WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO CONCENTRATE ON THE VANDENEBEELE BIRDS?

IT WAS BACK IN THE LATE SEVENTIES, EARLY EIGHTIES THAT I NOTICED THE NAME OF GABY VANDENABEELE WHEN STUDYING RESULTS IN A BELGIAN MAGAZINE. AT THAT PERIOD OF TIME WE HAD ALL THE PIGEON MAGAZINES FROM BELGIUM, HOLLAND AND GERMANY POSTED TO THE UK TO ENSURE THAT OURSELVES AT MYRTLE LOFTS WERE UP TO DATE REGARDING THE BEST FANCIERS AND THE BEST BLOODLINES THAT WERE WINNING AT THAT MOMENT IN TIME. WE NO LONGER PURCHASE THESE MAGAZINES NOW BECAUSE IT’S SO MUCH QUICKER TO RECEIVE THE SAME INFORMATION USING THE WORLD WIDE WEB. AT THAT PERIOD OF TIME WE PURCHASED ALL THE MAGAZINES AS AN ADVANTAGE OVER OUR FELLOW COMPETITORS BUT NOW WE ARE ALL PLAYING ON A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD PROVIDING YOU OWN OR HAVE ACCESS TO A COMPUTER.

THROUGHOUT THE EIGHTIES GABY VANDENABEELE WAS IN THE RACE RESULTS FOR WINNING AN AVERAGE OF AROUND TWENTY TO TWENTY-FIVE FIRSTS A YEAR AT CLUB LEVEL WITH GOOD TEAM PERFORMANCES IN PROVINCIAL RACES. IT WAS AT THIS TIME I SPOKE TO MY FATHER, EXPLAINING THAT THIS UNKNOWN FANCIER TO MANY WAS GRADUALLY GETTING BETTER AND BETTER AND IT WAS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE HE HIT THE BIG TIME AT NATIONAL LEVEL. THE FOLLOWING YEAR 1987 GABY VANDENABEELE WON 1ST BELGIUM NATIONAL LIMOGES 13,631 YEARLINGS AND ONLY ONE YEAR LATER GABY WON 1ST BELGIUM NATIONAL BOURGES 13,154 OLD BIRDS BEATING A TOTAL LIBERATION OF 63,176 BIRDS. WHAT REALLY STOOD OUT AFTER WATCHING GABY’S PERFORMANCES WAS THAT HIS PIGEONS FLEW EXTREMELY WELL AS A TEAM AND ACCELERATED INTO A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN IN HARD HEAD WIND RACES. THESE WERE THE BLOODLINES I HAD BEEN LOOKING FOR, FOR SEVERAL YEARS.

IT WAS SUCH A PLEASURE TO WATCH A SO CALLED YOUNG FANCIER GETTING BETTER AND BETTER YEAR AFTER YEAR. IF THIS WAS IN TODAY’S TIME AND BECAUSE OF THE INTERNET HIS E-MAIL AND PHONE WOULD HAVE NEVER STOPPED WITH ENQUIRES FOR YOUNGSTERS AND OFFERS FOR HIS TOP RACERS. LUCKILY FOR ME AND MY FATHER THE NAME OF GABY VANDENABEELE WAS STILL VERY MUCH UNKNOWN TO A VERY HIGH PERCENTAGE OF THE UK FANCIERS. AFTER OVER TEN YEARS STUDYING GABY VANDENABEELE AND WATCHING HIM CLIMB TO THE TOP AND CLAIM HIS TWO 1ST X NATIONAL VICTORIES I WAS ITCHING TO GO AND LOOK AT WHAT HE HAD TO OFFER. I SPOKE TO MY FATHER REGARDING MY PLANS AND MADE ENQUIRIES FOR US BOTH TO VISIT GABY. AFTER A COUPLE FAXES BACK AND FORTH, OUR ARRANGEMENTS WERE MADE.

IT WAS A VERY COLD FOGGY FEBRUARY MORNING THEN WE ARRIVED AT GABY’S HOME IN DENTERGEM, BELGIUM. THIS WASN’T A GOOD START TO THE DAY AND I REMEMBER THINKING WHEN WE WALKED DOWN THE GARDEN TO GABY’S LOFT THE BIRDS WOULD LOOK MUCH BETTER WITH A LITTLE SUNSHINE ON THEIR BACKS BUT, BELIEVE ME, GABY’S BREEDERS DIDN’T NEED ANY SUN TO MAKE THEM LOOK GOOD. GABY’S RACE RESULTS WERE GOOD AND THE BIRDS WERE EVEN BETTER. MY FATHER AND I WERE BOTH SO IMPRESSED WITH WHAT WE WERE SHOWN, WE INCREASED OUR PRE-PLANNED YOUNG BIRD ORDER BY ALMOST FIVE TIMES WHAT WE INTENDED TO SPEND. ONE THING THAT REALLY IMPRESSED US WAS THAT THERE WERE A LARGE AMOUNT OF OTHER FANCIERS IN EUROPE ALREADY WINNING WITH GABY’S BLOODLINES. DIFFERENT FANCIERS WINNING IN DIFFERENT AREAS AND RACING DIFFERENT SYSTEMS. TO US THIS SHOWED THE REAL QUALITY OF THE VANDENABEELE BLOODLINES AND THE TRUST IN GABY FOR SELLING THE RIGHT WINNING LINES TO OTHER LOFTS.

ARE MANY OF THE BIRDS NOW YOUR FAMILY DUE TO INTENSE, RELATED BREEDING?

I DO BELIEVE DUE TO THE FACT THAT SOME OF THE TOP WINNING MYRTLE LOFTS PIGEONS ARE FIVE AND SIX GENERATIONS AWAY FROM THE OLD GABY VANDENABEELE ORIGINALS THAT MANY FANCIERS DO CONSIDER THAT OUR BLOODLINES HAVE BECOME OUR OWN M & D. EVANS FAMILY.

I DO THINK THE MAIN REASON FOR OUR SUCCESS YEAR AFTER YEAR IS DOWN TO INBREEDING AND LINE BREEDING WITH THE WINNING GENES WE ALREADY OWN PLUS THE FACT WE INVEST IN NEW PIGEONS EVERY YEAR. WE NEVER STAND STILL AND WHENEVER A GOOD PIGEON COMES UP FOR SALE (VANDENABEELE OR NOT) WE HAVE NO HESITATION IN TRYING OUR HARDEST TO OBTAIN HIM OR HER FOR OUR OWN BREEDING LOFTS. REMEMBER YOU CAN NEVER HAVE ENOUGH TOP PIGEONS, EVER, BUT WE WILL ONLY INTRODUCE PIGEONS WITH THE SAME ABILITY TO WIN RIGHT THROUGH TO NATIONAL LEVEL AND IN HARD DAY RACES IN HEAD WINDS. AT MYRTLE LOFTS WE HAVE BEEN KNOWN TO CULL BREEDERS THAT ONLY PRODUCE WINNERS IN HIGH VELOCITIES. MANY OF OUR TOP BREEDERS AT PRESENT ARE PIGEONS WE HAVE SOLD AS YOUNG BIRDS FROM THE NEST BUT BECAUSE OF THEIR SUCCESS AS BREEDERS OR RACERS IN HARD DAY COMPETITIONS FOR OTHER FANCIERS WE HAVE PURCHASED THEM BACK REGARDLESS OF THE COST. THE KEY TO MYRTLE LOFTS' BREEDING OF SO MANY CLASSIC AND NATIONAL WINNERS IS DOWN TO CROSSING HARD DAY PIGEONS TO HARD DAY PIGEONS AND AGAIN THIS IS A REASON WHY FANCIERS NOW SAY THEY ARE OUR OWN M & D. EVANS FAMILY.

WHAT PERSONALITY TRAITS ARE THE BASIS FOR YOUR HUGE SUCCESS AS RACERS/BREEDERS OF CHAMPONS?

ALL STOCK MUST HAVE A PEDIGREE FULL OF WINNING BLOODLINES AT NATIONAL LEVEL. BOTH MY FATHER AND I LIKE A MEDIUM-TO-SMALL PIGEON FOR RACING. I AM NOT TOO FUSSY IF I PURCHASE A MEDIUM-TO-LARGE PIGEON FOR BREEDING BECAUSE IT’S EASY TO DOWN SIZE THE NEXT GENERATION BY SELECTION OF THE RIGHT MATE. NEITHER MY FATHER NOR I BELIEVE IN EYE-SIGN BUT I DO LIKE TO SEE A PIGEON WITH A REAL DARK RED EYE THAT SHINES LIKE A DIAMOND. I DON’T LIKE PEARL EYED PIGEONS AND I AM RELUCTANT TO HAVE TOO MANY IN MY BREEDING LOFT BECAUSE THIS WILL REPRODUCE DOWN THE LINES, RESULTING IN A WEAK GENETIC LINK AT A LATER DATE. I ALSO LIKE TO SEE A GOOD STRONG DARK BAR ON A BLUE BAR PIGEON AND MORE SO IF THE THIRD BAR IS SHOWING ON THE WING. OVER THE YEARS IN OUR OWN LOFTS I’VE NOTICED THE WEAK BARRED PIGEONS DON’T BREED GENERATION AFTER GENERATION. LONG KEPT RECORDS HAVE PROVEN THE FACT THAT WE AT MYRTLE LOFTS HAVE HAD VERY LITTLE SUCCESS WITH SUCH PIGEONS. BY NATURE MUTATIONS OCCUR AROUND EVERY THIRD GENERATION. THIS CAN THEN BE USED TO OUR ADVANTAGE USING ANY POSITIVE MUTATION TO PROVIDE BENEFICIAL GENETIC ENHANCEMENT. WHEREAS ANY SIGNS OF NEGATIVE DILUTED GENES SHOULD, I BELIEVE,  BE ELIMINATED. (THIS WOULD HAPPEN IN THE COURSE OF NATURAL SELECTION, IE THE WAY NATURE INTENDED.)

NOTED FOR SPRINT/MIDDLE DISTANCES UP TO 500 MILES, DO YOU SUPPORT MY INSIGHT THAT SOME BIRDS OF YOUR ORIGIN, IF MANAGED WELL, WILL RACE AT MARATHON LEVEL?

BOTH MY FATHER AND I DO BELIEVE YOU MUST OBTAIN PIGEONS BUILT SPECIFICALLY FOR THE KIND OF RACING YOU LIKE. IT’S NO GOOD OBTAINING SPRINT PIGEONS IF YOU WANT TO WIN AT CLASSIC & NATIONAL LEVEL. THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT TYPES OF BLOODLINES AROUND. I PERSONALLY WOULD RECOMMEND OBTAINING VERY GOOD MIDDLE DISTANCE PIGEONS BECAUSE WITH THE RIGHT MANAGEMENT THESE SAME BLOODLINES WILL WIN AT SPRINT AND ALSO EXCEL AT LONG DISTANCES. THIS WILL NOT BE ACHIEVED BY OBTAINING JUST OUT AND OUT SPRINT OR OUT AND OUT LONG DISTANCE BIRDS. A SPRINT BIRD WILL HARDLY EVER WIN A 600 MILE RACE AND A LONG DISTANCE BIRD WILL HARDLY EVER WIN A 70 MILE SPRINT RACE. IT IS ABSOLUTELY NO DIFFERENT TO HUMAN ATHLETES BEING SELECTED FOR THEIR SPECIFIC TALENT AT LONG DISTANCE OR SPRINT RACING. NEITHER WOULD BE ENTERED INTO THE OPPOSITE CATEGORY, BUT CHOSEN FOR THEIR GENETIC BUILD TO EXCEL IN THEIR PARTICULAR FIELD.

DO YOU PLACE PERFORMANCE ABOVE MERE PHYSICAL SELECTION CRITERIA?

YES PERFORMANCE ABOVE MERE PHYSICAL SELECTION CRITERIA EVERY TIME. CHAMPION PIGEONS COME IN ALL SHAPES AND SIZES, SO THE BASKET AND RESULT SHEETS ARE THE REAL JUDGES IN WHO OWNS THE CHAMPION RACERS AND THE GOLDEN BREEDING PAIRS. THERE IS NO BETTER SELECTOR OF PIGEONS THAN THE BASKET, AND EVERY GOOD FANCIER SHOULD TELL YOU THIS. THE MOST VALUABLE BIRDS IN YOUR LOFT ARE THE GOOD BREEDERS. ONCE A BIRD SHOWS PROMISE AS A BREEDER YOU SHOULD NOT RISK IT IN ANY RACE. THE BIRD MAY CONTINUE TO WIN, BUT YOU MAY LOSE IT AND IT IS MORE VALUABLE AS A BREEDER OF FUTURE RACERS. YOU SOMETIMES HEAR FANCIERS SAYING "EVERYTHING IN MY LOFT MUST RACE". THE SMART FANCIERS DON'T RACE THEIR GOOD BREEDERS.

DON’T BE FOOLED, GOOD LOOKING PIGEONS WITH LONG PEDIGREES DON’T ALWAYS MEAN A LOT. IN THE OLD DAYS THE BEAUTY QUEENS AND MISS WORLDS WERE SELECTED AND ELECTED PURELY ON THEIR EXTERNAL (ADMITTEDLY NOT UNATTRACTIVE) MERITS, AND THE RESULTS WERE UNFORTUNATELY THAT THESE LOVELY LONG-LEGGED CREATURES WERE OFTEN AS THICK AS TWO SHORT PLANKS (SADLY LACKING IN THE INTELLECTUAL DEPARTMENT). RACING PIGEONS ARE NO DIFFERENT.

ANY NEW STOCK WHICH IS INTRODUCED TO MYRTLE LOFTS WILL ONLY BE PURCHASED FROM A PROVEN RACING LOFT WITH WINNING SUCCESS NOT ONLY FOR THEMSELVES BUT WHICH ALSO HAS, LIKE MY FATHER AND I, A SUCCESSFUL RECORD FOR PRODUCING WINNERS FOR OTHER FANCIERS. ALL NEW PIGEONS PURCHASED MUST CARRY A FULL PEDIGREE WITH TOP WINNERS OR TOP BREEDERS NO MORE THAN TWO GENERATIONS AWAY. MANY FANCIERS DO SAY THE PEDIGREE IS OF NO IMPORTANCE; THEY COULD NOT BE ANY FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH. HONEST PEDIGREES CAN PROVIDE YOU WITH THE MOST VALUABLE INFORMATION REGARDING THE GENETIC HISTORY OF ITS FAMILY AND THEREFORE GREAT INSIGHT INTO ITS POSSIBLE POTENTIAL. THE PEDIGREE TEACHES YOU HOW TO KEEP A SUCCESSFUL WINNING LINE GOING OVER A PERIOD OF SEVERAL GENERATIONS BY USING A COMBINATION OF BROAD BASED LINE-BREEDING, BUT PLEASE REMEMBER INBREEDING AND LINE-BREEDING SHOULD ONLY BE PRACTICED WITH WORLD-CLASS PIGEONS. THEN AT THE RIGHT TIME CAREFUL OUT-CROSSING IS ALWAYS AN INTEGRAL PART (IN THE LONG RANGE VIEW) OF ANY SUCCESSFUL INBREEDING LOFT. NEVER START INBREEDING WITH ANYTHING BUT THE VERY BEST STOCK. DO NOT EXPECT TO TAKE MEDIOCRE BIRDS AND IMPROVE THEIR QUALITY BY USING THIS SYSTEM. INBREEDING QUICKLY SHOWS UP ALL THE GOOD QUALITIES BY ALLOWING THE BEST ASSOCIATION OF GENES, BUT IT ALSO SHOWS UP THE FAULTS.

AT THIS POINT I MUST AGAIN STRESS THAT YOU MUST NOT GET CARRIED AWAY WITH OUTSTANDING GOOD LOOKING PIGEONS. THERE ARE FAR TOO MANY FANCIERS OUT THERE THINKING BECAUSE IT IS GOOD LOOKING AND HANDLES SUPERBLY IT IS GUARANTEED TO PRODUCE THE GOODS. ON MANY OCCASIONS IT IS THE TOTAL OPPOSITE. A PRIME EXAMPLE OF THIS IS THE TOP GABY VANDENABEELE HEN “SISSI”. TO SUM IT UP IN ONE WORD, SHE WAS A BREEDING MIRACLE. THE THING ABOUT HER IS SHE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN MOST GOOD FANCIERS' CHOICE OF PIGEON AND UNTIL SHE PASSED AWAY SHE WAS THE PRIZE POSSESSION OF AD SCHAERLAECKENS.

I WOULD LIKE TO CONCLUDE WITH A FEW WISE WORDS FROM AD SCHAERLAECKENS. HE QUOTES: “TO GET A GOOD BIRD YOU NEED LUCK. WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT PIGEONS? THE BELGIAN GUY WOULD NEVER HAVE GIVEN ME SISSI IF HE KNEW HE HAD SUCH A GOOD BIRD. THE GREAT CHAMPIONS WHO WANTED MY PIGEONS BUT NOT THOSE OF SISSI BEFORE 1995 WERE ALL WRONG IN JUDGING THE QUALITY OF BIRDS. THEY WANTED HER CHILDREN WHEN IT WAS TOO LATE AND I NO LONGER HAD THEM FOR SALE. YOU ARE NEVER SURE ABOUT THE QUALITY OF A BIRD BUT THAT’S THE NICE THING ABOUT THE PIGEON SPORT. IF WE COULD SIMPLY LOOK AND SEE THAT A PIGEON WAS GOOD, THE SUPER BIRDS WOULD SOON BE IN THE HANDS OF PEOPLE WITH MONEY”.

SISSI IS WELL KNOWN ALL AROUND THE WORLD FOR TWO THINGS. FIRSTLY SHE WAS WITHOUT DOUBT ONE OF THE WORST HANDLING AND UGLIEST LOOKING PIGEONS EVER TO HAVE EXISTED. THE SECOND THING THIS HEN IS WELL KNOWN FOR IS ITS OUTSTANDING RECORD FOR BREEDING TOP CLASS PIGEONS AND I DO BELIEVE WITHOUT DOUBT SHE WAS THE BEST BREEDING HEN OF ALL HOLLAND. THIS PROVES THERE ARE NO FIXED CONNECTIONS BETWEEN OUTWARD BEAUTY AND INTERNAL QUALITIES, NEITHER BY MAN NOR BY PIGEON. WE WOULD NO MORE ENTER MISS WORLD TO WIN THE LONDON MARATHON, THAN WE WOULD ZOLA BUD (THE AMAZING LITTLE RUNNER WHO TOOK THE WORLD BY STORM) TO WIN THE MISS WORLD COMPETITION.

THERE IS A TALE TO TELL WHICH I WOULD LIKE YOU ALL TO THINK ABOUT WHEN PAIRING UP YOUR STOCK NEXT WINTER. THE STORY GOES: THE FAMOUS IRISH AUTHOR, GEORGE BERNARD SHAW (YOU HAVE PROBABLY SEEN THE MUSICAL MY FAIR LADY WHICH IS BASED ON HIS PYGMALION), ONCE GOT A TEMPTING OFFER FROM AN ACTRESS WHO OWED HER FAME MORE TO HER SULTRY SEX APPEAL THAN TO HER ACTING TALENTS. SHE WROTE THAT SHE PASSIONATELY WANTED TO HAVE HIS CHILD BECAUSE IT WOULD HAVE HER WONDERFUL FIGURE AND HIS INTELLECT! OBLIGING AS THEY ARE, MOST MEN WOULD HAVE CONSIDERED THIS AN INVITATION THEY COULD NOT REFUSE AND TAKEN HER UP ON HER FRIENDLY OFFER. BUT THE IRISH WRITER, FAMOUS FOR HIS SARCASM AND CUTTING WIT, WROTE BACK TO SAY THAT HE WAS SORRY HE COULD NOT RESPOND TO HER PROPOSAL SINCE IT COULD ALSO TURN OUT THEIR OFFSPRING WOULD HAVE HIS BUILD AND HER INTELLECT!

HOW DO WE CREATE OPTIMAL RACE CONDITION? DO YOU ADVISE ANY SUPPLEMENTS?

THE SECRET TO SUCCESS CANNOT BE FOUND IN A BOTTLE. I DO BELIEVE THERE ARE TOO MANY FANCIERS OUT THERE THAT ARE ADDING SUPPLEMENTS AND TONICS IN THE WATER DAY AFTER DAY AND NOT GIVING THEIR PIGEONS ENOUGH CLEAN CLEAR WATER TO KEEP THE BODY FLUSHED OUT AND FUNCTIONING CORRECTLY. WE HAVE USED SUPPLEMENTS AND TONICS ON OUR PIGEONS BUT WITH A LIMITED USAGE.

TO GET THE BEST FROM YOUR PIGEONS, HAVE A DRY WELL VENTILATED LOFT WITH NO DRAFTS BLOWING IN. EXERCISE TWICE A DAY WITH GOOD QUALITY CORN, FED BOTH MORNING AND NIGHT. DON’T BREAK DOWN, BUT FEED AS MUCH AS THEY CAN EAT. THE MORE CORN THEY EAT THE MORE CAPABLE THEY ARE FOR EXERCISE, AND THE MORE THEY FLY THE MORE THE MUSCLE WILL DEVELOP. THE MORE DEVELOPED THE MUSCLE BECOMES THE FASTER THEY WILL RACE.

WHO WOULD YOU GO TO IF AN OUTBREED WAS DESIRED?

AT MYRTLE LOFTS WE ARE ALWAYS ON THE LOOKOUT FOR BETTER PIGEONS THAN WE ALREADY OWN. WE NEVER SIT BACK AND WE ARE CONSTANTLY STUDYING OTHER FAMILIES OF PIGEONS TO SEE IF WE CAN IMPROVE OUR OWN BREEDING LOFTS. OUR PRESENT DAY M & D. EVANS FAMILY ARE MAINLY MADE UP FROM THE GABY VANDENABEELE BLOODLINES (ABOUT 80%) WITH CROSSES FROM KAREL HERMAN, FLOR VERVOORT, ROBERT WILLEQUET, LOUIS DELEUS, NOEL & DAVID LIPPENS, LEO BROECKX, KOEN MINDERHOUD PLUS OTHERS.

THIS YEAR WE HAVE INTRODUCED SEVERAL NEW BREEDERS FROM THE VERY BEST OF JOS & JULES ENGELS (9 X 1ST BELGIUM NATIONAL WINNERS) AND WE HAVE ALSO SPENT A SMALL FORTUNE ON THE DE RAUW-SABLON BLOODLINES WHICH ARE TAKING EUROPE BY STORM AT THE MOMENT MAKING UNBELIEVABLE PRICES AND ATTRACTING INTEREST FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD. I MUST SAY NONE OF THE NEW STOCK WILL BE CROSSED INTO OUR OWN M & D. EVANS FAMILY UNTIL THE BASKET PROVES THAT THEY ARE IN THE SAME LEAGUE FOR PRODUCING WINNERS AT CLASSIC & NATIONAL LEVEL.