Herbots | Argenton II: Old Pigeons

B23-2112402
1st National Argenton 4,758 old birds - fastest of 11,281b.

Distance: 534km
Velocity: 1,548 m/m

Everyone Agreed: Herbots Jo and Raf, Together with Their Loft Manager Geoffrey, Dominated the National Argenton Race

For those who missed it, here is the national result once more:

4,758 old birds: 1st – 3rd – 4th – 20th – 21st – 72nd, etc.

6,253 yearlings: 4th – 31st – 32nd – 51st – 96th, etc.

Results like these are proof of top-level quality, evidence of targeted care, and undeniable signs that true class resides in Dungelstraat, Halle-Booienhoven – in every aspect.

And it wasn’t just the national victory achieved this past weekend. Previously, they also claimed 2nd national Argenton, and currently hold the 2nd and 3rd place National Ace Pigeon KBDB Middle Distance (as of 25/07/2025). It would take a major upset for them not to remain on the podium.

All these top performances have a story behind them – and those stories will be shared with you in detail over the winter. For now, we’re focusing solely on the national win from Argenton.

Are There Two Rivals in the Loft?

We’re fortunate to visit many national winners, and in nearly every winning story, the pigeon was somehow highly motivated. The same applies here at the Herbots household. In hindsight, there's definitely a “motivation story” behind the win. When taking the photos, it was immediately noticeable how nervous the national winner “402” was.

“Normally, he’s a very calm pigeon, but now I can barely hold him,” Geoffrey said. It turns out… a rivalry was brewing between two cocks. On one side, the national winner “402”, and on the other, “192”. Geoffrey hadn’t noticed anything before basketing, but a few hours after they returned from the Argenton race, he saw them challenging each other on the loft floor – with the feed tray acting as a referee in a boxing match.

That’s when it clicked for Geoffrey… he had noticed something earlier in the week but didn’t think much of it. And now? “402” wins 1st National Argenton, and “192” wins 3rd National Argenton, and just two weeks ago also 9th National Bourges! Are there two fierce rivals living in the same loft, refusing to concede to each other?

“402” won’t be raced again, but “192” will continue. We’re very curious to see what else he has in store.

Loft in Top Form

“The form is clearly there,” says Geoffrey. “On Tuesday they flew Argenton, and by Thursday the hens were off flying for 30 minutes, and the cocks for 15. There’s real grinta in the team. You can literally hear them slicing through the air – and when you see that, you just know.

Last year everything went wrong – I had to metaphorically throw the ball in the air 100 times just to get them to train. This year, everything just flows. In pigeon racing, nothing is predictable!”

“The season started with 50 cocks and 60 hens. We go all-in on total widowhood. The racers were paired and allowed to raise one round of youngsters. The top racers kept their own young, the others raised breeder chicks. When the youngsters were about 15 days old, we separated them and widowhood began.

Our racers have a fixed partner – only if there are losses do we have to ‘search for a new love’, which of course brings some ‘chaos’ (read: motivation) into the group. On the day of basketing, they come together from 11:30 AM to 2:30 PM, are separated, and fed at 4 PM.”

Feeding and Supplements

“We use mixes from Matador (Turbo and Detox) and Van Robaeys (Sport Ultra and Sport Light) and at arrival they find Beyers Detos Mineral Mix in the feeder. As for supplements, we’ve already gone through liters of ALR (Herbovet) – a new product we’re extremely satisfied with. We also use Optimix, Pro-digest, Herbo Pro B Plus, Herbo Elite Pigeon, Tarsin, and 4-oils on a very regular basis. The well-known yellow drops are applied in each nostril on the day they return home.”

Further details about the “Herbots system” will be shared online during the winter period.

Looking Ahead

With a few more national races remaining for old birds and yearlings, and with the current outstanding form present in the Herbots lofts, we’re excited to see what other results will emerge from the skies over Halle-Booienhoven in the coming weeks.

Stefan Mertens