JAN POLDER

of Middelharnis, Holland

1st. National St. Vincent, 992 kilometer against 32.000 pigeons,

in very hot weather and wind on the head with "Victoria"

She was nearly an hour before the 2nd National. 2005

talking to Les.J.Parkinson

1st National St Vincent 2005 against 32,000 birds

Please introduce yourself and tell us how you got started in the sport.

I am 49 years old; live in Middelharnis, on the isle Goeree Overflakkee, 5 miles from the North Sea and south west of Rotterdam. I am married with my wife Bea and have son Niels 17 years old and a daughter Annemarie 15 years old. As far as I can remember there were pigeons around my life. My dad always raced with pigeons and even now on his 78 th. He still is a pigeon fancier. He is the one who gave me the opportunity te be a successful fancier. When I was about 14 years old the pigeons interested me more and more. Those days my dad gave me the management about his loft. I could handle the birds as I thought it was all right. He advised me what to do but it was up to me to make the decisions. Of course a made many mistakes but I learned a lot of these. Pigeons are a very important part of my life. Every day I am thinking of pigeons, even by night it's in my mind. You can say I am addicted to pigeon sport and I am sure this is for the rest of my life. It even impedes my business career; because of pigeons have always priority in my brains. Middelharnis, my residence, has been a well-known name in pigeon racing for years, as far as overnight long-distance flights are concerned. Ko Nipius created a furore there; Piet v.d. Slik won the 1st National Barcelona and Joep van Dongen and Gebr. Vroegindeweij established their names forever in pigeon racing. They, too, were the ones who bought pigeons directly from Jan Aarden in Steenbergen and have made Middelharnis into a stronghold of Aarden pigeons, that is unequalled anywhere in the world. I am trying this rich history of pigeon-stronghold in Middelharnis to continue into the new century , and once again with the indestructible Jan Aarden pigeons, crossbred with the best of Wanrooy's at the basis. After my marriage I started at the long-distance in 1985 with 15 pigeons, bought from Jac. Steketee in Bruinisse. Each of them was from his top pigeons of those days, based on the Aarden-van Wanrooij bloodlines. These pigeons were kept for breeding, and later on it turned out that I had made the purchase of my lifetime. Within 5 odd years I had made a name in western-European pigeon racing with a series of excellent results, like the 3rd Nat. Barcelona, 5th and 9th Nat. Marseille, 8th Nat. Perpignan, 9th Nat. San Sebastian, etc. The price percentages were incredibly high. With these pigeons a heavily inbred stock was made. The external characteristics of these pigeons were their great charisma, rich and soft feathers and unequalled eyes. The invisible qualities of these pigeons are undoubtedly their enormous character and great breeding value. The 'dried droppings method' gave these pigeons a high natural resistance. Inbreeding to extremes and culling strictly created a stock of pigeons, which could be crossbred with other strains in an excellent way. One success after the other was achieved by crossbreeding with pigeons from the Brinkman strain and Catrijsses. Furthermore, the results of crossbreeding with Brügemann Bros.' are very promising.

With your pigeon work do you have a silent partner i.e. wife, partner or friend, if so what part do they play.

I do everything by myself on the loft, but my wife knows what to do when I am not at home. I want to stay alone as manager on y loft, because this is the only place in the world where I am alone the boss.

Last year I started with a partner at another location a new loft to test new pigeons and new breeding pairs. Later on I will tell more about this loft.

Do you consider there to be any advantage having a racing partnership.

On the new loft sure, because my partner has a lot of space and time to take care for the pigeons

Are there any points that you disagree on and if so how do you compromise a situation where there is a different viewpoint?

I made for him a programme how to take care of the pigeons, but of course he makes every day decisions by his own, because I visit this loft just once or twice a week.

Give the readers the most memorable results that you have achieved flying as a partnership and flying on your own.

In partnership we race this year for the first time with the yearlings. On my own loft as follows:

Last results in 2003: St. Vincent 992 km against 6212 pigeons 7 basketed prize 7, 85, 93. Mont de Marsan 940 km against 7245, 16 basketed prize 8,30. Bordeaux 848 km against 4858 pigeons 4 basketed prize 21 st . References. At other lofts pigeons with Polder blood prove to be very successful as well. A pick from the results: 1st National Marseille. 2nd National Barcelona. 3rd National Perpignan. 3rd National St. Vincent. 3rd National Mont de Marsan. 1st prov. Bordeaux. 1st prov. Marseille. 1st ace pigeon overnight North en South Holland. 1st National ace pigeon ZLU, internat. Flights. In addition to that, for 2 years in succession Mr Poirrier from France has been acclaimed as the best Barcelona player with a loft of pigeons based on the Polder pigeon.
LJP. Just take a look at those positions with yearlings for the distances covered, and some worry about sending them across the channel. For that reason I have left them in so that you can see more of how the distance fanciers treat their birds, they are expected to go the whole hog.

Is there anything that you have not won in the sport that you would like to achieve?

As long distance fancier I would like to win an international race, special Barcelona. But every time I can enjoy from early birds from this races, also when it is not the first prize.

What organisations do you race with?

I race with provincial, national and international, just the long distance races. Just from 500 miles and more I clock the pigeons. Shorter races are just for training.

Do you hold any official position and if so do you take an active part, if no what are your reasons.

I am secretary of our club (55 members) and also member from the committee centre national races

What are your lofts made of and how big are they.

My loft is made from second hand wood and the roof is with tiles. It is 10 meter long and 2 meter deep. It has 4 departments, 1 for 14 widowhood cocks, 2 for playing the natural method, 12 pairs each and one department for about 45 youngsters. Further I have a run for 8 pairs of breeders.

Do you attach any importance to having a tiled roof on a loft, if so are there any benefits.

I think a regular refreshing from the air is important. Tiles can help you with that. Tiles are made from stone, so they also keep heat.

Do you use any form of heating system in any of your lofts. Do you think it would be advantages for the birds?

I don't have a heating system in my loft. I think when you want that your pigeons are on their top early in the season a heating system can help you, special when the pigeons return from a wet and cold race. But heating systems give just result on the short time. I start end of April with learning my pigeons for the great races. When the weather forecast is not good I don't basket my pigeons, so I think I don't need a heating system, also because of my loft is very dry.

How do you control the ventilation in your loft .

As you see on many Dutch lofts. Tiles on the roof and a slow refreshing from the air by the front side of the loft. I can close the roof with shoves, but it's always open. By the young pigeons the window is always open.

Do you have any grills fitted in the floor or in the boxes, are there any advantages to using them.

No, Grills make a loft "cheerless", and in mine opinion it is very important that a pigeon is feeling himself well at home. On the bottom of my loft is straw from peas. The birds love it and that also makes it warm.

What families of pigeons do you keep?

After my marriage I started at the long-distance in 1985 with 15 pigeons, bought from Jac. Steketee in Bruinisse. Each of them were from his top pigeons of those days, based on the Aarden-van Wanrooij bloodlines. These pigeons were kept for breeding. With these pigeons a heavily inbred stock was made. The external characteristics of these pigeons were their great charisma, rich and soft feathers and unequalled eyes. The invisible qualities of these pigeons are undoubtedly their enormous character and great breeding value. Inbreeding to extremes and culling strictly created a stock of pigeons which could be crossbred with other strains in an excellent way. One success after the other was achieved by crossbreeding with pigeons from the Brinkman strain and Catrijsses. Furthermore, the results of crossbreeding with Brügemann Bros.' are very promising. After crossing with pigeons from other families there always the pairing back to the original basic bloodlines.

Easterly or Westerly do you set any stall by the position and if so why.

In Holland we race mostly from South-southwest and sometimes south east (Marseille) . All the pigeons are prepared on the same way. Yearlings are on the national's mostly basketed on races with midday releasing and the older birds for the morning release races.

BREEDING AND RACE PREPARATION/PLANNING

How do you go about bringing in a new family and what do you look for.

I am just interested in pigeons with an excellent pedigree. My birds are very beautiful in the hand and very calm and peaceful. A few times I was very successful in crossbreeding them with pigeons who are more bully. But youngsters out of them I always pair back to the basic lines. An example for a successful crossbreeding with a superman is Husky. In his pedigree you see the super pair from Piet van de Merwe who gave some national winners on the middle distance.

When you bring in that new family do you think that they need time to acclimatise, if so how long.

If you believe an the new family, you have to give them a fair change, so pair them with several partners and test them on the races. Look for pigeons from the same environment as your own loft. So if you use the dry droppings method, take new pigeons from a loft with this method and if you clean your loft very sound, look for pigeons from a fancier who does the same.

When looking for new pigeons do you look for a particular family, one for specialist races or club races or just by name.

I look for pigeons from fanciers who recently prove that they are successful on the races from 500 till 750 miles

Which of the two sexes do you consider is the most important when it comes to breeding?

I always was in the opinion that there is no difference between that, but recently I spoke with an academic in genetics by animals and he asserted that the hens are more important than the cocks in the breeding special for the quality of the muscles. I don't know

Some fanciers like big hens for breeding does the size of the hen make any difference to the quality of youngsters that she breeds in your past experience.

Not at all, the mother of Sjoukje, who won the 3 rd nat. and the 5 th international Barcelona against 24.000 pigeons, was a very small Aarden hen. I don't like big pigeons for the long distance races. I prefer the middle type

Do you think that fanciers change for the sake of changing or do you think a loft can breed a winning team out and lose track of the winners.

Emphasis the breeding and you will be successfully. When you are on the right horse, be careful not to loose this, what I am saying is be very economical when you have a good breeder wich is coming out of a family with champions.

What method do you use to select your breeders.

When I believe in a pigeon for breeding I give him or her a fair change to produce good pigeons. I will pair him against several partners and judge the result of the youngsters when they are 2 years old.

Did you find your best breeding pigeon by luck or judgment?

I bought my best breeding pigeons in the past as late breads. You can say I was lucky, but they came op to my demands as a pedigree with top pigeons, soft feathers and a model like a pear.

What materials do you use for nesting

Straw from peas, which they can find by themselves on the bottom of the loft.

When do you pair your pigeons and why then.

I pair them at the end of March, because they are not moulting to early, because of one of the most important races Perpignan is in august and than they need their feathers.

How many stock birds do you keep and do you breed off your race team also how many pigeons do you think that you need to breed off any individual stock pair each year to see if they are quality producers.

I have 8 pairs of stock birds. I breed 3 rounds for myself and I even keep youngsters from my best racers. As I told before, when I trust a pigeon as breeder, I will judge him when the youngsters are 2 years old.

Please explain the method used from pairing up until the first race.

It is very simple. They all let grow up a youngster and the widowhood cocks will be without hen when they are breeding a week for the second time. The pigeons for the natural method go on as natural as possible and will be basketed on the long distance races when the good condition is there. As you see very simple, But my slogan in pigeon sport is "keep it simple, because the more difficult you make it the more mistakes you will make and the champion will be the one who made the slightest mistakes.

What is the farthest distance that you would train your old birds or young birds?

I train the young bird on the races till 250 miles. I don't clock them, it is just for training and to loose the pigeons from which is the compass not good and to learn them the basked by two nights travelling. Yearlings will be basketed 5 or 6 times on races from 50 till 250 miles and than they make 2 races from 500 miles. The older pigeons with more experience make about 4 races from together about 600 miles and then they make 2 or 3 international long distance races between 550 and 750 miles.

Do you breed off the top widowhood cocks after the racing has finished, do you breed late bred youngsters and what do you think of those later bred youngsters.

Yes, I breed from them. If you have space and time late bred youngsters are the best you can have. I had some very good racers who were born in September. I trained them the year after in September / October and in the beginning of the year when the y were 3 years old and they could compete with the best.

For every 50 pigeons that you breed realistically how many of them would win at 500mls, based on your past records.

That is different from year till year. I once had a year that was a miracle. On 40 young pigeons I had 5 pigeons that later won a position between the first 10 prices on the nationals and also some other good one. A year later I bred from the same pairs and after 4 years none of them was on the loft. I think that particular year the top condition was also on the loft during the breeding season.

RACING

Do you compete in the National events, if not why not? Or are you happy to race in the club.

My whole system is point at the national and international races from the 2 nd weekend in June till the 2 nd weekend in august we have one or 2 long distance races, together 12 races a year

Do you ever think of competing for averages, if not why not?

No, I am not interested in averages. I try to score top results and top series when the birds are ready for that.

Do you race your pigeons every week or do you prefer to condition them for a specific race.

Everything is focus on the nationals and internationals.

In your view do you think that a loft needs different pigeons for different distances?

Yes I do. My pigeons do not shine on the races till 400 miles, except when the race is hard because of difficult circumstances. But after 500, 600 miles and more they can compete with the best and when the top condition is there they can beat them.

Is there any specific condition that your pigeons perform best at, or any particular time of the year?

3 weeks before the long distance races start a let them train long and hard around the house when their weight is all right, then I take them back and prepare them easily to the races

When do you allow your racers to take a bath?

On Monday or Tuesday they can take a bath.

Do you like to have plenty of room for the pigeons?

Yes I would, but I have not. Last year I started a new loft with a friend of me who has plenty of space and time. This loft will be used for experiments and since April this year there are also 30 youngsters from an English friend who lives in the Lake District in the mountains where he is in my opinion prospects are less on the important nationals. But I saw his pigeons that are most of Florizone origin and I think they have great quality for the long distance races. So we agreed that I will train and race 30 youngsters with UK-rings in Holland and those who will be on the loft after 2 years, will be basket on international Barcelona.

How do you feed the cocks and what do you feed them on, a branded mix or do you buy separate corns and mix your own.

I give my pigeons a branded mix adapted to the seasons

Do you measure the amount that you give to each pigeon, or are they fed according to the individual pigeon.

From the moment the pigeons are paired, they can eat as much as they want. The days before the big races I give them some seed (50 % linseed) and peanuts. In the winter they are hungry and they get 50 % barley. Every day they get some fresh grit . In mine opinion this is very important and much fanciers underrate the importance of this. It takes care for an optimum of digestion.

Do you attach any importance to grits and minerals or can the pigeons get what they want they are out of the loft.

Grits, yes, see the question before and minerals alone when they have youngsters to feed. There are minerals in the whole year around but when they don't have to feed youngsters they eat hardly from it.

Is there a way that your pigeons let you know when they are in form?

When you are a good fancier you can see it. Widowhood cocks must be very lively. When they are outside they must enjoy what they are doing. The pigeons for the natural method (widowhood cocks even) have to look very nice. It looks like that they are a little smaller and standing higher on their feet, this is because the feathers are tight against their body. The heads has to be very dry and it looks like they are nice combed (I don't know if you know what I mean, but this is that their "hair" is well dressed.) They have to wear their Sunday suit. Getting easily the top form is the most important quality from a pigeon. I select my pigeons the hole year. When the pigeons in May/June are looking better and better and there are some who have still shaggy feathers (not a Sunday suit) I will remove them. They never will make the prices for you, because they are not the athletes we are looking for

Do you have any secrets about what you do with your pigeons and how you get them right?

No, I have made an article how I manage my pigeons the year around. There are no secrets in, but is to difficult for me to translate this in English.

Do the pigeons need any special treatment on their return from the race to help them relax? Is any such treatment needed for the short or long distance races or the hard races compared to the easy races?

No, they can eat what they want, but when a race was very hard I give them a few days small pieces grape sugar for the glucose and the carbo-hydrates.

How many weeks do you think a pigeon can maintain its form on the widowhood system for both cocks and hens?

I don't have experience in racing cocks and hens on the widowhood system. For cocks it is about 6 weeks.

Does this include channel races or are the specified number of weeks for sprint races and do you think that a pigeon can be prepared at fortnightly intervals for the channel races.

My older birds make 2 or 3 long distance races in a season from 600 till 750 miles, with an interval from 3 or 4 weeks.

If your race team went off form during the season what action would you take to restore their condition?

Rest and regularity

What happens when you are racing either widowhood or the roundabout when you have a bad race and lose a few from one sex, how do you continue with those pigeons who have lost their mate.

I don't race with the widowhood hens, so I don't have this problem

Is a favourable loft location the single biggest factor in sprint racing.

Of course you need good pigeons, but I think the location in sprint racing is very important.

Do you think a pigeon has the capabilities of racing both short and long distance races? Also what distance can a pigeon actually still "RACE" as opposed to homing from any race point?

I think there are no pigeons that are champion from 60 till 750 miles. Of course a long distance pigeon can make a good result on shorter distance, but not every week. Besides, this pigeons are prepared on another system, they have to achieve on other times. In Holland in the past there were races from Allicante in Spain and Rome in Italy. The distance was to far, 900 miles, and most of the pigeons get lost.

What proportion of you pigeons get better on subsequent trips to the long distance races and what do you call distance.

Distance is for me 500 - 750 miles. The performances of the pigeons will be better when they had t go deep in a race before an important race.

Which is the more difficult, establishing a team of sprinter's or distance pigeons and why.

I think in main lines it is the same , breed, race and select. But for the sprint races the fancier is more important. By the long distance races, it is more the quality of the pigeon.

If you could pass on one piece of advice or tip, at this point to fanciers old and young, what would it be?

How I feed them I answered in a question before. For the sprint racing I have not enough experience for an advise.

What problems do you think are most detrimental to race condition in modern day racing, both Old Bird and Young Bird?

Pigeons who most make performances have to feel themselves well on their loft. So they need a territory and must have a good home feeling. During the racing season, I keep the milieu in my loft as closed as possible, which means that their will com no new pigeon in, and after the beginning of June I will not basket my pigeons, except on the long distance races.

How far do you race your yearling's.

500 miles 2 times

What races do you send your long distance candidates to before their chosen race.

The pigeons with enough experience will race 4 or 5 times, to tall about 600 miles

Where do you house your widow hens.

They are in an aviary

Can you tell the readers your routine for preparing pigeons for the longer races? Do you look forward to the channel racing.

Of course I am looking for the national and international races. My hole system is based on this

YOUNG BIRDS

Young bird sickness is a problem; have you had this in your loft and if so what have you treated them with.

In Holland there is a medicine called Anco from Belgica which gives good results when they are sick. In my loft I experiment with pro biotic's, but until now I can not give results, the time I use it is to short for that.

Do you race your young birds, if so how many races, if not why, do you think they are better off in the longer events if they are only raced lightly.

I just race them for training. I don't clock them. I think it is important that they get experience with the basket for 2 night's races.

Do you use any preventative medication? If a pigeon goes ill do you try to put it right or does the bird have to go.

No, I don't, except the experiment with probiotics. When a good pigeon goes ill I will visit a specialised pigeon vet. All the others have to go. Don't be afraid that you remove a champion, because there are not so much champions

Earlier in the article we discussed the wind direction, do you consider that good pigeons will win in any position.

Wind, where you live and the mass of pigeons have influence on the results. In Holland we have a race from Marseille, with a lot of German pigeons in the race. When the wind is west, west of Holland is the big loser and that is not because they have no good pigeons, but they are beaten because of the circumstances.

Some fanciers go out and purchase good quality winning pigeons but never appear to make the grade, why do you consider that this happens.

You have to be a good fancier. When you have the best pigeons on your loft and your loft is not good and you make a lot of mistakes, you can't have success with the best there are.

Do you give any special treatments when the pigeons return from the race as a precaution against anything that they may have picked up in the basket?

No, I don't

Do you use the darkness system for the young birds, if so for how long and do you think it affects them later in life.

No, I use the young pigeon races just for training

Are there any feeding methods for the young birds i.e. do you break them down, do you keep them hungry for control purposes, do you give them a trapping seed mix.

No, I feed them good, they just have to come home from the training races.

Do you attach any real importance to the pigeon's wing i.e. back wing, end four flights and do you look at the wing to see if they have cast before a race. Any other comments on the wing.

I had several champion pigeons with total different kinds of wings. My best Barcelona racer has a wing in one line and Husky has a wing with staggered feathers between 6 and seven and in the beginning of his wing. (Between back wing and flight wing)

If random drugs tests were carried out on your pigeons, would it reveal any substance, illegal or otherwise?

No, I race my pigeons as natural as possible.

THE MOULT/WINTER

What criteria do you set down for the pigeons you winter with your thoughts on the following seasons racing and breeding?

All young birds I trained who have a good health may stay. The yearlings must made 1 price from the 2 long distance races they make and the older pigeons must make 50 % prize, or make an top result. Of course there are exceptions. Some birds in which I have much trust I sometimes keep a year longer. Breeders in which I believe get 4 or 5 years the change to show what they can bring. Beside that I select the hole year round on healthy, because this is the base to get top form.

Are there any special treatments that you give your birds once the season has finished what do you recommend the readers to do with the birds.

When the racing season was good there is no need to give the pigeons any medicine. When I don't trust it I would go to a specialised vet and do as he advice. Look out for vets who sell products and don't forget that the champions in pigeon sport are those who visit the vet the fewest.

What were the last four things that you put in your drinking water, when and why and did you notice any benefits.

When I give my pigeons something I give it as much as possible with the feeding. In water it will quick lose its working. Two years ago my birds did not look so well 4 weeks before the important races. I gave them 5 days something against cancer and 3 days against ornithosis. By that I give them 3 days in a week probiotic by the feeding and wheatshootoil with garlic that I make by myself and once a week yeast.

If you could only give your pigeons one supplement what would it be.

I cannot answer this question, because I don't know what it could be. I believe in natural products and treat the good pigeons individual when they are sick. All the others have to go when they are sick.

GENERAL

Irrespective of how your pigeons have flown, what are your views on the past season whether good or bad or the management of the sport in general.

We had a beautiful summer for pigeon races with. Only the best could win. The start was difficult because of the flu. A few nationals were cancelled because of this.

Which fancier has influenced you most, in the way in which you fly your pigeons?

It is without any doubt my father. He taught me everything and gave me the opportunity to employ myself as a fancier on his loft. It was aloud to make mistakes from which I learned a lot. He always gave me his advise, but it was up to me to make the decisions.

Which Champion pigeons over the years have left an impression on you and perhaps influenced your direction in the sport.

I have had the stockbreeders from B. Batenburg en zn. In my hands as "de Witbuik" "de Bonte Kweker" and "de Ruffec". I will never forget them, they are written in my minds, when I saw them I thought these must be champion breeders, the same was for the "stamvader 788" and "de Marseille 65" from Jac Steketee and "de Allicante" and "de Pau duivin" from Ko van Dommelen. They all are Aarden strain pigeons. When such a look a like pigeon is born on my loft I will keep him/her for breeding. Sometimes I am wrong but in 75 % I am right.

Whenever I have visited a loft fanciers always look at the pigeon's eye. Do you consider that the eye has any importance in (a) the breeding, (b) distance races (c) sprint races. (d) The pigeon's health. Or do you steer clear of the subject and if so why.

I have had good racers and breeders with several kinds of eyes, but when a youngster gets a particular Aarden eye, I will give it an extra plus. The way a pigeon looks at you can also say something about his character and astuteness. I don't like pigeons that are looking like a chicken. It is difficult to say what is in an eye it's even a kind of intuition to make the good choices.

Who do you consider being the best fanciers in the Country and for what reasons.

In Holland, and then particular for the long distance races in mine opinion Wijnands and son, Chr. Van de Velde and son, Hagens bros and Jac Steketee. These fanciers are for years on the top and they al made their own strain of pigeons, mostly based on the Aarden pigeons.

What do you think can be done to take the sport forward?

Forbid to basket a mass of pigeons. It is frustrating for a starting fancier with 12 widowhood cocks that he has to compete against someone with 100 or more pigeons on the same race. The accent for new fancier can be better on people who left the employment. For the youth pigeon sport is not interested. It takes to much time and there so may other nice things to do.

What percentage do you consider it takes to win with racing pigeons for Management and pigeons and why.

I can say it in a percentage. But in mine opinion the fancier is the most important factor, because he make the decisions as what kind of loft, what kind of pigeons and how to play with them.

What past mistakes have you learned from?

To nonchalant with good breeders. A few escaped and others I removed to early.

Who or what motivates you to remain successful?

I am afraid I am addicted on pigeon sport. I go to bed with it and I stand up with it, it is always in my mind. These days I am looking forward to the coming classics. But the same is for the breeding season when I look forward to the youngsters, but also the social contacts in pigeon sport are what I like.

What qualities do you think must be present for a fancier to be classed as a top fancier and at what level must he/she have achieved results to be rightfully so-called a "Champion".

I think some fanciers have talent, what you cannot learn. Listen to others and use what is good for your own loft. A good fancier takes to good decisions and the less mistakes. You are a champion when you are better then the others which who you compete, but a big champions is someone who has this title year after year.

Do you think winning fanciers should move on from club racing once they have reached a certain level of consistency? Are club performances paramount for personal satisfaction or sales purposes?

No, you must race in the place and the area where you live but a real champion will always look for the rivalry and compete with the best.

To term a phrase are you a professional pigeon fancier and do your circumstances make a big difference.

No I am not a professional. In my region we have great competition. For these reason some of us became stronger and stronger which made us to the best long distance fanciers of Holland

You are a successful fancier, there are far too many leaving the sport, to encourage fanciers to either join or stay in the sport what do you think about limiting prizes to two per race per loft. If not Why. If yes Why.

No I am not for limiting prizes, but for limiting the amount of pigeon a fancier can basket. For international Pau it is aloud to basket a maximum of 5 pigeons for each fancier. This is the way for fair changes.

Is pigeon racing as a hobby going beyond the average working man? Is it becoming too technical and complicated or can you keep everything simple and still win with the pigeons.

Yes, I wrote it before, don't make it to difficult, because as more difficult you make it, as more mistakes you will make. But because of the mass of pigeons some fanciers have, it is for the workingman not a fair competition. In all other sports, people compete against each other with the same number

What is your view on pigeon "moots" or "panels", are they over played and outdated and what do you think may bring as much or more interest to the quiet season when racing is not taking place?

Moots and panels are good for the quiet season. In my club we every year has a market then every fancier can sell pigeon, which he does not need any longer, or also some pigeons, (max. 5). This is a very nice day, with a lot of fancier out of the region.

What do you think about the vaccination programme for the pigeons and do you think it affects the pigeon's long term.

Alone paramyixo vaccination is necessary. But when a pigeon is vaccinated 2 times, it is enough for the rest of hi life. With other vaccination I don't have any experience.

What do you think of veterinarians in the UK and have you had any dealings with them.

In Holland we have some good specialist pigeons vets, which can advice you good when there is a problem. When there is no problem, I don't need them.

How do you consider that the British sport is going compared to the continentals and do they have any ideas that you think would benefit the sport in the UK?

I cannot compare the Dutch pigeon sport with the sport in the UK, because I don't know enough from the organisation and races in the UK

What is your view on pigeon shows and showing?

It is a good interruption of the long winter season and to meat other fanciers. Nothing more.

Do you read many magazines/Articles, if so which type of article do you find interesting and why.

I read 3 magazines, but I am just interested in some specialised writers and story's about winning lofts and pigeons.

What aspect of the sport interests you the most?

The long distance races.

Is there anything that you do not like about the sport, something that you feel needs changing for the good of the sport?

Fanciers are recasted with medicines, dopes and so on. When you read everything about it you will be despondent and think it must be impossible to reach a performance on a natural way. That is absolutely not true.

If you went into another fanciers loft and were given the opportunity to leave with a pair of pigeons, how confident would you be that you had selected the best pair, or in other words do you consider that you are a good judge of a pigeon.

It is difficult to say from yourself that you are a good judge of pigeons, but I prove in the past that I made good decisions when I was aloud to pick out a pigeon.

Is your loft of pigeons as strong as it was 5yrs ago?

It is stronger than it was 5 years ago.

Do you have any further comments about anything that we may have missed in any area of the sport?

No, except that it was difficult for me to make this in the English language. I hope you will understand the meaning of the things I wrote.

LJP. What has caught my eye with these pigeons is the fact that they are taken out to the longer distances in their early years and still go on to win top National performances.