Many top fanciers around the world base their lofts on pigeons that perform well in headwind races. The world famous Gaby Vandenabeele’s answer to a question if he has any secrets regarding selection: “Pigeons that win 1st Prizes in tailwind races don’t make me excited. In such races any pigeon can win a first prize. Good pigeons win top prizes in head wind races”

Gaby knows what he is talking about because from the early 1990’s until today the Vandenabeele pigeons are the most sought after strain in the world. The Germans were the first to realize the value of his pigeons and countless top fanciers have since introduced Vandenabeele pigeons with great success. Names like Ettienne de Vos, Jos Deno, Silvere Toye, Herbots, Verbruggen, Filip Norman, Christianne Hennes, Norbert Ally, Fred la Brijn, Koen Minderhoud, Anotie de Saer, Freedy Vandenbrande, Patrick Houfflijn, Cools Blancke, Cees Schroevers, Hans Eijerkamp, Marc de Cock, Jos Vercammen, Vanhove Uytterhoven, Mike Ganus, Mark & Dick Evans (Myrtle Lofts), …….etc

The latest craze in Europe is the offspring of DE RAUW SABLON’s Golden Couple. Like the Vandenabeele’s they are famous for winning head wind races with super results in National Races. Marcel Aelbrecht, Erik Limbourg, Pros Roosen and Gerard Koopman are just a few of the top fanciers in Europe that are winning with these birds.

So for selection purposes the ideal racing season for these champions would be if all races could be head wind races. In such races the best of the best fly in front and clocking competitions experienced in easy races don’t exist. But no racing organization in the world has a race program where all races are headwind races. Race points are fixed and the weather on the race day is not.

Until now that is.

“RAW” will endeavor to change the rules in our favor for once, and not be dictated to by the weather conditions on the day. 

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