South Africa is the host
of the greatest pigeon race in the world! The Sun City Million Dollar Pigeon Race (SCMDPR) is not only known as the “Tour de France” of pigeon racing, it’s also used by world-renowned breeders to test the ability of their pigeons. What’s more, strain makers and state-of-the-art breeding stations use the performances of SCMDPR pigeons to advertise the superiority of their stock.
Not just another race
The SCMDPR tests your skill as a breeder and the consistency of your pigeons. Breeders raise their SCMDPR entries at different times. Some plan their SCMDPR breeding to have their babies hatch in the first week of January, which means the birds can be homed and trained before being entered. Unfortunately, inoculations are often done too early, effectively destroying the youngsters’ immune systems before they’re properly developed. Also, some home-trained matured youngsters become immediate fly-aways once airborne.
Some fanciers enter sprinters in the car races before the final, knowing their pigeons won’t make it in the final unless it is fast-paced. By contrast, others enter plodders that may battle in the shorter car races, but stand a better chance in the final.Many pre-final plodders still come back too late from the final, despite having had enough extended hours on the wing to compliment their preparation for the lengthy flight. We can’t know the potential of our SCMDPR entries until the race is done, which means you must have faith in your entry.
Can it breed champions?
When assessing a top racing pigeon, you should consider its ability as a breeder. For example, the late Louis Botha from Stroomop Lofts paid more than R500 000 for the first- and second-best SCMDPR Ace pigeons and entered their youngster into the next SCMDPR without any success.
On the other hand, we’ve all heard of cases where not-so-good performers bred better babies. For South African pigeons, the training period and final race fall outside our racing season. Some say we participate at a disadvantage, but our birds regularly feature on the scoreboard.
The SCMDPR has created a new competition for “South African fanciers only”, who have the option of competing in the SA Challenge. In all five car races, for example, the first five returning SA pigeons who have also been entered in the SA Challenge will win R1 250 each. The first 40 SA pigeons to return in the main race will also reap cash rewards. The first SA pigeon home will win R150 000, the second R40 000 and the third R30 000.
E-mail Thomas Smit at [email protected] or call 01) 680 4778.
