Walking through Nederhorst den Berg these days, you can still feel the electricity hanging in the air. What Louis and Herman Pouw pulled off last weekend borders on the unbelievable. On the provincial middle distance flight from Pont Saint Maxence, the men of Gebr. Pouw Pigeons proved that they are simply not to be trifled with. They snatched the absolute grand prize against a massive field of no less than 9962 pigeons. This is no ordinary victory anymore, this is pure dominance of the highest level, experienced with a massive amount of fun and a healthy dose of swagger.
The thrilling race of the first provincial
The conditions were perfect for true speed monsters. With a nice tailwind, the baskets opened in France at exactly a quarter past eight in the morning. What followed next was a breathtaking race against the clock. The winning bird, ring number 39196406, flew its lungs out and stormed back to its home base at lightning speed. With a velocity of over 1648 meters per minute, this absolute class act cleaved through the sky. Just do the math: that is nearly one hundred kilometers per hour! At exactly twelve o’clock, forty seconds, and eight tenths, the powerhouse dropped onto the landing board in Nederhorst den Berg after a journey of over 372 kilometers. As a fancier, you stand there with goosebumps on your arms. This is exactly why our sport is the most beautiful one in the world.
Statistics that give the competition sleepless nights
By the way, it did not stop with just that one incredibly early pigeon. The entire squad was in blistering form. The brothers quickly clocked their next iron eater, which also finished thick in the provincial top ten against those ten thousand other birds. When you look at the hard numbers, you truly see how insanely strong the colony performed.
• No less than 20 out of the 47 basketed pigeons flew straight into the prizes. • Two pigeons ended up in the absolute top of the overall provincial results. • An unprecedented chain of top results was achieved in both the club and the region.
It shows that the entire loft of Gebr. Pouw Pigeons is currently acting at a terrifyingly high level.
From an old rabbit hutch to provincial gold
The foundation for this success lies in a beautiful story that makes the heart of every sports fan beat faster. In the past, the Pouw family had absolutely nothing to do with pigeons. That was until a tired stray dropped down one day at the little square at Rembrandt van Rijnhof 32. Louis could not bear to see it, nursed the bird back to health, and hammered an old rabbit hutch into a makeshift shelter. The pigeon virus struck hard immediately. That small two meter loft was quickly expanded to four and then recollection six meters, until the entire cozy backyard was completely filled. From the official start in 1981, and the arrival of brother Herman in 1983, the men chose one clear course: extreme quality always comes before quantity.
The breeding gold from the absolute source
At the base of this killing speed are still the legendary pigeons of the Janssen Brothers from Arendonk. But to storm the absolute world elite, Louis and Herman looked for the ultimate reinforcement. They went straight to the Belgian grandmaster Gaby Vandenabeele to snatch the very best breeding lines directly from the source. The breeding loft is now packed to the brim with exclusive top birds from this noble strain. With direct offspring from world famous icons such as Rudy, New Bliksem, and Royal Blue, pure winning blood flows through the veins of the current generation. This sublime breeding strategy clearly bears fruit and ensures that Gebr. Pouw Pigeons are repeatedly too fast for the competition.
A rich history of pure destruction
Anyone who knows the history of the brothers knows that this provincial victory is no fluke. Just think back to that legendary flight from Salbris, where they took first prize in the region with an otherworldly lead of no less than 24 minutes over number two. Or what about Wolvertem, where they claimed positions one, two, three, four, five, six, and seven against more than 3200 pigeons. Add to that the four beautiful Teletekst positions and you know you are talking about the absolute premier league of pigeon racing.
This success story proves once again how magical pigeon racing is. With passion, a lot of fun, and the right focus, you can blow away the entire established order right from an ordinary backyard. We at PigeonBoss.com take our hats off deeply to this masterful demonstration by Gebr. Pouw Pigeons. This is top sport with a golden edge!
Jan de Wijs
The Pigeon Boss
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