Origin: This breed can be traced to Northern Belgium in the early 19th Century.

General Impression: A pigeon of a bold and upright stance. The head and neck properties are of prime importance, an even sweep overall with good width and substance of skull. The coloration is of lesser significance, but the standard colors described are preferred.

Head: Large, massive, and oval in shape for long or medium faced birds. When viewed from the profile, a long, even sweep from the tip of the beak to the back of the skull. The back of the skull should be as large a possible. The highest point of the skull should be above the eye. Jaws are broad and strong at the base. The cheeks are well rounded with a full appearance. In short faced birds the head when viewed from the profile should be round not oval in shape. It is important to note that the skull and face should be very wide with ample room from the eye to the back of the waffle. Short faced birds must not measure more than 1 to 1½ inches from the center of the eye to the tip of the beak. Medium faced birds should have a measurement of not more than 16/8 inches in this area. All birds with a greater measurement in this area are classified as being long faced.

Beak: Black in color and as stout as possible. The beak is blunt at the tip and close tiffing with both mandibles showing an equal substance. The beak as a whole has a slightly downward appearance, forming with the waffle and head an even sweep from the tip of the beak to the back of the skull.

Wattle: Moderate in size, smooth, even and leaf-shaped. The waffle must not show any coarseness, nor should it project forward from the line of the curvature. The "Jew" waffle (under the beak) is well developed, but it should not be coarse or out of proportion to the beak waffle.

Eyes: Large, bright blood red in color. Prominent and bold in appearance.

Eye Cere: Dark in color on younger birds, but it is allowed to be lighter on older birds. Fine in texture and dry looking. Circular in shape, placed eccentrically over the eye, being as small as possible at the back lower part, gradually increasing until most prominent at the front upper part.

Neck: Moderately long tapering from the chest to the base of the skull. The throat is full but most do not show signs of a gullet (dewlap).

Body: Large and shapely, with a considerable depth of breast. The chest is full and broad. The shoulders are broad and prominent. The back is straight.

Flights: Short, broad, and well folded, resting lightly on the tail.

Tail: Short with the feathers being broad, carried off the ground.

Carriage: Bold, alert, upright, and smart.

Legs: Moderately long and sturdy. Stout muscular thighs. Strong rather spread out feet. Legs and feet are free from feathers below the hock. Deep red in color.

Colors: Silver dun: Delicate creamy white in general. The head is a powdery white, neck and breast are deep lustrous coppery bronze. The wing bars are broad, well defined and deep red in color. Red checker: Head dark and sound red. The neck and the chest are a deep lustrous red. The body and wing ground coloration is a clear dun, checkered with a deep red pattern. This pattem is to be even throughout the wing shield. The tail and flights are clear white. Two broad bars should appear on the lower wing shield and these too should be dark red in color. Blue checkered: Head is dark blue, lustrous and deeply colored on the neck and chest. Body and wings are to be marked like the red checkers, but with a blue coloration. The checkering is black. Flights and tail are blue. Blue barred: Sound blue throughout the wings and tail. Two broad bars appear on the wing shield and they must be dark black in color.