The Allflight One-Day Racing Pigeon Loft is situated at the Carnival City premises in Springs, east of Johannesburg. It’s managed by Herman van Rensburg and his son, and hosts a winter and summer race. The intake period for young racing pigeons for the 2013 summer race was from 14 May to 30 July 2012, and training began in October 2012. The final race was held on 26 January 2013.
Entries were welcomed from abroad, and the entry fee was €300/team (one paid pigeon plus five reserve pigeons). A fixed conversion rate of R10=€1 was applicable to SA fanciers. Allowing five reserve pigeons improves the fancier’s chances in case of losses. A reserve pigeon can be ‘activated’ at any time by paying the R3 000 entry fee. The four longer training flights served as Hot Spots, with the first five entries picking up cash prizes. The winners were as follows:
- Hot Spot 1 (8 December 2012, Kroonstad, 206km): Team Owl-Renner (Germany), with DV04425 12 662.
- Hot Spot 2 (20 December, Ventersburg, 242km): Guenter Goetz (Germany), with DV05136 12 167.
- Hot Spot 3 (30 December, Winburg, 292km): Fort Knox Lofts (SA), with Fort Knox 12 80.
- Hot Spot 4 (12 January 2013, Glen, 357km): Magdalena Bruehl, (Germany), with DV07755 12 754.
Final race
The final race of the Allflight summer series was held from Springfontein (521km). Some 288 pigeons participated in soaring temperatures and a head wind, and only 23 could reach home by nightfall. The first five were:
- Alfons Klaas (Germany), with DV 0507 12 696 (won €14 000).
- Helmut Mann (Germany), with DV 01219 12 51 (€7 000).
- Dieter Siebert (Germany), with DV 06723 12 815 (€5 250).
- Craig Hunt (Zimbabwe), with BYO 12 813 (€3 500).
- Old Boys on Tap (SA), with GRPA 12 1228 (€2 800).
Ace pigeons
The pigeons that completed all four Hot Spots and the final in the shortest combined time were:
- Alfons Klaas (Germany), DV 0507 2012 696 (won €2 100).
- Helmut Mann (Germany), DV 01219 2012 51 (€1 050).
- M&Y Klingbiel (SA), ZA Cyril’s 2012 102 (€700).
- Team Marsman-Ferreira (Netherlands), NL 2012 1493275 (€420).
- Guenter Goetz (Germany), DV 05136 2012 471 (€210).
An optional nomination race, the Allflight Africa Challenge, taking into account the averages of legs one and two and the final (for a total of 1 170km) was held for African fanciers only. The Gaddin Brothers and Charl Stander dominated, as can be seen:
- Gaddin Brothers and Charl Stander (SA), ZA YSC/LIM 2012 3417; total time: 1 439,15 minutes.
- Craig Hunt (Zimbabwe), ZA BYO 2012 813; 1 467,17 minutes.
- Johan Hamilton and Thomas Smit (SA), ZA 2012 37997; 1 474,48 minutes.
- Gaddin Brothers and Charl Stander (SA), ZA YSC/LIM 2012 3426; 1 693,78 minutes.
- Gaddin Brothers and Charl Stander (SA), ZA YSC/LIM 2012 3414; 1 723,84 minutes.
Summer auction
As with most One-Day Pigeon Lofts, the pigeons are auctioned after the final race, with the breeder getting 40% of the selling price. The first auction of the Allflight’s Summer 2013 pigeons was held on 9 March, with pre-bidding at www.outofafricalofts.co.za. Every entrant has to supply a pedigree or information on the strain/performances of the family of the pigeons on auction. allflight results, pigeons, pigeon
Contact Thomas Smit on 011 680 4778 or at [email protected]. Please state ‘Pigeons’ in the subject line of your email.
