FILIP HERBOTS, ancestor of a family of pigeon fanciers

The navigation of the car has clearly chosen the tourist route, but I am anything but sad about it. Narrow lanes meander through a sea of ​​fruit blossoms, alleyways as in Ernest Claes novels, lined with pollard willows, occasionally interrupted by picturesque villages with cobbled squares, postcard churches and stately town halls. Of course, there is an easier way to get to Halle-Booienhoven, but not a nicer one.

Anyone who knows a bit about the pigeon world already knows what my travel goal is. The Herbots family, and more particularly Filip Herbots, one of the pioneers of the pigeon trade and godfather of a true pigeon clan. Herbots, a name that is both business and sporty like a house, or rather a pigeon loft!

Jo (56) is our gracious host throughout the conversation, but during the conversation Filip (79), Raf (53) and Miet (52) also join the table. Also reviewed are grandson Maarten, granddaughter Fran with pup, Fille, and son-in-law Jo VH. In fact, the caretaker of the loft Geoffrey Janssens is the only unusual one, let's say an adopted son, because Herbots is not just a company, it is above all a united family, a family of pigeons.

Filip was, as he is called, born in a real nest of pigeons. Grandfather Philibert was an amateur and father Léon Herbots too. Leon and his wife were self-employed, they had a butcher's shop at home, the pigeons were the butcher's outlet. Jo and Raf Herbots are the current "Brothers Herbots", but for decades this title was reserved for Filip and Jos. When Leon's sons were fourteen and twelve years old they started racing under their own name, later in Jos' garden in Nieuwerkerken they played hard. Filip was the “player”, Jos the “breeder”.

To please his parents, Filip got a teacher's degree. After his studies, he teaches deaf children in Uccle, but standing in front of a class is not really his thing. With his father-in-law, he started fattening pigs, then he started a fruit wholesale business and finally he ended up at the secretariat of the Catholic Industrial College of Limburg, today Diepenbeek University Complex, where he became head of the department. , a good position as it was called.

Probably not by chance, as the son of a butcher, he met Jacqueline, the daughter of a pig farmer. Cupidon shot his arrows and the couple married in 1966. They had five children: Jo, Raf, Miet, Tom and Lize. Professionally, Filip was a jack-of-all-trades, hard work was his motto, and in the meantime he also got involved in municipal politics. He even visited the first Zoutleeuw ships for the then CVP (1976-82).

However, something was itching for Filip, he had not yet found his definitive way of life. As often in life, chance played a major role. In the early 1980s he accidentally ended up in the pigeon business and the rest, as they say, is history.

Filip: Yes “everything” really started by pure coincidence. At one point, a Taiwanese, Mr. Tzang Tzu Yeh, showed up at our door, noticed that we were not playing badly and wanted to buy some pigeons from me. I sold him pigeons and this person was delighted. He asked me if I had any friends who also had pigeons for sale. I went with him to a friend's house and he also bought pigeons there. Then this friend asked me how much he owed me. I had nothing to do with it, it was just a favor for friends. However, I started thinking.

DD: And the train had left!

Filip: Not right away, because it wasn't easy. The international trade in pigeons did not really exist yet. Moreover, I had a good job, and at that time you did not just give up a permanent position. At some point, however, I had made up my mind. I came home and told my wife, mum, I want to get into the pigeons. She was behind my decision from day one. This is very important, you can't start something like this if your wife isn't 100% behind you. Without a woman who wants to step aside and take care of the family, such a thing is impossible. At work, I was filling out the paperwork for a career break, then the hard part was to come and break the news to my brother, who was now a pharmacist. We agreed and at one point I told him. Jos said I was crazy and shouldn't compromise my good work. He did everything to make me change my mind. He said, "Let's go over there and we'll tear up that career break paper. Think about it Filip, you have five kids studying, you can't risk something like that now. In the end, he failed to make me change my mind. Just before we parted, he put his arm around my shoulders and said, “Filip, don't worry, if everything goes wrong, I'll pay for your children's education. For the first, but not the last, tears stream down Philip's cheeks. The memory of his brother and his unconditional brotherly love clearly still affect him. He is silent for a moment and stares at the blue sky, or probably the pigeons training with grace, enthusiasm. At this moment, Jo places her hand on Father's shoulder.

Jo: But everything went well dad, and you can be proud of it.

Philip: Me too. Jan (Hermans) and I really meant something in the pigeon world, we were indeed pioneers and I am proud of that.

DD: And rightly so, Philippe!

Filip: A few years ago the KBDB celebrated us together and I thought it was a very nice gesture. Celebrating one without the other would have been inappropriate. Jan was no ordinary person either. We both had very beautiful and special lives. We can also both watch proudly as our children continue our life's work. After all, that's what you're doing it for, for them, for the family.

Filip's eyes mist up again. For the first time the most important word was spoken in this conversation, not the pigeons, but the family, that's what it's all about.

Filip: Look, as a father I'm proud of all my children, but of course it means something to me that Jo, Raf and Miet also stayed in the pigeon world.

Jo and Filip in the garden of their parents' house in Halle-Booiehoven.

DD: Jo, how did you get into the business?

Jo: Actually, I was involved from the beginning. You should know that at the time people did not speak their languages ​​like that. Dad didn't speak English or German, so he needed me to interpret. In 1987, for example, as a 17-year-old brat, I went to Taiwan and Japan. It was a serious adventure, I was amazed like a boy from Léjef (Zoutleeuw). (laughs) I remember when the Chinese market opened later in 1996, in Beijing, there were hardly any cars there. Everyone rode there, it looked like millions of bikes. Filip: And they knew us there! I remember walking there once. At one point, a cyclist passed us. Suddenly he stops and turns around. He comes towards me and says: "Mr. Herbots?" (general hilarity)

Jo: I liked this adventure. Animals have always interested me, but being a veterinarian wasn't really my thing, so I studied business science. When I graduated in 90, Dad needed some extra help, so he suggested I come work with him. Trade was my thing, my thesis was on the buying behavior of the UK consumer (Carrefour)”. So I was really looking forward to doing a job in “trade”. This trade was already part of dad, after all, he had already been a fruit seller and had been in the pork business.

Filip: I had a bad habit of this pig business. At that time I was drinking forty pints a day, that's how it was in the meat trade. Of course, such a thing is problematic. One day I came home and told my wife that I was done drinking. Since that day, I haven't touched a drop, it was exactly fifty years ago this year. I started going to AA and my wife was also very supportive. I've said it before, without the right woman next to you, nothing works. She was also a merchant's daughter, she knew how "trade" worked and how to deal with customers. Chinese, Japanese, Americans or Germans, they all received bacon and mother's eggs in the morning and a bowl of soup in the afternoon. Years later, I was told about it again. How delicious these breakfasts and soups were, these men loved it. This way they immediately tasted the real Flemish atmosphere and food! Those early years were tough, but awesome, everything was so much smaller, more amateurish, and easier.

Jo: Yes, it all started small. I remember we had an auction in Karlsruhe, the pigeons brought an average of 5000 Bef (125 €). Big party hey, that was a lot of money back then! At first we sat with the company in dad's garage. We were the first in Zoutleeuw with a fax, it was such a big monster. When I came home from school, I had to translate and send back all the faxes. When we were young, we also had to help with the care of the pigeons. Raf sometimes dared to come home a little later in the weekend, but in the morning we all had to go out. (laughs) In the early years of the company, we really did everything ourselves. Taking care of the pigeons in the morning, we arrived from 10 a.m., then mum continued with the pigeons and we started translating faxes and things like that. At some point it all became impossible and then our first loft caretaker started, Francois "Swa" Jamart. A former miner, he retired at a very young age when the Limburg coal mines closed. He had already won a Limoges and therefore definitely knew something about pigeons. Swa did it very well, but it still hurts when you have to let go of the care of your pigeons. As a fancier you want to do it yourself, you lose some control over your loft.

DD: And so you continued to grow.

Philip: Indeed. In 93, Miet graduated from agricultural school, and dad also brought her into the business. Raf qualified as a veterinarian in 1994 and over the years has focused on the medical side of the business. In 95 we wanted to build a large office building next to the parental house, but it was not allowed. We then built a house as an office and I built my house next to it.

Miet: (Who joined in the meantime.) And I live at the end of the street, from where you are now you can see my house there. All close to each other. You also see, it's actually a big garden here.

Filip: It's good that some children live so close. I'm surrounded by my family all the time here, which is great.

DD: Miet, welcome by the way, we can't miss it, you're the only woman in our company. You will have experienced this many times before. What was it like, especially in those early years, having to hold her own as a woman in the predominantly 'male' pigeon world?

Miet: At first it was definitely an adjustment. Dad played a big part in that. At the beginning, I was a little sheltered, but little by little, I really integrated myself. A little anecdote perhaps. You should know that during those early years, driving was an important part of my job; picking up pigeons, getting rid of pigeons, driving customers... When visiting some Taiwanese, Dad had no means of transport for these people and he said: “No problem, our Miet will drive. Oh no, it was a problem for these men, it was not possible at all. "Okay," Dad said, "then it ends here. Either Miet drive or you go now. (laughs) After many consultations, I went to a pigeon fancier with a car full of Taiwanese. Then they apologized to dad and I, and that's how I rolled. (laughs)

Visits to Taiwan and Japan were also out of the question at first, but after the incident above, things gradually went smoothly. China was another story, here dad said it was up to Jo and I and we always did this together. I had been in the business for several years then, so these Chinese customers didn't really know any better.

Jo: Believe me, she's more than hers now. (laughs) My sister is certainly no less important because she's a woman. We always make decisions together. For example, Miet and I decided together not to put all our eggs in one basket when the Chinese market opened. Of course, China is an important customer, but we thought it was important not to be dependent on one particular group of customers. This is why we have also set our sights on the rest of the world, the Middle East, the United States...

Jos, Leon and Philippe. In Father Leon's loft, Jos and Filip learned the tricks of the trade.

DD: Miet, how do you see your role in the company. First your father, and now your brothers, are "the face" of the Herbots company vis-à-vis the outside world, how do you fit into this picture?

Miet: At first Jo and I helped with the pigeons and after the coffee we started working in the office. Everyone had their own tasks, Jo contacted clients and I did the paperwork, everyone helped out where they could. In the beginning, everything was done by fax, which took a lot of time, but since the advent of computers and e-mail, we complement each other even better and we can respond even better to everything. What is my greatest contribution is difficult and difficult to describe. I prefer to stay in the background, although I know everything anyway. We always say that Jo is much more strict/firm than our dad, but in dad's time everything went through the "bag in bag" system and could still do a lot, now the job has become a business in its own right. Anyone can play the big man, but we have nothing to do for the eye. It is always said that behind every man hides a strong woman. This is perhaps my greatest contribution.

DD: Your husband, Jo too, works here too. How did he come to the business?

Miet: Jo's father also played with pigeons, so he may already have some of the germ in his blood. Little by little, he became integrated into it; by going to public auctions, to champions' days and finally to fairs. He immediately felt that there was a lot to do and nothing was thrown in our laps and he wants to help me where he can. I might add to this that behind every woman is a strong man. (laughs) 

During this time, Raf also joined the group. Gathering all the Herbots to the table is no mean feat, given their busy schedules. Meanwhile, Philip is calm. His gaze regularly wanders outside where the pigeons fly. However, he never misses a conversation and every time one of his children speaks, his eyes sparkle with pride. A look like only a parent can have.

"...either Miet drive or you go now." Helped by her father and brother, Miet learned to hold on.

DD: Raf, you are without a doubt one of the most famous “doctor pigeons” in the country. How did you come into the business?

Raf: Actually, I have nothing to do with the pigeon trade, that's what Jo and Miet do. With Miet and Jo, I founded a separate company in 1996, Herbots Animal Products. This is a line of care products for pigeons that always works well. In addition, in 2015 I founded another company, Herbovet, also in care products for pigeons. This line was actually intended to serve the firm's clients, but in the meantime, it is also available across the country and abroad.

DD: Did you learn a lot about racing pigeons during your veterinary training?

Raf: (laughs) Nothing really. Lots of general things about birds of course, but nothing about pigeons in particular. There is currently a "poultry" professor at the University of Liège who is working on this. I graduated in 1994, and until seven years ago had a mixed practice, cattle-pigeons, but since then I have only been dealing with pigeons.

DD: Do you think it is important that you are a pigeon fancier yourself? Does it help you to be a better “pigeon doctor”?

Raf: Absolutely! It's a necessary thing, I think. I learned the trade by opening my eyes at home. Since the beginning of the practice I had the advantage of my name, many good amateurs came to visit me and I learned a lot. During the 28 years of experience, I have learned a lot in practice; by testing and trying and by trial and error.

The problem with knowing books is that theory and practice are often different. In the pigeon world, theory and practice are generally different. (laughs) In fact, everything is very simple, but most people don't believe it. (Laughs)

Filip: You have to see when they get sick!

Raf: Well, our father has hit the nail on the head again. Five things are important to be able to play well with the pigeons. Good pigeons, a good loft, a good fancier, good health and finally a building in good condition. As a doctor, I cannot change the first three things. However nowadays everyone has good pigeons, they all have a good loft and they are all good fanciers. My job is to maintain health and then help get you in top shape. Pigeons are athletes, just like cyclists or other top athletes, and that is how they should be treated. Genetics is important, I can't take out what's not in it. You don't make a racehorse out of a donkey. A good intestinal flora is also essential for maintaining good health. Vaccination is a very important weapon to avoid having to use a lot of heavy drugs.

The corona crisis has once again made it clear to us that vaccinations help and are a very important weapon. We use a fixed vaccination system for young people. They are first vaccinated against rota, three weeks later against herpes, then three weeks later against smallpox and finally three weeks later against paratyphoid. Vaccinate a lot to avoid having to intervene later.

Filip: My godfather always said, “If something happens, they have to be shocked, otherwise you have to go to the vet. He meant that the pigeons had to be vigilant.

Raf: That's what I mean by, a good amateur is important. As a pigeon fancier you either have that in you or you don't. You can learn this a bit, but it's mostly something you have to have inside of you. A true fancier notices when something is wrong, or vice versa, when a pigeon is top.

Filip: This one has it in him! He sees everything. He knows “his” pigeons perfectly.

Filip points to keeper Geoffrey Janssens (30) who also joined the company after his day job. Except for me, he's the only non-Herbots at the table. The family man's compliment makes the young man grow eight inches in pride.

Raf: (continues undisturbed) Recovery and fitness go hand in hand. Detoxification of the body plays an important role in this. You naturally develop your physical condition with training. Not only the physique is important, but with training you also build a pigeon's self-confidence. A good fancier also sees when a pigeon is in good shape. Our winner Châteauroux had been training really well for two weeks, twice a day for 1h30 to 2h. You just saw that this pigeon was in blood form.

DD: Raf, except that as Gebroeders Herbots you also play with the pigeons at your home in Velm.

Raf: It's true, under the name of Kobe and Kato we only race with youngsters, this year with four females between the youngsters. The highlight is the national races with the youngsters, for this we darken and lighten the youngsters to get them in top shape at the right time and long enough.

So far we haven't had time to play with the yearlings and old birds. We took a lot of time, luckily we have our assistant Jozef Reynaerts who comes to lend a hand every day.

We fly with pigeons from our own breeding, supplemented by 30 youngsters from Bart and Nance Van Oeckel, 20 from Herbots Gebr., 10 from Van den Abbeel-Van Paesschen with whom we exchange pigeons every year. , supplemented by a number of good pigeons that we buy.

Van den Abbeel-Van Paesschen won a 6th Nat. Ace Pigeon Long Middle Distance Youngsters KBDB with a pigeon from home, and in 2021 the 1st Nat. La Souterraine also bred by us with a pigeon. Both were pigeons from the "Geof" line.

DD: What advice can you, as a veterinarian, give to our readers?

Raf: Actually, it's not medical advice, but it's very important advice. As Willem de Bruijn always says, when the going gets tough you have to go the extra mile. Champions who don't start complaining or complaining when things go wrong, they find even more motivation to do their best. To work just a little harder than the competition. Winning when you're in goal isn't that hard. Making the most of a tough situation is the mindset with which you raise champions.

DD: Raf, as a father, you are no doubt thrilled that your son, Kobe, is about to follow in your footsteps. He will also graduate as a veterinarian in October.

Raf: Of course. As a father, you want to leave your children free to choose, but it's really good that he makes that choice. It is also very wise on his part, the name Herbots has opened many doors for me and offered me many opportunities. I owe a lot to Dad and I'm proud to say that I helped build our “name”. I hope my son can say the same about me in the future. For now, he will have a mixed practice. As a young vet, it's much more fun to do the hard work between the cows. It's real vet, pigeons are just research in practice. Kobe is also a very passionate pigeon fancier, he even has more pigeon feeling than me. Of course, that only makes a pigeon catering dad proud.

DD: Speaking of proud fathers, Jo and Miet, you continue your father's work. How does it feel, these are big shoes to fill?

Jo: It's actually not always easy.

Miet: When Dad “retired” in 2009, we indeed asked ourselves, are we going to be able to do this?

Filip: And my answer was, of course you can. The most important thing is to act honestly and correctly and always work hard and you will be fine.

DD: Was Filip a strict teacher?

Miet, Raf and Jo: (in unison) A very strict one! (general hilarity)

Jo: When dad saw a “reminder” of a bill that hadn't been paid yet, hola, the room was too small. We could also argue a lot, it could thunder here, but it never lasted long. It may sound corny, but in the end, we are one big family and we love each other. So we never stay angry for long.

The looks and laughter exchanged in the room are revealing. There's clearly a tight-knit gang here. A few roosters, a mother hen and the chief rooster, who has more than earned his spurs, looks proudly at his yard and sees that all is well.

Filip: My time is up, and it's okay, it's been good. I'm happy, from my window I see the pigeons training, it remains my greatest pleasure. I also see the children and grandchildren walking around here, which I always appreciate.

Raf has to go back to his training, Miet also has work to do and Filip needs a rest. So we go to the garden for a group photo where the grandson Maarten is also present. (Bjorn Knaepen and Christoph Mattheus had already finished their daily work, so they are missing from the photo.) Then comes a short conversation with only Jo and the loft keeper Geoffrey about the pigeon match at the Herbots house.

Jo begins to build their successful lines. The Herbots strain is built around pigeons from Jan Stoces (Winterslag), Gebr. Clerinx (Nieuwerkerken), Karel Schellens (Kessel), Jan Grondelaers (Opglabbeek) and, according to Filip, the fastest pigeons in the world, the Soontjens pigeons (Jos Soontjens, Wommelgem). Everyone said that the Soontjens pigeons were pure speed pigeons, but Filip continued to race them, and with success.

The story speaks of top pigeons such as the marvelous rooster the "155", "Number One", the "Hero 19", "Brad Pitt", "Champion BP", "Queen 2000", the "Phenomenale". .. Jo speaks with passion and enthusiasm, he is also an amateur with a clear vision. For example, males and females do not come together for a race. The females "parade" in front of the males, his experience shows that this is the best way to motivate their pigeons.

You can read all about pigeons and the pigeon game of the Herbots family in the previous articles of this journal. Today, however, we're here to get to know the people behind those successes better.

DD: Are you passionate people who like to take risks?

Jo: We are real winners, we like to play as much as possible, the more you play the more you can win. However, we also do not take unnecessary risks and we also try to spread the risk over different flights. At the end of the day, it's all about national championships and everything else just adds to it.

DD: How important is Geoffrey's contribution to your pigeon racing?

Jo: A good loft keeper is essential. After all, he takes care of the pigeons every day and therefore knows them better than us. Geoffrey also "draws" the pigeons, of course in consultation with us, but we usually follow him.

Everything here is done in consultation. Normally, we have our coffee moment every morning at 10 am. Everyone then joins the table, including the other keepers, Bjorn Knaepen (breeders), Christoph Mattheus (foster pairs, merchant pigeons) and Maarten (merchant pigeons). We believe that these "coffee moments" are very important. On the one hand out of appreciation and respect for the staff, but also to be able to keep an eye on everything, to stay informed of what is happening in the lofts.

DD: Geoffrey, how did you end up in the pigeon sport?

Geoffrey: Both of my grandfathers were feared sprinters, and my father raced well with the pigeons himself. Since he had long days at work and I came home from school around 4 p.m., I took it upon myself to train the youngsters and clean the lofts. In fact I have never known anything other than pigeons at home. From an early age, I was allowed to help in the lofts. When I was 14, I went alone on my bike to the local on Saturday afternoon to go basketing for Noyon and see. In 2009, at the age of 17, I became 1st Nat. junior champion and with “Speedy” I won the 5th Nat. Ace pigeon middle distance.

DD: How did you find yourself working here with the Herbots family?

Geoffrey: In the winter of 2013, we met for the first time in Kassel at the fair, and I was finally allowed to have an interview the following week. And I started in November 2013. Originally I come from Baal, but today I live opposite Miet.

Jo: He clearly has "it" in his hands. He knows the pigeons, is very motivated and often has good ideas. In the past the pigeons were darkened here from 4 p.m. until sunrise, now we do it from 6 p.m. until 8 a.m., that was Geoffrey's idea. With the many afternoon outings in recent years, it seemed better to him. He didn't think it was a good idea to go dark so early, after all the pigeons used to falling asleep at 4pm were still on their way. These creatures then become tired and confused. It seemed like a very logical explanation, so we'll try it now.

This is how we keep trying new things, you're never too old to learn. A moment ago Dad joked that he learned a lot more today, but that's also true. Normally we play with 64 couples in total widowhood. Still in consultation with Geoffrey, we have decided this season to also run 20 classic widowhood colts.

DD: For what purpose?

Jo: We hope to create a stronger bond and motivate the males more for races over 600 km.

And every flight is different. We also do not use fixed workout schedules or feeding schedules. Of course we have our fixed systems, but you have to be flexible about that. Intervene when things are not going so well, extra training or just extra rest. It's important to have good loft sitters for all of these types of details.

There follows a whole explanation by Geoffrey of the rags, the weaning, the peanuts, the yellow drops, the birds of prey and the buffet that awaits the pigeons when they return home. Optimix, Prodigest, Herbo Recovery (promotes recovery), Herbocol (liver detoxification), Herbo Elite Pigeon (antibacterial effect and promotes appetite) and Herbo CMB+ (additional carbohydrates, important first hours of competition) are all reviewed . Geoffrey is more than a loft keeper, he is a walking advertiser for Herbots products.

What is particularly striking, however, is that the young man does not just utter these names. Just like he doesn't just administer them because the boss has to do it that way. He is very familiar with the workings and effects of each supplement. He knows what he is talking about.

Geoffrey: In the evening I read a lot, I look for things on the internet. I used to do things like that against my taste at school, but when it comes to pigeons, no effort is too much for me. (Laughs)

It's clear why Filip is so full of praise for Geoffrey. He is very passionate about "his sport", a behavior that fits well with the mentality of the Herbots clan.

Every story has an ending, this one too. The story of a butcher's son from Zoutleeuw who conquered the pigeon world. Although the story is of course not really finished, it is still being written every day.

Jo and Miet continue Filip's business with his grandson Maarten in their shadow, who is taking his first steps into the fascinating world of pigeon sport. Raf has become a household name among pigeon vets and here too, with his son Kobe, the succession is assured. The name Herbots will therefore resonate for a long time to come in the land of pigeons.

Philippe, enjoy your well-deserved retirement. Enjoy the training of your winged athletes behind your window, savor the beautiful memories of your Jacqueline, but above all enjoy your children and grandchildren. You fully deserve it, Mr. Herbots!

"A special thanks to family Hermans of "De Duif", inspecial for Mike who wrote this article"

Filip and Dave Allen (UK), two pigeon legends together!

Ace pigeons 2021

1st Prov. Ace Pigeon Long Middle Distance Old Pigeons 2021 KBDB

2nd Prov. Ace Pigeon Long Middle Distance Old Pigeons 2021 KBDB

2nd Prov. Ace Pigeon Long Middle Distance Yearlings 2021 KBDB

2nd Best Pigeon World Middle Distance (Cat. B) (2131005-19) 2021

1st Olympic Pigeon Middle Distance (2019-2020) (2135111-18) Romania 2022

2nd Olympic Pigeon Middle Distance (2020-2021) (2131005-19) Romania 2022

2nd Olympic Pigeon Old Birds (2021) (5011137-19) Romania 2022

3rd Olympiad Pigeon Allround (2019-2020) (6168744-18) Romania 2022

9th Best World Allround Pigeon (5011137-19) 2021

10th Best Pigeon World Middle Distance (5011137-19) 2021

12th Nat. Ace Pigeon Long Distance Yearlings KBDB 2021 (6109560-20)

15th Nat. Ace Pigeon Long Middle Distance Old KBDB 2021 (2131005-19)
 

Some 2021 results

Interprov. + S-Nat.

15.5 Salbris Prov. 1605 days: 1, 11, 12, 18, 25, 41, 44, 45, 51, 64, 71, 72, 73, 75,

76, 82, 93, 94, 96, 97, 98...(45/94)

31.7 Bourges AWC S-Nat. 1969 jl: 1, 2, 4, 22, 30, 38, 39, 121, 226, 230, 238, 269, 306,

319, 329, 336... (23/44)

08.8 Souillac AWC S-Nat. 549 days: 1, 2, 3, 5, 17, 23, 27, 28, 29, 37... (17/23)

14.8 Argenton I Prov. Liège Hesbaye 1026 o/y:

2, 3, 5, 9, 15, 18, 21, 24, 25, 31, 44, 45, 47... (50/76)

National

19.6 Valencia Nat. 7517°: 14, 15, 144, 233, 579... (6/14)

31.7 Tulle Nat. 7267 days: 22, 25, 188, 736, 832, 857... (10/17)

31.7 Bourges Nat. 11,952 years: 27, 28, 36, 138, 194, 301, 305...

08.8 Souillac Nat. 4571 days: 2, 23, 36, 49, 151, 203, 219, 222, 229, 262... (14/23)

08.8 Souillac Nat. 4144: 21, 76, 94, 137, 179, 242, 345, 440, 505... (11/15)

23x national top 100 2021

1st Nat. Châteauroux (509 km) 18,741 yd.

2nd Nat. Souillac (711 km) 4571 yl.

14th Nat. Valencia (653 km) 7517 yl.

15th Nat. Valance (653 km) 7517 yd.

19th Nat. Limoges (652 km) 9,218 yd.

21st Nat. Souillac (711 km) 4144 o.

22nd Nat. Tulle (605 km) 7267 yl.

23rd Nat. Souillac (711 km) 4571 yl.

25th Nat. Tulle (605 km) 7267 yl.

27th Nat. Bourges (458 km) 11,952 yd.

28th Nat. Bourges (458 km) 11,952 yd.

31st Nat. Châteauroux (509 km) 24,617 o.

36th Nat. Bourges (458 km) 11,952 yd.

36th Nat. Limoges (652 km) 6986 o.

36th Nat. Souillac (711 km) 4571 yl.

49th Nat. Souillac (711 km) 4571 yl.

56th Nat. Chateauroux (509 km) 22,196 yd.

76th Nat. Souillac (711 km) 4144 o.

82nd Nat. Limoges (652 km) 6986 o.

87th Nat. Argenton (538 km) 14,787 o.

94th Nat. Souillac (711 km) 4144 o.

96th Nat. Châteauroux (509 km) 18,741 yd.

97th Nat. Limoges (652 km) 9,218 yd.