ROGER REYBROECK & SON
OF OOST-VLAANDEREN, BELGIUM
One of the top pigeon lofts in Belgium on the (very) long distance, is situated in the East Flemish Melsen. Roger practises pigeon flying in the parental home with his sons Chris and Jan. Together they have built a team that has been competing at the top of pigeon flying for many years and with consistent results. Enumerating all the successes of the recent years would be a hopeless task. Even a complete enumeration of the places of honour that were obtained in the championships of, for example, the season 2005, would lead us much too far. That is the reason why we will only mention the highlights of that season:
1° champion very long distance Fondvereniging Oostvlaanderen
2° champion of Belgium very long distance K.B.D.B.
3° place in the international championship Europacup (best Belgian loft);
3° place in the national championship Primus-Inter-Pares (best Barcelona pigeon in Belgium over the last 5 years) with Mister Barcelona
4° place in the national championship Nationale Marathon
5° place in the national championship Millennium Championship
6° place in the international championship I.A.T.P. - International All Time Pigeon Ranking (best Belgian loft)
This enumeration leaves no doubt that Roger Reybroeck & Sons belong to the best Belgian specialists on the (very) long distance of the moment.
The origin...
The colony was first built by father Roger, and later he got the assistance of his sons Chris and Jan and his son-in-law Patrick. Father Roger started with pigeon flying in 1960. He bought pigeons at De Baere Brothers and Desmet-Matthijs.
Gradually Roger Reybroeck became a real talent on the middle long distance. Due to his chain results in the sixties and seventies he got a good reputation in the world of pigeon flying. He also became King in “De Maagd van Gent”, one of the strongest societies of the country. Later he changed to the great middle long distance. It was only from 1987 on that he chose to go for the (very) long distance.
The base of the house was interbred with the origin of Stichelbaut, Janssens Brothers (from the 019-line), but also names such as Imbrecht, Willequet, Roossens, Deweerdt have contributed to the creation of the origin.
During recent years they aquired reinforcement from Florizoone (via Van Coppenolle), Georges Carteus (via Cyriel Martens) and Louis Deleus.
But they also got birds from Dutch overnight champions like Wim Muller, Bakker & Son (Rode Van der Wegen-origin), Kuijpers Brothers and Cas van der Graaff.
And surely we cannot forget to mention the contribution of the famous“Barcelona” of Eddy Korsten from Moerbeke-Waas, which has Muller, Aarden and Van Wanroy blood.
Also successful on the great middle-long distance…
The growing ambition for the (very) long distance doesn’t mean that the pigeons of Reybroeck & Sons don’t win on the great middle-long distance. Numerous top results give evidence to this and they do so in a clear language. A few years ago they achieved a dream result in a very though Bourges semi-national (439 km): 23 pigeons fetched no less than 22 prizes! If we have a look at the achievements of the toppigeons BE98-4118453 “De Fijnen Blauwen” and BE98-4118373 “De Super 373”, we can see the quality for the middle-long distance.
The foundations…
On the one hand the colony is based on perseverance, a quality that long distance pigeons certainly need to have if they want to fulfil their heavy task. On the other hand this colony is also equipped with the necessary basic speed, which the above results on the middle-long distance prove.
The recipe for succes...
When in Melsen you ask the question: “What stands behind this succes”, and our friends will give you a clear answer: “The quality of the pigeon is the decisive factor, they are gifted or they are not ....”
But still I dare to claim that the Reybroeck family are a real pigeon flying family. Roger, Chris, Jan and Patrick have at their disposal a great deal of professional knowledge. They have the necessary “fingerspitzengefühl” and everything is planned and organised in a well considered way. In lots of pigeon lofts these elements have proven to be the ideal recipe for succes, as you can see in Melsen.
The national “silver” frame…
In order to crown itself as the 2nd national champion very long distance K.B.D.B. 2005, the combination Reybroeck & Sons from Melsen had to obtain the following prizes:
Race+ prize 1° assigned, prize 2° assigned.
Pau national 2212 pigeons 40°, 13°
Barcelona national 12998 pigeons 810°, 1409°
Narbonne national 5963 pigeons 178°, 602°
The Rhone Valley champion: “The Marseille 045”
A pigeon that never disappoints us and that can enjoy our ultimate appreciation is “De Marseille 045” BE 00-4106045. He is a pure Rhone Valley-champion and shows the class which you can find in the Reybroeck loft in Melsen.
Here are his best achievements:
in 2003 he won the 151st national Cahors against 4769 pigeons and the 67th national Marseille against 5195 pigeons (locally he won the 1st prize and he was the only one who managed to find his loft on the day of release).
in 2004 he won the 210th national Orange against 7568 pigeons and the 140th national Marseille against 5738 pigeons,
in 2005 he obtained the 264th national Montélimar against 10195 pigeons and the 268th national Marseille against 4398 pigeons.
Primus-Inter-Pares Crack “Mister Barcelona”
It is almost impossible to excell on the very long distance if you don’t have a real Barcelona champion. You can find one of that kind in Melsen. “Mister Barcelona” BE 99-4013720 became the 3rd Primus-Inter-Pares in the renowned championship of the Bruges Barcelona Club in 2005.
He did so by obtaining the following achievements during the last 5 seasons in the mother of all flights, Barcelona international:
2001 : 13161 pigeons 384th national.
2002 : 13021 pigeons 268th national.
2003 : 11806 pigeons 102th national.
2004 : 12245 pigeons 806th national.
2005 : 12998 pigeons 810th national.
A few other top pigeons ...
BE 00-4106011 "De Bourges 011“ with i.a. 37° national Bourges, …;
BE 00-4106113 "Blue Thunder“ with i.a. 70° national Bourges, 30° national Béziers, 91° national Béziers, 70° national Narbonne, 161° national Limoges, 177° national Souillac, 178° national Narbonne, …;
BE 02-4134575 "De Marseille 575“ with i.a. 56° national Marseille, 110° national Montélimar, 131° national Marseille; 153° national Orange, …;
BE 02-4134555 "Ronaldinho“ with i.a. 45° national Pau, 97° national Dax;
BE 02-4134665 "Deweerdt duivin“ with i.a. 115° national Perpignan, 125° national St. Vincent, 597° national Perpignan, …;
BE 02-4134507 "De Fluwelen 507“ with i.a. 13° national Pau, 66° international Pau, 198° international Biarritz, …;
BE 02-4134519 "Willem“ with i.a. 5° national Orange, 16° national Orange, 53° national Orange, …;
BE 02-4134690 "De Jonge Perpignan“ with i.a. 1° club Perpignan, 30° national Perpignan, 36° international Perpignan;
BE 03-4142922 "De Béziers 922“ with i.a. 60° national Béziers, 138° national Béziers, 154° international Béziers;
BE 03-4142938 "De Limoges 938“ with i.a. 1° club Limoges, 50° national Limoges, 59° national Limoges, 86° national Bourges;
BE 03-4142940 "De Rode 940“ with i.a. 33° national Bourges, 51° national St. Vincent, …;
BE 04-4276461 "De Perpignan 461“ with i.a. 41° national Perpignan, 53° international Perpignan;
BE 98-4118341 "Always There“ with a famous performance list on the (very) long distance during several years, in 2005 an absolute highlight with the 45° national Pau. On "perseverance“, there is no age limit by the pigeons of Reybroeck & Sons.
Method and approach...
Because the succes on the races on the (very) long distance, it is most important that the young pigeons are never forced, they are played in a natural way, there is no darkening and they have to participate at most to a few 300 km flights. In this way the future long distance champions can develop in a way that is healthy and enhances their endurance.
They say: "We deal with medicines and nutritious supplements in a very careful and limited manner. One shouldn’t constantly try to ameliorate the health of pigeons that have to achieve on the long distance, with all kinds of products. The older pigeons are played by adapting the classical widowship, female pigeons only go into the basket when they are young. In other words we only play with male pigeons on widowship, besides a few exceptions." The Reybroeck family is convinced of the fact that, if you want to be successful in pigeon-flying, you have to concentrate only on one discipline which you have to put all your energy in.
Best loft Pau 2005 ...
The international flight of Pau 2005 gives evidence to the fact that Roger Reybroeck & Sons manage to do so in an exceptional way. It was the first time that there was no limit on the number of staked pigeons. Pau is no doubt a long distance classic which on an international level the best pigeons participate in. On Tuesday, 28 June 2005, at 06.45 am the international flock of 8438 pigeons were set free. Roger Reybroeck & Sons were able to write down the arrivals of their 5 participating pigeons: 06.25 (2nd assigned), 07.51, 08.10 (1st assigned) and 13.20. With these arrivals they obtained four prizes on the national and international level and with 3 top prizes they had the first series of 3 pigeons in Belgium with 13th, 40th and 45th national against 2212 pigeons. Internationally this result meant 66th, 178th and 202nd against 8438 pigeons.
Steady growth ...
That the colony is in full advance, both nationally as internationally, is illustrated by the results of the last 3 years in the renowned championship I.A.T.P. (International All Time Pigeon Ranking).
This is the most renowned ranking in the international pigeon-flying on the very long distance that you can win with the first assigned pigeon on the international flights: Pau, Barcelona, Dax, Marseille and Perpignan.
In 2003 no less than 3351 pigeons lofts were recorded. The Reybroeck family achieved the 67th place.
In 2004 they achieved the 11th place.
In 2005 they were 6th, and the 1st Belgian loft.
A never ending story...
That achievement underlines the class of these Belgian specialists of the (very) long distance who also belong to the international top houses. It is good to revive those beautiful memories from the past but the eyes are already directed to the future, because a lot of new challenges are waiting. They are fully aware of the fact that year after year they will have to do their utmost best to stay at the international top. For the family's 2006 & 2007 performances visit www.reybroeck.be
12/10/07
