Latest References with Eijerkamp Pigeons

31/07/2024

Dutch triumph in Narbonne International for De Vreugd – van Beek from Rhenen against 21,356 pigeons

The Dutch duo of Piet de Vreugd and Erik van Beek from Rhenen have achieved a resounding victory in the Narbonne International race with their 2-year-old cock, "King Narbonne". Competing against the elite of the long-distance pigeon racing community, their pigeon outperformed 23,256 others. The birds were released on Sunday morning at 9:45 AM in the South French town of Narbonne. The journey home proved arduous, with headwinds and rising temperatures challenging the birds. The first pigeon to arrive did so in Northern France, covering 712 kilometers.
By Monday, pigeons were arriving sporadically, highlighting the difficulty of the race. Early on, a German pigeon landed at 753 kilometers, followed by a Belgian bird at 859 kilometers. Shortly after 8 AM, the first report came from the Netherlands, with the partnership De Vreugd - Van Beek clocking in their golden pigeon at 8:04:51 AM in Rhenen, a place in the center of the Netherlands, at a distance of 1000 kilometers. They awaited results from northern Netherlands, but none could match the speed of "King Narbonne", who achieved a speed of 1,090 meters per minute, securing both the 1. National and 1. International.



This achievement is particularly noteworthy as the De Vreugd - Van Beek combination only turned their focus to long-distance racing a few years ago. To bolster their loft, they acquired pigeons from various fanciers, including Henri Hoeks. The winner of the international Narbonne originate from Hoeks’ original as it was bought as egg. The father of "King Narbonne" was bred by Henri Hoeks from his golden "Samoerai" and "Jolante" lines, while the mother is a daughter of the NL09-1835660NL09-1835660 "Son Henry", a H. and E.J. Eijerkamp and son of the great Henry"Henry" paired with a daughter of "Red Bullens" which Henri obtained at Koopman.

Henry"Henry" was a top performer in long-distance races for Eijerkamp, with notable achievements including:

• 3. National Ace Pigeon Long Distance Fondspiegel 2005-2009
• 12. National Ace Pigeon Long Distance NPO in 2006
• 6. National St Vincent 2008 (5,682 pigeons)
• 11. National Tarbes 2007 (5,470 pigeons)
• 16. National St Vincent 2006 (6,422 pigeons)
• 76. National Mt de Marsan 2006 (4,338 pigeons)
• 251. National Bergerac 2006 (17,507 pigeons)

"Son Henry" has become a foundational breeder for Henri Hoeks, siring multiple ace pigeons, including the 1. National Ace Pigeon Marathon Pipa ranking 2020 and several top pigeons such as a 1. NPO Cahors. Now, his grandson has won the 1. International Narbonne for Piet de Vreugd and Erik van Beek.

Despite Hans and Evert-Jan Eijerkamp no longer competing in marathon races, they celebrate this victory for "Kleine Pietje" (Little Piet), as Hans Eijerkamp affectionately calls Piet de Vreugd, as Piet already made his first moves at the Eijerkamp lofts when he was 13 years old!!!.
The entire Eijerkamp team extends their congratulations to the combination on this remarkable achievement in their young career.