Erik Limbourg (Brussegem) ends his season with several national ace pigeons in the long distance

Erik Limbourg from Brussegem was unmatched in the long-distance races this year. His cocks remain his showpiece, as they have been for decades, and now, from the very beginning of the provincial races, it was bingo for him. You could see he was going to excel in the long-distance races because his preparation went smoothly, with several provincial victories. Once the going got tougher, Erik's top pigeons really shined. Along the way, he also won 1st National Valence with a hen, which was the icing on the cake for the season. Until the last race, he was in contention for several national ace pigeons, and with two old birds and one yearling in the top 5 in Belgium, you can call it a super season. Unfortunately, the luxury of having several top pigeons also turned into a drawback. Erik's yearling was beaten in Libourne by two of his own loft mates. Otherwise, this pigeon would not have finished 4th, but 2nd National Ace Pigeon.

Victories

1 x 1st NATIONAL – 3 x 1st NATIONAL ZONE – 8 x 1st PROVINCIAL

1st Nat Valence 2,344p (fastest of 3,705p) 
1st Nat (z) Tulle 1,632 yearlings 
1st Nat (z) Cahors 1,580 old birds
1st Nat (z) Valence 605 old birds
1st Provincial Cahors 551 old 
1st Provincial Montoire 1,504p (fastest of 2,358p) 
1st Provincial Vierzon 910p 
1st Provincial Tulle 680 yearlings (fastest of 1,242p) 
1st + 2nd + 3rd Provincial Libourne 432 yearlings 
1st Provincial Valence 299 old birds
1st + 2nd + 3rd + 4th Provincial Libourne 278 old birds

Current standings of national championships and ace pigeons

2nd National Champion Long Distance Olds KBDB 2025 
3rd National Ace Pigeon Long Distance Olds KBDB 2025 BE 23-2102115 
4th National Ace Pigeon Long Distance Yearlings KBDB 2025 BE 24-2004775 
5th National Ace Pigeon Long Distance Olds KBDB 2025 BE 22-2090267 
8th National Champion Long Distance Yearlings KBDB 2025

1st National Ace Pigeon Long Distance Olds (7 races) BE 21-2025829 
1st National Ace Pigeon Long Distance Olds (6 races) BE 23-2102115 
2nd National Ace Pigeon Long Distance Olds (6 races) BE 21-2025829 
2nd National Ace Pigeon Long Distance Olds (5 races) BE 22-2090267 
2nd National Ace Pigeon Long Distance Olds (4 races) 
2nd National Ace Pigeon long distance old ( 7 races ) BE 23-2102115
3rd National Ace Pigeon long distance old ( 5 races ) BE 23-2102115
4th National Ace Pigeon long distance old ( 7 races ) BE 22-2090267
5th National Ace Pigeon long distance old ( 6 races ) BE 22-2090267
6th National Ace Pigeon long distance old ( 5 races ) BE 21-2025829
6th National Ace Pigeon long distance yearlings ( 4 races ) BE 24-2004775
6th National Ace Pigeon long distance old ( 4 races ) BE 23-2102115

Cocks on Classic Widowhood

True widowhood, a love that has lasted for several years between Erik Limbourg and his cocks and has already produced several national ace pigeons. This season is no different; Erik's season can be described as one of the best long-distance races ever. He has won several national ace pigeons and finished 2nd and 8th national champion for old and yearlings. Add to that the 8 provincial victories and the national victory from Valence, and it's simply fantastic.

The old cocks have flown 7 long-distance races this year, and the yearlings 4 and some 5. The pigeons are not spared and always receive Aidi Long Distance and Beyers Super Widowhood as a mixture. They are not fed lightly between races. Erik is a man of discerning taste when it comes to feeding. They are either fed on the ground to maintain mutual motivation, and the next day they are fed separately in the nest box to ensure they have enough to eat, as so many kilometers per week requires a lot of food. They are fed twice a day and three times a day on the last day. The drinking water mainly contains electrolytes, so the pigeons get one to easily two days of electrolytes before departure. I use Belgasol from Belgica De Weerd or Nano Tollyamin from Schroeder Tollisan. During the full season with all the long-distance races in a row, I try not to administer any medication. This year, they only received a tricho pill for the last two months, and that's it. The pigeons need to rest, stretch their wings a bit during training, and perform well on the weekend.

The pigeons won't train at full capacity during the short period they're home; 15 to 20 minutes is sufficient for me. There was only a week between Souillac and Libourne without a race, and then the pigeons trained harder because I allowed them.

Erik is also a crack at motivation. He has few pigeons in a loft, so he can work with that. That's why he definitely doesn't show a hen at departure in the beginning. Only the dish is used in the build-up to the long-distance races and Erik's goals. Afterward, the pigeons are occasionally given their hen for short periods, and for the last two races, they saw their hen for three hours each time they took off.

Top pigeons of the 2025 season

BE 23-2102115 Cock
3rd National Ace Pigeon long distance old KBDB 2025
1st National Ace Pigeon long distance old (6 races) 
2nd National Ace Pigeon long distance old (7 races) 
3rd National Ace Pigeon long distance old (5 races) 
6th National Ace Pigeon long distance old (4 races)

1 Nat (z) Cahors 1.580 old birds (1 Prov 551p )
4 Nat (z) Limoges 1.092p
4 Nat (z) Libourne 882p
8 Prov Souillac 440p
23 Prov Limoges 1.300p
34 Nat (z) Bergerac 892p (2024) 
71 Nat Tulle 3.726p
257 S.Nat Vierzon 7.626p

BE 21-2025829 Cock
1st National Ace Pigeon long distance old (7 races) 
2nd National Ace Pigeon long distance old (6 races) 
6th National Ace Pigeon long distance old (5 races)

4 Prov Souillac 440p
7 Nat (z) Libourne 882p
9 Sermaises 2.058p
10 Prov Cahors 551p
11 Prov Tulle 562p
22 Nat (z) Limoges 1.092p
27 Prov Limoges 1.300p
31 Nat Tulle 4.964p (2024)
31 Nat (z) Bergerac 859p (2024)
68 Nat Tulle 4.982p (2023)
82 Nat Souillac 4.827p (2023)
265 Nat Tulle 3.726p

BE 22-2090267 “Den Ijzeren” Cock
5th National Ace Pigeon long distance old KBDB 2025 
2nd National Ace Pigeon long distance old ( 5 races ) 
2nd National Ace Pigeon long distance old ( 4 races ) 
4th National Ace Pigeon long distance old ( 7 races ) 
5th National Ace Pigeon long distance old ( 6 races )

1 Prov Libourne 278p – 5 Nat 3.261p
2 Prov Souillac 440p
5 Prov Bergerac 295p – 15 Nat (z) 859p
6 Prov Limoges 1.300p
6 Prov Tulle 562p
65 Nat Tulle 3.726p

BE 24-2004775 “Tulli” 
4th National Ace Pigeon Long Distance Yearlings KBDB 2025 
6th National Ace Pigeon Long Distance Yearlings ( 4 races )

1 Nat (z) Tulle 1.632 yearlings
1 Provinciaal Tulle 680p ( fastest 1.242p ) 
3 Prov Libourne 432p ( after 2 lofmates )
4 Vierzon 196p ( 47 S.Nat 4.728p )
5 Prov Souillac 445p
10 Bourges 243p ( 108 Nat (z) 3.143p )
13 Noyon 1.059p

BE 24-2004729 Male

1 Prov Libourne 437p – 4 Nat (z) 1.154p
23 Bourges 3.559p
37 Bourges 1.030p

Erik, congratulations on your fantastic season from the entire HERBOTS TEAM.

Buelens Kim