Noorderijk Esther finds a new job challenge at Family Eijerkamp and therefore puts a select group of pigeons up for sale

Not many women are active in pigeon racing and certainly not at the top. To reach this position, most need a wheelbarrow or often hitch a ride on the successes and qualities of their partner. Esther Noorderijk is one of the few women in the top of pigeon racing, and this is remarkable because she only started with young pigeons herself in 2015. She can transfer her love for children and animals to her young pigeons almost like no other. Esther first came into contact with pigeon racing in 2011 when she picked up two captured pigeons in the Netherlands for her ex-father-in-law. The drive got her thinking and eventually she decided to start her own business for the collection and delivery of (foreign) pigeons, and so Duivendirect.nl was born. 
From 2011 Esther became a familiar face to many pigeon fanciers in the Netherlands and Belgium for the collection and delivery of stray pigeons, auction pigeons sold or sold, and for the collection of pigeons for participation in One Loft Races. Along the way, she also often received requests for pigeon storage and quarantine options which she also capitalized on and so her business grew slowly but surely. That "beautiful woman with blond hair" was already a household name in the Dutch pigeon world, but through her Duivendirect.nl she also became internationally known. Since January 1, 2022, she no longer does transport of stray pigeons, but focuses with her company on storage and quarantine of pigeons, E-cert certification for official transport across borders within Europe, handling online auctions for customers and picking up and transporting pigeons to OLR races.
As mentioned, Esther started playing with her own pigeons in Doornspijk in 2015, but after two seasons of playing with young pigeons, she found that she lacked quality. Therefore, in the fall of 2016 she invested heavily at some top lofts in the Netherlands and late youngsters came from Hans and Evert-Jan Eijerkamp, Jacob Poortvliet and Gebr. Leideman, among others. From then on, performance also improved by leaps and bounds. 
 

In 2019 she was also allowed to come to Bart and Nance van Oeckel to get a few pigeons and eventually the basket proved too small and she returned home with a few more youngsters from the best of the best from Bart and Nance van Oeckel. The crosses of the Leideman, Poortvliet, Eijerkamp and Van Oeckel pigeons with her own older lines brought her the desired successes, wins and Teletext listings, although the taste for more continues to prevail.

Some achievements we would like to share here
NPO-N Melun 478 km 2-3-4-5 etc. against 504 pigeons 
NPO-N Nanteuil 422 km 10-11-12-13-15 etc. against 2,453 pigeons
Quievrain 266 km 2-3-4-5-7-9-10-11-12 etc. against 1,696 pigeons
NPO Chalons en Champagne 392 km 2-4-21-22-24 etc. against 4,070 pigeons

Influence of the Gebr. Leideman pigeons

Esther had foresight, because already in 2016 she visited the Leideman brothers in Hardenberg. With this she was one step ahead of many, because at this moment the Leideman-pigeons are 'HOT' in pigeon country. Andre and Bert Leideman started again at their new address in 2020 and are flying staggeringly on all flights from 100-700 km and have become almost nigh on unbeatable with a strain of pigeons that Esther reaped the benefits of in time. One of her purchases is 'Silvergirl', a daughter of 'Silverdream', the stock pigeon in the Leideman loft, and this 'Silvergirl, NL16-1076064, is a full sister to the famous 'Ace 820', 1st champion pigeon Middle Distance at Leideman and now one of the basic breeders in Collendoorn. 'Silvergirl' is also a top breeder with Esther and her descendants know what winning is and play top prizes with Esther on flights from 100-700 km, as well as in several OLR races. Another topper is 'Whopper', who is also father, grandfather and great-grandfather of several top pigeons. 'Whopper' is a son of 'Vooruit 05' (direct Leo Heremans out of 'Brother Bolt') paired with sister 'Perfect 17', who is sired by 'Ace 820'. A granddaughter of 'Whopper' won 2nd prize in the final (500 km) in Derby Zagreb OLR in 2022. 

'Cafitesse' is also an additional breeding sacrifice with Esther and 'Cafitesse' is also father and grandfather of several good pigeons. 'Cafitesse' is bred from 'Nest-Sister Tip Top 5' and this 'Tip Top 5' line is one of the best breeding lines on the Leideman lofts with well-known offspring such as 'Olympic Wolfgang', winner of 5x 1st prize and 2nd Olympiad pigeon Germany Cat. All-around in 2022 for Wolfgang Roeper, 'Raissa', 4th Dutch Olympiad pigeon Vitesse in 2018, 'Tila', the new super breeder ('Arturo' X 'Tila') on the Leideman loft, 'Frida', 6th Nat. Ace Pigeon All-around World Best Pigeon in 2021.

Hans and Evert-Jan Eijerkamp
Esther also knocked on the door of the champions in Brummen, where she got some gold nuggets from the great Janssen/van Loon lines. These pigeons were also a great fit for her as they gave an extra boost to her performance at the OLR races. 'Mr. Pattaya' is one of those special breeders who already sired extra pigeons for both normal races and OLR races. Among others, he is sire of 54th Semi Final PIPR Pattaya OLR, 127th Final PIPR Pattaya OLR, 21st Hot Spot 2 in Gold Cup All Flight OLR - South Africa, 39th Hot Spot 1 Gold Cup All Flight OLR - South Africa. Also "Mother Eibertje" is a pigeon that has a great impact on performance. She is among others the mother of "Eibertje", who played 2nd NPO Chateaudun (580 km) against 6,293 pigeons as well as 16th NPO St Quentin (340 km) against 6,271 pigeons. She is also the mother of "Bopper", who won 3 times in the top 10 in regional, of "Olympia 750", the 3rd best Dutch pigeon at the Pre-Olympiad in Dortmund 2020. She is also the grandmother of, among others, the 27th Final AsGolden Race OLR in Greece in 2021 and the 63rd Final in the same OLR in 2020. 

 

Jacob Poortvliet
From the former champion from Surhuisterveen, Esther also obtained a number of handsome pigeons, which in crossing with her old lines and the Leidemans have provided a leap forward. Among others, Esther obtained a direct son of "Yildirim", the 1st National Ace Pigeon All-Around Yearling TBOTB in 2004 and the 9th National Ace Pigeon WHZB in 2004. This cock was renamed "Son Yildirim" in Doornspijk and with Esther he became father of, among others, "Yildirim Gerjanneke", who became the 1st Ace Pigeon Young in 2020 and among others played the 4th NPO Chalons en Champagne against 3,257 pigeons. A "Brother Blue Princess" was also purchased, who is now the (grand)father of pigeons that won 1st prize at Chalons (2,099 pigeons), Quievrain (491 pigeons), Lorris (72 pigeons), the 2nd NPO Chalons (4,070 pigeons), 5th NPO Dizy Le Gros (7,092 pigeons) etc. "Blue Princess" herself became 1st National Ace Pigeon one-day long distance WHZB in 2015 with Jacob Poortvliet.


 

Forced sale of her pigeons 
Due to her divorce and the associated move, her still young career in Doornspijk also came to an end after the 2021 season. In the few seasons that she flew the young pigeons independently, she made an enormous progression with great series, multiple TT entries and several first prizes. Moreover, she knew how to enthuse others inside and outside the pigeon sport in a very positive way for the pigeon sport because Esther is the inventor and founder of the Ladies League in the Netherlands. This Ladies League we now see back worldwide in several countries as well as in several OLR Races where a special Ladies competition is set up.
Because Esther moved to Brummen in 2022, there is no possibility anymore to fly her pigeons independently. After a strict selection, a nice offer has now been made to sell them at Herbots. In this sale are better racing and breeding pigeons, even though most of the pigeons offered have only been played as youngsters. A number of pigeons were played as old pigeons, but Esther herself says that she did not know how to play this game and that is why it never came to the fore in terms of performance, despite the fact that she played TOP 5 NPO twice. Esther still keeps some of these pigeons to breed youngsters for participation in various OLR races. She has also purchased a few more pigeons especially for the OLR races, such as 'Dero', winner of the 8th final of the South African Million Dollar Pigeon Race, 'Italiano', who won the 7th final of the Algarve Great Derby OLR in 2017 and these pigeons will form the basis for the One Loft Races.


 

In these One Loft Races Esther plays and breeds together with her friend Henk Jurriens under the name Team Sunkissed. Esther will also keep a few white pigeons, because besides playing with pigeons, that is her other hobby and passion within pigeon racing. The name Esther Noorderijk will certainly come up often in pigeon racing, because since last year she is part of the team of Hans and Evert-Jan Eijerkamp, where she already started to play successfully with her own loft with youngsters.


 

On 27/04 ends the auction of Esther Noorderijk

Some toppers in this auction are: