Chris (70 years young) can best be described as a true long-distance specialist who rarely disappoints. Supported by his wife Kathy, who follows everything with great interest and enthusiasm, Chris proudly continues in the footsteps of his father. Born and raised among the pigeons of his father, Octaaf Hebberecht, he developed a passion for pigeon racing at a very young age—a passion that has never faded. Today, more than ever, he remains one of the leading names in Belgian long-distance and extreme long-distance racing. There were a few difficult seasons, until last year when Chris decided to return to what he calls the "old system" and once again made the basics of his management the foundation of his success. During the COVID period, many fanciers were almost forced to use darkening systems and various other techniques. However, these methods did not produce the desired results for Chris's favourite discipline: long-distance and extreme long-distance racing with widowhood cocks. So he returned to his traditional approach. The cocks are paired in January and allowed to rear a round of youngsters before the season begins, enabling them to build up their condition while sitting on the nest. As soon as the youngsters are weaned, the cocks are placed on widowhood for the remainder of the season, with one clear objective: to peak for the National long-distance races and the International extreme long-distance classics. Starting the season from this natural nesting position allows the birds to enter competition in perfect condition. The cocks train once a day during the early part of the season, with Chris encouraging them to stay in the air for almost an hour. Once the real spring weather arrives, usually from May onwards, they train twice a day. Whenever the major long-distance races approach, the hen is shown in the nest box before basketing, while upon their return the cocks receive every possible care and attention—including the well-known "yellow drop" before basketing and again after returning home. The pigeons are fed exclusively with products from the Versele-Laga range and receive regular veterinary check-ups from Dr. Wim Boddaert. There are no complicated systems or secret formulas here—just a straightforward management programme that has produced outstanding results for many years and continues to do so today. And the results clearly prove that returning to the old system has once again paid off.

"Magic Spirit" – The Loft's Star Performer

At present, Chris owns a pigeon that can truly be called one of a kind. Appropriately, he has been named "Magic Spirit." Whether it's sprint, middle-distance or long-distance racing, this exceptional cock is capable of competing at the very highest level. The 2026 season was another outstanding campaign, highlighted by a 1st Provincial Limoges, 1st National Zone, and 8th National, in addition to numerous other top prizes.

Palmarès

2026 Season

1st Provincial Limoges II against 2,298 pigeons

1st National Zone against 1,732 pigeons

8th National against 6,972 pigeons

3rd Argenton against 313 pigeons – 31st Provincial against 2,128 pigeons

3rd Clermont against 1,523 pigeons

3rd Clermont against 1,290 pigeons

7th Orléans against 854 pigeons – 19th against 1,899 pigeons

10th Clermont against 344 pigeons

315th National Tulle against 5,936 pigeons

2025 Season

2nd Provincial KBDB Allround Ace Pigeon (Old Birds) – East Flanders

5th Provincial KBDB Sprint Ace Pigeon (Old Birds) – East Flanders

6th World Best Pigeon Allround

25th National KBDB Allround Ace Pigeon

26th National KBDB Sprint Ace Pigeon

Race Results:

1st Arras against 1,404 pigeons

1st Toury against 538 pigeons

1st Argenton against 227 pigeons – 6th National Zone against 1,515 pigeons

2nd Clermont against 941 pigeons

3rd Clermont against 488 pigeons

6th Clermont against 713 pigeons

7th Clermont against 1,290 pigeons

8th Clermont against 1,409 pigeons

18th Châteaudun against 1,793 pigeons

56th National La Souterraine against 4,971 pigeons

210th National Limoges against 4,695 pigeons

33rd National Zone Tulle against 1,183 pigeons – 139th National against 3,726 pigeons

Following his outstanding National performance from Limoges, Chris decided to retire Magic Spirit from racing and move him to the breeding loft. That decision already appears to have been the right one, as his offspring are showing tremendous promise.

Plenty of Firepower Still Available

Chris competes in every National long-distance and International extreme long-distance race, always aiming for top prizes, ace pigeon titles and high national rankings. It is easier said than done—but at Evergem, it has become almost routine. At the start of the season, he had a racing team consisting of 46 old cocks and 44 yearling cocks. Such numbers are necessary because long-distance and extreme long-distance racing inevitably take their toll. With a small colony, it would be virtually impossible to compete consistently at the highest level throughout the season. Yet every year, Chris succeeds in identifying several new talents and allows them to develop gradually into future champions. There is no rushing their careers. They first gain experience, are thoroughly tested, and only when they reach full maturity are they expected to perform at the highest level. That philosophy has already produced outstanding pigeons in the past. Names such as Champion, Costello, Axl, Ike, Lord, and many others have brought fame and glory to the lofts in Evergem. It is also well known that many other fanciers have successfully built on the strong bloodline developed in Evergem, achieving excellent results with Hebberecht pigeons. Chris sometimes wonders whether it would be possible to compete with fewer pigeons. In reality, that would make things considerably more difficult, as replacing losses in long-distance racing is not something that can be done overnight.

Amir Outsmarts All the Old Birds from Castres

The scheduled Narbonne race had to be changed to Castres due to the weather conditions. Even before basketing, everyone knew it would be a particularly tough race. The combination of extreme heat and unfavourable winds promised another gruelling challenge, much like the previous long-distance races earlier this season. The pigeons were liberated on Friday morning at 7:45 a.m., facing a straight-line distance of approximately 850 kilometres to Evergem. Before the race, Chris told his wife: "If pigeons make it home today from Castres, there's a very good chance Amir will be one of them." Those words would soon prove almost prophetic. Amir had looked absolutely magnificent at basketing and had already shown throughout the season that he was in outstanding condition. Earlier, he had finished 56th National from Agen under very demanding conditions, and now he was ready to confirm his class once again at Castres. As the first arrivals started appearing on the online result screens, Chris waited patiently at home, as usual. At one point he became thirsty and went inside the house to grab a drink. When he returned, he immediately noticed unusual activity among the pigeons that had stayed behind. Normally they would be quietly resting in their nest boxes at that hour, but something was different. It was 9:13 p.m. Looking at the display of his electronic timing system, he saw that a pigeon from Castres had been clocked. Amir had beaten them all. Goosebumps... excitement... nervous anticipation... endless phone calls... everything that comes with owning a potential National winner unfolded in the hours that followed. Eventually, confirmation came that Amir had recorded the fastest velocity of all 3,662 old birds in Belgium. Across the entire Belgian entry, only the yearling hen of Philippe Dermience, racing in Wallonia, had recorded a faster time.

A Pigeon with Five-Star Bloodlines

Amir is a beautiful pigeon. He is certainly not a large pigeon—quite the opposite. Rather small in size, but perfectly balanced, with an outstanding wing and a silky-soft body that fits beautifully in the hand. His pedigree is nothing short of five-star quality. His sire is "Lord", the loft's best Agen pigeon between 2015 and 2018, who has since developed into one of the colony's premier breeding cocks. Lord himself is bred from a cross between Axl and Ike, two of the true foundation pigeons of the Hebberecht family. Amir's dam originates from a joint breeding programme with Norbert and Stefan Ally. Their famous "Angoulême Vooruit" won a magnificent National victory among the yearlings. This exceptional hen was paired to Miss Blois, a proven performer in Chris's own loft and herself bred from the old Hebberecht bloodlines. Once again, it proves that breeding from proven champions offers far greater chances of producing future winners than simply pairing pigeons at random. Amir has now earned his place in the breeding loft, where he will be given every opportunity to prove his worth as a breeder. For the Hebberecht family, this victory marks their third National win. Following earlier National victories from Saint-Vincent and Marseille, this magnificent triumph from Castres is yet another priceless jewel added to an already richly decorated crown.

Congratulations from the entire Herbots Team!

Geert Dhaenens

"Amir"
BE22-4181199
1st National Narbonne 3,662 old birds
1st International old birds

Distance: 850km
Velocity: 1,051 m/m