Interview with 90 years icon Hans Eijerkamp by Ad Schaerlaeckens in De Duif
Recently, an excellent article by Ad Schaerlaeckens appeared in the sports magazine De Duif, following an interview Ad conducted with Hans Eijerkamp. Here is the article along with the English translation and various included photos. We thank Ad and De Duif for creating and publishing this wonderful, candid article with Hans Eijerkamp.
Together with his father, he founded a furniture empire, one of the largest in the country, now managed by his son Evert Jan with approximately 300 employees. Among pigeon fanciers, he is especially known as someone who has been a leading figure in the racing scene for over half a century.
Click here for the original article in Dutch
A few years ago, I wrote about the Eijerkamp loft, which I considered the best in the entire country that year. I referred to 'them' because it is now a team led by Evert Jan. No one protested, which says a lot in the pigeon racing world.
The second pigeon loft Hans Eijerkamp owned
DIFFERENT
This will not be a kind of life story, but an interview with someone with almost unmatched life experience. Also, someone who, in his hobby, pigeon racing, will leave an indelible footprint. He has witnessed all the developments in pigeon racing as well.
Furniture and pigeon racing have defined his life. He even combined both into an unparalleled success formula. Although at such an age you sometimes feel the creaks and strains, he is still mentally sharp and follows pigeon racing intensely. Things like the latest smartphones do not deter him, quite the opposite.
Hans: "It's incredible how you can enjoy the sport even more with all these new technologies. I am so grateful that I can still experience all this." You won't find him sitting behind geraniums anytime soon, as far as he's concerned.
Thanks to some crisscross questions, we try to gain some insight into the life and views of this remarkable figure. About the man Hans Eijerkamp and the pigeon fancier.
Hans with his first wife, Joke, who passed away far too early, in front of the lofts with then-top caretaker Henne Bierhof.
In conversation with a 90-year-old icon Hans Eijerkamp
FIRE QUESTIONS
No matter how successful someone may be in their life, work, or sport, mistakes are made. Can we know about any major mistakes you've made in pigeon racing?
H E: "When I started with the formula of furniture and pigeons, I made the mistake of keeping the pigeons as pure as possible. The formula was a huge success; fanciers wanted my pigeons. These were youngsters from pigeons I had acquired from the absolute top players for a lot of money, usually an entire round. We then put these pigeons together again 'to keep the breed pure,' because that was how our customers wanted it. 'Pure and not crossbreeds.' Due to the demand, we did not breed from pigeons that had performed but from so-called 'breed pigeons,' 'paper tigers,' you could say.
By the age of 15, I was already obsessed with pigeons. Back then, I wanted to perform and believed everything from everyone if it could improve me. I even fetched fresh horse manure and placed it in my loft because it was supposed to be good."
Of course, you also did a lot of things very well. Otherwise, you wouldn't build such a name. The name Eijerkamp stands for unparalleled success in their own loft but certainly also with others. Can you name one or more so-called 'golden moves' you ever made?
H E: "My purchases from the Jansen Brothers in Arendonk in 1964, on the advice of good friend Piet de Weerd, were a bullseye. Later, in 1973, two children from the Merckx, the 092 and 093, were bought. Actually, I had only bought one because the price, 800 guilders, was a bit too much for me. You could hardly get those pigeons back then, but I was lucky that the men said, 'you're not just anyone, you can have both.'
That did cause mixed feelings; I was very happy with them, but I had a small problem: I didn't have enough money with me. But they trusted me; I could bring the money for the second pigeon later, and so it happened. In 1973, I made a golden purchase from Antoon and Lucy van der Wegen. And following the advice of pigeon friend Willem de Bruijn to buy pigeons from Leo Heremans-Ceusters has also paid off. That was in 2006."
Do you have any other hobbies besides your business and pigeons? Or did you have them?
H E: "No, not really. I simply had no time for it. I had to work very hard for the business, and every minute I could spare was spent on the pigeons. Some people thought that 'pigeons' here was purely a business matter, but those people were wrong. I was and still am a true fancier, someone who also wanted to perform."
Your generation might just have experienced poverty. Does that also apply to you? Did you experience anything from World War II? What?
H E: "I certainly remember something from the war. Like the time we had to take shelter due to a bombardment on a munitions train in Zutphen. That shelter was a self-made pit behind our house. In my haste and fear, I ran so recklessly and jumped in so carelessly that I landed on top of my mother, who was then pregnant with my sister Jannie. This was often laughed about afterward.
After the war, I certainly did not have it easy, and if you then also have pigeons as a hobby. I had to cycle to Vierakker to tie up cows at my grandma's to earn some money for my pigeons. I also went to fetch sand along the IJssel on Saturdays for my loft. I dried it at home, sifted it, and then spread it on the pigeon loft, which had a layer of floor cleaner applied earlier. I only had twelve widowers, but I enjoyed working with them."
PREFERENCES
Did you go along with rock-'n-roll? Elvis, Bill Haley, and all the others. Did you go along with that? Or didn't it fit into your environment, or let's say upbringing? The older generation back then found it decadent, like the long hair later on.
H E: "All of that passed me by because my young life was completely taken up by the business and the pigeons."
Do you still enjoy music? What song can be played on the radio often for you?
H E: "In that regard, I am old-fashioned. If music affects me at all, it is gypsy music or Dutch songs. Trivial songs like 'There Comes My White Pin,' appeal to me.
If you had to choose: Ajax, PSV, Feyenoord, or Twente?
H E: "Ajax."
You undoubtedly also had contact with old names in pigeon racing that younger fanciers might find unfamiliar now. With whom did you have good contacts 'in the good old days'?
H E: "There were quite a few. With whom I was somewhat to very close were Jacques Tournier – Joep van Dongen – Piet de Weerd – Willy Linz – Gerard Van Hee – Gebr. Janssen. Jacques Tournier also wanted to sell furniture for me on top of his textile business and thus copy the 'furniture-pigeon' formula in Belgium. I didn't do that because I found the space way too small. In my eyes, that would be a step backward instead of forward. From 1965, Willy Linz from Köln, who was really European top at the time, became a true mentor for me. I almost forgot to mention Louis Van Loon. He was a pure fancier, far from commercialism and high prices. He didn't like cheating. He preferred to stay close to nature. This resulted in a kind of super-strong pigeons that didn't get sick easily. His pigeons, as we found out, were real all-rounders that could do it from 100 to 1000 km."
Hans with the famous 05, the best middle-distance pigeon WHZB in 1981.
EVEN EARLIER
Other big names from your career in the Netherlands or Belgium that younger generations might have forgotten?
H E: "Maurice Delbar, Dr. Linssen, and Valere and Roger Desmet (Matthijs) were international greats. They had earned their world fame. I remember well a visit to Valere. I had a Polaroid camera with me, something few had heard of at the time. I took a photo of the whole family, and when it came out, their mouths dropped open in amazement. That look of disbelief I will never forget. It seemed like pure magic to them, haha. I also enjoyed going to Belgium with Henne Bierhof and Gerrit Wormgoor on Sundays when the business was closed to visit fanciers there." (How fun that can be, Willem and the writer of this can confirm.)
The name Bierhof sounds familiar to me.
H E: "Henne Bierhof was our first full-time caretaker and a good one. As a pigeon man, he was simply an artist for me. I started with pigeons thanks to the aforementioned Gerrit Wormgoor."
From whom did you learn a lot in your early years?
H E: "Undoubtedly from this Gerrit Wormgoor."
Hans and Joke Eijerkamp at the Magazin Champion stand at the Olympiad in Japan. Between Hans and Joke stands Dr. Pim Stam, one of the best pigeon veterinarians the Netherlands has ever known.
A LITTLE PERSONAL
You are also just a human being of flesh and blood, so you will undoubtedly also get annoyed sometimes. What is your biggest annoyance in pigeon racing?
H E: "These days, they release the pigeons far too late. In the past, the pigeons sometimes came home before 8 o'clock. If it were up to me, let them out early in good weather."
And what is a big annoyance in your daily life?
H E: "That I have had to give in, can't do everything anymore, have become physically limited. I am glad to have a son like Evert-Jan, who now has the reins in his hands. He does a great job both in the furniture business and with the pigeons."
You are a smooth talker. Do you ever think of something you wish you could take back, like 'oh, I should never have said that'?
H E: "Actually, no. I can't think of anything."
Hans and Evert-Jan in the VIP room.
How does a nearly 90-year-old, who is still so mentally fit, spend most of his time? Reading, maybe? And what do you read?
H E: "No books. You know, because of my physical limitations, I spend whole days on my iPad. I follow everything in the pigeon sport closely. I find the NPO Dashboard a fantastic tool. It's new and you can follow everything on it. The Live Compuclub site is also great, and I often start paying attention as soon as the first reports are on there. Additionally, I read De Duif and Het Spoor as physical pigeon newspapers. Two years ago, I also created a special WhatsApp group with various friends and fellow fanciers to share information in the pigeon sport because I still want to be involved."
PIGEONS
Some appreciate that you have never been tempted to play with the masses, despite having all the possibilities. What is your stance on so-called mega lofts?
H E: "We play more pigeons than average, but we don't see ourselves as a mega loft. I have kept up with the times and was almost forced to keep and play more pigeons due to the increase in the number of races. However, there are only a handful of fanciers in the Netherlands who use a lot of pigeons, and therefore the term mega loft is, in my opinion, completely taken out of context. I applaud the restriction to 150 pigeons per race, but ultimately, everyone must make their own choice on how to practice the pigeon hobby in their own way."
What would you change first if you were the head of Dutch pigeon racing and had all the power?
H E: "Fewer divisions, larger releases, and more national races, like in Belgium. Additionally, just like in Belgium, every fancier should have the opportunity to race or train pigeons for a 100-150 km race every Wednesday."
MONEY AND PIGEONS
In your private life, besides pigeons and your business, what did you spend the most money on?
H E: "Vacation." (A S: I know that the Eijerkamp family loves to seek the sun in winter. Rightfully so after a life of hard work.)
"`Speaking of money, you invested quite a bit in Heremans pigeons. Were the most expensive also the best? What was the very best Heremans pigeon you acquired?
H E: "The best we bought was at the first 'total' sale in 2007. That was the Jackpot, which cost us 1700 euros (including surcharges). He was already the father of Di Caprio, who later moved to the late Dirk van Dyck. He wasn't a pretty pigeon, too deep as well. But he was the best and also the cheapest we bought. At the second sale, we mainly bought 'the New Olympiad.' He was more expensive, 210,000 euros, but he became a golden breeder for us!"
Hans and Evert-Jan in discussion among the many trophies won.
And what was the best pigeon you ever bought?
H E: "The Bange, B64-6639792, which I bought from the Janssen brothers in Arendonk."
Do you also get nervous when paying attention to the pigeons? And your son?"
H E: "Hmm. Nervous? Call it healthy tension. To a lesser extent than Evert-Jan and now, at this age, perhaps less than before. By the way, about nerves and 'the old days.' You won't believe it, but I once threw myself flat in the grass because early pigeons suddenly dropped, and I was still standing in front of the loft."
Does Hilma (partner of the nearly 90-year-old, who lost his wife too young) also get involved in the sport? Does she also keep an eye out? Does she read about pigeons?
H E: "She is very involved, always knows first on Saturday if the pigeons are released or not. She has to listen to a lot, hahaha."
SOCIAL
Which fancier would it not be a punishment to be stuck in an elevator with for a while?
H E: "Willem de Bruijn."
And with which non-fancier?"
H E: "The late Dries van Agt. I admired that man. He was a true statesman."
Which loft visits from the past and present left a big impression on you?
H E: "Too many to mention, but if I have to say something, it would be to Gerard, and later also his son Michel Van Hee. I learned a lot there, especially about racing with young widowers at the time. I also remember my visit to Ko Nipius in 1965, where I bought 5 young pigeons for 100 guilders each. Out of these 5, 3 were real toppers!!"
Following this, who impressed you a lot as a fancier?"
H E: "As mentioned, Gerard Van Hee, Leo Heremans, Bertus Camphuis, Bas Verkerk, whom I predicted in 1997 would become one of the greatest in the Netherlands. He wanted to become a real estate agent then, but I told him he was born to be a professional with pigeons. He was so talented from a young age. He played extremely well at his old address with a small accommodation, and now in Reeuwijk phenomenally again, but now with large lofts."
The famous Bange from 1964, one of the best pigeons Hans ever bought (from the Gebr. Janssen in Arendonk). The offspring still perform well in Brummen in 2024.
AND FURTHER
What was a big disappointment in pigeon racing?
H E: "In the 1950s, losing the 1st National Parkestone because I was too busy with the business. My sister had seen a pigeon drop but didn't know we had an important race that day. I regretted that for a long time." (Note A S: It was still manual clocking back then).
And what was an absolute highlight?
H E: "Winning multiple national championships. The first in 1983 when there were still 54,000 fanciers. The title of 2nd World Champion Versele-Laga was also gratifying. We were the Best Fancier in the Netherlands in 2019 and 2020, as well as national champion young pigeons in 2023."
People sometimes say, 'everything was better in the past.' What was really better in pigeon racing in the past?
H E: "In the races, you didn't have the dominance of certain lofts like you do now. So, there were many more equivalent lofts, more balance, and consequently a much better distribution of prizes. The latter also because many more fanciers participated."
What advice do you have for beginners or fanciers who have no success?
H E: "Find a good coach in your own area who can assist you with advice and support. Build a good relationship with them and follow their advice. Keep doing that and don't change with every disappointment. Invest. If you have a small budget, invest in eggs from the racers after the season from a well-performing fancier in your area. It might take a little longer, but you often get them cheaply and from pigeons that have proven they can do it."
THAT'S IT
That's a glimpse into the life of businessman, pigeon fancier, but above all, the human Hans Eijerkamp, who will soon be 90 years old. The family has friends worldwide, and those don't just come to you; you have to earn them. The name stands for integrity and quality in both the pigeon and business world, and consequently success. A family that has been struck by misfortune several times. The tragic loss of son Martin hit them hard. But you won't hear Hans complain, despite the intense sorrow he once endured. He counts his blessings. And there are many for him and his team, who have meant so much to pigeon racing.
Ad Schaerlaeckens
Hans and Evert-Jan enjoying themselves after a victory in front of the lofts with the winners.
