Gregory Taillieu (Ename-Oudenaarde) wins Orléans Provincial East-Flanders

Each year again it is a bit of a fuzz at the start of the 1st provincial race of the year. Whether you race short distance, middle distance or long distance, you mostly basket pigeons as you just like to race them. For the short distance racers and the middle distance racers it is a true classic, for the long distance racers a good opportunity to get some kilometres in their wings. 

The openingsrace in East-Flanders (OVV-FVOV) no less than 10,762 old and yearlings and 9,265 yearling birds were basketed. A real hit what the amount of participating pigeons is concerned. 

The coming weeks these pack of pigeons is being split up un smaller compartments along middle distance, greater middle distance, long distance and extreme long distance. 

The weather gods aren’t at our side the past few weeks. How happy Frank De Booser gets from this kind of weather, the worse it is for pigeon sport. Strong winds, hard rain and hailstorms aren’t the best circumstances to race in. Also for the release responsible it is very hard to see between the rain showers and the several different weather sites. 

The pigeons from Orléans were released a bit before noon but weren’t spared of rain amongst their way or at arrival at home. That they would get high speed was clear from the beginning and every experienced pigeon fancier shivers at that point afraid of losing pigeons. The race had a slower course than in normal circumstances and the influence of the air layers and winds is noticeable in list of result.

Marcos (BE18-4074919) from Gregory Taillieu from Ename Oudenaarde left everyone behind

Proud as a peacock…the sympathetic Gregory from Ename with this victory. Gregory is 30 years and lives together with his wife Evi and son Liani in Ename. A second baby, a baby girl is on its way and they worked hard to renovate their home nicely. Gregory has had a lot of bad luck due to injured neckbones and he hasn’t been pain free the last years. It was so bad that he had to say goodbye to his profession as a carpenter and made the switch as a designer in an architect office. Pigeon sport is his ideal relaxation and passion but also here he has to take on the care with a lot of prudence to spare his body. But the Taillieu family isn’t a family that gives up. With the help of his father Johny, brother Geoffrey and the entire family and especially the support of his wife Evi, helping hands are never far away and this is what you feel when talking to them. There’s one road and they are all on the same road in the same direction. 

Gregory has been racing since 5 years on the current address and this with a lot of success. It’s in their blood as father and brother also basket their pigeons on a weekly base. 

Last Saturday it was an absolute field day in his still very young pigeon career. It was the beautiful 3-year old cock ‘Marcos’ that took on the distance between Orléans and Ename as a rocket and became the fastest of the entire participating pack. As a tribute to his grandfather Marc he was baptised ‘Marcos’. With an average minute speed of 1727,2498 m he was so fast that the second pigeon isn’t even on the picture anymore, to say it in cycling terms. 

Marcos is a beautiful cock, very soft feathers, a nice wing, a strong pigmented eye and strong muscles and a strong carcass. A real classful one. In the past he already set down a nice palmaris :

A few nice results of the past years :

• Chevrainvilliers                  61/254b
• Chateauroux                      832/4,588b (prov)
• Argenton                             12/438b
• Argenton                             287/22,826b (nat)
• Montluçon                          21/149b
• Bourges                               27/292b
• Chateauroux                      12/317b
• Argenton                            19/252b
• Quiévrain                            5/690b

And as the crown on the work the work the recent Orléans with the 1st over the entire line.

Marcos is of noble blood ! His father was a strong racing pigeon from Gregory who moved to the breeding loft and is 50% strain Schellens/Van Dijck and 50 % Tom Van Gaver. His mother is a direct Tom Van Gaver hen and has the old strong strains from Tom’s pigeons in her genes. 

He was raced on the classic widowhood as a cock and didn’t get to see his hen before basketing. The pigeons are being basketed as quiet as possible and at arrival the reward of a waiting partner is there. 

 De Troostprijsspelers…..(Consolation prize players)

What started off as joke of group young passionate pigeon racers grew out to be a success story. It is a nice story. A few young motivated starting and a few a bit more experienced young guys that found each other in pigeon sport. Since a few years of laughing, partying but even better, helping and stimulating each other in pigeon sport. And this with results. With a jest, a joke, an encouraging, a switch of pigeons,…this resulted in the meantime in super results

Members of this funny pack are Van Gaver Tom,  Tallieu Gregory , Saelens Andres , Van Cutsem Jens , De Troyer Jonathan , Prinz Jonas , De Maeseneer Philip ,  Bombeke Dries , Neirynck Davy , Goetry Matthias

Introducing Tom Van Gaver and his top results isn’t necessary, Philip De Maeseneer won last year Ace bird Youngsters KBDB GMD, Davy Neyrinck had an amazing season with his hens last season and also the other members could be found with weekly victories and/or head prizes on a local, provincial and national level. 

Something like this is a blessing for pigeon sport. Young, motivated fanciers work contagious and hopefully they can trigger others to influence our declining membership amount. 

A quality full loft

Gregory has 10 breeding couples. Also out of the racing pigeons is being bred each year. Gregory breeds together with Davy Neyrinck from Baaigem-Gavere (brother in law to Tom Van Gaver). They young cocks go each year to Gregory and the young hens go to Davy. 

The base of the pigeons is for 90% pigeons from Tom Van Gaver accomplished with 3 pigeons out of the starting team from Gregory, a strong racer from Jan Haesaert (Mater-Oudenaarde) and one from long distance man Franky Van Lerberghe.

Also can Gregory make us of the breeders from Tom Van Gaver to strengthen his own breeding loft.

The season was started off with 27 widowcocks and about 46 youngsters (almost all of them cocks). The youngsters normally have 2 national races and have enough experience as year bird. They are being motivated during the season with a few older hens. 

Correct and good care, but the quality of the pigeons is what the difference makes. 

Gregory’s loft are spic and span. As a carpenter and with the help of this father and brother everything is well thought over and nicely finished. The care is good without being fanatic. The food is from Beyers (Gaby, Sport light Galaxy, Energy) and the pigeons are being fed royally and being fed up towards basketing. The widow cocks train once a day freely. 

At arrival they get electrolytes in the drinking pot, and yellow drops both for the racing pigeons as for the home staying hens. Brewer’s yeast, Zell Oxygen from Herbots and Avidress are the used supplements. 

But above all it is the quality of the pigeons that make the difference. Gregory possesses of strong breeding loft, the origin is top and his pigeons are piece by piece full of quality. 

A wonderful victory and a super motivation for a young and passionate fancier surrounded by a nice family and supporting friends. How beautiful can a hobby be ! 

A big congratulation from the Herbotsteam !

Geert Dhaenens