Schoukens Jurgen (Groot-Bijgaarden) wins 3rd Nat. Agen against 6,435 old birds

Groot-Bijgaarden - On a fine summer's evening at exactly 20:21:48, the blue hen with ring number BE22-2000769 landed on the Schoukens family's plateau. This performance earned Jurgen Schoukens first place at provincial level in Flemish Brabant and an impressive third place at national level in Agen, against strong competition from 6,435 old pigeons. In the combined result of old and one-year-old pigeons, the pigeon came 6th out of 13,831 pigeons.

BE22-2000769

The winning pigeon had shown earlier this year that she was in top form with a 36th place out of 1,347 pigeons in the Blois flight. "I didn't see her come home at the time because she wasn't released until Monday and I had to work," said Jurgen. In the loft, this pigeon is always a discreet presence, invariably making a nest on one of the lower trays. This particular hen will be placed in the breeding loft, in the hope of becoming the progenitor of many future winners. She was played on the nest at 12 days of incubation.

Pedigree

In terms of pedigree, the winning pigeon has a Barcelona pedigree on his sire's side. The sire is a proven show pigeon with Jurgen himself. 
The dam is out of Koen De Backer's "Inteeltje 719" (for more information on this line, see photo below) and Jurgen's "Agen Duivin", who also won the 1st Prov. Agen (and 6th Nat.). A line of pigeons perfectly suited to flying Agen!

Game System and Nutrition

Jurgen Schoukens' racing system is simple but effective. The pigeons are first trained up to 400 km, then they are played on the nest for the heavy long-distance races, which can include several positions. His son plays long-distance one-day races with widowers. Feed is Anthoons and Aidi, supplemented by plenty of tea and regular gentochol. In addition, the tea is made from herbs that Jurgen's father picks and prepares himself. For flights over 500 km, the pigeons are always given a recovery and protein pill.

A Demanding Hobby

For Jurgen Schoukens, pigeon racing is purely a hobby and a way to relax, but he strives to achieve the best results. "Next year, we'll be taking part with fewer pigeons. It's not always easy to combine work, pigeons and family balance," he admits. "Last June, I got up at 5am every day to get the pigeons to the start under ideal conditions, and that still weighs too heavily in combination with my work." Jurgen works in OV4 type 9 specialist secondary education, where a lot of work and meetings have been scheduled over the last month.

With this impressive performance in Agen, Jurgen Schoukens has put his name on the pigeon racing map and his dedication and love for the sport remains undiminished. 
Jurgen, the whole Herbots team congratulates you once again!

Maarten Herbots