Though shalt not steal?
Thou shalt not steal?
Because there is little I hate more than shopping, my wife buys my clothes. As far as blouses are concerned, with one requirement. None without a small chest pocket for an even smaller notebook.
I don't read much, but when I go wild it's always a hit with that mini book. Because... If I come across a nice pun or comparison, it is noted. Just stolen, so to speak. What could come in handy one day goes into that booklet. Now I certainly don't want to call myself a writer, but I know that 'real' writers do the same. Below is what I read.
ROGER THIJS
You will not easily hear superman Roger Thijs address the pigeon fanciers with a microphone in his hands. He prefers to let others talk and has other talents. He can race with pigeons and knows how to distinguish sense from nonsense like no other. You could once read from Claessens that he finds nothing in pigeon sport as unimportant as feeding. Few will agree with him, but it is certain that many make it too difficult for themselves.
This Roger certainly doesn't. He feeds the same before the flight as after returning home. As happens with Team Baetens, Koopman and so many others. Roger has switched from training twice a day to once and has broadened his view when it comes to good pigeons. He imported Dutch birds.
You can also read that he has had it with summer youngsters, like Serge van Elsacker: No good! I mean with summer youngsters.
THONE AND LIMBOURG
Jos and Eric were once up-and-coming young talents, now they are greats and in between they have never been away. Decades of top racing can only mean one thing: Professionals with good pigeons!
Why they never really broke through in the Netherlands I have never understood. While Nico Reynders showed once again that the Thone pigeons are still national top. With a direct he won National Bourges, 18,634 pigeons.
BART VAN OECKEL
Bart is a smart one. When W de Bruijn and I were in the lofts of Geert Lambrechts a few years ago, I wanted to buy some, but I didn't get them.
Everything was booked by van Oeckel. He just won 1, 2 and 3 Provincial Toury. The 2nd and 3rd prize winner were pigeons from Geert. The winner had been given to them as a gift by Herman Bevers. Three pigeons on the podium and all three brought in testifies to sleeping at night. Just now I knew a new rising star. I told Celine and Geert without naming them. But wow. Bart was ahead of me again.
The former baker now excels on all fronts. That only works with a mass of pigeons, the days are too short to train them all in turn, but don't worry. You can also practise road training two of three times a week.
NOT EXPECTED
Former long distance phenomenon Jan Theelen proves that it can be done differently! He is well into his 90s and then to win a 1st Provincial without investing much, without any assistance and without riding much with the birds? Respect!
Thomas and Sally v d Linden Smets from Hoogstraten show that you don't have to have pigeons for ten years to perform. Here one could read about their start a few years ago. Thomas couldn't hold a pigeon but he is playing so well now. That goes straight to the top?
CASSAERT
Thijs managed to win a 1st National with half a Verkerk, Cassaert did the same on Interprovincial Vierzon (12.354 p). Jos Vercammen doubted a few years ago, but now there is also a Half Verkerk in his loft that can fly 6 to 9 minutes ahead in heavy weather against large participation. There was a time when some doubted the Verkerk pigeons. 'You can only play like that in a weak centre.' So now they know better. By the way, it is striking how often you come across superior 'NL-pigeons' more and more often in Belgium. For example, the much-discussed Kaier had the fastest pigeon of the total release in the first Middle Distance race this year. The four ancestors were all four Dutch.
WIND
You won't believe it, but some still doubt the importance of the wind.
Strong west or east winds guarantee 'unfair' races. Some results from South Holland give the impression that the pigeons in Ouddorp are superior. But then you have to see what kind of wind it was those days and where Ouddorp is located. You can't go any further west, then you end up in the sea. And when the wind comes from the east...
THE 'PASS SYSTEM'
What a convenience, you hear everywhere, but what a difference again with the Netherlands.
If you race a lot of pigeons in Belgium, you pay 288 euros in rent every year. If you buy a new system in the Netherlands, you have something almost similar for free.
Almost, because in order to follow the arrivals of fellow fanciers in particular, the Dutch have to move to another site.
And even then you only see the registrations of people with a 'Pass system'. Like in Belgium, where pigeon sport seems to be more expensive in everything. I once wrote about the border village of Merksplas.
Two fanciers wanted to start with pigeons. 'First get a coordinate at a cost of 300 €', they were told. When they heard that it was free 200 meters away (in the Netherlands), one paid anyway, the other was looking for another hobby. He didn't want to be a part of such a sport where you have to pay 300 euros for something an 8-year-old can do by pressing a single key. I wrote fiercely about it and fortunately that foolishness came to an end.
o.s. Photo: The 'nursery' of many a column