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Racing Pigeon Digest Featured ArticleJosé and Nic Opsomer from Maarkedal
4th international Ace Pigeon IFC 4000 in 2006
Maarke-Kerkem Maarke-Kerkem is a part of the town Maarkedal not so far from the famous old city Oudenaarde. I met the father and son combination for the first time in 2000. The reason was the national victory on Barcelona that year. It was the second big victory on Barcelona. It was back in 1969 that José Opsomer won international Barcelona. He then raced in combination with his father Maurice Opsomer. José and his son Nic have become famous long distance racers in Belgium and in fact all over the world. The had an amazing result on Pau 2001 when they won 26-69-82 and 497 national against 2.540 pigeons and the had only four pigeons in the race. José and Nic had first series of 3 pigeons on the international result. At the end of this season 2001, two of their best widowers arrived on the race Perpignan within one minute. The cocks 346/98 and 575/97 won national 515 and 534 on Perpignan 2001. These loft-mates did it again on Barcelona 2002 and Perpignan 2002. They won 368 and 398 national on Barcelona and 828 and 856 national on Perpignan. Both this races only one minute between the two cocks. It is really amazing on races like this! José and Nic did it again in 2003. They became 3rd in the West European Super Marathon, the most important international championship in our countries on the international races Barcelona (San Sebastian in 2003), Dax, Marseille, Perpignan. 2006 was another very good racing season. José and Nic owned and raced one of the best long distance racers. It was the pigeon named 'De Boom' which became 4th ace pigeon in the important championship IFC 4000. The top 10 on this championship (3 prizes on international fond races) were:
The national winner Barcelona 2000 was not sold to another country. The 'Zwarte Gomaar' and this strain of birds do exceptionally well on races 900-1100 km. Let's find out how to build a strain like this… I was amazed by the new Japanese garden that the family Opsomer had made a year ago. The plants and koi-fish are all direct from Japan. Look at the photo! Strain It was back in 1948 when José started racing pigeons. He was only 10 years old when he had some pigeons in a chicken-house. His father Maurice wanted to support his son and built a pigeon-loft. Together they would enter the pigeon races to 350 km. After a few years they had excellent results. In the mid sixties he had three old cocks that did not do well. Some other fanciers convinced Maurice and José Opsomer to enter the long distance race St-Vincent with these widowers. And…they won all in top 100. These birds had the potential to race the long distance but Maurice did not want to enter these races. He gave the three cocks, as a present, to his friends and kept entering the middle distance races. The father and son partnership entered Barcelona for the first time in 1968. In their second race in 1969 they won 1st international Barcelona against 8.217 birds! It was the 'Ballon 4176232/66'. The sire was 'Geschelpte Gomar', brother of 'Zwarten Gomar'. They were both from Mr. Gomar. 'Zwarten Gomar' became the base cock in the success of the strain Opsomer. The grandmother was from A. De Vleeshouwer from Ronse. The mother was direct from Desmet-Matthys from Nokere. The 'Ballon' was raced on Barcelona 1970 again but did not return. It was a mistake of Maurice to send this bird again. An international winner Barcelona was lost! Maurice Opsomer was convinced that his birds did best on very long distance now. His son José started racing in partnership with his brother-in-law since 1970. The success was immense: 1st national Brive 1972 Olympiad pigeon Dusseldorf 1973 with famous bird 'Portois' 2nd and 5th international San Sebastian 1st Belgium bird in one-loft-race Japan in 1975 and 1978 1st National Argenton 1981 The partnership with the brother-in-law ended and José started racing in partnership with his son Nic. He did this just like his father showed him years ago. The new combination Opsomer José and Nic was very successful because they owned some super birds: 'De Mulder 343/79' (national St-Vincent 5th, Barcelona national 451 and 581), 'Crayonne 129/81' (national Cahors 243, national Montauban 122, national Lourdes 558…), 'Zwarte 049/81' (71st international Barcelona). The favourite races are Barcelonan, Pau and Perpignan. Every year the results were good, sometimes super! José met the famous Georges Carteus in 1980. "Most of my present super birds of 2002 were of the Carteus strain! The pedigrees almost always show the blood Carteus. My old strain x Horemans x De Vleeshouwer crossed with the birds from Carteus is most successful. Every year I exchange birds with my friend Carteus and in the last few years also with notary Dons and the famous Santens Gerard and Marc from Oudenaarde.' Some important breeders and base birds Zwarte Gomar 4081376/90 The most important base cock is 'Zwarte Gomaar 4081376/90'. He has excellent results as a racing bird and became 5th Ace Pigeon fond Belgium Pigeon racing in 199 1992 Dourdan 336p-55, Limoges 9.952p-1457, Tulle 4744p-950, 1993 Noyon 407p-95, Dourdan 247p-19, Chateauroux 572p-107, Bourges 9.759p-112 1994 Vierzon 1781p-68, Brive 23.475p-991, Cahors 7.781p-1074, Montauban 5.495p-27, Brive 524p-46 1995 Vierzon 943p-272, Brive 21.390p-2232, Cahors 864p-247, Montauban 5.553p-132, Brive 4.719p-847, Perpignan 14.252p-37 The father of this bird is 'Zwarte Gomar 861/86' (from Zwarte Gomar Eenoog x Smetje) and the mother is 'Blauwe 877/86' (from 'Den Bonten Carteus x Schouwvegerke). The most famous son of this base cock is 'Zwarte Gomar 520/97' because he won 1st national Barcelona in 2000. Zwarten Gomaar 4290520/97 1997 Noyon 388p-73, St-Denis 699p-12 1998 La Souterraine 3697p-467 1999 Argenton 1182p-150, Limoges 11.799p-2327, Argenton 1715p-86 2000 Vierzon 1583p-436, Brive 27.081p-6454, Barcelona national 13.659p-1 and Barcelona international 26.597p-3 This cock went to the breeding loft after Barcelona race. José and Nic did not want to make the same mistake as their father and grandfather. They did not want to sell the bird either and he is still on the breeding loft. The father is 'Zwarte Gomaar' and the mother is 4025250/92, direct from Georges Carteus from Ronse. The father of this hen was 'Perpignan 071/80' (2nd national and international Perpignan in 1983) and the mother was a daughter of 2nd national Tulle Carteus. A full brother of 'Zwarte Gomaar' is the cock 'Blauwe Gomaar 4407186/96'. He was never raced but became one of the base cocks 2002! He is one of the best breeders of the province East-Flanders. Den Barcelona 4025044/92 1992 Bourges 60.887p-4583 1993 Dourdan 196p-38, Vierzon 1176p-305 1994 Dourdan 196p-30, Bergerac 1234p-111 1995 Vierzon 11.717p-1751, Barcelona 9.452p-171, Narbonne 5896p-223 1996 Barcelona 10.068p-2419 1997 Barcelona 12.731p-322 1998 Barcelona 12.678p-291 The father is 'Geschelpte 631/88', a son of the base pair 'Den Bonten Carteus x Schouwvegerke.' The mother is the hen 'Super Jong 801/91 (bred from direct Carteus x Smetje). Gomardus 4194692/01 Dax '03 national 5026d-1017 Vierzon '04 1666d-256 Brive '04 national 19477d-2309 Pau '04 national 2118-60 Perpignan &'04 national 6138d-1274 Vierzon '05 1568d-391 Pau '05 national 2212d-402 He was put on breeding loft after racing. The father '566/97' is a brother of '091/92'(79ste - 1016de 174ste intern. Perpignan ) and the mother is '333/98' , sister of 1st national Barcelona. De Merckx 41943-631/01 Perpignan '03 national 7537d-1564 Dourdan '04 601d-2 Poitiers '04 240d-7 Bordeaux '04 nat. 7519d-487 Dax '04 nat. 6138d-347 Perpignan '04 nat. 6489d-1259 Montelimar '05 national 11.127d-1092 Narbonne '05 national 5963d-505 This breeder is a grandson of the famous base bird '091/92'(79th - 1016th -174th intern. Perpignan but also 502nd nat. Perpignan) Topracers in 2006 Den Boom 4075615/03 Dax '05 national 4534d-43, International 11898d-108 Perpignan '05 national 7611d-758 Pau '06 national 2052d-107, international 6553d-350 Dax '06 national 5189d-163, international 11517d-426 Perpignan '06 national 6765d-792, international 14812d-1702 He won 4th Asduif international FCI 2006 The father is '2010546/01', a direct bird from Jan Dons uit Kapelle op den Bos. This famous fancier won also national Barcelona. The mother is '4194750/01'. She is a daughter of base cock 'Zwarte Gomar 520/97', national winner Barcelona 2000. He was mated with '4568714/98', a direct daughter of 1ste national Barcelona hens 1998 from Cnudde Guido and Ronny (strain JL Van Roy x Bracquene). Den Barcelona 4194696/01 Dax '03 national 5026d-1017 Perpignan '03 national 7537d-920 Perpignan '04 national 6489d-1073 Barcelona '05 national 12998d-2592 Perpignan '05 national 7611d-659 Barcelona '06 national 11.802d-1260 Perpignan '06 national 6765d-524 He is a direct son of 'Zwarte Gomar', the national winner Barcelona 2000. The mother is '4568714/98', direct daughter of 1ste nat. Barcelona 1998 hens from G.& R. Cnudde. Methods This loft only has 32 widowers, old and yearlings. This is not many for a long distance racer. The cocks are not paired before the racing season. They get the hens when the races have already started. They can raise youngsters after the racing season. José likes to keep this latebreds and toss them in February. He has found many good racers amongst latebreds. Some widowers lose lots of time when they come home from the races. The reason is the fact that José and Nic do not have the time to train them well during the week. José and Nic own a butcher store and are very busy. They just let the birds train twice a day but do not have the time to look at the birds during training. The birds for Barcelona race Noyon - St-Denis - Vierzon - Angoulème and Barcelona, get a treatment against trichomonas after Angouleme but no more medications. The cock must be strong to win these races. The yearling cocks race middle distance and Limoges. The two-year-olds race two long distance races (Dax and Perpignan) and they go to Barcelona and Pau when they are three years and older. José and Nic have 25 pair of breeders. The youngsters are darkened for a few weeks but the performances are not important. The young cocks race Bourges and a few young hens race the other long distance races for youngsters. |
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