Carlos & Xavier Vandemeulebroecke (Saint-Leger) : when top prices are a tradition !

Congeniality and simplicity in itself. Father and son linked in pigeon racing. Always in a good mood, positive and enjoying the beautiful aspects of pigeon racing. This is how you can describe father Carlos and son Xavier Vandemeulebroecke from Saint-Leger. No words, but deeds!

 

Nothing more to prove

We will illustrate the title with some top results :

1st international Agen yearlings 11,444 pigeons
1st national Agen yearlings 4,011 pigeons
2nd national Brive 4,384 pigeons
2nd national Limoges 6,949 pigeons
2nd national Narbonne 7,027 pigeons
3rd national St Vincent 3,080 pigeons
3rd national Montauban 4,801 pigeons
5 x 1st provincial champion long-distance KBDB

and in season 2022

1st champion long-distance and very long-distance LCB
1st champion long distance Brabantse Unie
1st Superstar July Fond - De Duif
2nd long-distance champion 1st and 2nd Derby Hainaut
2nd Competition 2022 Fond De Duif (Belgium)
1st champion long-distance Union Tournai
6th national KBDB long-distance champion 
Best pigeon Marseille international 2019-2022 (4 years)

Born and raised in the noble profession of farming, it is now practised by Carlos and his family in a secondary occupation. Feeling for nature, feeling for animals is always an asset when competing with the best in sports too. Convinced of the importance of a solid base (quality comes out sooner or later), they built their colony on a number of solid names (Bolle via Casaert, Casaert-Senechal, Lizoen, Delrue Ivan, uncle Henri Vanneste, Desmeyter-Restiaen, Patrick Dubois, Wilson Dekens, Frères Caro, Hardeman P., Bruno & Marvin Degand). From all this beauty a strain of pigeons capable of national top flight from 600 kilometres to Barcelona was grown. Their favourite grounds are the long-distance and heavy-distance races. In principle, they play the classic widowhood game with cocks, but when they also tested their hens in long-distance and very long distance races, it became clear that these ladies had a lot to offer with (inter)national top scores on top. Every year, a team of hens is prepared for the bigger races like Agen, Narbonne, Sint-Vincent etc... and with great success! As "fanciers" they are fine workmen. Carlos is an animal lover and connoisseur and has been since childhood, but he agrees without blushing that son Xavier has at least the same or even more feeling for preparing the pigeons. Xavier is highly motivated and is a good forme observer. He can observe the team like no other, in consultation with his father, and build up to the long-distance calendar. The results prove this abundantly.

Saint Emilion provided the ultimate confirmation with the international win from Agen
 

It was a hard, fair flight in very warm temperatures from Agen in 2018. International 11,444 yearlings were basketed and the pigeons were released at 8am. At 21h29, this beautiful red cock dived like an arrow out of a bow onto its loft in Saint Leger with an international win as its reward. With a minute speed of 961.10 metres per minute an illustration that it was no piece of cake and only the super talented could win this. 
It was no surprise for this loft, rather a confirmation of the quality of their pigeons and a kind of icing on their cake for the results already achieved before.
For this father-son duo, it was actually the beginning of some brilliant years. A trend that top to this day has not been stopped. Saint Emilion opened the gate for many more great top prizes in long-distance and very long distance.

 

Year after year, new strongmen stand up
Many in pigeon racing are well aware of the danger of success. Getting to the top is already an exploit in itself, keeping up in the lead is of another difficulty. This is only possible when new top birds are born and trained every year. For this to happen, there must be a solid breeding base that is bulging with quality. At Saint Leger with Carlos and Xavier, this is undoubtedly the case. Not a season goes by without new top pigeons showing up, yearlings emerging kneaded from the solid breeding strain. The results prove this.
As proof that this is not a 'finite results story' here on these lofts we show some of the current standard-bearers of the colony

 

These top pigeons and several more lieutenants ensured that Carlos & Xavier's colony was lauded back on several fine stages last season.
A Marseille topper over several years, top on St Vincent, 1st champion long distance LCB, top ranking De Duif and so on have once again proved the quality of this colony. 
They are also real "fanciers" in the true sense of the word, a very positive attitude, winners during the race but holding collegiality in high regard is an attitude that many know and appreciate. They are doing very well at Saint Leger, don't need to prove anything anymore, but go for the top every season, and successfully ! Congratulations and fingers crossed that it may stay that way !
 

In a limited auction on Pigeons Bids, Carlos and Xavier offer some children of their best pigeons for sale. Top quality first-hand from a loft that manages to achieve top performances year after year. An asset to every breeding loft !
Geert Dhaenens

Some toppers are