2019 pigeon racing season starts off from Winburg
GPU has 12 clubs with about 150 members spread between Heidelberg, Alberton, Benoni, Boksburg, Edenvale, Brakpan and Kempton Park
Gauteng Pigeon Union’s (GPU) racing season kicked off on Thursday last week with the basketing of pigeons for a sprint race on Friday from Ventersburg and for the young bird and open bird races on from Winburg on Saturday.
GPU has 12 clubs with about 150 members spread between Heidelberg, Alberton, Benoni, Boksburg, Edenvale, Brakpan and Kempton Park.
Riverpark Pigeon Club has four members flying five teams of 15 pigeons in the sprint races.
Ventersburg is an average distance of 241km for members and the winning pigeon had a nett flying time of 2:45:11. Taking first and second positions were Sky Lofts (Corrie Moller) with Flip van Staden third.
The top 20 results for this race were: Sky Lofts (Corrie Moller) 1st, 6th, 8th, 9th, 11th, 13th, 15th, 19th; Sky Lofts Team B 2nd, 4th, 10th; Flip van Staden 3rd, 5th, 7th, 16th, 17th, 18th; Bakgat Lofts (Danalien Snyman) 12th and 14th; Doves Nest Guest House (Gawie Botha) 20th.
The main races from Winburg on Saturday saw the pigeons being liberated with partly cloudy skies. Winburg is an average distance of 288km for club members.
Riverpark had eight members flying 100 pigeons in the young bird race. The winning young bird had a nett flying time of 3:42:33. This race saw fancier Van Staden, who was the 2018 young bird champion taking first and second places.
The rest of the results were: Van Staden 1st, 2nd, 4th, 6th, 7th, 17th, 18th, 27th; Doves Nest Guest House (Gawie Botha) 3rd, 11th, 12th, 13th, 25th, 30th; Fred van Rensburg 5th, 19th, 21st; G&E Lofts (Graham Cheary and Elaine Russell) 8th, 9th, 20th, 26th, 29th; Sky Lofts (Corrie Moller) 10th, 24th; Blackie Swart 14th, 22nd, 23rd; Henry Johnstone 15th, 16th and Bakgat Lofts (Danalien Snyman) 28th.
In the open bird race 10 members flew 122 pigeons. With a nett flying time of 3:37:25, Doves Nest Guest House won by a margin of only three minutes and 56 seconds from Sky Lofts.
This race saw the top 30 club positions being filled within 10 minutes 54 seconds.
The rest of the results were:
Doves Nest Guest House (Gawie Botha) 1st, 18th, 19th; Sky Lofts (Corrie Moller) 2nd, 21st, 27th, 29th; G&E Lofts (Graham Cheary and Elaine Russell) 3rd, 7th, 8th, 22nd, 26th; Pieter van den Broeck 4th, 15th, 16th, 23rd, 30th; Flip van Staden 5th, 24th; Fred van Rensburg 6th, 9th, 10th, 12th, 25th; Blackie Swart 11th, 14th, 17th; Henry Johnstone 13th, 28th and Connie Coertse 20th.
Kosmos Pigeon Club
Hans de Noon of Kosmos Pigeon Club kicked of the new pigeon racing season with wins in all three races over the weekend.
The first sprint race took place on Friday from Ventersburg.
The result were: Hans de Noon 1, 5, 6, 7, 11, 12, 13, 19, 21, 23; JK Lofts 2, 3, 20, 22, 29; Sandgawies 4, 18, 27, 30; AM Wilken 8, 9, 16, 24, 25; Hannes Maree 10, 26, 28; Van Heerden Hokke 14, 15, 17.
The first young bird race took place from Winburg on Saturday.
The result were: Hans de Noon 1, 2, 3, 7, 9, 15, 16, 18, 23, 24; Pat Earl 4; JK Lofts 5, 6, 8, 10, 19, 30; K&L Meintjies 11, 29; Panorama Lofts 12; AM Wilken 13, 27; Lucas Klopper 14; Stander Lofts 17, 20, 25; N&N Venter 21, 28; Sandgawies 22; WS Atmore 26.
The first open race also took place from Winburg on Saturday.
The results were: Hans de Noon 1, 4, 5, 8, 10, 12, 13, 20; K&L Meintjies 2; Van Heerden Hokke 3, 25, 26, 27, 28; Hannes Maree 6, 15, 17; AM Wilken 7, 22, 23; Flying Wonders Loft 9; Stander Lofts 11, 18, 19, 29, 30; WS Atmore 14, 24; JK Lofts 16, 21.
The club’s first junior race also took place from Winburg on Saturday.
The results were: Flying Wonders Loft (Eldone Muller) 1, 2, 3; Unicorn Lofts (Kayla Schwartz) 4; Jesica Scheepers 5.
