Heverlee in Brabant, near Leuven, is Jan Mees' home base. He's been racing pigeons here for decades, but his passion remains for speed pigeons. Although he never seeks to be in the spotlight, we believe his pigeons absolutely deserve it. It's they who deliver the results, not Jan, as he always says. Jan has a colony of ace pigeons thanks to the wonderful "Igor" family, and he achieved fantastic results again in 2025. The succession comes courtesy of "Rune" and "Lenn," who had to follow in the footsteps of the three kings "Igor" - "Emile" - "Jules." Jan knew beforehand that this would be no easy feat, because if you move three national ace pigeons to the breeding loft, you normally have to compromise on the racing loft. But nothing could be further from the truth, and with 55 clean first prizes this season, he's once again doing his loft justice. Currently, there's an online auction featuring one proven top pigeon and children of all the best racers from his colony. We were amazed by the quality, and the pigeons will be perfectly ready for breeding in December. Jan wishes them the best of luck, and thanks to the new references he's hearing in England and Germany, he hopes that buyers of these pigeons will also achieve results.

But we don't want you to miss one small detail: take a look at the 2025 results, and it's remarkable that there are also some top results in the middle distance. With a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place against 1,607 pigeons, you can certainly call it a super result. This is simply done with the same family of pigeons, so the distance of 300 to 350 km is certainly no problem for these pigeons.

Best results 2025

55 x 1st prize without doubles

Momignies 430 yearlings: 1,3,3,3,6,7,8,8,10,14,15,22,23,25,32,… 18/22 
Momignies 667 youngsters: 1,2,3,4,7,8,… 11/18 
Laon 487 old and yearlings: 1,1,3,4,5,6,6,8,8,10,11,13,14,14,16,17,26,35,… 24/27 
Laon 219 old and yearlings: 1,2,3,4,11,… 6/8 
Soissons 439 old and yearlings: 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,16,19,… 22/26
Soissons 338 old and yearlings: 2,2,4,5,5,8,15,… 9/10
Soissons 115 old and yearlings: 1,2,3,4,8,… 7/7
Soissons 605 young: 4,5,6,9,… 7/16
St.Soupplets 352 old and yearlings: 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,89,10,11,12,12,14,15,15,17,18,20,21,23,… 23/24
St.Soupplets 143 old and yearlings: 1,2,2,9,… 6/6St.
Soupplets 151 old and yearlings: 1,2,3,4,… 6/6
Toury 969 old and yearlings: 1,14,25,33,40,64,66,… 8/11
Toury 335 old and yearlings: 3,4,6,18,19,21,… 9/13
Toury 354 old and yearlings: 2,5,7,17,… 7/12
Lorris 1,607 old and yearlings: 1,2,3,… 7/12
Lorris 1,048 old and yearlings: 4,5,8,10,57,87,… 8/12

Overview of other championships in 2021-2024

1st World Best Pigeon Ace Pigeon Sprint 2021
1st Superstar Sprint Golden Pigeon 2022
2nd National Ace Pigeon sprint old birds KBDB 2021
7th National Champion sprint old KBDB 2021
8th National Champion sprint old KBDB 2022
11th Nat Champion sprint old / yls KBDB 2024
11th Nat Ace sprint KBDB 2023
13th National Ace pigeon sprint old birds KBDB 2022
14th National Ace Pigeon sprint yearlings KBDB 2021
15th Nat Champion sprint old / yls KBDB 2023
20th National Ace pigeon sprint old birds KBDB 2021
22nd National Ace pigeon sprint old birds KBDB 2022
24th National Ace pigeon sprint old birds KBDB 2024
29th National Ace pigeon sprint old birds KBDB 2022
37th National Ace middle distance old birds KBDB 2024

References

Furthermore, thanks to the pigeons sold abroad, several references have quickly emerged, further demonstrating the quality of the Jan Mees pigeons. Several pigeons have quickly caught the eye of Alfie Hawnthorn from Newcastle (UK). The pigeon "Super Jan" NEHU 24X2253 is proof of this. See photo below.

Other pigeons also won the following prizes in the UK this year:

1 + 2 Fed. 1.018p UK 
1 Fed 320p ( 39 WDA National 1.808p )
1 Fed 130p UK ( 21 WDA National 1.808p )
9 UNC National 9.600 youngsters
20 WDA National 1.808 youngsters 

The proven racer currently up for auction also has excellent references. One of his offspring won 1st prize against 892 pigeons in Germany over a 200km distance with Grab Reinhard. This top performer has already proven himself and has amassed a fantastic palmares in just three years.

BE 22-2020240 "Blue 240"

What a breeding couple of superstars “Igor” – “Emile” – “Jules”

Sometimes you discover a couple in your breeding loft that you think is actually a good couple. Although Jan himself will never blow the whistle and show off with this, we will say this for him. The “Igor” couple is a couple from a good family, it's that simple. The father is “889/15”, this cock is direct from Roger Engelen and is a son of “Kleine Blauwe” 12 Nat Ace Pigeon KBDB 2009. The mother is “Elfke” (crossing Maurits Haesendonckx x Deno – Herbots x Irene Beelen) .

Together they are the parents of 3 superstars in the racing loft and a real top breeder in the breeding loft.

BE 19-2138114 “Igor” Cock
1st World Best Pigeon Ace Pigeon Speed ​​2021
2nd National Ace Pigeon Speed ​​old KBDB 2021

Won 1 Soissons 1,941p – 1 Nanteuil 904p – 1 Soissons 835p – 1 Nanteuil 817p – 1 Soissons 601p – 1 Soissons 529p – 1 Soissons 341p – 2 Nanteuil 416p - …

BE 20-2054652 “Jules”
11th National Ace Pigeon speed old birds KBDB 2023
20th National Ace Pigeon speed old birds KBDB 2021
29th National Ace Pigeon speed old birds KBDB 2022

Won 8 clear first prizes and a total of 18 x per 100

1 Soissons 990p – 1 Soissons 786p – 1 Momignies 703p – 1 Soissons 698p
1 Nanteuil 342p – 1 Nanteuil 285p – 1 Soissons 248p – 1 Soissons 170p
2 Nanteuil 387p – 2 Momignies 356p – 3 Nanteuil 764p – 3 Soissons 601p 
4 Nanteuil 817p – 4 Soissons 457p – 4 Soissons 403p – 5 Nanteuil 1,524p
5 Soissons 804p – 8 Momignies 859p

BE 20-2054653 “Emile”
13th National Ace Pigeon speed old birds KBDB 2022
Won 4 clear first prizes and 11 x per 100 

Won 1 Soissons 996p – 1 Nanteuil 435p – 1 Nanteuil 285p – 1 Soissons 145p
2 Soissons 1,158p – 2 Soissons 758p – 2 Soissons 402p – 2 Nanteuil 206p
3 Nanteuil 1,524p – 4 Soissons 804p – 5 Soissons 526p – 7 Soissons 601p - …

The best sister of "Igor" is BE 17-2087373 "Céleste".

She bred several 1st prize winners in the world. She is already from 2017 but still in great condition.

She is the mother of "225/20" 4 x 1st. 
She is the mother of "650/20" 5 x 1st. 
She is the mother of "421/21" 4 x 1st. 
She is the mother of "277/22" 3 x 1st. 
She is the mother of "834/24" 6 x 1st – 1st Soissons 439 p. – 1st St. Soupplets 143 p. – 1st Soissons 115 p. – 4th Momignies 591 p. 
She is the mother of "867/24" 5 x 2nd and 3 x 3rd. 
She is the grandmother of "237/22" 4 x 1st

Top pigeons in auction

BE 25-2031241 “Blue Igor” 

This is a son and daughter of "Igor" x super hen "Ariane"

BE 25-2031311 “Son Jules”  

A beautiful son of superstar “Jules” 3 x TOP 30 National Ace Pigeons speed KBDB 2021-2022-2023 x “Irina” which he received from good friend Geert De Clercq.

BE 25-2031303 “Daughter Emile”

A daughter of superstar “Emile” 13 Nat Ace Pigeon speed KBDB 2022 x “Zus Lenn” 24 Nat Ace Pigeon speed KBDB 2024.

BE 25-2031292 “Apollina 292”

This might be the most beautiful pigeon in the entire auction, but of course, taste and preference vary. However, this hen is a daughter of "Apollo II," who herself became 14th National Ace Pigeon Sprint KBDB 2021, paired to "Celeste." She is the best sister of "Igor" and became the mother of 22 first-place winners.

Jan, thank you very much for this visit and congratulations on your great performance from the entire HERBOTS TEAM. 

Buelens Kim