Tanguy Gervois
Tanguy Gervois in Marconne: passion as a heritage
The value doesn't wait for years, as the saying goes. This is true in many fields, especially in pigeon racing. The proof is Tanguy Gervois, member of the Ramier in Auchy-les-Hesdin (Pas-de-Calais) who, at just 23 years old, can boast of a nice prize list: twelve times group leader this year, French champion in 500 / 750 km in 2018 and first Nord - Pas-de-Calais 2019. Meet him at his home in Marconne, near Hesdin.
To access the loft of Tanguy Gervois, you have to go through a room that used to be one of the butcher's shops - delicatessens of the commune, and which has kept its counter of yesteryear. The place belonged to the young man's grandfather, who transmitted two viruses to his grandson: that of the beautiful meat, and that of the pigeon. "My grandfather was a pigeon fancier and had pigeon houses. He was more of a breeder than a competitor, even though he was a long-distance fancier. So he was also a butcher - caterer. Just like my father. And like me", says the young man.
From this ancestor who, following an injury, had to turn to breed and flew with an associate, the young pigeon fancier kept the pigeon loft, installed on the first floors of the Marconnoise dwelling. "They are quite old, it's true. I also had some problems at the beginning, due to the ventilation and this was reflected in the results. But since I've solved the ventilation problem, it's been fine," says the young champion.
"Come with me, I'm going to the club, basketing".
In 2012 Tanguy became passionate about pigeon racing. It was my grandfather's partner, Francis Devillers from Saint-Georges, who put me in the stirrup," recalls the Marconnois. One day he met me at my grandfather's house and said: "Come with me, I'm going to the club, basketing". I was still at school at the time. I followed him and since then, the passion has never left me. "At his first competition, he finished number one in the ranking. Rather not bad for a pure beginner " I think that at the beginning, like everyone else, I didn't really know what I was doing," he says. But gradually, I started to get information from the best amateurs. That's how I built my first colony: thanks to the advice of others while trying to sort out everything I was told. »
And it is particularly at the side of the Belgian Dany Dusausoit that he built his colony, today populated by 120 pigeons. "About 50 % of my pigeons come from Dany Dusausoit's home, insists the pigeon fancier. My best pigeons are number 293 406, which made two grouping firsts in 2020, notably in Blois; the half-brother of my Olympic Dany and my Route 66, which made first in the West zone in Jarnac. »
Hunting on the plains
The relationship with nature and animals, as well as the good results obtained, is, for the young man, the first drivers of passion. Even if this leads him to make certain sacrifices: "During the competitions, I spend about one hour in my pigeon loft in the morning, one hour at noon and three hours in the evening. As my work is quite demanding, I am up at 5.30 am. »
Some of the young man's friends find that enjoying pigeon racing at 23 years old is, given this age, something "simply unthinkable". But "it would be wrong to judge this sport as a hobby for old people. On the contrary, with the number of technological tools at our disposal nowadays, one would have to be younger than the other way round", he stresses.
Despite the volume of work necessary to maintain his results and a very busy professional schedule, Tanguy Gervois manages to find a few hours available to roam the plains and woods of the area, gun in hand, in search of hares, pheasants or partridges to hunt. A family passion, which his grandfather would not have disowned.
David Sagot
The value doesn't wait for years, as the saying goes. This is true in many fields, especially in pigeon racing. The proof is Tanguy Gervois, member of the Ramier in Auchy-les-Hesdin (Pas-de-Calais) who, at just 23 years old, can boast of a nice prize list: twelve times group leader this year, French champion in 500 / 750 km in 2018 and first Nord - Pas-de-Calais 2019. Meet him at his home in Marconne, near Hesdin.
To access the loft of Tanguy Gervois, you have to go through a room that used to be one of the butcher's shops - delicatessens of the commune, and which has kept its counter of yesteryear. The place belonged to the young man's grandfather, who transmitted two viruses to his grandson: that of the beautiful meat, and that of the pigeon. "My grandfather was a pigeon fancier and had pigeon houses. He was more of a breeder than a competitor, even though he was a long-distance fancier. So he was also a butcher - caterer. Just like my father. And like me", says the young man.
From this ancestor who, following an injury, had to turn to breed and flew with an associate, the young pigeon fancier kept the pigeon loft, installed on the first floors of the Marconnoise dwelling. "They are quite old, it's true. I also had some problems at the beginning, due to the ventilation and this was reflected in the results. But since I've solved the ventilation problem, it's been fine," says the young champion.
"Come with me, I'm going to the club, basketing".
In 2012 Tanguy became passionate about pigeon racing. It was my grandfather's partner, Francis Devillers from Saint-Georges, who put me in the stirrup," recalls the Marconnois. One day he met me at my grandfather's house and said: "Come with me, I'm going to the club, basketing". I was still at school at the time. I followed him and since then, the passion has never left me. "At his first competition, he finished number one in the ranking. Rather not bad for a pure beginner " I think that at the beginning, like everyone else, I didn't really know what I was doing," he says. But gradually, I started to get information from the best amateurs. That's how I built my first colony: thanks to the advice of others while trying to sort out everything I was told. »
And it is particularly at the side of the Belgian Dany Dusausoit that he built his colony, today populated by 120 pigeons. "About 50 % of my pigeons come from Dany Dusausoit's home, insists the pigeon fancier. My best pigeons are number 293 406, which made two grouping firsts in 2020, notably in Blois; the half-brother of my Olympic Dany and my Route 66, which made first in the West zone in Jarnac. »
Hunting on the plains
The relationship with nature and animals, as well as the good results obtained, is, for the young man, the first drivers of passion. Even if this leads him to make certain sacrifices: "During the competitions, I spend about one hour in my pigeon loft in the morning, one hour at noon and three hours in the evening. As my work is quite demanding, I am up at 5.30 am. »
Some of the young man's friends find that enjoying pigeon racing at 23 years old is, given this age, something "simply unthinkable". But "it would be wrong to judge this sport as a hobby for old people. On the contrary, with the number of technological tools at our disposal nowadays, one would have to be younger than the other way round", he stresses.
Despite the volume of work necessary to maintain his results and a very busy professional schedule, Tanguy Gervois manages to find a few hours available to roam the plains and woods of the area, gun in hand, in search of hares, pheasants or partridges to hunt. A family passion, which his grandfather would not have disowned.
David Sagot
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