Race details
On 30 August 2025, 235 young pigeons were entered in Viane for the demanding race from Argenton. At 09:00 the baskets opened, releasing the birds on a 508 km journey towards Flemish Brabant. Conditions were challenging, but it was Hannes Van Droogenbroeck of Liedekerke who stole the show. His BE4022221/2025 arrived at 14:08 with a winning speed of 1649.194 m/min.
What stood out most: the loft from Liedekerke not only took 1st place, but also secured 4th, 5th, 6th and 8th in the top ten. A masterclass in quality and depth.
Pedigree Of The Winner: B.25-4022221
Breeder: Haak-Soen | Colour: Dirty Chequer
📌 The Father’s Side
Father: BEL 21-4012310 “Sander” (Haak-Soen, black chequer)
A true racing machine – proven in the basket with consistency on tough races:
- Toury 10/5776
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Dizy 10/2258
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Argenton 2/236, 2/100, 27/2270
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Bourges 69/3167, 14/479
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Chimay 46/2350
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Noyon 28/1044, 108/3235, 150/3064
Bred from pure class:
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BEL 18-4123661 “Blinden” (Haak-Soen) – top racer with multiple head prizes: 2nd Argenton 3446 b., 2nd Toury 321 b., 13th Noyon 294 b.
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BEL 19-4011621 “Sanne” (Haak-Soen, dirty chequer) – outstanding with results like 20th Chateauroux NPO 9847 b., 1st Chateau C 364 b., 5th Noyon C 190 b.
📌 The Mother’s Side
Mother: BEL 20-4074579 “Katrien” (Haak-Soen, dirty chequer)
A proven racer herself:
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Sermaises 2/921
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Noyon 19/331, 42/710
Dam of “Eline”:
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1st Provincial Ace Allround 2023
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10th National Ace Allround 2022
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14th World Best Pigeon Allround 2023
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24th World Best Pigeon HaFo 2022
Bred from a golden foundation:
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BEL 16-4203124 “Nelis” (Haak-Soen) – 1st Gueret 954 b., 10th Provincial Ace MD 2020.
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BEL 16-4203031 “Vliegevanger” (Haak-Soen, black chequer) – winner of 1st La Souterraine 520 b., 1st Issoudun 344 b., 2nd Blois 1041 b.
🔑 The Pigeon Boss Verdict
BEL 25-4022221 – a dirty chequer bred straight from the heart of the Haak-Soen loft, where champions are made, not found.
On the father’s side we see “Sander”, “Blinden” and “Sanne” – pigeons that dominated big races and showed raw speed against thousands. On the mother’s side, the blood of “Katrien”, “Nelis” and “Vliegevanger” – a dynasty of champions producing Provincial and National Aces year after year.
👉 This pigeon is built on generations of winners – a perfect blend of speed and middle-distance strength, proven in the toughest competitions.
This isn’t just a pigeon. This is Boss material.
Hannes Van Droogenbroeck – the man behind the victory
For loyal Pigeon Boss readers, this result does not come as a surprise. We already featured Hannes Van Droogenbroeck earlier this season after his impressive performances on Noyon and in our profile “The rise of an ambitious young pigeon fancier.”
What stood out in those stories is exactly what we see again now: Hannes combines youthful ambition with a professional approach. He carefully built his colony with a mix of homebred lines and proven bloodlines from strong lofts. Nothing is left to chance. Training, nutrition, and loft management are tightly under control – the exact ingredients you need to win tough races like Argenton.
From Noyon to Argenton – a logical step forward
Back in May, he already struck on Noyon, clocking multiple top pigeons and proving his consistency. At that time, we wrote that Hannes is not chasing a one-hit wonder, but is on a path of steady progress.
This win in Argenton proves the point: again multiple early pigeons, again a high prize percentage, again bravoure at the front of the result sheet. This is not coincidence but the result of vision and craftsmanship.
Top ten Argenton local Viane
- H. Van Droogenbroeck, Liedekerke – 1649.194 m/min
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Van den Driessche, Aalst – 1623.552 m/min
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Van den Driessche, Aalst – 1617.858 m/min
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H. Van Droogenbroeck, Liedekerke – 1610.883 m/min
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H. Van Droogenbroeck, Liedekerke – 1607.235 m/min
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H. Van Droogenbroeck, Liedekerke – 1606.219 m/min
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Van den Driessche, Aalst – 1593.830 m/min
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H. Van Droogenbroeck, Liedekerke – 1588.409 m/min
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Van den Driessche, Aalst – 1585.979 m/min
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Roelandt Danny, Denderhoutem – 1585.163 m/min
It became a duel between Liedekerke and Aalst, with Hannes making the decisive difference by scoring broadly and fast.
Analysis – class across the board
What makes this victory stand out even more is how it was achieved:
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Multiple early pigeons: five in the top ten, rarely seen on a classic like Argenton.
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High and consistent speeds: from 1649 m/min down to above 1600 m/min for the first arrivals.
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Strong prize percentage: proof of a loft in balance and built to compete.
The Van Droogenbroeck loft shows no single miracle pigeon, but an entire team excelling in unison. That is the mark of a fancier aiming to structurally play at the highest level.
Contact Hannes, if you have any question at all...
More About Hannes van Droogenbroeck
The Pigeon Boss Message
With this victory on Argenton, Hannes Van Droogenbroeck writes yet another chapter in his rise to the top. From his first successes on Noyon to now dominating in Viane – this is a fancier steadily claiming his place among the best.
The future of pigeon racing lies with talents like Hannes. Young, ambitious, professional and above all: with Racing Pigeons that make the difference week after week. Remember this name, because Van Droogenbroeck and his Racing Pigeons will be featured on Pigeon Boss many more times.
Until the next blog,
Jan de Wijs
The Pigeon Boss
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