Rik Hermans (Pulle) wins 1st National Ace Pigeon heavy middle distance old KBDB 2024
22 Apr 2025
Playing a 1st national ace pigeon, it remains a dream of many of us. For Rik Hermans this dream became reality in 2024 with his top hen “Janne”, named after his father, the late Jan Hermans, to whom he owes everything. Jan's goal was always to breed top flyers that can fly very early and this against thousands of pigeons. If you breed pigeons like that, you will get pigeons that will do this several times and that is how you get ace pigeons. If we put this story next to that of top hen “Janne” you can only say, chapeau! She won 7 times in the first 80 national without all her other prizes and was not only the best over 4 flights but also over 5 and 6 flights. Or simply the best old pigeon that flew in our country in 2024 on the flights of the heavy middle distance! For Rik, winning this title was really something special that father Jan can only be very proud of from above.
In addition to “Janne”, Rik of course has an impressive breeding loft with multiple national winners and this breeding loft was supplemented with “Janne” and “Sidney”. Both ladies are from 2021 and have nothing more to prove. Such pigeons can only be an asset to anyone's breeding loft and as the strategy from the past says. You have to breed from such pigeons to only make the trunk of the tree stronger.
Overview of some performances over the years in Pulle
1 Nat Bourges 28,078 young 20161 Nat Bourges 24,676 old 2011
1 Nat Chateauroux 25,710p (fastest of 44,314p) 2015
1 Nat Issoudun 11,465p (fastest of 19,713p) 2019
1 Olympiad pigeon yearlings Poznan 2011
1 Olympiad pigeon old Brussels 2017
1 Nat. Ace pigeon heavy middle distance old KBDB 2024
2 Nat. Ace pigeon heavy middle distance old KBDB 2016
2 Nat. Ace pigeon heavy middle distance young KBDB 2019
4 Nat. Ace pigeon small middle distance young 2018
4 Nat. Ace pigeon heavy middle distance young 2021
5 Nat. Champion heavy middle distance old/yearlings 2019
5 Nat. Champion heavy middle distance young 2022
6 Nat. Ace Pigeon heavy middle distance old 2014
6 Nat. Champion heavy middle distance old/yearlings 2023
6 Nat. Champion heavy middle distance old/yearlings KBDB 2024
7 Nat. Ace Pigeon heavy middle distance old 2020
8 Nat. Ace Pigeon heavy middle distance old 2019
8 Nat. Ace Pigeon heavy middle distance young KBDB 2019
10 Nat. Ace Pigeon allround young 2023
11 Nat. Ace Pigeon heavy middle distance young 2021
12 Nat. Ace Pigeon heavy middle distance old 2021
12 Nat. Ace Pigeon heavy middle distance young 2015
15 Nat. Ace Pigeon heavy middle distance yearlings 2016
Racing team on total widowhood.
The racing team is much smaller here than elsewhere compared to some other lofts. Rik does not like a mass of pigeons so the selection as old and yearlings is strict and the bar is set high. The racing pigeons rest in the winter and stay in the lofts of the young pigeons where they can stay in the aviary day and night with open windows. The racing pigeons are not paired, in January there is a major cleaning of all the racing lofts and everything is thoroughly disinfected. Afterwards the racing pigeons come to the lofts and are transferred to their new loft, here too no pairing method is used to make them easier to get used to. Rik prefers to keep the pigeons calm and in the run-up to the season they are then paired once at the beginning of March, they are then allowed to brood for 10 to 12 days and that is how the season is started. There are 20 cocks and 20 hens provided that are all raced. If one does stay behind, either a new pairing is made internally between the racing team or an old pigeon is brought in that is already used to the loft.
There is a resting loft for the hens (relatively dark and with 2 small windows) where they stay almost all the time. Only for food do they end up in a kind of intermediate loft where they can sit on the floor to eat, afterwards they move back to the resting loft. The widowers have a loft with boxes, but these are simply closed when they are getting used to it. So motivation for a box only comes later when the pigeons are paired. The pigeons are usually released here again at the end of January and then have a solid basic condition towards the start of the season.
Do you invest a lot of time in driving or training?
The pigeons train here once a day, the cocks are not required to do this and train for 45 to 60 minutes. A cock does not always have to hang in the air, he also gets his motivation from leaving and going to the loft. The windows always remain closed during training. The hens, on the other hand, are required to train with a helium balloon or fishing rod and this for 45 to 60 minutes.
In training, it varies from year to year what I do with the pigeons in the spring. If there is no time to drive due to lack of time, they are not driven and they go to Quievrain. This year I drove 4 times in total and they went along like that. But I have my doubts whether an old / yearling really needs to be trained again.
The pigeons train during the season itself once a day on Monday because I have the deadline for the newspaper. On Tuesday and Wednesday they train twice a day. If the heavier
How do you motivate your pigeons?
I really don't attach any importance to the flights in April, apart from getting home quickly. I only start pairing the pigeons from the middle distance before basketing. They then come together for 30 to 45 minutes just before being taken away and then go straight into the basket. When they come home, they can stay together until the evening or the next morning, depending on how tough the flights were.
The intention here is still to breed either a national winner or a top 10 racer and we try to have a shot at a national ace pigeon in the top 15 of our country every year. Of course this is no easy task, but the aim of the breeding loft is to bring such toppers to the breeding loft afterwards, because a really good one will never leave Pulle. So if we still have a chance of a national ace pigeon towards the last national flights, our pigeons will remain in widowhood. If this is not the case, I will pair the pigeons according to the national flights that take place at the beginning of August and thus bring the pigeons to the nest.
Then it is of course a completely different matter and the pigeons are mainly driven outside on Mondays. The training at home then stops completely and on Tuesdays and Wednesdays the pigeons will fly 60 km so that maintaining the condition remains high.
I have little light in the resting loft of the hens due to the small windows, there is also windbreak mesh in the small windows so that the pigeons are not darkened and I can easily finish the season. I also do not apply any additional lighting to the old and yearlings. I only have a small group of hens that are between the youngsters and that are played there. This is more for entertainment than real motivation because the best ones are of course between the other group. I usually play these on a national flight when the others have already flown 2 flights in a row or when I do not plan to go with the large loft. Because either I go with everything or I go with nothing or the old loft.
Toppers of the 2024 season
BE 21-6167152 “Janne” Duivin
1 Nat Ace Pigeon Heavy Middle Distance KBDB 2024
1 Best Old Pigeon over 5 National Flights Heavy Middle Distance 2024
1 Best Old Pigeon over 6 National Flights Heavy Middle Distance 2024
3 Ace Pigeon Long Distance World Best Pigeon FCI 2024
4 Nat La Souterraine ’24 5.243p
6 Toury 1.352p
8 Nat Bourges ’24 5.529p
9 Melun 599p
15 Nat Chateauroux ’23 8.075p
20 Nat Argenton ’24 8.343p
21 Nat Argenton ’24 16.547p
29 Sermaises ’24 2.917p
35 Nat Bourges ’24 6.713p
63 Sermaises ’24 2.024p
80 Nat Bourges ’22 10.366p
144 Nat Gueret 12.208p
183 Nat Bourges 7.270p
274 Nat Bourges 9.922p
582 Nat Bourges ’24 24.006p
586 Nat Bourges 18.710p
612 Nat Argenton ’24 8.867p
Father NL 18-5193613 Brother Murphy's Law - Willem De Bruijn
Super breeder and also father of "628/20" 4 Nat Chateauroux 8,075p - 7 Nat Chateauroux 22,196p - 64 Nat Bourges 33,410p and also father of "627/20" 43 Nat Gueret 8,375p - 62 Nat Chateauroux 8,075p – 64 Nat Issoudun 8,151p
Gr.F. NL 11-1199695 De Herman – Herman Kulik
Himself a super flyer and father of superstar “Murphy's Law”
Gr.M. NL 12-1617863 Blue 63 – 100% Heremans – Ceusters
Mother BE 17-6129493 Sister Beauty
Gr.F. BE 10-6252644 Genopte Leeuw – Marcel Wouters
Son of “03-418” De Leeuw 8 Nat Ace Pigeon Middle Distance KBDB 2004
Gr.M. BE 15-6063303 Princess Proper
Mother of a.o. “Chucky” 1 Nat Issoudun 11,465p and 8 Nat Bourges 17,969p
and 4 Nat Ace Pigeon Middle Distance Young KBDB 2018
Daughter of “06-441” Propere x “10-987” Athena Stock mother
BE 21-6167148 “Sidney” Hen
1 Best old pigeon over 6 national flights heavy middle distance 2023
1 Best old pigeon over 7 national flights heavy middle distance 2023
29 Nat Ace Pigeon heavy middle distance old KBDB 2023
2 Melun 1.189p
5 Sermaises 2.064p
8 Nat Argenton ’23 3.990p
10 Nat Argenton ’23 11.295p
11 Melun 599p
28 Nat Chateauroux ’23 8.075p
33 Nat Bourges ’24 5.529p
47 Nat Gueret ’22 12.208p
56 Melun 3.504p
81 Nat Bourges ’22 10.366p
82 Nat Bourges ’24 6.713p
158 Nat Bourges ’24 24.006p
290 Nat Chateauroux 18.741p
326 Nat Bourges 7.270p
345 Nat Bourges 9.922p
406 Nat Issoudun 12.349p
Father BE 19-6109497 Son Nike
Proven top breeder and also father of “676/23” 12 Nat Argenton 18,837p
Brother of “305/19” 1 Nat Sector Chateauroux 8,122p
Gr.F. BE 14-6311921 Brother Kanon – Danny Van Dyck
“Kanon” won 1 Belgian Ace Pigeon Middle Distance Europa Cup Dortmund and
4 Nat Ace Pigeon Middle Distance Young KBDB 2009
Gr.M. BE 16-6128508 Nike – Rik Hermans
Won 1 Nat Bourges 28,078p and super breeding hen
Daughter of “NL 14-354” Kleine Koopman x “BE 10-987” Athena
Mother NL 15-1849907 Daughter Last One – Jan Hooymans
Super breeding hen and also mother of “676/23” 12 Nat Argenton 18,837p and “293/17” 28 Nat Bourges 8,978p – 60 Nat Chateauroux 4,203p
Gr.V. NL 12-1783999 Brother Harry - Jan Hooymans
Brother of superstar “Harry” and his super family
Son of “Jonge Bliksem” Gaby Vandenabeele x “Dirkje” Gerard Koopman
Gr.M. NL 07-2062828 Last One – Rik Hermans
Daughter of “Jaarling Dondersteen” Foundation sire x “Janssen Duivin” Janssen.Gebr.
BE 22-6208638 “Janine” Hen
6 Best yearling pigeon over 7 national flights heavy middle distance 2023
23 Nat Ace Pigeon heavy middle distance yearlings KBDB 2023
27 Nat Ace Pigeon All Round young KBDB 2022
34 Nat Argenton 16.547p
69 Nat Chateauroux 13.096p
98 Nat Argenton 22.869p
105 Nat Argenton 15.210p
166 Nat Argenton 13.393p
189 Nat Bourges 18.729p
301 Nat Bourges 9.922p
373 Nat Bourges 24.006p
435 Nat Bourges 12.094p
Sister of among others:
- 21-143 "Kleine Jan", 4th Nat. Ace Pigeon heavy middle distance young KBDB 2021, 3rd Nat. La Souterraine 14,315p. (1st Prov. 2646 p.), 86th Nat. Argenton 23,124p
- 22-637, 18th best yearling of Belgium over 7 nat. races with 59th Nat. Argenton 3,990p and 1st Chateauroux 398p
- 21-142, 82nd Nat. Argenton 23,124p
- 23-575 (Comb. Van Wanrooij), 1st Prov. Chimay 6,952 p + fastest 14,512 p
- 22-698 (Willem de Bruijn), 2nd Prov. (east) Ace Pigeon middle distance Afd. 5 2024
- 21-232, father of 1st prize 3,578p in Pioneer Club China 2023
- 22-890 (Olivier Geyskens), father 23-004 (1 Sermaises 1,358p, 1 Soissons 132p, 1 Soissons 138p, 1 Souillac 119p / 19 Nat 4,073p and 93 Nat.Sancoins 12,958p) and grandfather 24-445 (20 Nat Bourges 26,549p)
Father BE 17-6129257 Brother Nike
„Nike“ won 1 Nat Bourges 28,078p and super breeding hen
Son “NL 14-354” Kleine Koopman x “BE 10-987” Athena
Mother BE 19-6109492 Beauty Friendship
Gr.F. BE 16-6128792 Beauty 792
Son of “10-644” Genopte Leeuw Marcel Wouters x “15-303” Princess Proper
Gr.M. BE 14-6058777 Friendship
Won herself 1 Nat Chateauroux 25,710p (fastest of 44,314p) and 1 Souppes 1,987p (fastest of 6,134p) – 5 Noyon 1,799p – 8 Souppes 2,127p Daughter of “NL 12-897” Son Harry Jan Hooymans x “BE 12-841” Daughter Olympic Niels Dirk Van Dyck
BE 23-6113539 “Daughter Friendship” Hen
10 Nat Ace All Round young birds KBDB 2023
5 Sermaises 2.799p
16 Melun 619p
17 Noyon 877p
35 Nat Bourges 20.328p
36 Nat (z) Bourges 3.699p
39 Sermaises 2.064p
45 Nat Bourges 9.654p
54 Melun 1.875p
169 Nat Argenton 11.177p
Nest sister of “538/22” 37 Nat Argenton 18,877p
Sister of “382/19” 8 Nat Ace Pigeon heavy middle distance young KBDB 2019
Father BE 16-6128792 Beauty 792
Super breeder
Grandfather of “628/20” 4 Nat Chateauroux 8,075p – 7 Nat Chateauroux 22,196p
“143/21” 4 Nat Ace Pigeon heavy middle distance young KBDB 2021
“627/20” 43 Nat Gueret 8,375p – 62 Nat Chateauroux 8,075p – 64 Nat Issoudun 8,151p
Gr.F. BE 10-6252644 Genopte Leeuw – Marcel Wouters
Son of “03-418” De Leeuw 8 Nat Ace Pigeon middle distance KBDB 2004
Gr.M. BE 15-6063303 Princess Proper
Mother of a.o. “Chucky” 1 Nat Issoudun 11,465p and 8 Nat Bourges 17,969p
and 4 Nat Ace Pigeon middle distance young KBDB 2018
Daughter of “06-441” Propere x “10-987” Athena Stock mother
Mother BE 14-6058777 Friendship
Won herself 1 Nat Chateauroux 25,710p (fastest of 44,314p) and 1 Souppes 1,987p (fastest of 6,134p) – 5 Noyon 1,799p – 8 Souppes 2,127p
Gr.F. NL 12-1783897 Son Harry – Jan Hooymans
Son of “Harry” x “Last One”
Gr.M. BE 12-6327841 Daughter Olympic Niels - Dirk Van Dyck
Daughter of “Olympic Niels” Olympiad Pigeon Speed Nitra 2013 x “Inteelt Rambo”
BE 23-6113552 “All National 552”
16 Nat Bourges ’24 9.654p
41 Nat Vierzon ’24 5.780p
43 Nat Bourges ’24 7.617p
46 Nat Argenton ’23 18.877p
240 Prov Sermaises ’23 8.091p
263 Nat Bourges ’23 20.328p
Father BE 20-6198776 Triple National
Gr.V. BE 19-6109649 Son Friendship
Son of “NL 17-680” Survivor 680 PC. Van Alphen x “777/14” Friendship won
1 Nat Chateauroux 25,710p (fastest of 44,314p) and 1 Souppes 1,987p (fastest of 6,134p) – 5 Noyon 1,799p – 8 Souppes 2,127p
Gr.M. BE 19-6109648 Double Gold
Daughter of “Chucky” 1 Nat Issoudun 11,465p and 8 Nat Bourges 17,969p x “Nike” 1 Nat Bourges 28,078p
Mother BE 21-5050064 Daughter National Pair – Bosmans – Leekens
Sister of “087/21” Mother of 3 Nat Ace Pigeon heavy middle distance yearlings KBDB 2024
and 1 Nat Bourges 7,617p – 5 Nat Sancoins 12,962p at Tournelle – Hua Feng
Gr.F. BE 19-5037186 Triple Bas - Bosmans – Leekens
Won 1 Nat Gueret 12,888p
Gr.M. BE 20-5091621 O.T. - Bosmans – Leekens
Won 1 Nat Chateauroux 15,322p
Young pigeons
The young pigeons are usually about 80 from the first round and 50 from the 2nd group. These are kept separately in the lofts and are played using a dry manure method. In recent years I used corn cobs to put on the floor, but these are no longer available, which is why I have now opted for straw. An aviary is provided for each loft and the aim is mainly to build up natural resistance in their first months.
They are darkened from 1 April to 21 June from 5:30 pm to 9:00 am. This is not done exactly to the minute, but this also has no influence on the moult.
Here too, the aim is the 4 or 5 national flights of the season. The first flights are mainly good training and more time is spent training the youngsters. In about 15 times it goes up to 40 km. They then go to Quievrain and until Bourges there is no extra driving during the week. From then on the rhythm is that the pigeons are allowed to fly on Monday and on Tuesday and Wednesday they get a training of 60 km and then they go back into the basket.
Sometimes it is also chosen to keep the pigeons at home during the weekend between the national flights and then I prefer to drive 4 or 5 times up to 60 km than to let them go during the weekend.
The pigeons are played on the sliding door where the first and second round are placed under each other. The pigeons often see each other during the week because of the training, which means that I no longer let them come together when they are basketed. There is also no extra motivation or slanted boxes. Those who want to pair will find a place. The sliding door is created from 3 to 4 weeks before the first national flight to continue this system until the end of the season. After returning home, the pigeons will definitely stay together until Sunday morning or afternoon. This can only be beneficial for creating more permanent couples and for giving a pigeon that has been deep the necessary recovery so that it can still enjoy its partner on Sunday.
How do you approach the feeding?
I only use Versele – Laga mixtures here. For the old pigeons this means that I put together a mixture myself during the season from the following mixtures (Gerry Plus – Champion Plus – Energy Plus and Master Exlusive). These last 2 are mainly used towards basketing. They are fed twice a day during the season, the hens are usually given a quarter of an hour for this and then move back to the resting loft. The pigeons are not given peanuts, I do use candy seeds and certainly towards basketing. The pigeons are given fresh grit twice a week together with morning mix from Willem De Bruijn.
For the young pigeons I use a breeding mixture for a fairly long time, which means that my young pigeons do not fly as fast as elsewhere. But I also attach less importance to this. From March 1st the fairs and the Golden Pigeon party are behind us, which means that there is more time for my own pigeons. Afterwards they also get a mixture that I make myself from 3 types. This is Junior Plus – Gerry Plus and Mutine Plus. Once they go to Quievrain I switch to the system of the old pigeons. Until then they are only fed once a day, after that this becomes twice a day.
Also in the area of extra products it is Versele – Laga that succeeds the clock. I mainly use Hemolyt 40 and BoostX5. Dextrotonic when basketing and with the young pigeons I mainly use Intestinal Top as acidification.
The vaccinations that are done annually are with the old pigeons only Paramyxo and they also get a 10-day cure against paratyphoid but without vaccination. The young pigeons are vaccinated twice against paramyxo rota and afterwards with the brush against smallpox.
Furthermore they get a treatment against tricho during the season but I try to postpone this as long as possible in the spring and do this a maximum of twice a year. The same goes for the airways, which will only be treated on the advice of veterinarian Rob Hoekstra. In addition, the pigeons regularly receive eye drops from Rob to recover for the next flights.
Rik, congratulations on this great title and much success in the coming season 2025 from the entire HERBOTS TEAM.
Buelens Kim
