The Jan Aarden Strain

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By: Liam O'Comain
This particular strain of distance-racing pigeons flourished on the Jan Aarden dynasty tree and is undoubtedly one of the sport's greatest families. A truth confirmed by the countless successes of the founder, Janus van der Wegen, and his children (Jac and Anton) and the numerous fans around the world who have succeeded with it. In fact, it may be possible to be the beginning of a new dynasty of sport in the present century.
The strain had its origins in the Dutch city of Steenbergen, which is the source of many outstanding varieties and families such as Jan Aarden, Ligtenburg and van Agatmaal, among others. Obviously there must be something in the air of that Dutch atmosphere that has produced such giants and greats of the sport.
Janus van der Wegen, who laid the foundations of the strain was old school and by all accounts he was a born pigeon. The strain has been developed from pigeons that have flown the tough Dutch program of Bergerac, Dax, St.Vincent and Barcelona, including Tinus de Meer, who won in 1971 1 or St. Vincent Nacional with a Jan Aarden. Piet de Weerd once wrote that one of the first pigeons to start Van der Wegen out was Tinus. In fact, some commentators think that the strain was the best in the Netherlands during the last 50 years of the 20th century and the first 5 years of the new millennium, for reports around the world keep throwing the name over and over.

Starting in the 1950s, van der Wegen obtained birds from Jan Aarden, although one of his most famous was the one from Ligtenburg. This was a black rooster known as the 'Oude Doffertje' (H. 58.314573) and besides being the foundation of the strain is one of the most famous names in sports history. Part Aarden and part Delbar blood, he was the brother of Toontje Ligtenburg's famous '10'.

As a producer, the 'Oude Doffertje' was the second of all, being the father of, among others, the famous 'Lamme' that scored 7th, 10th and 11th of Dax in the Netherlands National and 6th of St. Vincent.The 'Lamme" was born the 1st Barcelona National and the 14th St.Vincent National; this same bird also scored 5th Barcelona National and 2nd Dax National. A son of the 'Oude Doffertje' known as '152' won 14 national awards and two grandchildren won 1st San Vicente National and 1st Bergerac National. Other strain producers included Dax's hen, 1r's hen, Barcelona's hen, Crickets' hen, 83' and Oude Knollekop to name but a few.
The Van der Wegens are a great family to cross with. For example, Willegers in 1983 was the 1st to Barcelona International with a cross and Simons won 1 or Barcelona Nacional with a cross. So did Thei Crommentuy who won the first Nationals St Vincent and Pau in the hot bed of Dutch Pigeons. There are many other examples. Therefore, it was a lucky day in 1958 when a son of Janus van der Wegen, Anton bought two eggs from Toontje Ligtenburg, who in his own words recorded the occasion:

In '58 Anton van der Wegen came to me and bought two eggs from the third round. Two roosters were born out of them. She showed them to me when she was six weeks old. They just radiated quality. A young man I believe lost near the attic. The other became the famous 'Oude Doffertje'. He was a full brother to my '10'. A champion for sure... "
Little did Toontje or Anton realize that fate or what he had put in the birth of a great tension, a strain that remains a leader in the entire world of pigeondom.
Van der Wegen's lofts have achieved Barcelona's first Nationals, Dax, Pau, Marseille (and Dax with ZLU). Regarding your contribution to the successes of others, the following list shows the percentage of blood in national and international winners:

H.Brinkman, Tuk 1e Nat.St.Vincent 100% of the road
H.Hazelaar, Zutphen 1st Wet Ruffec 100% of the way
W.Coenen, Nuth 1st Nat.Barcelona 100% of the way
J.Buurma, Peize 1st Wet.Dax 100% of the way
Van der Wegen, Steenbergen 1st Nat.Barcelona 100% van der Wegen
Van der Wegen, Steenbergen 1st Nat.Dax 100% van der Wegen
Van der Wegen, Steenbergen 1st Nat.Pau 100% van der Wegen
Van der Wegen, Steenbergen 1st Nat.Marseille 100% van der Wegen
Van der Wegen, Steenbergen 1st Nat.Dax ZLU 100% van der Wegen
L.Hoogervorst, Women's Corner 1st Nat.Perpignan 100% of the Way
Ron.van de Werff, Westzaan 1e Nat.St.Vincent 100% van der Wegen 

A.Simons, Roosteren 1e Nat.Perpignan 75% van der Wegen 
Th.Crommentuyn, Velden 1e Nat.St.Vincent 75% of the roads
Th.Crommentuyn, Velden 1e Nat.Pau 75% of the roads
Bakker & Zn, Portugal 1st Nat.Perpignan 75% of the Road
L.Smid, Goes 1e Nat.Perpignan 75% of the way
C.Blokdijk, Hoorn 1e Nat.St.Vincent (S2) 75% of the Roads
D. Barberio, Weert 1e Internat.Marseille (H) 75% van der Wegen 

C.Vanoppen, Alt-Hoeselt 1st boarding school. Barcelona 50% of the way
G.Frazer, Ulft 1e Nat. St.Vincent 50% of the road
A.Simons, Roosteren 1st Nat.Barcelona 50% of the way
A.Simons, Roosteren 1e Nat.Marseille 50% of the road
P.Paulussen, Roosteren 1st Nat.Dax 50% of the road
Jacob Keun, Donderen 1e Nat.St.Vincent (S4) 50% van der Wegen 
D.Rotman, Mussel Canal 1e Nat.Ruffec (S4) 50% of the road
P.van Bergen, DeLier 1st Nat.Dax ZLU 50% of the road
C.Vertelman Zn, Hoogkarspel 1e Nat.Bergerac 50% of the road
M.Schuurman, Doorn 1st Nat.St.Vincent (S3) 50% of the road
J.Torreman, Rockanje 1e Internat.Barcelona 50% van der Wegen 
J.Vercauteren, Schimmert 1e Nat. Soustons 50% van der Wegen 
J.Bruine de Bruin, Aalsmeer 1st Wet Berger Race 50% of the Roads.
G.de Jong & Zn, De Heen 1e Wet.Perpignan 50% of the road.
Cor.van Dijk, Hagestein 1e Nat.St.Vincent (S3) 50% van der Wegen 
W.en B Terhoeven, Zeist 1a Nat.Tarbes (S2) 50% of the roads
Roger Florizoone, Nieuwpoort 1st Nat.Barcelona 50% of the Road
Flip Steketee, Yerseke 1e Nat.Dax ZLU 50% of the Wegen truck
Van Gils de Nijs, Oosterhout 1st Nat.Soustons 50% of the road
Jelle Outhuyse, Harlingen 1st Nat.St.Vincent (S4) 50% of the road
Jo. Lardenoy, Maastricht 1st Nat.Barcelona 50% of the way
G.Keesmaat, Krimpen y / o Lek 1e Nat.Dax 50% van der Wegen 
Cor.Hermans, Geulle 1e Nat.Bordeaux (JL) 50% of the way
P.Boers, Goesbeek 1st Wet Mountain Race 50% of the Roads
C.Willigers, Steenbergen 1st boarding school. Barcelona 50% of the way
Hendrix-Meijberg, Heerlerheide 1st Nat.Mountain Race 50% of the Roads
Frans Molenaar, Ulft 1st Nat.Bergerac 50% of the roads
Biemans, Teteringen 1st boarding school. Barcelona 50% of the way
JLvan Roy, Ronse 1st boarding school.Barcelona 50% of the way

P.Schlangen, Kerkrade 1st Nat.Barcelona 25% of the way
P.Schlangen, Kerkrade 1e Nat.St.Vincent 25% of the roads
Van Zelderen, Aalsmeer 1e Nat.St.Vincent 25% of the roads
Van Zelderen, Aalsmeer 1e Wet.Bergerac 25% of the Roads
Vogten-Lardinoye, Maastricht 1st Nat.Marseille 25% of the roads
Wijnands & Zn, Maastricht 1st Nat.Perpignan 25% of the roads
B.Walpot, Steenbergen 1st Nat.Barcelona 25% of the road
Cor.Hermans, Geulle 1e Nat.Marseille 25% of the roads
Jos Thone, Como 1e Nat.Barcelona (H) 25% of the way
F.Bleylevens & Zn, Simpelveld 1e Nat.Marseille 25% of the road
Willems-Thone, Eijsden 1e Internat.Barcelona 25% van der Wegen 
Hein.Brasse, Nuth 1e Nat.Pau 25% of the road
H.de Jonge, Weiteveen 1e Nat.Bergerac (S4) 25% of the Roads
H.de Jonge, Weiteveen 1st Nat.Ruffec (S4) 25% of the Roads
Harry Faassen, Illikhoven 1st Nat.Marseille 25% of the road
H.en A Kivit, Vinkel 1e Nat.Dax 25% of the road
Gebr. Shaschkow, Wiesvillers (Fr) 1e boarding school Barcelona 25% of the road
From Ouwerkerk-Dekkers, Brasschaat 1e Nat.St.Vincent (JL) 25% of the roads
H.van Helmond, Predictor 1 Wet. Pau 25% of the road
B.Homma, Beam 1e Nat.St.Vincent (S4) 25% of the road

The above list records what some of the best European lofts owned by masters of the sport such as Thone, Schaschkow, Florizoone, Hermans, Keesmaat, Wijnands, Biemans, Schlangen and Brinkman owe to the van der Wegen variety. And needless to say, the experience is not over yet! Yes, I think we are witnessing the birth of a new dynasty.