The final race of the year in the heavy middle-distance category was the national race from Issoudun. After considerable rescheduling and hassle, the race took place on September 12th. The fastest pigeon of the entire convoy was a young hen basketed under the name "Kaier Limburg" in Sint-Truiden, Limburg. The lofts are located in the garden of veterinarian Karlo Van Rompaey, with a separate section designated for the Kaier Limburg pigeons.

The initial pigeons arrived in 2024, alongside a few from PEC. However, to clarify matters for everyone, a separate section was set up to race them under the Kaier Limburg banner. A similar separate section will be provided next year to house the yearlings.

The winner is a young hen that was extremely keen to pair—showing interest in both cocks and hens. She was even very intense towards Karlo himself, which was the reason she was entered into the Issoudun race. A pigeon with this temperament doesn't fit my system, and there is little one can do with such a bird as a yearling. That is why she had to be entered; otherwise, she would no longer have been kept in the racing loft. It was a last-minute decision. Her sire comes from the very best of Rik Hermans' stock, while her dam is a granddaughter of Willem De Bruijn's "Secretariaat." This pair has produced excellent offspring that have secured top-3 finishes.

Young birds

The young birds in this loft were from the second round; like most young birds in June, they struggled initially due to the persistent heat. Consequently, the decision was made to focus them primarily on races between 200 and 300 km, building up their rhythm by adding extra midweek races or taking them for training tosses in between. That is why they did not compete in national races; they simply weren't ready for them. Instead, during the build-up, they flew two races from Sourdun and Melun, as well as the provincial race from St. Soupplets. Provincial races are particularly ideal for them, as they gain experience and learn to navigate across a wider area.

The pigeons were darkened until mid-June; from mid-July onwards, the lights were turned on and kept on until the Issoudun race.

Training takes place in the morning, with Karlo receiving significant assistance from his neighbor, Johan. Johan used to be a pigeon fancier himself but now acts as Karlo’s right-hand man; he lives just two minutes away. The sexes were separated once the pigeons had completed three races from Momignies.

Regarding nutrition, Karlo relies on Beyers mixtures, supplemented with Tovo and titbits. I handle the care and management entirely myself and check the pigeons regularly. This season, I chose to treat pigeons individually if an issue arose, rather than treating the entire flock. The only exception was a general pre-season treatment for trichomoniasis using Alazol; subsequently, I use a quarter-tablet of Flagyl. I maintain their baseline condition primarily with the support of Daflor products. It is challenging, especially with fluctuating weather; heat followed by humid days can be enough to impact the pigeons' overall health.

NL 26-8101396 "Home Alone" Hen 
(breeder: Kaier Europe)

1st National Issoudun 7,527 young birds (fastest of 8,754 birds)

Arrival: 14:42:16 
Distance: 491.219 km 
Avg. Speed: 1435.19 m/min