Aart Hup, together with his wife Marina and sons David and Stefan.
At half past nine on Friday morning the baskets were opened and the pigeons had to face the first part of the journey with a strong headwind. The wind gradually turned to north-west, west and later south-west. There was not a single pigeon home that evening, entirely in line with the wish of the organisation. The fight for gold was to be one which had not often happened in the history of the international pigeon sport. Two pigeons had clearly freed themselves from the peloton and, taking into account the neutralization regulation, made it a close finish. In the end it was the NL 05-2127815 ‘Het Schimke' from the 43 year old butcher Aart Hup from Oene in Gelderland who won with a difference of 5 seconds (!) to the cost of ‘de 163’ from the Fries long distance crack Bennie Homma from Balk, who had to be satisfied with silver. Bronze was for Gerrit van Vilsteren from Zwolle.
Aart Hup is not unknown in the long distance world. Just a few of the major achievements: 2nd National Parkestone 1988 – 2nd National Dax 1992 – 2nd National Angouleme 2004 – 1st NABvP Bondsconcours Chateauroux against 10.000 pigeons – 1st Champion Fondclub ‘De Veluwe’ in 1989 and 2nd Ace pigeon Marathon North in 1998. He started with the pigeons in Elburg when he was 13 years old, and also contaminated his father and brother with the pigeon sport virus. Father had a butchers shop in Elburg and at that time the pigeon sport there was also a national sport. He raced in combination with Bert Buitenhuis for two years. Then, in 2002, Aart started a relationship with his current wife Marina, who worked with him in the butchers shop Oene. In 2003 Aart moved to Oene, where he became a member of ‘De Zwaluw’ in Epe. He raced in combination with Dries Dekker from Epe for a few years and subsequently in 2007 Art became part of the combination Woustra-Hup. Since 2009 Aart has raced under his own name, whereby the pigeons are housed by a good friend on the border of Epe and Oene. Aart has raced all those years with his own pigeons, with the exception of the period with Dries Dekker, who also brought in a few good pigeons. Once the combination ended they were all taken over by Aart. What are then the basis pigeons here in Oene?
• The old sort from Frank van ’t Goor from ’t Harde, which found its origin by the famous long distance celebrity Ja. Wolff from Wezep.
• Van Wanroy, Braakhuis, Muller and Schlangen pigeons via Gerrit Buitenhuis from ’t Harde, a real pioneer in the pigeon sport.
• Further pigeons from Lei Curvers, Gebr. Brugemann via Rothuizen, Wormerveer and pigeons from Dries Dekker, which were namely Van de Wegen pigeons via Cees de Jong.
Aart has a separate stock of pigeons for the 1-day long distance of the pedigree Elsacker, Hans Eijerkamp and Sons, Ludo Claessens and more recently Edwin Hoogland.
With 30 breeding pairs ( 18 overnight and 12 1-day) – 20 couples nest pigeons (1-day) – 48 couples nest pigeons (overnight) and more than 100 youngsters, Aart has a large colony of pigeons which take up all of his free time. We will limit ourselves at the moment to the overnight long distance and as it turns out Aart Hup can be counted as belonging to the best overnight racers in Province 8. In the Super Fondclub GOU the following titles were achieved over the last few years in the General Not Nominated: 3rd in 2004 – 10th in 2005 – 4th in 2006 – 3rd in 2007 – 7th in 2008 and 7th in 2009. This year high prize percentages including Périgueux 27:18 – Bordeaux 10:7 and Cahors 27:15, but not enough real top work. That has been put right straight away from Orange!
Care and coaching
The overnight pigeons are given a paratyphus vaccination or a paratyphus cure on alternate years. They are coupled in the middle of March and this year they raised their youngsters for the first time. They were darkened until the 1st of May (18h00 – 09h00). Aart usually trains the pigeons himself. They only went in the container once. Aart takes them away to train every weekend, mostly to Maastricht or Luik. He leaves on Friday morning at 03h00 and liberates them at around 06h00. ‘As early as possible, sometimes it is still dusk. That is the best for long distance pigeons and more than pays off during the season in the big races’, says the maestro. The daily training during the season is from 18h00 – 19h30 and always with the flag. They are fed three times a day. The mixture is put together by Aart himself. All kinds of feed come from Mariman. In the preparations for an overnight race the feed consists of Mariman Standard, Barley , Red and Yellow. For the last few days it is Mariman Sport – Red – Petit France and Super M. Further every evening a rich mixture after the usual meal. One time it consists of 2/3 nibbling seeds, 1/3 hemp and wheat germ oil ; another time it is pure sheep fat (Aart is a butcher remember), peanuts and cheese. This rich food is given for the last ten days prior to basketting, the entire season. Every Sunday the feed is further mixed with brewer’s yeast, vitamineral, roosvicee, lemon juice and yoghurt. As you can see, as many natural products as possible are used. Veterinary surgeon Nanne Wolff is the pigeon doctor here. Three days before basketting for a long distance race the pigeons are given a tablet for tricho from him or a Belga Magix.
The youngsters destined for the overnight are not darkened and are trained in the regular programme. In their birth year they have to at least have had two nights in the basket once. Yearlings and older pigeons are given two or three big long distance races, whereby the programme for the yearlings consists of Limoges, Brive and/or Cahors. The older birds are mainly raced in the further afternoon liberations. The pigeons are brought to a new nest position for each long distance race. Aart prefers to race with 14 or 15 days brooding. Both of the couple are raced as much as possible. This is kept in mind when the couples are put together. A good performing couple is not split up either. Several couples have been together for a number of years.
NL 05-2127815 ‘Het Schimke’, 1st International Orange against 4.022 pigeons.
The cock crowed when ‘Het Schimke' returned home
Aart was already at his post on the Friday evening, because after all, you never know. He cleaned the lofts out in preparation that evening. At half past ten he went home, but left the lights on in the lofts and the electronic clocking system was also left on. He got up at four o’clock on the Saturday morning and was by the loft at a quarter to five. It was still pitch black. Aart filled the drinking vessels and added some honey to the water. He then went into the summer house and read in ‘Het Spoor’ about the remarkably early arrival of the 1st National Cahors from Jan Nijboer from Westerhaar. At a quarter past five he went outside. It was still quite dark and the cock reluctantly announced a new day. He suddenly saw a pigeon coming out of the darkness, she flew like a shadow over the roof and then landing at the trap by the wrong loft. She turned round and then the beep went off. The display read: 05h20.01, which from a distance of more than 918 kilometres gives a velocity of more than 1.237 m/m. Aart tried to call the pigeon inside. She didn’t want to go inside, as it took 12 minutes before she went into the loft. The pigeon was reported to Wilco Bultman of the N.I.C. ‘De Hoksebergvliegers’ in ’t Harde. There was nothing yet. Then a telephone call to sport friend Mark van den Berg in IJsselmuiden. ‘There’s nothing yet’ Mark shouted through the telephone ‘or have you got one’? ‘I believe so’ said Aart. The news was soon known on ‘Het Praathuis’. That was the sign for a day long telephone bombardment, whereby the uncertainty remained: who oh who is first?! On Sunday morning the all-important telephone call from Henk Geerink, Chairman of the Northern Union. The 1st International Orange was for ‘Het Schimke’ from Aart Hup with a lead of five minimal seconds! It is a somewhat long, well-built hen with a very soft plumage and a very nice eye. She had moulted two flights when basketted. She raced whilst brooding for fourteen days. Given her lineage she was deliberately raced from Orange and not the week before from Cahors.
The father of ‘Het Schimke’ is the NL 96-1201948, a direct Lei Curvers. He is a son of his top pigeon ‘De Schim’, who a.o. raced a 16th and 40th National Marseille and a 36th National Pau. He won a total of 10 prizes in the grand distance. The mother of ‘de 948’ is the NL 88-2501956, a Cobben x Theelen pigeon.
The mother of ‘Het Schimke’ is the NL 04-1585572, which was bred by Aart himself. She comes out the NL 97-1292458, a pigeon out two direct Rothuizen with a lot of Aarden blood from the Gebr. Brugemann. The mother of ‘de 572’ is the NL 96-1703887, a daughter of ‘de Dax duivin’ from Bert van de Brink. ‘Het Schimke’ has so far been raced eleven times in the grand distance. She achieved a total of 19 prizes:
2007: 1st Brive in the club – 9th in the NIC Hulshorst against 262 pigeons, 47th Périgueux in the NIC Hulshorst against 458 pigeons and 12th Bergerac in the club.
2008: Disaster race Limoges missed, came home three weeks later covered in clay and manure, but she was still vital and recuperated quickly. 11th Bergerac NIC Hulshorst against 533 pigeons.
2009: 12th Limoges in the club – 49th in the NIC Hulshorst against 324 pigeons. From Bordeaux and Périgueux 9th in the club.
2010: St. Vincent just outside the prizes, 17th Cahors in the NIC ‘De Hoksebergvliegers’ ’t Harde and now as highlight: 1st International Orange against 4.022 pigeons.
The breeding loft of Aart Hup.
Conclusion
Together with his wife Marina, who supports him in his hobby through thick and thin, Aart Hup is very proud of his first ‘big’ victory. With this victory his love for the sport and his great input have been given the ultimate reward. Aart raced ten pigeons from Orange and achieved a total of five prizes with the clock times of 05h20 – 09h01 – 10h47 – 11h29 and 14h16 .‘Het Schimke’ will next year strengthen the ranks of the breeding loft, that is certain. Once again, congratulations with this magnificent victory!
Het vlieghok