Ruiselede : In West-Flanders are two young fanciers becoming the new stars in pigeon racing. Rik Cools and Piet Blancke these coming-men. They are out-standing in the provincial championship KBDB on half fond (for old and yearlings) and fond (for youngsters). They won 13 x 1st prize in 2000, 16 x in 2001 and already 18 x in 2002. Since 2000, they have won 3 times 1ste provincial prize and won more than 40 times in the top 10 on important provincial races. No other fancier in West-Flanders can do better. Their secret? Mainly bird from the strain Gaby Vandenabeele (Dentergem), good management and the excellent system for racing hens learned from Remi Demey. These guys are full of energy and new plans. Rik Cools and Piet Blancke own two of the best hens on middle distance in Belgium. ‘Bieke’ and ‘Aske’ are most famous in Flanders. Cools-Blancke…Blancke-Cools…it does not matter. All here is young, dynamic, faster, and speedy…. All this is Rik Cools and Piet Blancke.

The partnership Cools-Blancke started in 1992. The two partners are Piet Blancke are both middle aged (Piet practises at Veterinary as profession) and Rik Cools (who is a teacher). The grandfather of veterinary Piet was Oscar Decloet from Aarsele. In the 80’s and 90’s, Oscar Decloet was a very famous middle distance racer. Piet learned all about pigeon racing from his grandfather. When Oscar stopped racing in 1990, he gave all the stock birds to his grandson. Oscar also bought 12 eggs from the famous Gaby Vandenabeele. (Two sons from ‘Kleinen’ and two daughters from ‘Groten’. From these strains came the basic cock ‘Gaby 184/93’) Piet was ready to begin in pigeon racing but he had no time. He was to busy as a vet. His friend, Rik Cools from the same town Ruiselede, got interested in pigeon racing also because his neighbour had some good pigeons. Rik got some youngsters from his neighbour in 1991 and started racing. The two friends agreed in the partnership Cools-Blancke and started racing with this name on the lofts of Rik in 1992. Some new birds were bought. They got the hen ‘Françine 3074422/92’ from Frans Vandesteege (Poeke). She had excellent results as racer but became very important as stock bird.

In 1996 the friends started another partnership. In the garden of Piet, they started the partnership Blancke-Cools. So now they have Cools-Blancke (racing youngsters and hens) and Blancke-Cools (the stock birds). In the near future they have new plans. Piet Blancke will begin racing at this loft on long distance with cocks. The new loft will be ready in 2003 and racing will begin in 2004. I am pretty sure they will be successful on this distance also. Every year they got more pigeon from the loft Gaby Vandenabeele or pigeons from the same strain.

Everybody knows the very successful combination Cools - Blancke and what they have realised on Provincial and National level. Rik Cools and Piet Blancke from Ruiselede in West-Flanders – a small village with mills on the border between West- and East-Flanders – have been very well know all around Flanders for some time. Various victories and accolades decorate their name. They have, among many other prizes, the 1st & 2nd Ace pigeon in middle distance and long distance yearlings KBDB West-Flanders, and also the 2nd & 5th Ace Pigeon long distance youngsters KBDB West-Flanders and so much more

Amongst an abundance of local trophies, they have won: 1st Ace pigeons,  1st Provincials,  1st Nationals during their super successful years with the pigeons of Gaby Vandenabeele, who is also one of Rik's best friends. With the partnership split, Piet has decided to try Long Distance flying, thus allowing Rik Cools to race by himself and is doing excellent. Rik Cools is without doubt one of the best lofts in the world racing Gaby Vandenabeele pigeons.

Rik Cools does very well indeed with racing Hens to which he limits only 24, but this champion fancier from Ruiselede, Belgium, really knows how to make these birds perform--with phenomenal results and the perfectionism, with which Cools approaches the sport to reveal this flyer's dominance at the middle- and short-distance races...