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A Record That Will Never Be BEATEN! |
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Tom Smith’s SPORT TALK
“A Periodic Presentation of News and Views from Around the Racing Pigeon World�?br>
by TOM SMITH Spring Hill, FL
Birdman32347@TampaBay.rr.Com
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When Michel Van Lint returned to competition in Belgium, he named his loft the Blue Heaven Loft. Little did he or anyone else know that name would be prophetic, because in the following three years the Van Lint pigeons performed as if they were angels sent from heaven! In that short period of time the Van Lint pigeons won:
1st National Bourges 285 miles 32,724 birds
1st National Bourges 21,796 birds
1st National La Souterraine 357 miles 17,545 birds
1st National La Souterraine 13,918 birds
1st National Bourges 10,670 birds
1st National Argenton 335 miles 6,924 birds
1st National Bourges 5,759 birds
1st National Bourges 4,753 birds
1st National La Souterraine 3,619 birds
1st National La Souterraine 3,150 birds
1st National Vichy 2,460 birds
1st National La Souterraine 1,564 birds
1st National Gueret 1,310 birds
1st National Vichy 333 miles 1,310 birds
1st National Vichy 875 birds!!!
Eight overall 1st Open Nationals among them!
Will this record ever be beaten??? I doubt it.
Having visited Michel several times, what have I learned? What is the key to his success? The Birds? Yes. The loft? Yes. The management? Yes. The breeding system? Yes. The racing system? Yes
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Have I left anything out? Yes! The man & his wife, the managers of the loft; a fanatical fancier and his very able assistant; partners in life and in the pigeons…�? a man with superior “loft sense,�?born to be a fancier and one who is constantly trying to progress, to improve.
When I handled Michel’s double National La Souterraine winning hen, he said “Tom what do you think of her?�?I looked at Michel and said “She’s wonderful…�?I have handled many such National winners, but you are the amazing one!�?I was thinking to myself “How many handlers are there in the world like Michel?! Not many.�?Performances like these have nothing to do with luck�?.
In 2007 Michel was walking into his club and overheard a competitor say �?em>Well, he didn’t win a National this year�?.�? Michel smiled to himself and thought, “What a nice compliment! They must expect me to win a National every year!!!�?/em> In 2007 he won only nine pure 1st prizes, but the Van Lint pigeons again flew like the wind in the Belgian Nationals, winning a multitude of top National prizes, such as 17, 29,34,54,55,67,71,82…National Gueret 14,996 birds; 19,35,56,97,101…National LaSouterraine 4314 birds; 8, 54, 162…�?National Bourges 16,023 birds; 1st, 15,32,33,43,45 Interprovincial Blois 5341 birds; etc.
Then Michel topped off the 2007 season winning 1st Ace Pigeon Middle-Distance Yearling Brabantse Unie 2007 with his blue bar cock “Damiaan.�?He was bred from a Jos Deno cock, son of “Ace Chiapuco,�?x AGNES sister of Michel’s AMOS 1st National Argenton, both bred by William DeBruijn NL. Damiaan’s pedigree is full of generations of great record birds.
In 2008 the winning continued with prizes such as 9,52,85,177,216…National Bourges 285 miles Zone C 6628 yearlings;6,11,18,29,52,88,99�?National LaSouterraine 357 miles 25,931 birds; 23,25,66,136,141�?National Gueret 354 miles 14,784 ybs; 30, 41,74,78,138�?National Gueret 2608 obs; 1st ,6,8,11�? Provincial OBs Brabants Unie Chateauroux 318 miles 568 obs; 1st, 2,3,6,15…Provincial Yearlings Brabants Unie Chateauroux 897 yearlings; etc. Michel was also winner of 1st Best Loft OBs and 1st Best Loft Yearlings Heavy Middle Distance OBRAFO Overall & Zone East (283 �?372 miles)!
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So I asked Michel what is at the base of these top performances. He mentioned the pigeons of course, the loft environment, the system of racing and conditioning, and then he said something else �?“Hygiene.�? He feels that without superior hygiene, racing pigeons can not perform up to their capability. Hygiene allows form to be cultivated. So he is constantly on the lookout for products to better the hygiene in his loft. He says that you must be careful that disease, unwanted germs, and detrimental bacteria are not brought into your loft by visitor or pigeons returning from races. A vat of disinfectant is kept at the bottom of the stairs leading up to his loft, so anyone entering must step in and disinfect their shoes. Michel has a different pair of shoes he wears in each section! Each section has a slatted floor, so the birds don’t walk on droppings and no grain lays on the floor soiled. Each section also has the modern self-cleaning nest boxes, an electric exhaust fan, and a heater. The loft is “state of the art.�?br>
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The Van Lint race birds are medicated upon their return home, and the whole loft is disinfected regularly, but not with strong chemicals; that is a thing of the past. Chemical disinfectants, sanitizers, fungicides, virucides, even cleaners, such as are used in poultry houses can be too strong for pigeons. The most modern way is the natural way. Michel has tried many products over the years and has now settled on two natural products that he says are “superior:�?Avibac Cleaner and Avibac Stabitizer, both from the well known German pigeon products manufacturer Rhonfried. These are a new generation of natural products that are based on probiotics and work in concert with each other. Avibac Cleaner is sprayed throughout the loft, creates a micro-flora formed of probiotic bacteria on all surfaces. No scrubbing or brushing is necessary, and it is biodegradable. Avibac Cleaner is mixed with water at the rate of 3% - 10%. Once mixed, it must stand for ten minutes to allow the bacteria to activate. The mixture’s potency lasts five days.
Michel then uses Avibac Stabitlizer. This product stabilizes the good probiotic bacteria and keeps the micro-flora active. It is applied twice a week , more often if there is a breakout of disease in the loft. Mixed one part Stabilizer to two parts warm water activates the bacteria. It is then sprayed 100 ml over about 50 square meters. Michel says his loft is healthier than ever since using these natural Rhonfried products.
“One must never stand still in the pigeon sport or you will be left behind…�?�?/p>
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