Being a son of a famous father is not easy, especially not in sports. There are more than enough examples of this to be found. Let's just consider top bicycle racer, one of the all time greats, Eddy Merckx. His son Axel was certainly an able racer himself, but had to hear his whole carreer: "the son does not have that great ability of the father!". A frustrating business indeed. In pigeonsport it is not too difficult to find similar examples either. How many times have Georges and François Van Riel been compared with their fabulous father Jef of the legendary Huyskens-Van Riel team? The late Michel Vanhee with his father Gerard, or Annemie Vanhee with her grandfather? And indeed Jef De Scheemaecker with his father Noël, who can be called a monument of Belgian and international pigeonsport without the slightest exaggeration.

Nevertheless Jef, now retired as CEO of Natural, and racing his birds under the name De Scheemaecker Brothers, has managed to make his own mark on Belgian pigeon racing. His pigeons regularly make themselves noted on the results lists of the mighty Union of Antwerp. Not only that, Jef has been putting himself in the international spotlight as well. Two years ago, the De Scheemaecker Brothers managed to win the Belgian Superstar in the Million Dollar Race. Their outstanding bird "Yippeeyocahee" also became the Ace pigeon of the MDPR, thereby leaving 4000 competitors out of 30 different countries in the dust. Not just a lucky strike it seems now, as in the 2008 competition their "Big Bambu" is firmly entrenched in the top 15 of the Belgian Superstar. On Wednesday 19 December, "Big Bambu" was the first Belgian bird in the 25th position. It was not the only early place this fine pigeon would get. 41st against 3584 pigeons, 132nd against 3397 birds, 200th against 3279 pigeons, 309th and 420th against more than 3000 pigeons: these are results any fancier would like to add to his record list.

Jef De Scheemaecker (right) and his loft manager Gert Lauwereys (left) before the lofts.

One thing is for sure: Jef De Scheemaecker gets the quality where he thinks he can find it: "Big Bambu" actually is a 100% Dutch product: father and mother are 2005 birds, directly from the loft of Dutch fancier Verbree. Looking at the results of the Netherlands in the 2008 Million Dollar Pigeon Race, one can rest assured Jef has high hopes for the final race on 2 February!

Text: August Daelemans
Picture: Jef De Scheemaecker