The remarkable story of Jan Aarden begins on the 6^th November 1893, when in the town of Oosterhout a baby boy was born to Martinus and Lucia Aarden. This young boy was named Jan. Throughout his childhood, young Jan had a fascination with all animals . His early school years were spent at the St. Paulus Abbey in Oosterhout and it was here that he met Father Paulus, a teacher at the school, and someone who had a great interest in racing pigeons.

Jan became passionate about these wonderful creatures volunteering to look after Father Paulus’s birds, always learning wanting to know everything he could. So started a burning desire that possibly made Jan Aarden the greatest long distance racer ever in Holland and the strain of birds that bears his name legendary around the world.So the desire was there, Jan needed a loft of his own. His parents were not pigeon fanciers and they didn’t have much spare money available. Seeing how serious their son was they agreed to a small loft at home. It wasn’t the grandest, but to young Jan it was a palace, and he was King.

He now had a loft of his own to go with his desire, the only thing missing the pigeons. At this point it is important to tell the story of how Jan obtained his first birds. As we said before Jan was educated at the Saint Paulus Abbey in Oosterhout, one of his teachers was Father Paulus, who had a unique method to incentivise children’s learning. He rewarded them with cards – a Green card for every time they worked hard, and a Red card which was obtained by trading in 6 Green cards. Now Jan was by all accounts a good student and quickly was earning green and red cards. The objective for the children was to get 6 red cards, for these Father Paulus traded a book for the child to read on their own. Jan Aarden had other goals on his mind. For the required 6 red cards it was not a book that he desired but some racing pigeons of his own and so an agreement was made, Jan Aarden obtained his very first racing pigeons by hard work at school.

“…In the bigger organisations he also started to achieve great success, even beating the Oomens brothers with their own birds.”

When Jan was 18 he joined the “Snelvliegers pigeon club” in Oosterhout. It was here that he replaced his original birds obtained from Father Paulus with proper racing pigeons. Like all stories of success, it also involves a bit of good fortune. Around this time Jan met Gerard Oomens in Breda. Gerard was one of 6 brothers Jan, Harry Antoon, Koos and Jef being the others. They were slightly ahead of Jan in developing their family of birds, a family that would make the Oomen brothers the champions of long and extreme long distance racing in the Netherlands before World War 2.

Oomens Snr. took a particular liking to Jan and treated him like a seventh son teaching him all the tricks of pigeon racing, all the while Jan was learning and embracing all that he was told and saw. So Oomens birds made their way from Breda to Oosterhout. In quick time, because of the quality of birds and his own hard work and drive, Jan Aarden became unbeatable in his club over the short and middle-long distance races. In the bigger organisations he also started to achieve great success, even beating the Oomens brothers with their own birds.

In the spring of 1924 Jan Aarden moved to the Grintweg. The sport of racing pigeons was no longer of great importance because his fourth child would soon be born. The youngest son of Jan Aarden, his parents named Anton Aarden. Like his father Anton was also very interested in racing pigeons and when Anton was 18, they became a combination father and son. Now Jan Aarden was back racing seriously, with the help of his own son in whom he could see a lot of his young self. The emphasis moved from short and middle-long distance racing that he had been famous for in Oosterhout. Their emphasis now switched to extreme long distance races as Anton was very interested in this discipline.

Anton was very friendly with Willy Van Campenhout, who had birds that were famous from the extreme long distance race points. It was after conversations with Willy that Anton became passionate about competing in the International races from San Sebastian. However, he did have to persuade his father that this was the racing they should become involved in. In the end Jan Aarden agreed with his son and therefore Jan Aarden became also an extreme long distance racer. Jan Aarden did stipulate one thing, if they were going to compete they needed good long distance birds. Birds that they currently didn’t have in their own lofts. And so began the search for the origin birds of the Jan Aarden extreme distance birds.

Jan Aarden knew that an uncle of his was a very well-known extreme long distance flyer, his name was Henri Reij, from Den Haag. He was champion of the “Den Grootste Haagsche Bond”. The top stock bird in the Reij loft at that time was “Ouden Vassart”. It was a beautiful red pigeon that Henri had acquired from the auction of well-known racers Pauwels from South of Gent. The origins of this bird was from Belgian champion Vassart of Fleurus, a well-known racer of the Karl Wegge strain of birds. Henri crossed his “Oude Vassart” with a couple of hens from Dr. Bricoux. (at that time no better birds up to 500km could be found anywhere).

“…Henri crossed his “Oude Vassart” with a couple of hens from Dr. Bricoux. (at that time no better birds up to 500km could be found anywhere).”

From Jan Schouten, the champion from Rotterdam and specialist on the extreme long distance flights, Henri got his best racing pigeons for the extreme long distance flights. He bought from Schouten the Limoges Duivin – an older sister of the famous “Blauwe Duif”, one of the best racing pigeons before World War II. When he was nine years old, he won with Schouten the 14th National St-Vincent and the 18th National Dax. Schouten was a rich man, buying the best of the best from Jules Roeckaert who raced for a very long time under the name Ost-Roe.

Jan Aarden got four pigeons from his uncle, this was in 1934. With these four pigeons there was a six years old light chequered cock. He wasn’t big and he had a very small physique. Jantje Aarden would later import one more of that kind to his racing pigeon loft. This cock became one of the best breeders of the father and son Aarden. They called him the “Reydoffer”. Also his nestmate, the “Oude Reyduivin” came to Steenbergen. She also became a good breeder of many top pigeons for father and son Aarden.

The pigeons of Roeckaert had impressed the grandmaster Aarden so much that he went one year later to Borgerhout. Jules Roeckaert bought some racing pigeons at the beginning of the century  from the grandmaster Eduard De Herdt, from Kontich. From two direct De Herdt pigeons Jules bred his famous “Muschke”, a fantastic racing hen and an even-better breeder. She became the mother of the “Oude Lichte”, he was paired to a hen of Emile Van der Avoort, who had almost nothing else than Roeckaert or Ost-Roe pigeons.

From this couple Jules Roeckaert bred his stock bird the “Goede Lichte”. This cock, again not big at all, was a truly all-round flyer and won first prizes from short distance until extreme long distance. Sons of this stock bird the “Goede Lichte” became stock birds at that time with several well-known racing pigeon fanciers in the Netherlands and Belgium: In Belgium with Vincent Mariën, Merksem / Van der Espt, Oostende and in the Netherlands with Han Wassen, Rotterdam / Henry Rey, Den Haag / Fernand Schul, Roosendaal and last but not least Jan Aarden, Steenbergen.

The “Goede Lichte” from Jules Roeckaert was paired to several hens. With the “Donkere Cluytmans” he paired the stock birds of Van Rey and Van der Espt. With her daughter “Blauw Cluytmans” he paired the stock bird of Fernand Schul, Roosendaal. The racing pigeons of Cluytmans were from origin of Isidoor Claes, also a racing pigeon fancier from Antwerp. The best youngsters came when the “Goede Lichte” was paired with the “Goede Blauwe” from his town-mate Flor Lenaerts. This “Goede Blauwe” hen was unbeatable on the short distance and became a stockbird of Roeckaert.

“…His name wasn’t that famous in the years 1920-1930 but his pigeons could compete with the best of Belgium. Jan Aarden had noticed this.”

From this couple, Jan Aarden bought a magnificent cock: the “Blauwe Ost-Roe”. This cock seemed to have tremendous breeding capacities. He became a top stockbird with Jan Aarden. Not only the pigeons of Jan Aarden such as we shall see in the future. Jan also bought from Jules Roeckaert a light chequerd hen “Belske”. The “Belske” hen was bred out of the “Leon” a Red cock from Leon Van der Sande when bred together with Ost-Roe hen.

The father of the “Leon” was the “Goede Lichte” and the mother of the “Leon” was bred closely to the “Goede Blauwe” from Flor Lenaerts. The mother of “Belske” was the “Blauw Cluytmans”. A sister of “Belske”, the “Goed Duivinneke” was bought later on by De Scheemaecker Bros. “Goed Duivinneke” became one of their top stock birds.

After World War II, Jan Aarden received on loan via Wagemaker, a cock from the De Scheemaecker Bros which was bred closely to the “Goed Duinneke”. Jan Aarden also bought an older heavily inbred hen, she was called “Duveltje”. She flew with Ost-Roe as a young bird in the strong Antwerp Union organisation winning 30 early prizes. Roeckaert bred her from one of his best breeding hens, the “Fille”, a Red hen from town-mate Theo Van Hove. The “Fille” was a product of partnership-breeding and came out of the “Goliath” from Ost-Roe, a son of the base pair “Goede Lichte” with the “Goede Blauwe” and a daughter from the “Oude Lichte”, the stockbird of the Roeckaert loft since 1919. The father of the “Duveltje” was the “Goede Lichte” himself.

Before World War II Jules Roeckaert had a very strong extreme long distance race strain and he was in favour of inbreeding. He was a normal man, a man who never searched for publicity. By his fine art of breeding, he was able to build a strain of birds at the Oede Koevenstraat in Borgerhout, from where many famous racing pigeon fanciers have taken the fruits. His name wasn’t that famous in the years 1920-1930 but his pigeons could compete with the best of Belgium. Jan Aarden had noticed this.

The third visit of Aarden wasn’t so far out of his neigbourhood. A trip with the family was linked to a visit of the specialist on the extreme long distance races in Zeeland: Leo De Cock from Hulst. Jan Aarden had noticed there a beautiful 2 years old dark chequered hen, this hen was to become one of the stockbirds from the father-son combination Aarden. She was named the “Vetkont”. The Vetkont hen was from the origin Staf Dusarduyn and Marquinie from Sas out of Gent. Father and son Aarden bought that same year a hen from the Belgian extreme long distance racer Bremdox. The duo Aarden wasn’t successful with this new blood of Bremdox. Also the blood of Tinus Vermeer wasn’t a success. Not everything that the Aarden family tried worked but they persevered, and built the strain we recognise today.

The base of the breeding loft of Jan Aarden was made at the end of the 1930 by the blood of Ost-Roe, the blood of Henrey Rey, the superbreeding hen of De Cock, the “Campdoffer” from Willem Van Campenhout and in 1938 there was also the two pigeons of Hermansen from Antonie Wagemaker and Tiest Stok. Jan Aarden formed with this mixture a very hard flying loft. His breeding capacities ware based on his natural talent, his large experience and his grand know-how of the geneology. He was in favour of inbreeding. His two basic couples had some same bloodstrains.

“…Not everything that the Aarden family tried worked but they persevered, and built the strain we recognise today.”

First Jan Aarden coupled “Blauwe Ost-Roe” with the “Oude Rey-duivin”. A great succes in this combination. The most famous son of this couple was the “Fietsvlieger”. He won from Noyon, seven minutes in front of the rest of the convoy.

After WWII, the Fietsvlieger came back to the loft Aarden and bred some magnificent birds. His nestmate “Dikke Blauwe” was a very good racing pigeon and was superior in the breeding loft. A year later he bred the “Schoone Blauwe” out of this couple. This racing pigeons always won first prizes on the club olympiads. The “Dikke Blauwe” died in World War II, but the three musketeers became very important to the rest of the Aarden-story after World War II.

“The 3 Musketeers” ( out of “Blauwe Ost-Roe” x “Oude Rey-duivin”)

“Dikke Blauwe” NL 36-37251
“Fietsvlieger” NL 36-37252
“Schoone Blauwe” NL 37-2128

The second base pair was composed of the “Reydoffer” and the “Belske” from Ost-Roe.  The “46” was the best son out of this couple, in the young bird competition in Steenbergen he won the young bird competition with the 1st, 9th, 14th and 45th price. A full sister of the “46” was the “Orleanske”, the “Orleanske” won top prize positions from Orléans for three consecutive years.

The “Fietsvlieger” was paired to the “Vetkont” of  De Kock.  With this pairing, the third base pair was formed and they also bred some very good racing pigeons. The most famous hen out of this couple was “De Verkeerde Duivin” one of the best racing pigeons ever from the Aarden loft.

The “Dikke Blauwe” was paired by Aarden to “Duveltje” from Ost-Roe. The fourth base breeding pair was formed. Out of this fourth pair was born “Mooike”.

The breeding concept of Jan Aarden was very clear; the base line of his colony was formed on the sons, daughters, grandsons and granddaughters of the “Goede Lichte” from Jules Roeckaert. In the years 1938 and 1939 nobody could fly to compete with the breeding products of Aarden.

In 1939 Jan Aarden, was already racing his pigeons on the widowhood method. All still was not perfect though in the mind of Jan Aarden and when he and Anton had a visit from Willem Van Campenhout, they discussed that they still believed that Bordeaux was too far for their birds. Campenhout was extremely impressed with the quality of the Aarden birds and suggested they give St. Vincent a go. Jan and Anton basketed just 4 birds for St. Vincent, they were “Verkeerde Duivin”, “Schone Blauwe”, “Dikke Blauwe” and “Mooike”. The birds were liberated on the Saturday, on Tuesday, the race would close. Race conditions were poor with heavy rain along the race route and hopes were not as high as they normally would have been.

At three o’ clock in the afternoon the winner of first national Netherlands was known. Jan Aardens first pigeons was his second nominated “Verkeerde Duivin”, she came around six o’clock in the evening, winning 59th national Netherlands. Jan Aarden was now convinced about the quality of his racing pigeons because the “Verkeerde Duivin”, despite the constant rain for the entire flight wasn’t tired, and showed no signs of stress at all. The “Dikke Blauwe” won the 95th national prize.

“…”The 3 Musketeers” ( out of “Blauwe Ost-Roe” x “Oude Rey-duivin”) “Dikke Blauwe”, “Fietsvlieger” & “Schoone Blauwe”

Unfortunately the Aarden family made a basic mistake – they thought that the race was closed on Monday as usual for the traditional Friday liberation, “Schone Blauwe” and “Mooike” arrived before the official close time and would have still won good national prizes. From doubt over the ability of their birds, they had just clocked 4 out of 4 and all would have been in the national prizes. The rest is now history and the story of one of the greatest long distance family of racing pigeons that the world has ever seen.

Like all the great strain builders Jan Aarden over the years successfully blended together several breeds of pigeon including the Delbars to create his own strain and from the 1930’s onwards the legacy began. In later years both Jan Aarden and others including Van Agtmal, Van der Wegen and Van Geel – to name but a few who had obtained his birds, dominated from races such as Dax, St Vincent and Barcelona. This put the small Dutch village of Steenburgen firmly on the map as the heart of distance racing. Fanciers from all over the world came to obtain birds of the Jan Aarden origin resulting in the success of many of the modern day long distance fanciers.

The major influence however in the development of the Aarden strain and the consequent dynasty was “Zilvervosje”. This light check hen with a reflection of Silver in her wings was a wonderful breeder as well as a racer. Her bloodlines are there in the families of the great Aarden fanciers like Muller, van Agtmaal, van den Burgh, van der Wegen, van den Eijnden and the Kuypers, as well as being the grandmother of Ko Nipius’s second national Barcelona. In fact, her contribution to the development of the marathon pigeon in Europe is immense.

Zilvervosje is a daughter of Slaper (H 46-270518), which was of Schouteren bloodlines. Other research confirmed that another Schoutern pigeon was the other parent. This fabulous hen when mated with Zesentachtig ( H 47- 433486), also known as 86, bred Late Meesters (H 49-525758), a pearl of a pigeon. (The famous 131 was a great granddaughter of Late Meesters). The latter appearing in the pedigrees of many of the best modern representatives of the strain. The late partnership of Eijerkamp- Muller confirms that Zilvervosje was the foundation bird of their family. The sire of van Wanroy’s the Spin is a grandson and the dam is a granddaughter of Zilvervosje. And of course the Spin was the foundation bird in the families of Kuypers Brothers and Peter van den Eijnden. Aarden’s famous 37 was a grandson of the hen. In turn 37 was the grandfather of Giel van Agtmaal’s 500 as well as the grandfather of Jan de Weert’s 131. Surely two of the best of the Aarden dynasty.

Zilvervosje was the granddaughter of the Oude Witpen, a famous breeder of Toon Stoffelen. and Bontje Aarden, dam of Ligtenberg’s 10, was a granddaughter of Zilvervosje. Bear in mind also that the Bontje Aarden was the mother of Janus van der Wegen’s Oude Doffertje. The list appears to be endless re the breeding influence of Zilvervosje but, as stated, she was also a very good racer. Some of her triumphs included the following: 3rd nat. Dax (1949); 2nd nat. Dax (1950); 55th nat. St. Vincent (1950); 7th nat. Dax (1951); 47th nat. St.Vincent (1951).

“….The major influence however in the development of the Aarden strain and the consequent dynasty was “Zilvervosje”.

Although a reserved person Aarden made some friendships which added to the building of his strain. One of those friendships was Piet de Weerd, the world famous pigeonologist, whose knowledge and advice Jan pondered. Another fruit of their friendship was the so called ‘Piet de Weerd pigeon’, perhaps Aarden’s main breeding hen, of Delbar / Deguffroy origin. In fact the Delbar’s played a prominent part in the Aarden’s origins for some of the early breeders carried the blood of this strain.

The success of the developing Aarden strain caught the attention of Jan’s fellow fanciers in Steenbergen and many were purchased, resulting in the area becoming the hot bed of long distance racing in Holland. This also contributed to the evolution of the strain. A few of the latter around the period after the Second World War until 1960 included Toon and Piet Ligtenberg whose famous hen Oude Witpen when coupled with another Aarden were the parents of two of the most famous representatives of the strain – the famous number 10 of Ligtenberg and the fabulous Oud Doffertje of van der Wegen, the latter being the foundation of the van der Wegen strain while number 10 became the father of the famous Dolle of Marijn van Geel – the origin of the van Geels.

The late Marijn van Geel from Niew Vossemeer in Holland, succeeded in breeding a family of birds with exceptional perseverance and exceptional character whose base stock birds were obtained from Giel van Agtmal , the best friend of Jan Aarden in the mid 1950’s. Two of the best long distance racers and breeders ever flown in Holland were the ‘Lange’ entered 18 times for National races above 625mls winning 17 prizes and the ‘Dolle 67’ ended his distinguished career in 1975 (8 years old) with a 3rd Nat St Vincent and four weeks later 3rd Nat Dax.

The original van Geels have been the building blocks for many long distance lofts around the world. Champions such as ‘Vlekje’, ‘Zoon Dolle 800’, ‘Dochter Dolle 290’, ‘Favorit’, ‘Dolle Kuif’ etc… are household names now and fanciers such as the Kuyper Bros, Wim van Leewen, Jomp Kleen etc. own their success in part to the late great Marijn van Geel and the Jan Aarden based birds.

As the strain developed it dominated the races from Dax, St. Vincent, Bergerac and Barcelona, among others, taking Europe by storm and extending beyond to become a truly world-wide family. Piet de Weerd helped in this context by buying good representatives of the strain and selling them off to others. Another important contributor to the success of the Aarden dynasty was Piet Lazeroms from Zegge. This Aarden specialist bought out top lofts of Aardens and through this he owned the best of the strain. In turn Lazeroms was used as the main source of the Aardens by the best fanciers in Europe and elsewhere. For example, Van Peperstraten and de Heyde. The latter built his loft on his famous Klapper which he had got from Lazeroms. There’s also the exploits of Van Zelderen who won five nationals with Aardens. Recent examples are Theo Ernest whose Barcelona successes are based upon the Aardens and also the Brugemann Brothers whose famous loft is founded upon another Aarden source – Hein and Hub Oostenrijk. Nor should the exploits of Jac Stekatee of Bruinisse be overlooked for he formed one of the top Aarden studs of the 1990s. His Golden Breeder 788 is considered one of the best of the Aarden dynasty as is the highly thought of 60 of another Aarden ace, Cees de Jong. Then there are the world known breeders and racers of Jan Polder and Piet de Vogel of today.

“….As the strain developed it dominated the races from Dax, St. Vincent, Bergerac and Barcelona, among others, taking Europe by storm and extending beyond to become a truly world-wide family.”

Such is the influence that Jan Aarden has had upon the the sport of pigeon racing, that his name is used widely and / or associated with Dutch long distance racing pigeons, for many he was the creator of the Dutch long distance racing pigeon. In his early days in the sport Jan Aarden could not have imagined what his love of racing pigeons would lead to. For arising from the strain which he produced there now exists a dynasty- the Aarden dynasty of long distance and marathon thoroughbred racing pigeons. Therefore, what better memorial to Jan Aarden but to ensure that the strain which he moulded and which became a dynasty will continue to overcome distances, mountains, seas, and other obstacles on the way to nest or perch. Thus, all today’s Aardenists will continue the work of the master from Steenbergen.