On the occasion of an exceptional auction, Eric Devlaminck opens the doors of his loft to show us the best of what has been done in the world of the long distance for decades. In 2021, the pigeon fancier from Hulste (BE), still has many successes, especially on the Barcelona stage with the Primus Inter Pares: best pigeon in Belgium on Barcelona for 5 years!
It is in the small Belgian town of Hulste that Eric settled down in the 60’s, he is without doubt one of the best long distance pigeon fanciers in Belgium, several times on the KBDB podium, in 2003 he was the national champion. Eric is well known in the pigeon racing world for his multiple coups with pigeons that come back from marathon races the same evening, at nightfall after 14/15 hours of flights.
In 2006 he clocked 3 pigeons in 6 minutes in the Carcassonne race against more than 10,000 participants. He was ranked 35th, 36th and 48th internationally. Nothing more normal for him, he explains us that it is this kind of pigeons that he has always selected “When it is dark and the pigeon still flies! And then you see it coming”. The youngsters are sent directly to Clermont (180 km), and the yearlings have to win 2 out of 2 prizes in Agen and Narbonne, (a few years ago they were sent to Perpignan (925 km)) to deserve a place in the old widowers’ loft. Hulste’s pigeons have a remarkable endurance and longevity, real landlubbers! The career of his pigeons is above average, some fly for 7 to 8 years.
Even more remarkable is when Eric introduces us to his old black 2004 “I had some good youngsters from him until last year”. And yes! Still fertile at the age of 17!
No wonder that this year 2021 is still a year of success, indeed he was crowned Primus-Inter-Pares with BE15-3043149 named for the occasion ” Primus Inter pares 2 “. This makes him the best pigeon in the Barcelona competition over the last five years.
An extraordinary pigeon, who started his career in Barcelona at the age of two, where he learned his trade. In the following years he did very well and was always in the national top 100! For once, the Primus 2 will not make the sixth Barcelona because he has left for other places!
This is the second time that a Devlaminck pigeon is crowned best Pigeon of Barcelona over 5 years. Eric remembers his first love for Barcelona in the eighties, when he was playing with an extraordinary female BE-83-3116565
This female placed 6 times in Barcelona in 7 years, and the only time she didn’t place was because she was injured, which didn’t stop her from winning the next two years.
- 1984 (en yearling)
- 1816° Int Barcelone 13033 p
- 1173° Nat Barcelona 7066 p
- 282° Int Fem Barcelona 2336 p
- 129° Nat Fem Barcelona 1089 p
- 1985
- 378° Int Barcelone 17060 p
- 239° Nat Barcelona 8647 p
- 41° Int Fem Barcelona 3254 p
- 17° Nat Fem Barcelona 1330 p
- 1986
- 253° Int Barcelone 18076 p
- 239° Nat Barcelona 8886 p
- 36° Int Fem Barcelona 3418 p
- 12° Nat Fem Barcelona 1451 p
- 1987
- 306° Int Barcelone 21545 p
- 208° Nat Barcelona 8915 p
- 36° Int Fem Barcelona 4469 p
- 10° Nat Fem Barcelona 1308 p
- 1988
- bléssée au retour de Barcelone
- 1989
- 1009° Int Barcelone 25502 p
- 494° Nat Barcelona 11656 p
- 177° Int Fem Barcelona 5173 p
- 48° Nat Fem Barcelona 1652 p
- 1990
- 103° Int Barcelone 28128 p
- 34° Nat Barcelona 12283 p
- 33° Int Fem Barcelona 5779 p
- 4° Nat Fem Barcelona 1854 p
Since then, Eric has been developing his own strategy to build a robust, hardy and extremely resistant breed of deep-seated pigeon. He selects his pigeons in the Rhone valley, Montélimar, Valence and Marseille. The latter is his favourite competition, along with Barcelona, and despite the fact that its geographical location does not really benefit his loft, he likes to send his two-year-old pigeons there. His reasoning is unstoppable, “a pigeon that knows how to make price in the Rhone valley, knows how to make price everywhere!” This is not wrong! If you look at the record of some of his pigeons that are ranked by 10 on the eastern route, they are doing well in the west!
This way of doing things has created the Devlaminck breed with an incredible longevity! This breed has allowed many fanciers in Flanders and elsewhere to shine in the most demanding marathon competitions.
Here are some pigeons that are the result of this method:
Le jeune pâle :
2001
- 2366° Prov Châteauroux 7415 p
- 5° reg Béziers 80 p
- 30° Prov Béziers 992 p
- 175° Nat Béziers 5420 p
2002
- 35° Reg Brive 245 p
- 608° Prov Brive 3768 p
- 1133° Nat Brive 25352 p
- 7° Reg Castres 46 p
- 45° Prov Castres 739 p
- 308° Nat Castres 3222 p
- 38° Reg Marseille 156 p
- 62° Prov Marseille 292 p
- 870° Nat Marseille 4183 p
- 3482° Int Marseille 19920 p
2003
- 53° reg Orléans 316 p
- 1679° Prov 1764 p
- 43° reg Angoulême 153 p
- 424° Prov Angoulême
- 7° Reg Barcelone 2011 p
- 65° Prov Barcelone 1905 p
- 270° Nat Barcelone 11806 p
- 506° Int Barcelone 20204 p
2004
- 479° Prov Angoulême 2589 p
- 37° reg Barcelone 216 p
- 256° Prov Barcelone 1826 p
- 1858° Nat Barcelone 12275 p
- 4283° Int Barcelone 24913 p
- 7° reg Perpignan 69 p
- 132° Prov Perpignan 1259 p
- 453° Nat Perpignan 6489 p
- 1008° Int Perpignan 17570 p
2005
- 71° reg Châteauroux 290 p
- 724° Prov Châteauroux 3588 p
- 10° Reg Barcelone 261 p
- 68° prov Barcelone 1936 p
- 424° Barcelone 12998 p
- 912° Int Barcelone 25815 p
2006
- 20° Reg Barcelone 213 p
- 157° Prov Barcelone 1629 p
- 1356° Nat Barcelone 11802 p
- 3027° Int Barcelone 22887 p
2007
- 21° Reg Montélimar 117 p
- 86° Prov Montélimar 551 p
- 1190° Nat Montélimar 7873 p
- 26° reg Barcelone 200 p
- 181° Prov Prov Barcelone 1718 p
- 1948° Int Barcelone 25716 p
- 4° Reg Perpignan 83 p
- 29° Prov Perpignan 1005 p
- 62° Nat perpignan 5547 p
- 125° int Perpignan 15087 p
2008
- 60° reg Bourges 365 p
- 2333° Nat Bourges 19084 p
- 23° Reg Montélimar 146 p
- 96° Prov Montélimar 686 p
- 974° Nat Montélimar 8633 p
- 12° reg Barcelone 157 p
- 104° Prov Barcelone 1603 p
- 673° Nat Barcelone 11484 p
- 1172° Int Barcelone 23708 p
Le Dix BE-01-3132310
2002
- 6° Saint-Vincent 71 p
- 50° Saint-Vincent 1164 p
- 118° Saint-Vincent Nat 4222 p
- 13° Perpignan 59 p
- 127° Perpignan 841 p
2003
- 30 ° Montauban 85 p
- 1666° Montauban 6901 p
- 4° Béziers 55 p
- 34° Béziers 250 p
- 207° Béziers 6336 p
2004
- 40° Cahors 189 p
- 290° Cahors 945 p
- 1639 Cahors Nat 7340 p
- 1° Béziers 60 p
- 17° Béziers 742 p
- 116° Béziers Nat 5934 p
- 139° Béziers Int 6602 p
2005
- 12° Cahors 163 p
- 123° Cahors 1267 p
- 311° Cahors 9275 p
- 10° Narbonne 89 p
- 68° Narbonne 821 p
- 572° Narbonne 5973 P
2006
- 28° Cahors 180 p
- 281° Cahors 938 p
- 1122 Cahors Nat 6654 p
- 6° Narbonne 113 p
- 28° Narbonne 816 p
- 175° Narbonne Nat 6033 P
- 200° Narbonne Int 9634 p
2007
- 2° Irun 106 p
- 4° Irun 1478 p
- 11° Irun Nat 5252 p
- 5° Perpignan 89 p
- 37° Perpignan 1005 p
- 83° Perpignan Nat 5547 p
- 166° Perpignan Int 15087 p
2008
- 36° Pau 380 p
- 374° Pau Nat 1928 p
- 1543° Pau Int 6874 p
- 19° Tarbes 71 p
- 313° Tarbes 313 p
- 862° Tarbes 4660 p
- 2100° Tarbes 12537 p
..… 
A few tricks?
When I asked this master of the deep what his care regimen and tricks were, I can assure you that he had a good laugh. “The grain? I use the cheapest”, about 40g per pigeon. Of course he has a few tricks like everyone else, but it’s no secret: brewer’s yeast, tansy in the loft, patience (sometimes) … What counts in Hulste is the blood and the rigour in the care.
Louis Gustin et Pierre Bockstael
