Wat anderen schrijven over BLUE HEAVEN LOFT

Source: published in “THE BRITISH HOMING WORD” magazine
(last august 2012)

While I’m writing about China, Michel van Lint lived in the Republic of China, the island nation of Taiwan, for over 20 years racing pigeons, plus importing pigeons and products from Europe for Taiwanese fanciers. Taiwan has been know to have the biggest pigeon racing money prizes in the world, and their system of racing requires that a bird compete week after week, in every race, to win prize money. Many times Michel told his Belgian compatriots that the level of competition in Taiwan was equal to or maybe even higher than that of any country in the world, including Belgium. Belgian fanciers just smiled. Then he moved back home to Belgium in 2002 and proceeded to shock the racing pigeon world by winning 15 x 1st National in three years.

Michel was a good pigeon man when he left Belgium for Taiwan, but was a Master when he returned. Of course we must not forget that he came back to Belgium with a Chinese wife, Yu-Chin, who works hand in hand with him on the birds. Michel’s ‘China experience’ had honed his skills razor sharp, and he knew how to condition pigeons to give their utmost race after race. However, he says that firstly you need the right pigeons first and ‘I have to thank my friend William DeBruijn of the Netherlands for breeding my latest champion’. Michel’s latest champion is a super pigeon, a blue cheq tic hen named Mysterie Lady. In four racing seasons she won 12 in the top 100 National prizes and six in the top 30 National prizes! In total she flew almost 40,000km (24,000 miles), which is equal to 36 x Barcelona.

Michel believes rest means rust; the body should move as much as possible, both pigeons and humans. Racing pigeons were made to race, and race often. Michel, who is a young 87, and his wife, Yu-Chin, do all the loft chores themselves. He says, ‘My pigeons must fly every week regardless of the weather conditions, the wind, or the number of days in the basket. Every week they have to prove their capacity’. Mysterie Lady proved she was able to follow the rhythm and the pressure. As a young bird she competed in all the Belgian National young bird races winning several good prizes.

As a yearling she flew an astonishing 22 races, 10,000km (6,000 miles) that year, and many fanciers said she was burned out. However, she went on as a 3y and 4y to win prize after prize in National and Semi-National races. In fact as a 4y Mysterie Lady scored 1st La Souterraine Zone C, 357 miles, 2,097b, 3rd National 4,778b; 28th Semi-National Chateauroux (1), 318 miles 8,189b; 30th National Chateauroux (2) 17,109b; 70th National Gueret, 333 miles, and 97th National Argenton, 335 miles, 5,763b, plus several other prizes. She is living proof that the Michel van Lint’s philosophy works. An amazing pigeon, and an amazing handler. Recently Michel won 1st and 3rd Provincial Brabant Bourges 1,978 yearlings, 5th and 12th National Bourges, 285 miles, 14,571 yearlings. The loft is having another good season.

TOM SMITH