from pioneers till wholesalers in championship titles and ace-pigeon titles

Once upon a time...
Once upon a time, there were two brothers who started to play with the pigeons. This could be the beginning of a fairy tale if it wasn't a true story. In 1995, two brothers – Jos (breeder) and Filip (player) Herbots, at the age of 12 and 10 years – started a pigeon career, which would become one of the best known all over the world. It wasn't an exception that these brothers started to race the pigeons because the whole family was infected by the virus. Now, after 69 years and many titles and victories later, the ambitions of Filip (his brother Jos died in 2010), still are what they were in those days. Witness here is the title of 1e Nat. Ace-pigeon Little Middle Distance Yrl. 2013 with Belgian Star (BE12-6123310). One of the many titles on their imposing prize list.

Pioneers work

When you think that their success was a gift, you’re completely wrong. Filip and Jos both had to work very hard to get to the top. It all started in ’73 with Stoces. Each article that appeared of Stoces, was written by Jos. When Stoces wanted to sell some late youngsters, Jos already started to write down all pedigrees. On demand of Filip’s father in law, a true gambler, Stoces didn’t sell in public but Jos, Filip and Filips father in law bought the complete round of late youngsters. These were equally divided among both brothers and the father in law. In winter, the father in law already dumped all of his Stoces-pigeons to Jos and Filip and he told them: ”So many pigeons, that’s too much work”. In total, 124 direct Stoces came to Halle-Booienhoven. About 20-tal survived the strong selection.
In the mean time, life went on. Filip became father of 5 children, he became ombudsman in Diepenbeek, later on 1st alderman, taught in high school and he searched to sell pigeons on an independent base via Michel Vanlint (Zoutleeuw, BE) – in Taiwan. In ’82, he left politics and in ’84, he took vacation without being paid to become a fulltime pigeon-agent. At that moment, he had 5 children going to school, who had to study at the university for 36 years all together. He went to Japan with a “father Scheutist”, who did missionary work for die 25 years in the land of the rising sun, with just a few addresses and pictures in his bag. The whole family had to help out with the pigeons. “They had to know where the money came from”, Filip mentions.

Selection

It all begins and ends with good pigeons. A strong selection, next to good care-taking and a good loft, is one of the most important elements towards success. Filip soon found out that not each pigeon can become a champion but Jos held on to a pigeon much easier. You have to get the good ones where they are: Stoces, Schellens, Soontjes, Clerinx and more recently Leo Heremans). This provided them with cracks, as well on the breeding loft as on the racing loft, which grew out to become true icons within the pigeon sport. Nowadays, everybody all over the world, still remembers names like the Ieverige (BE75-5239278), National ii (BE86-6260314), Fenomenale (BE99-5118824), King (BE91-2086940), 155 (BE91-6371155) and more recently Filip (BE03-2101107) and Yvan (Be07-2103401). Another successful strategy is buying pigeons of their own origins elsewhere if they score well.

Belgian Star (BE12-6123310): 1e Nat. Ace-pig KBDB Little MD 2013
A new rising star is Belgian Star. As a youngsters, he already won 3 victories: 1e Soissons 400 p; 1e Melun 251 p; 1e Toury 179 p. In 2013, he added another 5 victories: 1e Orleans 1.187 p; 1e Pithiviers 683 p; 1e Orleans 570 pp; 1e Orleans 263 p; 1e Nanteuil 247 p. Hereby he became 1e Nationale Ace-pig KBDB Little MD. Belgian Star was one of the survivors of the 2 rounds of youngsters they bought with Leo Heremans, of which 2 other supers too. The grandfather on fathers side of Belgian Star is the Jan (Be02-6113220), 1e Nat. Ace-pig Youngsters Ave Regina 2002, 2e Nat. Ace-pig Yrl. Ave Regina toe, toe Nat. Ace-pig Old Ave Regina 2004. On mothers side we find the Rossi (BE04-6073655), another super pigeon with Heremans, which won among others 1e Quievrain against 2.508 pigeons.
Belgian Star wasn't the only one who helped them winning a title in 2013. Magda was classified as 5e Nat. Ace-pig KBDB Little MD, George was 9e Nat. Ace-pig KBDB Heavy MD Old. Also on provincial level, they participated very well: 6 times in the top 5 and also 1e Prov. Ace-pig KBDB Little MD and 1e Prov. Ace-pig KBDB Heavy MD Old, twice the highest level.

The system

The Herbots Brothers also moved on with their time. For several years, they use the system of total widowhood. To avoid the hens to pair, they have to stay in the open aviary during the day. Here they sit really close to each other so they don't get the opportunity to pair. The cocks stay on little shelves on the racing loft. In the morning, on the day of basketing, these shelves are taken away and the boxes are opened and then, the hens and the cocks can stay together for about an hour and they can do whatever they want. Afterwards, the hens are taken away. The pigeons are fed several times and just before basketing, the hens can go into the corridor in front of the racing loft.
They also take good care of the food. To those pigeons that have to fly every week a race of -500 km, recovering is very important and here for Super Flight is a very good product. To those that are interested, people, which are never too old to learn, we give the weekly schedule. The mixtures they use are of the Firm Beyers.
At their arrival: 100% Koopman and Topfit in the drinking water.
Sunday: 50% Koopman 50% Vandenabeele with proteins and for oils Topfit in the drinking water.
Monday: 100% Vandenabeele with medication/Bronchofit in the water.
Tuesday: 50% Koopman 50% Vandenabeele with medication/Bronchofit in the water.
Wednesday: 100% Koopman supplement 10% cribs corn and Aminovit in the water
Thursday: 100% Koopman 10% cribs corn.
After each training, they get some hemp and sunflower grains.
Till last year, the youngsters ( -200) were played by the system of the sliding door by the same system as the widowers. In 2014, one compartment will be played on widowhood and the other on nest.

2014

Also in 2014, the racing-and breeding loft is filled with quality. On the racing loft, we find following super pigeons:
Blitzy Blois (BE10-2192897):
1e Prov. Ace-pig KBDB Heavy MD. She won prizes among which 1e int. prov. Argenton 1.732 p; 1e int. prov. La Souterraine 1.712 p; 1e int. prov. Bourges 3.271 p.

George (BE11-2186246): 9e Nat. Ace-pig KBDB Heavy MD. He won 1e Pithiviers 1.897 p; 1e Argenton 1.346 p; 1e Chateauroux 1.191 p.
Yva (BE12-2177058): 1e Argenton 1.417 p; 1e la Souterraine 732 p.

Yvonne (BE11-2186136): 1e Issoudun 1.382 p; 1e Toury 299 p.

Under their watch, the whole team won following results in 2014:
Reims:
324 ol d: 1-2-3-4-5-15-17-22-35-36-38-40-41-53-61-74-80-81-82-83-88-89-90-91-104 (25/57)
400 yrl: 5-1-21-36-43-58-68-75-77-78-83-86-102-109-113-114-115 (17/43)
Momignies:
170 yrl: 2-3-4-5-6-8-10-14-16-21-23-24-25-27-29-33-35 47-48-50-51-56-57 (23/40)
165 ol d: 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-11-14-16-18-19-20-21-23-24-25-26-27-29-31-34-35-37-42-43-44-47-51 (31/5 8)
Like always, the base of the racing team are the breeders and here theres only room for the very best. Some of the most important are:
Kenzo (BE04-2116092): 1e Nat. Ace-pig Little MD KBDB ' 07. He won 1e Toury 701 p; 1e Toury 624 p; 1e Toury 298 p...

Blown Stoces (BE05-6231037):1e Olympic Ace MD Dortmund 2009, 1e nat. Argenton 5.208 p. 7 x 1e prize.

Yvan (BE07-2103401): 1e Nat. Ace-pig KBDB MD 2009 and 4 Nat. Ace-pig KBDB Heavy MD 2008. He won 1e int. prov. Sealers 2.281 p; 1e int. prov. Orleans 3.132 p; 1e int. prov. Toury 781 p.raced with Herbots
Filip (BE03-2101107): 1 Nat. Ace-pig BDS Youngsters. 1 Olympic Pig MD Porto. 1e Prov. Ace-pig KBDB All Round toe. He won 1e int. prov. Orleans 2.767 p. Bred and raced by Herbots
Magnum (BE2228064-07): 3 Nat. Ace-pig MD Duivenkrant 2008. He won 5 Nat. C Bourges, 6 Nat. C Greene, 7 Nat. C La Souterraine bred and raced by Herbots strain National I and son Olympia

Royal Prins (BE2192064-10): Won 5 Nat. Argenton, 46 Nat. Bourges, 50 Nat Issoudun, 71 Nat Chateauroux (strain Number 1, King & Queen). Bred and raced by Herbots

What makes this breeding loft even more special is that the descendants of these super birds can be bought by each and everyone of us because of a special arrangement.

Family

The pigeons have given a lot to Filip Herbots. He's one of the few Belgian people that ever had dinner with Nelson Mandela. What is the most important to Filip Herbots in life? His close relation to his family, everything else are details, even the pigeons.

National Ace-pigeons KBDB

1e Nat. Ace-pig. Little MD KBDB 2013
1e Nat. Ace-pig MD KBDB 2009
1e Nat. Ace-pig MD KBDB 2005
1e Nat. Ace-pig MD KBDB 2000
1e Nat. Ace-pig MD KBDB 1999
2e Nat. Ace-pig MD KBDB 1998
2e Nat. Ace-pig MD KBDB 1992
e Nat. Ace-pig Heavy MD KBDB 2012
fore NatAce-pig MD KBDB 2003
4e Nat. Ace-pig Heavy MD KBDB 2008
5e Nat. Ace-pig Little MD KBDB 2013
5e Nat. Ace-pig MD KBDB 1996
5e Nat. Ace-pig MD KBDB 1995
5e Nat. Ace-pig Heavy MD KBDB 2007

Olympic Ace-pigeons

Olympic Pig cat. H. Nitra 2013
Olympic Pig All Round Poland 2011
Olympic Pig All Round Ostende 2007
Olympic Pig All Round Ostende 2007
Olympic Pig MD Porto 2005
Olympic Pig All Round Utrecht 1995
Olympic Pig MD Basel 1997
Olympic Pig All Round Basel 1997
Olympic Pig All Round Blackpool 19
Olympic Pig All Round South Africa 2001

National Championships

1e Nat. Champ. MD KBDB 2009
1e Nat. Champ. Heavy MD B.D.S. 2005
1e Nat. Champ. Yrl KBDB 2008
2e Nat. Champ. Youngsters C.C. 2011
2e Nat. Champ. Best Loft L.C.B 2009
2e Nat. Champ. Heavy MD Old & Yrl B.D.S. 2006
2e Nat. Champ. MD B.D.S. 2000
2e Nat. Champ. MD Old B.D.S. 2004
2e Nat. Champ. MD B.D.S. 1998
e Nat. Champ. Best Loft L.C.B. 2012
e Nat. Champ. MD and LD Youngsters B.D.S. 2006
e Nat. Champ. MD Youngsters B.D.S. 2004
e Nat. Champ. Youngsters KBDB 2003
4e Nat. Champ. Yrl KBDB 19
5e Nat. Champ. General Old KBDB 2004
5e Nat. Champ. Yrl KBDB 2003