History

Aad van Berkel – “the modern Van Loon’s still rule the skies”

It must have been way back in the ’60 that Dutch legend Antoon van Haaren discovered Louis van Loon supreme results, went to visit the master in Belgium, and brought back with him the best he could afford. Many trips would follow, and success was immediate. Up until his passing away, the old master from Lommel founded an incredible number of lofts around the globe with his supreme birds. Just to mention Gerard Koopman, Hans Eijerkamp, where regular visitors, listening to the masters words, being taught how to race, breed and win smartly with their new Van Loon birds. Not a man of big name pedigrees, just numbers and colors and first prizes mentioned. No need for more as the master would say. Louis learned from trial and error, as he explained about getting too greedy and paying the price for it. He wanted to win so badly that he was expelled in many clubs around him. In this way he was forced to adjust his game from sprinting to middle distance and even extreme long distance racing. We can find his name in the top-20 of the legendary Allicante race, way over 800 miles from Spain. A show of force by his all round birds, winning from sprint until the most extreme races of them all. In 40 years of racing the original Van Loon birds, they have developed into one of the best all round pigeon families across the globe. But where to find them, many claim they own them, but are they? 

The great Hans Eijerkamp, famed for his ability to discover outstanding new pigeon families that could improve his own already supreme stock, got hold of the Van Berkel family from Rotterdam. They were winning against big birdages with his beloved crossing material, the Van Loons. Always looking and getting the best, he started bringing in this grizzle family, the nowadays world-famous Silver Shadow family. In the days a few drops of Tournier grizzles not just make them get the white washed color, it made them stronger and more solid racers which can win week after week. Especially with clouded skies, where others seem to wear off, the immaculate grizzles stay on route and win against the masses. The Van Berkel family got the very best Van Loons over the years from the old Dutch master Antoon van Haaren, their relatives Van der Werf family and direct from Louis van Loon’s loft manager. Selected by racing from all these outstanding racing lofts, filtered into a winning mix, we all know what happened after that. How many lofts would owe great gratitude to the Van Berkel family for creating such an uncountable number of wins, national wins, one loft racing wins, national ace birds, Olympiad birds from 50-500 miles? 

The strength of this family of winners is still well and alive. Even though it seems the whole world has been granted the excellence of the Dutch Van Loons, still nowadays Aad van Berkel and his wife are racing the originals. A loft completely build on this strong and lasting family, still winning on all levels, never sold out the base of so many successes. Still winning against big birdages as shown underneath this article. Their stock loft still holds the pure lines of legendary racers and breeders like the full brothers ‘Silver Shadow’, ‘Silver Bullet’ & ‘Silvermann’. Names you can ask about all over the globe, almost as famous as the Dutch old paint masters or international renowned footbalplayers. Wherever you see a grizzled taking another national win, most certain it holds the lines of the ‘Silver’ Van Berkel golden heritage.       

Saturday 2014/02/08
2013-1212211
Teletekst  from Ruffec 721 km.

Zaterdag 7 Augustus 2010
2010-1660443
Teletekst from Creil 320 Km