‘ON THE ROAD’ WITH KEITH MOTT.

Hans Eijerkamp & sons of Brummen.

The Hans Eijerkamp pigeon story covers over 60 years, starting with a chicken shed, to the present day owning one of the top racing pigeon studs in the world. Hans had no money to purchase good stock to start his pigeon career, so he sold some chickens for two and a half guilders to buy some late youngsters. The late breds were housed in a compartment built in the roof of the hen house and in 1951 he started taking part in competitive flying with varying success. His racing career took off from 1957 onwards and he succeeded in placing himself amongst the champions of the CC Zutphen.

Hans Eijerkamp says: "In those days the idea took shape in my mind to one day own a world famous pigeon breeding centre. Lofts that would contain the best pigeons in the world. In invested a great deal of money to make this dream come true. In 1970 'The Ponderosa' stud in Holland was opened and over the years has developed. In 1979 my second dream was fulfilled when 'The Greenfield' stud was opened in the UK. An ultra-modern complex housing 25 pure bred strains, and also containing our flight lofts. It was my aim when starting a fresh in Brummen with young pigeons to top the National within three years. In 1982 the ultimate goal was almost reached with the 2nd National Dutch Championship against over 55,000 competitors. 1983 brought total victory, through winning the first National Dutch Championship and my third dream was realized. Our dedication and tenacity over the years had been rewarded".

Hans Eijerkamp's two sons, Evert ­Jan and Hans Jaap are now in the pigeon partnership and take an active part in running the now international breeding stud. Hans Eijerkamp is a pigeon enthusiast through and through, and spends hours with the pigeons. When the birds are returning from the races, he is in there clocking in and enjoying to the full the sport which made him famous. He is a successful businessman, the managing director of one of the largest furniture businesses in Holland. A few years ago he ventured along with son Evert-Jan and then export manager Frank Dokman on a trip to England. The Ponderosa UK Stud was then set up in Weymouth, founded with the best from Eijerkamp's international breeding centre in Holland. Taking my annual holiday on the south coast a few years ago, I thought I would have a pigeon day and visit the Ponderosa UK Stud at Weymouth. The 45-mile drive down the coast was well worth the effort, with the whole family enjoying the visit. Hans Eijerkamp and his sons founded the Ponderosa UK breeding centre over thirty years ago as an offshoot of their stud in Holland. In 1985 the brand new Ponderosa UK Stud was built and this ultra-modern centre has the same set-up as the Dutch Ponderosa. As you enter the centre there was a really nice coffee lounge, picnic area and accessories shop. The breeding pairs were housed in three wings, containing short, middle and long distance strains. The whole stud is sweet and clean, with the inmates looking in first class condition.

Ponderosa UK then had 320 stock pairs, made up with 25 different strains. The stud wings were split up in sections housing 12 pairs and the birds sunned themselves in large flights at the rear of the wings. There was a fourth wing with flights, which houses the birds for sale. On request, the manager, Tony Hayne, was happy to let you handle the birds you were interested in. Hans Eijerkamp said at the time quality not quantity was the aim of the Ponderosa Stud. Many winners were reported every season, with birds bred at the stud. The sire of the 1992 Central Southern Classic Flying Club Bergerac 1^st open winner was bred at the Ponderosa UK, and this was a very hard race with only nine birds clocked on the day.

A lot of the Janssen of Arendonk pigeons at the stud were bred around the champion blue cock ‘James Bond’, which was crowned best middle distance pigeon of Holland in 1984. This ace won in his short racing career: 1^st Soisson (2,208 birds), 1^st Tienen (2,482 birds), 1^st Soisson (1,789 birds), 1^st Baarle Nassau (4,661 birds) and so on. ‘James Bond’ was a cousin of the famous '05' winner of 50 prizes in his career, including nine firsts. In 1981 '05' was best middle distance Dutch flier and 3^rd ‘ace’ pigeon. There were several sons and daughters of ‘James Bond’ and '05' at the Ponderosa UK breeding centre at that time. The bloodlines of the Janssen pigeons were rich at the Weymouth stud. Another champion was the blue chequer cock 'Rocky' crowned the best short distance pigeon of Holland in 1985. He recorded 1^st Apeldoorn (3,807 birds), 1^st Maastricht (1,064 birds), 2^nd Maastricht (1,009 birds), 3^rd Ede (2,728 birds). From 1964 Hans Eijerkamp had purchased the best stock possible from the Janssen Brothers of Arendonk and said he had all the world famous lines of the Janssen strain in his lofts today.

Other strains housed at the Weymouth stud on my first visit were: Bertus Camphuis, De Klak, Achiel Leus, Meuleman, Dr Linssen, Desmet Matthys, Van Loon, Verstraete, VIP, Eijerkamp, Cattrysse, Tournier, Eijerkamp/Muller, Jan Aarden, Van de Eijnden, Van der Wegen, Van Wanroy, Stichelbaut, Braakhuis, Delbar, Berlengee, Silvere Toye, Van Bruaene and Cobut. I had a great hour handling a few of the top pigeons with manager Tony Hayne, and I was very impressed with the top Janssen pigeons. This was the first of many highly enjoyable trips down to Weymouth to see Tony and Mary’s wonderful stud of pigeons.

In September 1996 Tony Hayne and Mary Bartlett, the management duo of the Ponderosa UK Stud at Weymouth, invited me to make a video of the English Breeding Centre. After two days filming at the Chickerell Lofts, a trip to Brummen in Holland was planned to film the two mother studs and the founders of the Ponderosa Dynasty, Hans Eijerkamp and sons.

I had a brilliant few days in Holland with Tony Hayne and Gordon Johnson of Gwent. We went over in the Ponderosa van, via Harwich, and the ten-hour night sailing was very pleasant. The ferry was like a mini ­holiday camp with carvery, bars, disco, cinema, casino and cafes, it all really added to the trip. The Greenfield and Ponderosa Holland studs are about a 100 miles drive when you get off the ferry at the Hook of Holland, but the effort is well worth it. When you get there you will see one of the best pigeon set-ups in the world. The Ponderosa is the original of the UK Breeding Centre in Weymouth, even down to the different colored nest box fronts.

The Greenfield Stud is by far the greatest pigeon set-up I have ever seen, and can only be described as fantastic. The Eijerkamp family live and race their pigeons at Greenfield and all the ace stock birds live there. We saw all the great champions of that time such as 'Wonderboy 05', 'General', 'Goldrush' and the latest ace to join the breeding team `Flits 85`, winner of 1^st St Ghislain (3,824 birds); 1^st Houdeng (2,221 birds); 1^st St Ghislain (1,938 birds); 2^nd Houdeng (3,288 birds) and 2^nd St Ghislain (1,757 birds). Wonderful pigeons! We didn't see the great 'James Bond' as he was then 13 years old and not filling his eggs and was abroad having fertility treatment. Hans Eijerkamp started the Greenfield and Ponderosa Studs at Brummen many years ago and can now claim to be truly international, with studs throughout the world. A breeding centre was formed in China in 1995 and this houses 100 breeding pairs, producing only for the Chinese market. 1996 saw a stud formed in Poland with 100 breeding pairs and this has proved to be highly successful and was increased to 200 pairs in 1997. In Holland the Ponderosa housed 200 breeding pairs and all the ace stock birds live at the Greenfield Stud with 1,500 other pairs. In the 1990’s the Ponderosa Stud organized an annual international one-loft race, with pigeons from all over the world taking part. The UK Stud, at that time, houses 27 families, with Janssens being the mainstay, and pigeons had been exported to 14 different countries. Countless winners with Eijerkamp pigeons were reported every year including 1^st National Mettet Rayon (22,000 birds); 1^st National Ruffec Rayon (10,992 birds); 1^st National Munchen (7,500 birds); 1^st National Ruffec Rayon (6,228 birds); 1^st National Munchen Sector (2,500 birds); 1^st National Dax (2,268 birds); 1^st National Pau (1.200 birds) and 1^st National Pau CSC (1,569 birds).

The Eijerkamp family owned one of the biggest furniture businesses in Holland and we visited the massive store in Zutphen. There was a pigeon room in the store where fanciers hold moots and presentations. The store covered 40,000 square metres and if a fancier purchases a suite of furniture over a certain price, they get a free Ponderosa pigeon. Once a month there was a prize of a new mountain bike for the best Dutch performance by a Ponderosa pigeon and this was also started in England in 1997. The Eijerkamps are a wonderful family and their motto is 'quality', whether it's furniture or racing pigeons.

We went out to dinner one evening with Hans Eijerkamp and his son, Evert-Jan and they really are pigeon fanatics, with an overwhelming keenness for the sport. Loft managers at the two studs were all top class fanciers including the Ponderosa loft manager, Anton Koster, who won 1^st Open National in his own right, in the 1990’s. Marco Klein Falckenborg, the export manager, and Henk Jurriens, office manager, were both top fanciers in the Dutch sport and both started at the Ponderosa as lads scraping out the lofts.

Since the very early 1970s English pigeon fanciers have been breeding and racing with great success the pigeons of Hans Eijerkamp's Ponderosa-Greenfield Stud in Holland. These birds proved to be so popular that to make them more freely available to the UK enthusiasts, Hans Eijerkamp founded the Ponderosa UK Stud. This allowed anyone who wished to visit the stud at Weymouth to handle the stock pigeons and to select their own youngsters from the nest if they so desired. No quarantine, and no more waiting for delivery. In 1985 the first 20 stock bird pairs were moved to the breading loft in Weymouth, birds specially selected by Hans Eijerkamp, all descendants from the ace pigeons were imported to the UK. Success followed until 1989 when the brand new Ponderosa UK Breeding Centre was built. No expense was spared with this ultra-­modern new breeding centre, that now houses 27 different strains.

Quality not quantity has been the motto of Hans Eijerkamp and his sons, along with Tony Hayne and Mary Bartlett of the Ponderosa UK Stud in Weymouth. Many fanciers have found success in breeding and racing Eijerkamp pigeons in such countries as Australia, New Zealand, Canada, America, Kuwait, China and all over Europe. The Ponderosa is truly an international pigeon stud! As I’ve already stated the Greenfield Stud was the best pigeon set up that I’ve seen, with the main loft being built like a small block of luxury flats. There were several computers installed in the lofts, for instant verification of pedigrees and comfortable look out offices high in the air, where the Eijerkamp’s sit and wait for the birds to return from the races. Fantastic fanciers, with fantastic pigeons!

That’s it for this week. I hope my readers have enjoyed my little look back at my visit ti the Greenfields Stud in Holland, owned by Hans Eijerkamp & sons. I can be contacted on telephone: 01372 463480 or my new email address: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

TEXT & PHOTOS BY KEITH MOTT (www.keithmott.com)