The closing weeks of the 2015 season have proved particularly successful for Freddy and Jacques: they have won 16 first prizes at club level, and several more top prizes at provincial and national level.

Freddy & Jacques Vandenheede (Zingem, BE) have a great end to the 2015 season

Freddy & Jacques Vandenheede (Zingem, BE) have a great end to the 2015 season

The Vandenheede brothers have had another outstanding racing season, with a national victory from La Souterraine against 6,116 yearlings (4 July) as their most notable achievement. They continued to perform at a consistently high level in the second half of the national racing season in August as well. It appears that their racing team was not yet satisfied – they wanted more. The Vandenheede pigeons showed their value in the final six weeks of the season: they continued to win, to dominate, and to excel. Below is a summary of their highlights this season. A palmares sometimes says more than words:

02/8 Bourges   80 olds: 2-3-4-7-10-19-25-27 (8/9)
       Prov 1,257 olds: 11-20-22-58-87
       Nat  9,256 olds: 232-336-359-732-944
02/8 Bourges  188 YLs: 1-3-5-7-8-10-15-16… (22/32)
       Prov 2,392 YLs: 15-26-34-95-101-125-177-181… (19/32)
02/8 Bourges  826 YBs: 1-2-3-37-40-56-97… (23/53)
       Prov 8,415 YBs: 33-41-49-311-349-531-998… (17/53)

02/8 Libourne 146 YLs: 1-2-4-6-14-22-25-27… (16/30)
       Prov 1,448 YLs: 7-8-58-99…
       Nat  5,890 YLs: 21-22-190-299-738… (8/30)

08/8 Chateaudun 116 YLs: 1-2-3-5-6-7-9-10-12-13-15… (22/33)
       Prov     410 YLs: 4-7-18-21-23-25-29-34-41…
08/8 Chateaudun 461 YBs:
1-2-3-4-5-8-9-12-13-16-18-19-22-23… (68/116)
       Prov   4,634 YBs: 2-3-9-10-11-21-22… (top 50)

08/8 Chateauroux 402 YBs: 4-9-15-16-20-21-22-31-33-37… (26/53)

16/8 Villemandeur 266 YBs:
1-2-3-6-7-10-11-12-14-16-18-19-21-22-23-24-25-30-32… (56/111)
       Prov 2,885 YBs: 2-5-8-25-28-37-38-39-41-46-50… (top 50)
16/8 Villemandeur Prov 180 YL: 2-3-4-5-12-14… (top 15)

16/8 Argenton 164 YBs: 1-12 (2/3 with 1st and 2nd nom.)
       Prov 2,733 YBs: 3… (top 50)
       Nat 11,223 YBs: 32-1260 (2/3)
16/8 Argenton
       Prov   211 olds: 16-17 (2/2)
       Nat  1,759 olds: 120-129 (2/2)
16/8 Argenton
       Prov   423 YLs: 11-13-15-16-19…
       Nat  2,418 YLs: 56-62-70-79-85-162-185-444 (8/9)

23/8 La Souterrraine 198 YBs:
2-3-4-7-8-10-13-18-22-23-24-25… (28/38)
  Prov 2,682 YBs: 7-28-29…
  Nat  9,760 YBs: 24-108-110-269-307-371-496-597-665… (24/38)
  Prov   437 olds: 2-5-6-8-11-12-14-17-19…
  Nat  2,548 olds: 7-13-16-19-27-28-35-40-43-56-62-82-83-96… (26/41)

28/8 Issoudun 289 YBs: 1-4-7-9-12-15-17-18-20-21… (38/73)
       Prov 2,874 YBs: 5-9-20-41… (top-50)
       Nat 11,984 YBs: 13-26-62-149-218-251-259-272-278-297…
(with 27 prizes per 10 and overall 42/73)

06/9 Chateauroux 177 YBs:
1-3-4-5-7-10-11-13-14-15-16-18-19… (36/62)
       Prov    2,367 YBs: 7-11-22-41… (28/62)

They won a number of first prizes at club level in August as well: a first prize old birds and yearlings from Villemandeur, old birds and yearlings Argenton, old birds Chateaurdun, old birds Libourne and old birds La Souterraine.

This was quite an impressive end to the season. These results indicate that there is a new generation of highly talented young birds ready to rise to the top. These pigeons will be the future stars of the Vandenheede pigeon family and they will be a force to be reckoned with.

The fanciers from Zingem have now put an end to the season. They have won a national first prize from La Souterraine this year and they are likely to win a number of titles as well, which shows that 2015 has been a splendid season for Freddy and Jacques. According to the first predictions, they will be winning the following titles:

-3rd + 8th National Ace Pigeon Extreme Long Distance yearlings KBDB
-7th National Ace Pigeon Long Distance old birds KBDB
-10th National Ace Pigeon Longer Middle Distance old birds KBDB
-15th National Ace Pigeon Long Distance yearlings KBDB

We will definitely come back to this excellent pigeon collection and their palmares in another report later this year, when the championship titles have been awarded. It goes without saying that this loft will be winning several championship titles at the end of the season. This loft has had one great season after another, which is quite a feat. Well done!