Some race results make you look twice.
Not because one pigeon arrives early, but because the deeper you go into the result, the stronger the performance becomes.
That was exactly the story for Milan van Win and Van Win Pigeons from Machelen on Saturday, September 12, 2026. From Melun, over a distance of 281.640 kilometres to the loft, Milan once again showed the depth that has become one of the trademarks of his 2026 season.
The eye catcher was a clean sweep of the first four prizes with the old birds in Verbroedering Zennevallei. But there was much more behind that result.
Across the three supplied classifications, Milan recorded 15 prize positions from 40 classification entries, an overall prize rate of 37.50%.
And once again, several different pigeons did the work.
Melun at De Warande Anderlecht: 8 Prizes Against 200 Pigeons
The broadest classification of the weekend was De Warande Anderlecht, where 200 pigeons were entered.
Milan basketed twenty pigeons and won eight prizes, giving him a 40.00% prize rate.
His first arrival was BE.26-2009406 in 15th place against 200, putting the youngster inside the first 7.50% of the result.
BE.26-4066548 followed with 22nd and 11.00%. Then came BE.23-2113907 in 36th and 18.00%, BE.23-2083822 in 37th and 18.50%, BE.26-2009465 in 38th and 19.00%, BE.25-2107785 in 46th and 23.00%, BE.23-2113923 in 54th and 27.00%, and BE.24-2056186 completed Milan’s winning team with 65th and 32.50%.
Eight prizes with twenty pigeons is already a good afternoon.
Seeing young birds and experienced racers mixed throughout that series makes it even more interesting.
Verbroedering Zennevallei Young Birds: Three Prizes Against 298
The young bird result in Verbroedering Zennevallei brought together 298 pigeons from twenty competitors.
Milan entered thirteen and won three prizes, giving the young team a 23.08% prize rate.
Once again BE.26-2009406 led the way. The youngster finished 18th against 298, equal to the first 6.04% of the field.
BE.26-4066548 took 30th and 10.07%, while BE.26-2009465 finished 51st and 17.11%.
For a young bird team this late in the season, that is exactly what you want to see. They are still competing, still winning prizes and still giving Milan something to work with for the future.
Verbroedering Zennevallei Old Birds: First, Second, Third and Fourth
This was the result that really made the afternoon special.
Seven pigeons were entered by Milan in the old bird classification of Verbroedering Zennevallei.
Four won a prize.
More importantly, they took 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th.
BE.23-2113907 won the race at 1,298.6781 metres per minute. BE.23-2083822 followed for second place. BE.25-2107785 claimed third, and BE.23-2113923 completed the sweep in fourth.
With four prizes from seven entries, Milan reached a 57.14% prize rate.
Numbers can sometimes make a performance sound more complicated than it really is.
This one is simple.
Four prizes available at the front. Milan took all four.
Five 2026 Performances That Show How Far Milan van Win Has Come
The Melun result fits into a season in which Milan has repeatedly performed in larger competition.
One of the strongest examples came from Limoges over 643 kilometres, where Milan recorded 356th against 2,583 pigeons in ZOB1. That result matters because it showed that the Van Win pigeons could also handle a completely different type of work from the fast middle distance races around Machelen.
Then came Melun on September 5. BE.26-2009415 raced to 49th against 1,268 young birds in Pajot Brabant, placing inside the first 3.86% of the entire field. Loft mate BE.26-4066548 also won 109th against 1,268.
Earlier in the season, Milan attacked Toury against 882 old birds in Zennevallei and recorded 11th, 66th and 67th. On Vierzon, one of his yearlings flew to 29th against 762 pigeons.
Another very telling result came from Melun on July 4. Against 517 old birds in Verbroedering Zennevallei, Milan won nine prizes from eighteen entries, headed by 3rd place. That is a 50.00% prize rate in a field of more than five hundred pigeons.
Put those performances beside what happened this weekend and a pattern starts to emerge.
Milan is not depending on one exceptional pigeon or one exceptional Saturday.
The team keeps appearing.
Ludwig van Win: The Mastermind Behind the Family Foundation
To understand Milan’s progress, you also have to understand what sits behind him.
The Van Win story in Machelen is a genuine family story, and Ludwig van Win is the mastermind behind the foundation.
Ludwig has spent years building the breeding colony with a very clear philosophy. Quality has to prove itself, selection has to remain strict, and if new blood is introduced it has to offer something capable of improving the family.
That approach brought pigeons into Machelen from names including Gaby Vandenabeele, Van Loock De Laet, Nick Stroeykens, Erik Limbourg, Erik Masset, Jeroen and Stijn Rans, Alex and Annie Rans, and the long distance lines of Aarden, Theelen and Van der Wegen. Roger Mertens and descendants from his famous Radja line have also had an important influence.
The results have not stayed inside the Van Win lofts either. Pigeons bred by Ludwig have produced strong performances for other fanciers, while Milan has been able to develop his own racing team from that carefully built family base.
That is perhaps the nicest part of the whole story.
Milan races his own pigeons and wants his own results. Gregory has his team. Dylan has his interests within the breeding side. Bryan and Ludwig are involved with Hok L&N.
But pigeon racing remains something they share.
There is knowledge around the table, friendly competition between the lofts and plenty to talk about after a race weekend. Milan’s results are his own, but the roots behind them were planted long before he started appearing at the top of these result sheets.
Something Interesting Is Coming for Van Win Pigeons
Followers of Van Win Pigeons should also keep a close eye on the coming weeks.
Some interesting auctions are being prepared, and the first sale will take place through Pitts.be. Exact dates and further details will follow soon.
For now we will not give too much away.
What we can say is that anyone interested in the Van Win family, their racing pigeons and the breeding work behind these performances should keep following PigeonBoss.com.
As soon as the auction information is ready, our followers will hear it here.
Milan van Win Keeps the Pressure On
September is here, but Milan van Win certainly does not look like a fancier simply waiting for the season to end.
From Melun he scored eight prizes against 200 pigeons in De Warande Anderlecht, three prizes against 298 young birds in Verbroedering Zennevallei and then finished the afternoon with that beautiful 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th with the old birds.
Another race. Another serious result.
And maybe that is the most exciting part of Milan’s 2026 season.
You start to expect him somewhere near the front.
Jan de Wijs
The Pigeon Boss
