The INFC Skibbereen Y/Bird National like it does every year, signals the end of yet another years racing for the fanciers in Ireland North and South. For some it will be a year to remember, ultimately for the vast amount of fanciers it will, identify a number of wrong choices/mistakes, or as the school report once said ’Could Do Better’ !!
This of course can cover a magnitude of areas from, feeding, initial training, systems, tossing, sending to the wrong race, time of breeding, loft lay out, stock etc, and of course also simply it could be the case of “ it wasn’t my year “.
I am honoured to say in my time of writing weekly pigeon columns and loft profiles for various pigeon publications over the years, I have had the privilege of visiting many award winning lofts some on more than one occasion and have met what has ultimately turned out to be many good friends during that time. Part of the that process is having access to handle many class pigeons and what especially was pleasing along the way was to see a family tree of success. Of course you have the passport to ask questions that many would probably fear to ask, (doesn’t always mean I got an answer) but all in all you learn as you go along. For as I am sure you will all agree pigeon racing has changed from days of old and change it is most definitely doing on a yearly basis.
In every walk of life the internet has been a transformation, for pigeon fanciers this has been no different. Many web sites are now available with chat areas for fanciers to meet, discuss ideas, talk about just about everything. The internet has also allowed for a forging so to speak off different countries, specifically Europe especially Belgium considered still the home of pigeon racing world- wide.
I can recall the days of old when not many fanciers had ever visited Belgium let alone brought pigeons in from Belgium. Now we have the complete reverse. One of the most defining comments that I have took from the many loft reports compiled on successful lofts is they simply do not sit on their laurels of being the best. As they do know, the fanciers below them are also looking at getting to the top and will be pushing to achieve same, and the ones at the top are also looking for that something extra to continue to give them that leading edge.
This has led to many seeking to find the up and coming family that are proving there worth on the continent before they hit the big time, and this sentence takes me to the basis of the short article. Have we found the next Big Family of pigeons in the racing scene I ask?
About a year ago we got a call from Ian Gibb of Lisburn who runs the Gibb & Byrne Stud along with the current ISRF President Henry Byrne to take a few photos of a new family of pigeons that they had sourced from Belgium 50 pigeons direct to be precise. On visiting the ever expanding Stud we met up with Ian and son Peter. Conversation flowed as it does and Ian was explaining that he had the opportunity to purchase these 50 direct pigeons from Lambrechts having made enquires previously, not looking to seem not on the ball, we went on to handle one and another then another for the photographs, what we handled that day has remained with me ever since such was the sheer quality of pigeons, only late bred youngsters at that stage in varying colours, they were in every way fit for showing and had only arrived from Belgium. After our work was done Ian went on to explain that it was in fact Stefan Lambrechts from Berlaar. To me this was something new. The name Lambrechts of course wasn’t but the name Stefan certainly was.
Upon returning home and with the benefits of the Internet a search soon revealed that perhaps the Gibb & Byrne Stud had touched on something that was set to become huge. When you have the likes of the following fanciers just to mention a few now winning with the Stefan Lambrechts bloodlines :- Willem De Bruyn winner of multiple prizes including 1st fastest from Nijvel against 38,871 pigeons and 1st fastest from Pommeroeul against 13,146 pigeons with another one; Eijerkamp have ordered a number of rounds over recent seasons such where there success racing against their own pigeons again with exceptional results to many to mention (see their new website), Dirk Van Den Bulck winning also, including 1st Olympaid Pigeon Nitra in 2012 with “Olympic Rosita“ this pigeon in turn is Dam of “The Kittel“ considered one of the best winners ever of 1st National Ace Pigeon KBDB Sprint and then his brother the “Greipel“ winner of 6th National ACE Pigeon Sprint KBDB; Kas & Karl Meijers won yet another outstanding award in 2013 with the Ace Pigeon “Olympic Bolt” again with the Direct Lambrechts Bloodlines. Stefan himself has also won numerous top awards over recent years including 2nd National Ace Middle distance KBDB. Yves De Wit winner of 3rd National Ace Pigeon Sprint. Another top loft winning Poelstra & Sons multiple winners including the Car Winner “Vale Jackpot” winner of 4th NPO Pommerouel 5,279 pigeons, 6th NPO Mantes 5,965 etc now owned by the lofts of Hans & Evert Jan Eijerkamp.
The list of fanciers winning weekly with this family of pigeons is continuing to grow at speed, such is the demand its not surprising to learn that the loft of Stefan Lambrechts is booked solid for the foreseeable and probably longer following many good reports during the young bird campaign in Belgium and Holland.
About the man in question, 2015 was yet another exceptional year for the 38 year old builder. A father of 3 young children he has his hands full, so to have the increasing eyes off the pigeon world watching, as well as working every day at his building business and rearing three small children what an achievement 2015 was when you consider that he scored 1st every weekend they where sent to the Short middle distance events. Once again multiple prize winning performers amerced , very much a sign of a solid winning family, the parents of the winning youngsters are themselves young, ultimately meaning they will continue to produce for a number of years to come.
Back Home and only at the end of this season Ian Gibb’s first pigeon back from the young Bird Skibbereen National was a Stefan Lambrecht Red Cheq Cock he finished 1st Club, 8th North Section and 11th National a fortnight earlier the same pigeon finished 1st Club, 5th Section and 12th Open NIPA Fermoy with 12,040 pigeons competing.
One of the many performers for Stefan Lambrechts this year in the Short Middle distance was “Lincia” she achieved a record breaking co-efficient of 0.483%. Never before in the history of the KBDB has the National Ace Pigeon Short Middle Distance winner achieved a better score an awesome performance. She is bred down from a brother of the 2011 bred “Stefan” raced by William De Bruijn and bred by Stefan himself, “Stefan” on the road for William was a winner of 1st Duffel 5,229 pigeons, 2nd Duffel 4,212 pigeons, 10th Nanteuille 11,787 pigeons, 5th Pommeroeul 4,229 pigeons plus much more. Again this was only one of the best performers of 2015 for Stefan Lambrechts of which there where a few.
Now as previously mentioned, many outstanding fanciers are racing and enjoying success with the Stefan Lambrecht pigeons likewise for Stefan a friendship has been formed with countless of Europes elite. Looking now at the influence of the Dirk Van Den Bulck pigeons in the Lambrechts loft, as they say in Belgium it’s the process of cross fertilization, which to be fair happens regularly between the best.
Dirk Van Den Bulck without question developed one of the most successful sprint families in Belgium in recent times, having a huge impact in achieving this was pigeons obtained from the legendary Leo Hermans. Namely the “Goede Rode” and “Broer Goede Rode” a pair of 2008 pigeons coming down from the 07/871 “Golden Lady” this being a daughter of the “New Dream Pair” another pigeon heavily involved in the success story is the “Golden Leo” better known as the forty thousand hen, she is a daughter of the “Blauwe Leo when paired to the “Jos Cools Hen”. For Dirk the “Golden Leo” when paired to “Broer Goede Rode” where to produce winner after winner year after year. Now going back to the other Base Breeder “Goede Rode” he was 2008 bred and simply has produced winner after winner also including Sire of Belg 10/300 who turned out to be the Dam of “Olympic Rosita” when paired to Belg 10/397 direct Stefan Lambrechts. The 2012 bred “Olympic Rosita” when paired back to the “Goede Rode” went on to produce in 2013 the “Kittel” winner of 1st National ACE KBDB and Best Belgium Sprint Bird in KBDB History, she also produced the “Greipel” in 2013 winning 1st National Champion KBDB and 6th National Ace Bird, and in 2014 the “New Kittel”.
Now the bloodlines of that Ace pairing of the “Broer Goede Rode” when paired to Belg 08/40000 better known as the Forty Thousand Hen are involved especially this year for Stefan Lambrechts in all three of his outstanding Racing Youngsters including “Lincia” National ACE Pigeon Short Middle Distance.
Worth noting also that Dirk Van Den Bulck sold the majority of his pigeons at the latter end of 2014 on PIPA with one of the Chief purchasers being Yannick Deridder and Bruno Van den Brande better known to most as the Flanders Collection. Two of the many pigeons purchased where “The Kittel” and his brother the “Greipel” and Ian Gibb didn’t waste much time in purchasing children from both when on a recent visit to meet Yannick at his impressive lofts. Ian plans to use these to breed into his family of direct Stefan Lambrechts which are showing very encouraging signs already with the few that he managed to get into his own race team in 2015.
I truly believe that over the coming seasons you will be reading more and more about the winning bloodlines of Stefan Lambrechts in the UK and Ireland Racing scene. ADIE.
Ian Gibb pictured with Yannick Deridder of the Flannders collection holding the Goede Rode,
Sire of multiple winners including the Kittel.
The Kittel considered one of the best Sprint National Champions KBDB.
Ian Gibb from Lisburn pictured at the lofts of Stefan Lambrechts.
One of two nest-mates direct from the Kittel now owned by Ian Gibb
to compliment their family of direct Lambrechts.
Montage Gibb & Byrne Ireland