The first mention of the Four Sons of Aymon in the Dendermonde procession dates back to 1460. According to tradition, they are four brothers born to Dendermonde parents. The young knights sit in their armor atop the Ros. White-and-red feathers adorn their helmets. With their swords held high, they salute the audience.
Since 1999, Dendermonde has added a new tradition: the Society of the Four Sons of Aymon, which unites all living Sons of Aymon from previous processions. The conditions to ride the Ros Beiaard are strict. Nevertheless, it has always been possible to find four brothers and meticulously uphold the tradition.
Candidates must meet the following requirements (listed in descending order of importance), as outlined in the Ros Beiaard Charter:
- The Four Sons of Aymon are four brothers
- They follow each other in age (no interruption by the birth of a girl)
- They are at least 7 and at most 21 years old on the day of the procession
- They were born in Dendermonde
- They have lived continuously in Dendermonde
- Their parents were born in Dendermonde
- Their parents have lived continuously in Dendermonde
During the post-war processions, the honour of riding the Ros Beiaard was held by the following families: the Bombay brothers (1952), Leybaert (1958), De Jonghe (1975), Veldeman (1990), Coppieters (2000), Van Damme (2010), and Cassiman (2022).
