'Kannibaal', 'Di Caprio', 'Natalia', 'Olympic Niels', 'Blauwe Kannibaal Junior'....Dirk Van Dyck, Zandhoven

Dirk Van Dyck has become wordfamous thanks to top pigeon "BE95-6246005 Kannibaal", 1st National Ace bird Middle Distance KBDB 1996. The decission of the Van Dyck family to keep this one on their own breeding loft might be the best decission they ever made. Children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren are still putting super results on paper over the entire world both racing as breeding. A legend was born! Also names such as 'Rambo' and 'De Bourges' are names from back then that make a bell ring with many amongst us. So introducing Dirk himself isn't very necessary anymore. 

And evenso that he and his pigeons are world famous and have many Olympiad and Ace birds 'Kannibaal' blood running trough their veins, Dirk keeps on being the same lovable, quiet and fantastic good pigeon fancier. After being ill in 2017 he normally had to stop racing pigeons but not a single hair on his head thought of doing that and now he even feels more fit by the daily work he has taking care of the pigeons. Every year again he is to be found in the highest regions of the results and also on other lofts they keep on getting super results with the 'Van Dyck' blood. 

An overview of the season of 2020:

Melun (318 km) 5/09/20:

Union Antwerpen:1.830 youngsters : 6-7-8-9-88-95-111-216-282-321... 15/44
Union Antwerpen Zone West: 918 youngsters: 1-2-3-4-31-35-42-92-129-148... 15/44

Melun (318 km) 31/08/20:

Union Antwerpen: 355 old + yearbirds: 23-41-80 3/4
Union Antwerpen Zone West : 96 old+year birds: 9-12-24 3/4
                                                              1.085 youngstersn: 20-58-126-180-210-312 6/11

Melun (318 km) 22/08/20:

Union Antwerpen : 272 old+year birds: 10-18-67 3/4
                                       2.281 youngsters: 9-19-30-32-58-79-107-108-111-119... 35/61
Union Antwerpen Zone West : 164 old+year birds: 5-9-35 3/4
                                                              1.227 youngsters: 3-5-7-8-17-23-38-39-40-46... 37/61

Chateauroux II (534 km) 15/08/20:

Fond 2001 Sint Job : 531youngsters: 7-19-23-28-54-65-78-91-161 9/27

Sermaises (370 km) 1/08/20:

Union Antwerpen : 920 old+year birds: 5-15-31-160-178-244 6/11
                                        659 year birds: 5-15-27-116-127-167 6/9
                                        2.182 youngsters: 21-151-475 3/4
Union Antwerpen Zone West : 661 old+year birds: 4-8-18-114-124-171 6/11
                                                              462 year birds: 4-8-16-81-88-113 6/9
                                                               1.086 youngsters: 6-54-188 3/4

Fay-aux-Loges (410 km) 25/07/20:

Union Antwerpen : 1.177 old+year birds: 9-28-68-69-101-102-113-180-215-259... 13/26
                                         815 year birds: 8-23-50-75-76-84-155-181-208-253... 10/22
                                        2.805 youngsters: 13-23-50-93-139-183-223-225-290-337... 17/46
Union Antwerpen Zone West : 701 old+year birds: 2-14-31-32-54-55-62-99-121-145... 14/26
                                                              476 year birds: 1-9-19-36-37-42-81-99-111-136... 11/22
                                                              1.219 youngsters: 1-2-6-14-23-39-55-57-76-95... 22/46

Argenton I (563 km) 11/07/20:

Fond 2001 Sint Job : 363 old : 17-77 2/5
                                           473 year birds: 27-95-117...

Sermaises (370.655 km) 11/07/20:

Union Antwerpen : 3.797 youngsters: 1-67-85-86-134-155-187-210-230-231... 33/77
Union Antwerpen Zone West : 1.811 youngsters: 1-17-21-22-41-51-65-73-77-78... 35/77

Chateauroux I (534 km) 4/07/20:

Fond 2001 Sint Job : 338 old : 2-25-97 3/3
                                          770 year birds: 9-17-23-44-68 5/6

Bourges I (487 km) 27/06/20:

Fond 2001 Sint Job : 502 old : 5 1/2

Won Championships 2020

10 General Champion SMD 1st signed Union Antwerpen 2020
10th Championship Union King 1st signed SMD & GMD over 4 races

6 1st signed year birds SMD Union Antwerpen West 2020
7 1st + 2nd + 3rd + 4th signed youngsters SMD Union Antwerpen West 2020
7 Ace bird year birds SMD Union Antwerpen West 2020
7 1st signed Old SMD Union Antwerpen West 2020
7 1st + 2nd signed old SMD Union Antwerpen West 2020
8 Ace bird year birds SMD Union Antwerpen West 2020
9 Ace bird Youngsters SMD Union Antwerpen West 2020

Back to the beginning
It all goes back to the nineties, when he went for pigeons at many different top lofts out of the neighbourhood. Pigeons from direct competitors such as Maria Royberghs, Van Looy-Somers, Gommarus Leysen, Constant & Ronny, Denis and Frans Van Beirendonck. In 1993 they only raced Quiévrain and in that year of 1993 super racer and base breeder 'Rambo' BE93-6621023 was boprn, as year bird he won 3x 1st in Union Antwerpen. Afterwards he became father to ao: BE94-6323005 ‘De Bourges’: 2 National against 40,401 youngsters and before this result also already 54 Provincial Orléans against 12,570 young birds. One year after that top pigeon  BE95-6246005 ‘Kannibaal’ saw the light of live, a real super star that became 1st National Ace bird Middle Distance KBDB. 
He won ao: 

1 Marne 856b
1 Dourdan 727b
1 Dourdan 694b
1 Noyon 157b
3 Dourdan 1,060b
7 Orléans 5,140b…

The entire loft was being build from then on around these pigeons. The history of the 'Kannibaal' started right here! But Dirk does bring each year again some reinforcement to his loft in Zandhoven, pigeons from f.e.  Op de Beeck-Baetens, Marcel Wouters, Gaston Van de Wouwer, Marina Van De Velde, Luc, Bart & Jurgen Geerinckx, Leon Van Den Brandt, Marcel & Gunther Vercammen, Jos Vercammen and Leo Heremans, where top pigeon "Di Caprio" was bought - father to ao. ‘Olympic Niels’ BE08-6338005, 3 Olympiad bird Cat A Nitra 2013 and also grandfather to ao: ‘Natalia’ B13-6122204 1st National Bourges 10,141 year birds.

In the auction that is online from teh 19th of March until the 29th of March you can find a direct daughter from this 1st National winner  ‘Natalia’ namely BE20-6102880 (Lot n°1) and also a granddaughter ‘Blauwe Staf’ 1st National Ace bird short distance KBDB 2016 (Lot n°2), 3 grandchildren ‘Olympic Niels’, 2 grandchildren ‘Di Caprio’ (!!), so really the best of the best to be found on the loft of Dirk Van Dyck from Zandhoven.

Pigeons

Dirk diminished the amount of pigeons on his loft drastically after his illness in 2017. In total we are only talking about 8 widow cocks and about 45 hens who all race on the classic widowhood. The pigeons all reside in very healthy and dry lofts and have more then enough air circulation which is in favor of the healthiness of the pigeons. Every year he now breeds about 150 youngsters. 

Training and basketing.

In the beginning of the season they train twice a day. By the end of May (when races go over 300km) it is only once a day. The short distance pigeons can see their partner before basketing and this for about 10 minutes and after a race they can stay together for about 3 hours. Pigeons which are being basketed for the middle distance race are taken of the loft directly so they are being basketed really quiet. At arrival they do get to see their partners and this until the evening.  

Hens

Since 2012 he races with a lot of success with hens. 'Racing has never been easier', says Dirk. They are being coupled beginning of March and start of the season on a nest position. Their goal are the greater middle distance races (450 to 600km). The advantage of the nest position is that the hens are much more quieter, they know their job and won't be pairing up amongst each other either. From the end of May (1st National race towards Bourges) they go onto widowhood for about 4 weeks. To motivate them they can see their partners before basketing and can stay together after arrival until the day after. They also train once a day. 

New top pigeons

Next to ‘Olympic Niels’ there is another top pigeon of the newer generation namely ‘Blauwe Kannibaal Junior’. He won in 2 weeks time a first provincial: 

1 prov. Montluçon 1,322 b.
1 prov. Salbris 1,100 b.
21 prov. Chateauroux 2,478 b.
In his pedigree we can find no less than 4x top pigeon 'Kannibaal'.  

Also from this 'Blauwe Kannibaal Junior’ you find a grandson namely BE20-6103100 (Lot n° 6)

Dirk Van Dyck isn't only a worldwide known icon in pigeon sport but also a warm personality who still talks with a youthfull enthusiam when it concerns pigeons. He doesn't make the game harder than it is and when you race since 1973 you have seen a lot. 'Time changed, I remember well in 1976 we also had a really hot season as the past seasons we have now. This made that at the end of the season there were hardly any pigeons left to race with. Everybody just raced Quièvrain than!' 

A top fancier with top pigeons on his lofts where both Dirk himself as many, many others within Belgium and far beyond benefit off.