Gaby Vandenabeele is a name synonymous to success in great middle distance and long distance races (500 – 800 km). Since his rapid ascent to the top in the 1980s, Gaby has achieved not only seven national and 100 provincial victories in his own loft, but also aided many other fanciers in reaching the top with his pigeons and advice, such as Rik Cools, Rudi Desaer, Patrick and Dimitri Houfflyn, Norbert Ally, Team BDS, Geert and Annick van Renterghem, Bert van den Berghe, and many more.

A small selection from his impressive list of references from the last five years says it all:

• 1st National Bourges – 22.654 b. – Louis Mattheus
• 1st National Argenton – 19.303 b. – Matthias Coel
• 1st National Montluçon – 19.298 b. – Gino Clicque
• 1st National Issoudun – 16.615 b. – Albert Derwa
• 1st National Gueret – 15.007 b. – Franky Appelmans
• 1st National Limoges – 14.271 b. – Nicolas Bascourt
• 1st National Poitiers – 13.813 b. – J. and G. Mispelaere
• 1st National Bourges – 13.588 b. – Dirk Moens
• 1st National Bourges – 11.883 b. – Tony Lievens
• 1st National La Souterraine – 11.236 b. – Jacques Verschuere
• 1st National Gueret – 9.754 b. – Bert van den Berghe
• 1st National La Souterraine – 9.204 b. – Jespers-Vanderwegen
• 1st National Brive (tied) – 8.331 b. – Jacques Verschuere
• 1st National Brive (tied) – 8.331 b. – Joël Verschoot
• 1st National Argenton – 8.297 b. – Saban Saatdüzen
• 1st National Tulle – 7.350 b. – Ivan Vanveuchelen
• 1st National Cahors – 7.136 b. – Rudy Desaer
• 1st National Tulle – 5.932 b. – Baert-Debusschere
• 1st National Agen – 5.507 b. – Bert van den Berghe
• 1st National Agen – 5.283 b. – Joël Verschoot
• 1st National Agen – 2.932 b. – Gino Clique

The common denominator in the successes of the Vandenabeele pigeons is the ability of Gaby to breed a dominant breeding cock every few years. Absolute forefather of the loft is KLEINEN BE81-3238253 who passed his genetic qualities to top pigeons such as PICANOL, FIDEEL, STIER and WOLFGANG, but above all to the famous WITTENBUIK BE88-3206112. WITTENBUIK first excelled in the racing loft with:

• 1st Interprovincial Poitiers 2.713 b.
• 1st Interprovincial Angoulème 2.450 b.
• 1st Interprovincial Limoges 2.309 b.
• 2nd Interprovincial Poitiers 1.435b.
• 4th Interprovincial Poitiers 921 b.
• 11th Interprovincial Poitiers 1.438 b.

and went on to prove himself as a breeder of top pigeons such as KORPORAAL and KOLONEL. KOLONEL BE92-3233008 also proved to be an excellent racer with:

• 1st Provincial Limoges 2.762 b.
• 1st Provincial Chateauroux 7.793 b.
• 2nd Provincial Orleans 1.413 b.

and followed in his famous fathers footsteps by becoming a fixed feature in the breeding loft, with world famous BLIKSEM with ring number BE98-3158062 as his most famous offspring.

BLIKSEM is probably one of the best breeders in the modern pigeon racing sport. Just like his father and grandfather, he started by showing his abilities in the racing loft, with the following highlights:

• 1st Provincial Poitiers 1.448 b.
• 2nd Provincial Chateauroux 4.662 b.
• 4th Provincial Ruffec 1.778 b.
• 5th Chartres 668 b.
• 5th Provincial Perigueux 1.119 b.
• 8th Poitiers 2.975 b.

He turned out to be even more valuable in the breeding loft. With his descendants, he strengthened both the colony of Gaby, as well as the colonies of many other fanciers, with a unique boost in quality. He fathered JASON, EMILL, and above all current basic breeder of the Vandenabeele loft, RUDY, and is therefore the grandfather of NEW BLIKSEM, with:

• 1st National Tulle 5.731 b.
• 5th Provincial Tours 2.964 b.
• 10th Provincial Bourges 3.039 b.

and SUPER ROMEO, 1st National Ace Pigeon Long Distance Yearlings KBDB.

In addition, BLIKSEM is responsible for a phenomenal series of elite results by his descendants at other lofts around the world. For example;

• GEISHA of Deno-Herbots (4th National Ace Pigeon Great Middle Distance KBDB 2009)
• SUPER LIMOGES of Nicolas Bascourt (1st National Lomoges 14.271 b.)
• RIHANNA of Thibaut-Boons (Olympic pigeon Nitra 2013)
• HARRY of Jan Hooymans (1st National Ace Pigeon Long Distance WHZB 2009; 1st NPO Blois 5.553 b., 1st NPO Chateauroux 5.979 b. and 3rd NPO Chateauroux 8.781 b.)
• YVAN of the Herbots brothers (1st National Ace Pigeon Great Middle Distance KBDB 2009 and 4th National Ace Pigeon Great Middle Distance KBDB 2008)
• MARIEKE of Rik Cools (1st National Zone Gueret 5.166 b.)
• BALLON of Kristiaan Hennes (1st Interprovincial Argenton 3.136 b.)
• GIL of Gommaire Verbruggen (1st National Bourges 11.252 b.)

It is not suprising that Henk wanted to acquire children of this sublime breeder and was able to purchase two sons of BLIKSEM, in addition to a host of other pigeons from the heart of the Vandenabeele colony. He was bnot disappointed by either son, JONGE BLIKSEM and SCHONE BLIKSEM, at the breeding lofts in Breda. Children and grand-children raced;

• 1st Provincial Blois 3.090 b.
• 1st Provincial Bourges 2.054 b.
• 1st Provincial Blois 547 b.
• 1st Orleans 998 b.
• 3rd St. Quentin 2.940 b.
• 6th NPO Bourges 14.020 b.
• 16th NPO Argenton 7.638 b.
• 30th NPO Limoges 2.640 b.
• 32nd NPO La Souterraine 5.576 b.
• and the list goes on.