Pigeon racing season takes flight

THE 2016 pigeon racing season kicked off with flights from Winburg at the weekend.

For the first time, the 2016 season sees nine Gauteng pigeon unions/federations taking part in 11 combined liberations, of which Winburg was the first one on Saturday.

The 30 positions in the old bird race were filled within six minutes and 40 seconds which averages one bird every 21 seconds.

Riverpark Pigeon Club

The young birds winner was Hilton Pitout (also 18th and 24th) and the old bird race winner was Blackie Swart (also 10th, 22nd, 23rd and 29th).

Young birds: Doves Nest Guest House (Gawie Botha) 2nd, 5th, 6th, 8th, 17th, 22nd and 30th; Fred van Rensburg 3rd, 10th and 13th; Pine Pienaar 4th, 7th and 12th; Albert Neilson 11th, 21st and 29th; Pieter van den Broeck 14th and 16th; Tallies Lofts 15th and 27th; Flip van Staden 19th and 23rd; Holtzhausen Hokke 20th, 25th and 28th and Sky Lofts 26th.

Old birds: Pieter van den Broeck 2nd, 24th and 30th; Reinholdt Brichta 3rd, Pine Pienaar 4th, 5th, 6th and 13th; Tallies Lofts 7th, 15th, 16th and 18th; Doves Nest Guest House 8th; Albert Neilson 9th, 19th, 20th and 21st; Connie Coertse 11th and 27th; Hilton Pitout 12th and 17th; Sky Lofts 14th; Fred van Rensburg 25th and 26th and Knoesen Lofts 28th.

Kosmos Pigeon Racing Club

Hans de Noon won both races.

Young birds: Hans de Noon 1st, 3rd, 9th, 11th, 13th, 18th, 19th and 22nd; Stander Lofts 2nd, 7th, 8th, 14th, 20th and 30th; Jaco van der Westhuizen 4th, 10th, 15th, 27th an 28th; K & L Meintjies 5th, 6th, 23rd and 24th; Van Heerden Hokke 12th, 25th and 26th; AM Wilken 16th, 17th and 29th and Ertjies Noppe 21st.

Open series: Hans de Noon 1st, 3rd, 6th, 10th, 15th and 16th; Stander Lofts 2nd, 4th and 27th; Tielie Kotze 5th; K & L Meintjies 7th and 8th; AM Wilken 9th, 11th, 18th, 19th, 20th, 24th and 25th; Jaco van der Westhuizen 12th, 13th, 14th, 17th, 21st, 22nd and 30th; Hannes Maree 16th and 23rd; Ertjies Noppe 26th; Lucas Klopper 28th and Macdee Lofts 29th.