| Maurice
Verheye ( Veselgem Belgium ) - A Middle Distance
Champion
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Maurice
Verheye lives in the little west Flanders town
of Veselgem, which is about 15 mins drive from
kortrijk on the old road to gent. West Flanders
is a real hot bed pigeon racing with many of Belgium's.
Top lofts within a 15 mls radius of kortrijk,
close to the French border.
Maurice
Verheye is a very quiet and pleasant man and any
one who visits his home is always of a sure welcome
from him ad his family. Over the years this man
has put up some fantastic performances with his
birds. By Belgium standards he is a small team
man. Keeping only a total of about 100 birds.
Ten stock pairs and 40 widowhood birds and around
40 young birds. When you think of the number of
races he takes part in each year it is indeed
a small team but Maurice always believes in quality
and not quantity.
In
1980 he won a total of 399 prizes of which 15
were 1st prizes. 10 with old birds and 5 with
young birds. He also won for the 3rd year in succession
the title of 1st middle distance Wevelgem. In
1981 he won a total of 317 prizes. In 1982 he
won 23 1st prizes, Many fanciers in Ireland and
England have won hundreds of prizes including
may 1st Feds and 1st Opens.
When
you think of the small number of Verheye birds
sent to this country and the great numbers of
winners that they have produced in the short time
they have been here. They have really been outstanding.
No
other family has ever made such an impact on the
Middle Distance Racing in these islands.
Maurice
says his birds do the best in a head wind from
120 to 275 mls. With a velocity about 100-1200
yds. The old birds are flown on the widowhood;
with young birds being mated the last few races.
Feeding
is much the same as most lofts in Belgium, a light
mixture at the beginning of the week going onto
heavy mixture by mid week. and the birds getting
as much as they want on Wednesday and Thursday,
on Friday which is basketing day the birds get
a light feed in the morning and are given a little
barley about 2hrs before basketing . The birds
will be 2 nights away from home, as the races
is flown on Sunday each week.
The
training of the birds works much the same as the
feeding, they are forced to fly 15 mins morning
and night this being increased to 30 mins each
time by mid week, never any longer, for middle
distance racing. For races up to 20 mls the cocks
must go each week when the distance goes over
200 mls then they only go every 2nd week.
I
close this article on this wonderful man and his
flying machines with some advice which he has
given to many visitors too Veselgem.
by: The Irish Racing
Pigeon
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