GERARD KOOPMAN THE END OF AN ERA - PART 2

DD: Gerard, you mentioned that you ended up in Asia with and thanks to Jan (Hermans). However, you soon went your own way.
Gerard: Going with the group from The Dove to China, Japan and Taiwan and so on was great, and as I mentioned, it was also a tremendous culture shock that I struggled with for quite a while. However, that was beyond my mother's mercantile spirit. (laughs) After the initial shock, I started thinking and soon realized that if I wanted to build a reputation over there, I had to go there alone, without Jan and all the other Dutch and Belgians. That's how you really build connections, that's how you acquire customers.
So I looked for a Chinese interpreter in the Netherlands and went to the college in Emmen where there were some Chinese students. Eventually I ended up with Chun Luk who lived a little further away in Stadskanaal. With him I went on an adventure, first to Taiwan. I had a list of names and addresses, and we looked for the rest in the F116 catalog. After Chun stopped here I started looking for a new interpreter, and it became Louis.

DD: You may have been a little shy and overwhelmed, but you did it all. You had the guts to take risks, to travel the world, to dare to invest.
Gerard: Well as I said, mother's mercantile spirit will have won out over father's down-to-earth simplicity. I had to learn some of these things on the job, but daring to invest has always been there. I said before, even my father, the down-to-earth Dutchman, had that quality.

DD: You also dared to spend money on pigeons.
Gerard: Of course, good pigeons don't automatically come flying to your loft hehe! (laughs) To want to win you have to dare to invest. In the first place of course your own time and energy, but also financially. That does not mean that you have to jump further than your stick is long.
I have always dared to invest money in pigeons, hoarding money is useless. Of course I bought according to my budget. First I bought youngsters from the good ones, later I tried to buy the performance pigeons myself and only pigeons from the best breeding couples. I always followed the theory of Van Loon, performance alone is not enough, they must also come from a good family, then they are not “lucky” winners. Usually winners come from good families.
Of course you have to make choices, you can't buy everything. That too is according to Van Loon's theories, don't keep buying blindly. Recently I was asked why, for example, I hardly have any pigeons from Vandenabeele. Simple, choices. I have nothing against Gaby, super pigeons too, but you have to choose somewhere.

DD: Give me an example of a pigeon you paid good money for.
Gerard: Well, I have paid well for several pigeons (laughs) I remember an auction in 2003 of De Rauw-Sablon. They played everything in one pile and Jan (Hermans) advised me to buy some pigeons. Those were the dark years after my divorce. When things get difficult in my private life, my sporting life suffers too. I needed a new boost, a kick under my ass as it were.
At that auction, I wasn't going to let anyone outbid me. I had set my goals and I was going for it. I bought “The Dreamer”, “Bjarne”, Mister Expensive (brother “The Dreamer”) and a sister of “The Dreamer” there. For “The Dreamer” I paid 22,000 euros at the time, a lot of dough. Afterwards in the car, back on the way home, I felt reborn. What played through my mind was “Yes, Gerard is back!”.
 

Another great one: In '96, I met Dirk Van Dyck at the Golden Pigeon party. I approached him with the question to buy youngsters from the “Kannibaal”. At that time it was not possible, everything was sold for the next 2 years , but there was a youngster from the “Kannibaal” in the Golden Pigeon auction of '97.(Dirk became Superstar of the year hafo that season) I could not be there myself, so I had asked Dirk Leekens to bid for me, he could go up to 5000 guilders. In the end I was able to buy them for 4800, a lot of money in those days, in fact still today.. 
That pigeon was “Golden Lady”, a late youngster from '96. I paired her with “Gentil” and in '98 out of that combination came “Kleine Dirk”. I shouldn't say more for sure. Maybe the best 4800 guilders I ever spent.
You know, I won a lot in pigeon racing. Beautiful flights, ace pigeons, Olympiad pigeons, world championships and so on. However, I think my sporting highlight is breeding “Little Dirk.” When you haven't been in the sport that long you may not realize it yet, but those, like me, who have been in pigeon racing for a lifetime realize how exceptional it is to have such a pigeon. That's really ... that is, the very highest. (gets emotional for a moment)

DD: Je hebt inderdaad veel gewonnen in je leven.
Gerard: Klopt, maar op den duur werd het ook allemaal wat teveel. We hadden Asduiven in zowat alle categorieën, dat was echter ook heel veel werk. Daarom zijn we ons op een gegeven moment gaan specialiseren op de dagfond.

DD: Met als gevolg dat je nu een legende bent op de dagfond. Heb je sportief gezien nog dromen?
Gerard: Ik zal er zeker niet wakker van liggen als het nooit lukt hoor, maar iedereen die inkorft wil ooit toch wel eens Barcelona winnen. Ook dat is nog een erfenis van Jan, die droom om Barcelona ooit te winnen. Op een gegeven moment werd het reglement van de wereldkampioenschappen van Versele-Laga aangepast. Ik had daardoor ook zware fondduiven nodig. Eén adres natuurlijk, Jan Hermans. Van Jan kreeg ik tien jongen. Ik heb die dan tegen mekaar gezet en één van die kinderen daaruit werd “Miss Waalre” (1e Nat. Asduif zware fond 2004 TBOTB, 1e NPO Ruffec en 1e Nat. S4 St. Vincent op 14 dagen). Dat was trouwens niet alleen een supervliegduif maar ook een geweldige kweekster. Later heeft Mr. Kijima haar gekocht. Hij had naast “Super Ben” gegrepen en was wat lastig, Jan had iets nodig om hem te paaien. Wanneer Jan Hermans me om een plezier vroeg dan kon je toch geen nee zeggen. Ik had zoveel te danken aan die man, en dus is “Miss Waalre” naar Japan verhuisd. [n.v.d.r. Enkele dagen later werd Robert Ben toch overtuigd en verhuisde ook “Super Ben” naar het land van de rijzende zon. Ook dat is zaken doen. Nooit vergeten wie wat voor je heeft gedaan, het ene plezier is het andere waard. Anders blijft de wederzijdse liefde ook niet duren.

DD: Kan Gerard Koopman nog veel leren over duiven?
Gerard: Natuurlijk! Iedereen kan bijleren. Hier in de buurt is ieder jaar een kippenbeurs, als ik kan ga ik daar naartoe en geef ik mijn ogen de kost. In het verleden heb ik daar zeker al eens een goed idee opgedaan. Je mag nooit denken dat je er bent, want dan begin je gegarandeerd achteruit te gaan. Ook nooit opgeven, altijd doorzetten. Het is een cliché dat kampioenen geen excuses zoeken maar oorzaken, maar zoals alle clichés zit ook in deze veel waarheid. Door te klagen en zagen kom je nergens. Als je er niet tegen kan dat de wind soms in je nadeel zal zitten, dan moet je een andere hobby zoeken. Wij zijn tenslotte maar mensen, de natuur gaat zijn gang en daar hebben wij niets tegenin te brengen. Verder is het vooral kwestie van proberen, als je niet probeert weet je niets. Ik kan niet goed tegen die mensen die een mening hebben over iets wat ze nooit uitgeprobeerd hebben. Mijn motto is, als je het niet geprobeerd hebt, moet je zwijgen want dan weet je niet waarover je spreekt. Ik zal ook nooit zomaar blind iets doen, ik wil wel weten waarom. Voor alles wat je doet moet er een uitleg zijn, anders ben je gewoon bezig met nattevingerwerk. Wat dat laatste heb ik betreft heb ik veel geleerd van Günter Prange. Prachtige kerel, een echte natuurmens, die denkt als een duif, heel uniek. Dat zijn dingen waar ik nog plezier uit haal. Een koffie gaan drinken met mensen als Günter of Noël (Peiren). Mannen met, net als ik, een passie voor duiven. Weet je, doorheen de jaren heb ik eigenlijk nog amper vrienden buiten de duivenwereld, maar ik denk niet dat dit echt erg is.

DD: As a result, you are now a legend in the one-day long distance. Do you have any sporting dreams?
Gerard: I won't lose sleep if I never succeed, but everybody who baskets wants to win Barcelona one day. That is also a heritage of Jan, that dream to win Barcelona one day.At a certain moment, the regulations of the world championships of Versele-Laga were changed. I also needed heavy long-distance pigeons. One address of course, Jan Hermans. From Jan I got ten youngsters. I put them against each other and one of those children became “Miss Waalre” (1st Nat. Ace long distance pigeon 2004 TBOTB, 1st NPO Ruffec and 1st Nat. S4 St. Vincent at 14 days). By the way, that was not only a super flyer but also a great breeder. Later, Mr. Kijima bought her. He had grabbed next to “Super Ben” and was a bit tricky, Jan needed something to spawn him. When Jan Hermans asked me for a favor you couldn't say no. I owed so much to that man, and so “Miss Waalre” moved to Japan. [n.v.d.r. A few days later Robert Ben was nevertheless convinced and “Super Ben” also moved to the land of the rising sun]. That, too, is business. Never forget who did what for you; one pleasure is worth another. Otherwise, mutual love won't last either.

DD: Can Gerard Koopman still learn a lot about pigeons?
Gerard: Of course! Everyone can learn. Around here there is a poultry fair every year, if I can I go there and feast my eyes. In the past I've certainly had some good ideas there.You should never think you are there, because then you are guaranteed to start going backwards. Also never give up, always persevere. It is a cliché that champions don't look for excuses but causes, but like all clichés, there is a lot of truth in this one. Complaining and sawing will get you nowhere. If you can't stand the fact that sometimes the wind will be at your disadvantage, then you need to find another hobby. After all, we are only human, nature takes its course and we have nothing to say to that. Furthermore, it is mainly a matter of trying, if you don't try you know nothing. I cannot stand those people who have an opinion about something they have never tried. My motto is, if you haven't tried it, keep quiet because then you don't know what you're talking about. I will also never just do something blindly, I do want to know why. For everything you do there must be an explanation, otherwise you are just doing wet-finger work. Regarding the latter, I learned a lot from Günter Prange. Wonderful guy, a real man of nature, who thinks like a pigeon, very unique.

DD: Just a question in between. You play under the name C. & G. Koopman. You said yourself that your father didn't make that much of a contribution athletically, yet you continue to play along under his name. Never considered just playing as Gerard Koopman?
Gerard: Why should I? Surely that would be a nice tribute to my father. Okay, he may not have been the greatest pigeon fancier or not a very ambitious man. But he was a very good man and a good father, and I did learn a lot from him. For years we played as C. Koopman and son, at one point I thought I had earned the right to add the G. as well. (laughs) At this point Kjeld (Spithoven), John (Koopman) and Mart (Rotmensen) also join the company. Their day's work is done, and of course a working day at Koopman's can't end without a cup of comfort, a chat and a review of the day. In this case, they get to join in and have their say about their employer.

DD: Gentlemen, thank you also for joining us. Tell us how you guys ended up at Gerard's? After all, this is not an everyday workplace.
Kjeld: I ended up here through Jaap and Annie (brother and sister-in-law Gerard). I worked at their place of business; they knew Gerard was looking for someone. I went for an interview, it clicked immediately and the rest is history as they say.
John: Gerard is my uncle, so I have known him all my life. When André Leideman started flying for himself in 2021 a place became available in Ermerveen. Gerard told this to my mother, that's how that news came to me. I was out of work at the time and I thought it would be nice to work for Gerard.
Mart: I once did vacation work at Gerard's as a 13-year-old. My father wouldn't let me just sit at home all summer vacation (laughs). I ended up doing that for three summer vacations. In 2021, I was pursuing an education but it wasn't quite my cup of tea. Coincidentally, I then got an app from Kjeld asking if I would be interested in joining them again. As John pointed out, Bert and André Leideman had quit and there were hands short here. So I went for an interview, did a month's probationary period and didn't leave after that.

DD: What did you know about pigeon racing before you joined Gerard?
John: Not very much. When I was little I did go with my parents often to watch pigeons at my grandparents' house. So let's say I knew a little more about it than the average Dutchman, but much less than the average pigeon fancier.
Mart: I had, before I first got here, absolutely nothing with pigeons. So I still had to learn everything.
Kjeld: Same for me. I could handle animals, but I didn't know anything about pigeons specifically. I learned everything here by watching a lot and asking questions. Paying very close attention and you can learn a lot.

DD: Gerard, just a question for you in between. These gentlemen here at the table actually knew nothing about pigeons when they came to work for you. Why didn't you look for employees with experience in pigeons? Didn't you find any?
Gerard: No, I had to take what I could get. (laughs) Just kidding, of course. It was a conscious choice. Take Kjeld for example. Through Jaap and Annie I knew he was a good worker, someone who saw work, who takes initiative, who can work independently and who has a feeling for animals. But the most important thing for me was that Jaap could guarantee me that he was reliable. After all, you bring a stranger into your loft, into your company, into your yard, in fact literally into your home, then you have to be able to trust someone like that blindly. Well, I trusted Kjeld blindly all those years and he never betrayed that trust, quite the contrary.
Those were the years after the divorce. I wanted to unburden myself in terms of workload. I preferred to have a blank canvas, someone without knowledge. Such a person you can mold and shape yourself. You shouldn't teach them “wrong” things either. Someone with experience always has their own vision. Over the years, of course, Kjeld has had his own vision, but I was able to mold that vision with him. (laughs)

DD: Gerard is known in the pigeon world as a quiet, affable man. Is he the same as a boss? What is Gerard like when he is angry?
Mart: I've never seen Gerard angry, as crazy as that may sound but it really is.
John: He's really just like that, as an uncle, as a boss and as a human being. I've never really seen him angry in all these years.

DD: Come on Kjeld, in all these years?
Kjeld: Sorry, I have to join the boys. In all these years I've never seen Gerard really angry either. Well for example disappointed, Gerard can be disappointed in people. He also doesn't like disturbed harmony and if something happens that he doesn't like then he withdraws to let it blow over.

DD: No one is perfect, I have already heard a laundry list of good qualities about Gerard. However, please name his less nice sides, his drawbacks, his little edges. Don't hold back! Next year you'll be out on the street anyway.
John: (laughs exuberantly) I think Gerard's worst characteristic is that his good qualities often come at the expense of himself. He could think of himself a little more often. So what are good and bad traits? For whom are traits good and for whom are traits bad?
Mart: If I have to mention something, Gerard is sometimes a bit sloppy in communication and can forget things. (laughs)

DD: You work for someone who is literally world famous in the pigeon world. When did you guys first notice this?
Mart: I first found this out when I went with him to the pigeon fair in Houten. There was not a moment that I could talk to him in peace, let alone just walk around. Gerard was constantly asked for a picture or there were people who wanted to have a chat with him. It is a very special feeling to work for someone like that, something that people who are not in our world will never understand.
John: Indeed, I noticed that for the first time during events like the Golden Ten. The whole pigeon top is walking around there and everyone wants to have a chat with Gerard. Sometimes it's quite absurd how far that all goes. Did you know there is a fan with a tattoo of “Little Dirk” on his arm?
Like Mart said, you have to be in the pigeon business to realize how big Gerard is in that environment. Very handsome what he has put up. I'm pretty proud to have been able to contribute my little bit to that.
Kjeld: In the beginning I had no idea either, he was just Gerard, the brother (in law) of Jaap and Annie. Later I found out that people all over the world know him, which can be quite bizarre. To me, however, he was always just Gerard. Of course I find it very clever what he has achieved in pigeon racing, but in the end we are all just people. That is undoubtedly the sobriety from the north what you hear now. (laughs)

DD: How did it affect you guys when Gerard announced his decision to quit? Did you guys see it coming?
Kjeld: I definitely saw it coming and also helped him make a choice, I think. The way he feels and acts now, he can't practice pigeon racing the way he wants to. Of course it is a pity that the adventure stops here and for myself it is very double because I have always put my heart and soul in it. 
John: You could indeed feel it coming, it was in the air. Especially the timing, I think, took most people by surprise. I certainly didn't expect it at this point.
Mart: Same with me, felt it coming yes, but only in a few years then. After I learned about it, I certainly had a moment's notice.
John: I think for all of us, we have always enjoyed working here, so of course we will miss it here.
Mart: The working atmosphere here is great, really a kind of family. I'm definitely going to miss it here. I'll never find a job like this again, I'm sure. I'm going to enjoy the year we have left.

DD: Any plans for life after Gerard?
John: A direction already, concrete plans not yet.
Kjeld: (laughs) Well, it took a while but I've tied the knot. I'm going to find a job that suits me and that I can combine with pigeon racing. Yesterday I bought a loft, I've decided to take my own chance athletically.
Mart: As soon as we're done here I'm going to make a world trip and after that I'll see.

DD: Looking back, what is the most important thing you learned in your time here in Ermerveen?
Mart: Besides of course everything I learned from pigeon racing I also learned a lot about business matters and trade. They even taught me about investing here.
Kjeld: With Gerard I learned how to deal with people of all levels. I myself come from a small village and am more of the motto “act normal and you will be crazy enough”. Over the years I have also gained a lot of experience with foreign languages and cultures. Of myself I am quite direct and clear. I have also learned to dose this by working at Gerard's. (laughs)
John: Something very important that I learned here at Gerard's is knowing what is important and what is not important.

DD: What is your fondest memory of your time with Gerard?
Mart: The sociability and the appreciation he has given me over the years.
John: Yes, for me also something like that. I don't have a specific memory or anecdote that I look back on fondly, it's more about the general feeling. The warmth that is here, the good atmosphere, the feeling of being part of a close-knit team. Those are the great memories, I'm going to miss that.
Kjeld: Playing sports and being able to interact with animals were highlights for me all those years. On a purely sporting level, the years of “Manu” and “Amadi” were the best. On a personal level, I love traveling and good food, so in that respect I was right with Gerard. All those beautiful trips, going to eat at “Het Hof van Cleve” or “Comme Chez Soi”, all things I owe to my years here with Gerard.

DD: Tell us something funny about Gerard that we didn't already know.
John: (starts laughing already) You should know that Gerard believes strongly in alternative medicine. For example, he once crawled into a left-field sauna. That thing was stoked hot with special pine wood that came from a village somewhere in Austria. This was said to be good for the lungs.
Kjeld: This is not really an anecdote, but I find it quite funny: sometimes Gerard can be a bit awkward socially, then he thinks he's being fun, but then finds out that this is actually not the case. (laughs) Then I can laugh immensely at his awkwardness.
Mart: (laughs) Sorry, I spontaneously have to think of a teddy bear. (everyone yawns)

DD: Euh, we're missing some context, teddy bear?
Gerard: Yes there is. In Thailand I was having a drink on a terrace. Just down the road sat a man with, I thought, a baby. He was very active with the baby and was obviously very sweet to it as well. Suddenly I noticed that it was not a baby but a teddy bear. Without wanting to stare, I kept watching him and I did get very curious. Then I went to the toilet, passed him and had a good look. Apparently that man was, I can't describe it any other way, in love with that teddy bear. (laughs )

DD: Was that a tourist or a Thai?
Gerard: (laughs) I don't know. I didn't go and talk to that man hey. What should I have said? Does the little one eat his meat well? (yawns) It was an Asian, let's leave it at that.
John: But you should know, he told us that story, which of course is very funny in itself. A little later, he suddenly comes walking in here with a teddy bear on his arm saying, pretty sweet little beast like that! (Your reporter did not fall off his chair laughing.)

DD: Gerard, we are nearing the end of this entertaining conversation. It has come up several times, but we haven't really gone into it in depth. Of course, everyone in pigeon country wants to know why you are hanging up your clack.
Gerard: A combination of factors. First of all, there is the physical aspect. Lung covid has sucked all the energy out of my body lately. My body craves rest. But it's also mentally depleted. All those years at the top, it eats away at a person. In the long run, you are also lived, you have success but you are no longer the boss of your own agenda. Winning and success became normal. Kjeld and I barely had time to stop and enjoy our achievements. Going on and on and performing again and again. We don't enjoy ourselves enough, we don't dwell on the pleasures, it becomes too routine. I also saw that Kjeld was suffering, it was getting tough for him too lately. It has been very nice, but it is good, time to turn the page. It was a great adventure in the end.

DD: When did you tie the knot for yourself that it was good?
Gerard: That must have been in August 2023.

DD: Who was the first person you told it to, and how did that person react?
Gerard: The first one will certainly have been Wan, but of course that goes without saying. The first person outside the family was Kjeld. I was a bit apprehensive about that, but fortunately Kjeld reacted very positively, he was obviously relieved as well.
Kjeld: I also saw that he was not doing well. That put a lot of pressure on me. It was just a relief, for both of us, I think. It felt like a heavy burden falling off my shoulders.

DD: Any plans for life after “the pigeons”?
Gerard: Not very specific, definitely going on vacation a lot. (laughs) As I mentioned in my farewell letter, I want to keep some pigeons to participate in one-loft races. Of course, that's not the same athletically. OLRs are a casino game, but one where you can increase your odds with quality. Most important for me is to still keep some feeling with the pigeon world. Stopping completely cold turkey would probably give too many side effects. (laughs) I also see myself doing something for the community in my spare time, volunteering somewhere, helping people. I see myself helping a granny with groceries or something like that.

DD: Gerard, to finish, reveal something about Gerard Koopman that not many people know yet!
Kjeld: (shouts) That he's an art lover!
Gerard: Well, don't exaggerate, soon people will think I know something about it (laughs) It's true that I love beautiful things and that can indeed be art. We used to have a drawing teacher at school and that man could convey his love of art with such passion that it was contagious. Through him, for example, I got to know Salvador Dali, fantastic artist. I have a painting of that hanging in my bathroom.

DD: What?
Gerard: Quietly, quietly! (yawns) It's not a real one, of course. In Thailand you can have paintings like this painted. You can easily transport them rolled up and have them stretched and framed here. Such a painted replica has just a little more to it than a poster I think. Unfortunately I cannot afford a real one. (laughs) By the way, I do have a real Ronnie Wood (guitarist of The Rolling Stones). During one of their last tours you could buy that night's setlist online after every concert. It was then first thoroughly covered and decorated by Wood, who in addition to being a guitarist is also an artist. John, pass that tube please? (From a cardboard tube, Gerard takes out the rolled-up playlist which he proudly shows us.) Nice, isn't it?

DD: Absolutely, am extremely jealous of it!  Gerard, last but not least, do you have any parting words for the pigeon world?
Gerard: Well, you're asking quite a bit. I can't just shake some historical parting words out of my sleeve. (laughs heartily) I think my most important words have to be thank you. This message is for my customers, for my pigeon friends, my wonderful staff over the years, my esteemed colleagues, the whole pigeon world really. I am incredibly grateful to all of you. Pigeon racing has brought me so much in my life. I would like to do something back for the sport after my “retirement”, when my physical condition will hopefully improve. Guide some youngsters or something like that. Help them with advice and maybe even a pigeon. That's something for the future! So hopefully soon there won't be twenty young people at the door! (laughs)

DD: Ah well, then you're shopping with a granny anyway!
Gerard: (yawns) Yes that's true too, or I'm traveling. (laughs) Say, the interview is over now anyway, feel like going to see the Dali with me?

DD: Of course!
Kjeld: Well there go the art freaks, we won't see those two again for a while. (laughs)

And so ended an interview with a very special man. An amiable man, an intelligent man, one of the most sensitive people in pigeon country but especially one of the greatest champions the sport has ever known. One who will never walk off his shoes and who will never feel a hair better than anyone else. However, his sporting legacy is huge and his impact on modern pigeon racing barely measurable. The list of references of the Koopman loft is endless. Without Gerard, our Golden Pigeon, Sabrina Brugmans, would have had to do without super pigeon “Corry”. My great boss and equally great friend Rik Hermans his colony would never have been the same without “Nike”. What would German pigeon racing have looked like without Günter Pranges “Ringlose”? The “Harry” of Jan Hooymans is even after his death still one of the most famous breeders in the world, however, without Gerard there would never have been a Harry. Had Gerard not been there, father and son Verkerk would have had to do without “Olympic Solange”. Even the most expensive pigeon in the world “James's Legend” (owned by James Huang) would never have hatched without a grandparent from the loft in Ermerveen.

Merckx, Ali, Cruijff, Jordan, or to put it in pigeon terms Janssen, Van Loon, Klak, Van Dyck, in that order of magnitude you have to see Gerard Koopman. And yet remain so modest, so simple and so friendly, it is given to few. As great as he is in his sport, Gerard is even greater as a human being.
Gerard, all the best to you. We wish you all the luck in your further life, good luck with the beginning of a new era. Personally, I can't help but bow respectfully and take a very deep knee, but I know what you'll say, stand tall though, I'm just little Gerard from New Amsterdam too.

Mike Verbruggen (Sportblad De Duif)