Jan Mees from Heverlee wins 1st World Best Pigeon Ace Pigeon Sprint 2021
06 May 2022
We drive to Jan Mees in Heverlee in Brabant for the first time. Jan is someone who does not like to be in the spotlight, but is a passionate pigeon fancier and with his achievements in recent seasons, he is someone we want to put in the spotlight. The beginning was as a young boy of 7 years old where there were no pigeons at home, but where grandfather and uncle Vic did have pigeons. With his bike to the uncle in order to learn something from the craft. Afterwards he got to know Frans Viaenen from Utrecht, where many tips and especially good pigeons have put Jan on the right path in the pigeon sport.
The start was immediately good, at the end of the 1980s he immediately became emperor in the Voerverbond on the France flights and in 1991 he won the 2nd National Ace Pigeon Middle Distance KBDB with a young hen (co-bred with Patrick Draye). We skip a few years and go towards 2015, a round of youngsters from Roger Engelen who ends up with Jan via Geert De Clercq, grow into the basis of this colony together with the pigeons of good friend Denis Sapin. Jan himself does not like many foreign breeds in his loft and is therefore very grateful to these friends for these top pigeons.
Although pigeons were not his number 1 in the beginning due to family, footballer until his 42nd and his job, the microbe has always been there and he now fully enjoys the pigeon sport during his retirement.
In recent seasons, several toppers have emerged, such as “Joppe” 17th Nat
Ace bird Sprint KBDB 2018, “Apollo II” 14th Nat Ace Pigeon Sprint Yearlings KBDB 2021, “Jules” 20th National Ace Pigeon Sprint Yearlings KBDB 2021 and of course “Igor” who 1st World Best Pigeon Ace Pigeon Sprint 2021 and 2nd National Ace Pigeon Sprint Old KBDB 2021.
Racing team
In the current racing team there are 29 widowers and 9 hens. These 9 hens are raced on total widowhood together with 9 cocks. The other widowers race on classic widowhood. In the winter the racing pigeons get rest and there is no training because of problems with the birds of prey. In March they are coupled to breed for 10 days and then widowhood can start.
The hens are in a resting loft and the cocks are half box with their saucer turned upside down, but they cannot see it. When basketing, no motivation is given and all pigeons are taken away in this way. Jan is reassured that after 2 times the pigeons know what is going on and especially the old pigeons know their profession so that extra effort is not made.The hens train once a day in the evening and the widowers twice a day. The hens train less than the widowers, but as long as they come I don't attach much importance to that. I try to stick to a fixed system and not to change every week, a pigeon needs regularity.
The best pigeons in the sprint are kept there and then a team is put together for the middle distance and with a few he goes to the national races where top hen “Ariane” shone last season with 2x top 100 National.
Toppers of the 2021 season
BE 19-2138114 “Igor” Cock
1st World Best Pigeon Ace Pigeon Short Distance 2021
2nd National Ace Pigeon Short Distance old birds KBDB 2021
1 Soissons 1.941b
1 Nanteuil 904b
1 Soissons 835b
1 Nanteuil 817b
1 Soissons 601b
1 Soissons 529b
1 Soissons 341b
Father BE 15-6282889 Blue Teen Roger Engelen
Gr.f. BE 08-6160456 Top racer - Roger Engelen
Gr.M. BE 07-6094411 Klein Blauwe - Roger Engelen – 12th Nat Ace Pigeon KBDB '09
Mother BE 16-2101911 Elfke
Gr.F. BE 15-6168663 Blue – Maurits Haesendonckx
Gr.M. BE 13-2175561 Geschelpte – Sister 7 Nat (z) Brive 2.810b – Deno Herbots x Beelen Irene
BE 20-2054683 “Apollo II” Cock
14th National Ace short distance year birds KBDB 2021
1 Soissons 835b
1 Soissons 303b
1 Momignies 280b
1 Momignies 122b
1 Momignies 106b
3 Nanteuil 330b
3 Soissons 289b
4 Soissons 367b
5 Momignies 395b
5 Momignies 356b
6 Nanteuil 706b
6 Soissons 403b
7 Nanteuil 592b
Father BE 17-2087390 Blue
½ brother “Igor” 1st World Best Pigeon Ace Pigeon Short Distance 2021
2nd National Ace Pigeon Short Distance old birds KBDB 2021
Gr.F. BE 15-6282889 Blue Teen Roger Engelen
Gr.M. BE 16-1104499 Daughter Golden Pair – Denis Sapin
Sister “Romeo” 1 Nat Ace Pigeon Sprint KBDB 2020
Sister “Icha” 1st Olympiad Pigeon Cat.G Brussels 2017
Sister “Venus” – “Serena” – “Maria” – “Samuel”
Mother BE 18-2122498 Little Blue
Gr.F. BE 15-6168663 Blue – Maurits Haesendonckx
Gr.M. BE 10-6055432 ½ sister “Nadine” - Roger Engelen
BE 20-2054652 “Jules” Cock
20th National Ace short distance year birds KBDB 2021
1 Soissons 248b
2 Momignies 356b
2 Momignies 184b
3 Soissons 601b
3 Momignies 122b
4 Nanteuil 817b
4 Nanteuil 592b
4 Soissons 436b
4 Soissons 403b
4 Momignies 372b
6 Nanteuil 361b
14 Soissons 367b
Father BE 15-6282889 Blue Teen Roger Engelen
Gr.f. BE 08-6160456 Top racer - Roger Engelen
Gr.M. BE 07-6094411 Klein Blauwe - Roger Engelen – 12th Nat Ace Pigeon KBDB '09
Mother BE 16-2101911 Elfke
Gr.F. BE 15-6168663 Blue – Maurits Haesendonckx
Gr.M. BE 13-2175561 Geschelpte – Sister 7 Nat (z) Brive 2.810b – Deno Herbots x Beelen Irene
BE 20-2054631 “Ariane” Hen
4 Nanteuil 494b
5 I.Prov Gien 1,278b
5 Soissons 869b
7 I.Prov Lorris 1,208b
9 Prov Bourges 2,052b
58 Nat 11,952b
14 Prov Argenton 1,434b
93 Nat 9,851b
Father BE 15-2125092 Blue – Hazaert Gerry & Kamiel
Brother 1 Nat (z) Montlucon 3.457b
Brother “Super Ace 24” 3 Nat Ace Pigeon Long Distance KBDB 2013
Gr.F. BE 07-2243760 Den 60 - Hazaert Gerry & Kamiel
Won 6 x 1st in Speed
Gr.M. BE 08-2058400 The 400 – Nico Terrijn
Mother BE 19-2090642 Blue white feather
Gr.F. BE 15-6282892 Blue white pen – Geert Engelen
½ brother “Pahoor” Olympiad pigeon Long Distance Budapest 2015
Gr.M. BE 13-1508782 Daughter Golden Couple – Denis Sapin
Sister “Romeo” 1 Nat Ace Pigeon Sprint KBDB 2020
Sister “Icha” 1st Olympiad Pigeon Cat.G Brussels 2017
Sister “Venus” – “Serena” – “Maria” – “Samuel”
The classy thing that started it in 2018
BE 17-2087314 “Joppe 14” CockA top-class box with 5 pure first prizes and 11 x TOP 3.Such pigeons now live here in the breeding loft and are working on the future.
Medical
After the racing season, all pigeons are cleared against paratyphus and tricho with a one-week cure without vaccination. In the springThe youngsters are weaned and immediately vaccinated against Rota and afterwards against paramyxo and smallpox. Throughout the year I use a lot of Röhnfried's Avidress. When I get home I always give Belgasol and during the week I also do this on Wednesday or Thursday. In addition, I regularly give brewer's yeast and I provide fresh grit every day.
When it comes to nutrition, I rely on the Versele – Laga mixtures where Gerry Plus is mainly on the menu at the beginning of the week and afterwards I switch to a sports mixture towards basketing.
Raf Herbots is called upon for the medical story and a cure is given if still against tricho. In addition, I regularly use B.S. from Belgica – De Weerd the day after returning home.
A few results 2020-2021
Soissons 835 old birds : 1,1,3,4,39,45,46,… 15/18
Soissons 826 old birds : 3,5,6,7,11,13,17,18,27,38,56,66,68,70,… 17/17
Soissons 760 old birds : 1,2,5,6,7,7,18,19,42,45,… 15/18
Soissons 601 old birds : 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,7,9,10,30,48… 14/16
Nanteuil 706 old birds : 2,6,11,18,21,22,33,34,35,45,… 14/14
Nanteuil 660 old birds : 1,2,3,4,6,10,30,32,37,… 13/15
Momignies 594 youngsters : 1,2,3,4,5,6,9,11,13,15,18,21,44,45,46,… 28/38
Results 2022
Nanteuil 592 old birds : 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,11,18,…19/25
Soissons 367 old birds : 1,2,3,4,7,8,12,13,14,… 13/25
The 10 commandments of Jan Mees
- Provide a good loft where the pigeons like to stay without luxury and if it goes well, stay away from it.
- Observe the pigeons well, they will tell you whether it is going well or not. Patience will be rewarded
- Stick to a system without wanting to do something different every week and be calm in the lofts and build a bond with the pigeons
- The first impression of a pigeon has to be good, otherwise you can never fully believe in this pigeon
- Stick to a few breeds but not a mix of all kinds, a nice pedigree is nice but doesn't fly with you
- Pigeons must have a good record of achievements before they go into breeding and even these top racers do not all produce good youngsters, but you have a better chance
- With a football team you are 11, with the pigeons the fancier is responsible for the performance with any wind
- Keep the pigeons healthy and if in doubt, check first before curing blind
- Performance does not come from a bottle, the form does not come to order
- Patience is a virtue. Let pigeon sport above all be a tool to make pleasant contacts with other enthusiasts far away from jealousy.
Jan many thanks for this visit and congratulations on your great performance from the entire HERBOTS TEAM.
Buelens Kim
