the week on a department with only shelves to sit on and at the day of basketing they are being motivated by opening the door to the ‘party-zone’. This is a loft which has many dark corners to hide behind. It is a coincidence that the race out of Melun was the first one where they could go onto this motivation loft. For the former races they were taken straight out of their resting spot without any motivation. As from now on they will be motivated weekly.

Resting loft cocks

Resting loft hens

Motivation loft

As every year the old and yearling pigeons were darkened. This darkening was stopped last week and might also gave the pigeons a small boost. Honesty obliges us to tell that the result of last week wasn’t that great and we had several cocks that got home with picked-on eyes. For that reason we gave all cocks drops in the eyes during 3 days, these alternating with drops from Raf Herbots and ‘Avisal’ drops from Röhnfried. ‘It is all a bit of work but according to us, this is something that pays off.’
And as you see…Hilaire and Nadia act an re-act quickly and no effort is too much to get their pigeons into a top condition.
We already mentioned that Hilaire and Nadia had 5 old and 40 year birds (which were being doubled with the old birds) basketed for this provincial race . If you ask us they have every reason to be satisfied with the result…and we think they are.
Melun (304km) provincial 7,329 old: 1-19-34-35 and so on… (24 prizes out of the 45 pigeons per 4)
Melun provincial 2,947 year birds: 1-10-21-21 and so on… (19 prizes out of the 40 pigeons per 4)
Another not to underestimate detail we like to mention…the past weekend a full brother of ‘Bonk’ won at Torsin-Rubais (Ecausinnes) the 1st Soissons (138km) against 1,366b. Again proof that winning is in their blood.

"BONK" B18-5036416
1st PROVINCIAL MELUN 7,329b.

Nadia and Hilaire… let this nice victory be a stimulus for the rest of the still young season! We already look out for your next victory.

Stefan Mertens