“FIRST INTERNATIONAL PRESS RELEASE”
THE 20th SOUTH AFRICAN MILLION DOLLAR
“PLATINUM EDITION”
(THE RACE WITH THE PROVEN TRACK RECORD)
(THE GREATEST PIGEON RACE IN THE WORLD)
DUE TO BE HELD IN LINBRO PARK, SANDTON, JOHANNESBURG,
SOUTH AFRICA ON SATURDAY 6th FEBRUARY 2016.
ANOTHER RACE SEASON STARTS IN THE SOUTH AFRICAN SUNSHINE.
THE FANTASTIC MONTECASINO COMPLEX, FOURWAYS, JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA WILL
BE HOSTING THE 20th SOUTH AFRICAN MILLION DOLLAR PIGEON RACE.
ANOTHER FANTASTIC RACE ENTRY WITH AROUND 5,000 PIGEONS BEING ENTERED FROM 36 DIFFERENT COUNTRIES IN THE 2015/16 RACE SERIES.
RESULTS FOR TRAINING RACES 1 & 2.
Well after a few weeks of virtually daily training and three Pre-Training Races we are finally off and running even though Training Race 1 will not count in the Overall Averages because it is below the qualifying distance of 50km (31 miles). The team at the lofts sent 3,413 pigeons to Pre-Training Race 1 and as you will see by the race entries for Training Race 1 a total of 3,090 pigeons were basketed for this race. This means that during this two week period a total of 323 pigeons have failed to make it back to the lofts in Linbro Park.
It has been a tough start to this 2015/16 race series, mainly because of the extended quarantine period, then the exceptional weather that the Johannesburg area has experienced over the past month with very high temperatures and very little rainfall. However, the loft staff are confident that they will soon catch up and that the pigeons will be have had enough training to go to the 1st Hot Spot Car Race which is due to take place on Saturday 12th December from 150km (93 miles).
Numerous “Loft Reports”, “Updates”, “Photographs” and “Videos” have been placed on the informative SAMDPR Web Site after the 19th SAMDPR was completed and as the organisation was moving towards taking in race entries for the 20th SAMDPR “THE PLATINUM EDITION”. These are all available now on the dedicated Web Site www.samdpr.com for all to see.
LIVESTREAM was available on this TRAINING RACE 1 for the first time this season and the weather conditions in Linbro Park looked very overcast with heavy clouds and quite a strong wind blowing but it was great to sit in the comfort of my home and watch the pigeons arrive at the race lofts in Linbro Park. This really is technology at its best. As I sat at home in England looking out through the window of my office when all of a sudden it started to snow very heavily but luckily it only lasted for a short time before heavy rain followed and washed it all away. The first pigeons duly arrived at 07.44 in two big groups of about 100 in each and flew round the lofts a few times and then finally hit the lofts and started to trap, once they heard the tape cassette of corn being tipped into the feed trays and the loft staff calling them in. Within a few minutes there were thousands that had arrived and trapped. In fact the results showed that the first 500 pigeons were officially and electronically recorded by the Deister Unikon Electronic Clocking System in just 2 minutes 33.23 seconds and the first 1,000 in 7 minutes 03.54 seconds after the actual race winner. This is a fantastic sight to watch and I strongly recommend anybody to watch the arrival of the pigeons for all the forthcoming races. See results below for more information.
The Pre-Training Races, Training Races, Mid-Week Races and Saturday Races during 2015 and 2016 are listed as follows:- Pre-Training Race 1 from 18km (11 miles) to be held on Wednesday 11th November, then Pre-Training Race 2 from 26km (16 miles) on Saturday 14th November, Pre-Training Race 3 from 35km (22 miles) on Wednesday 18th November. Then Training Race 1 from 40km (25 miles) on Saturday 21st November, Training Race 2 from 50km (31 miles) on Wednesday 25th November, Training Race 3 from 80km (50 miles) on Saturday 28th November, Training Race 5 from 80km (50 miles) on Wednesday 2nd December, Training Race 6 from 100km (62 miles) on Saturday 5th December, Training Race 7 from 100km (62 miles) on Wednesday 9th December, HOT SPOT CAR RACE 1 from 150km (93 miles) on Saturday 12th December, Training Race 8 from 80km (50 miles) on Wednesday 16th December, HOT SPOT CAR RACE 2 from 200km (125 miles) on Saturday 19th December, Training Race 9 from 80km (50 miles) on Wednesday 23rd December, HOT SPOT CAR RACE 3 from 250km (155 miles) on Monday 28th December, Training Race 10 from 80km (50 miles) on Saturday 2nd January 2016, Training Race 11 from 80km (50 miles) on Wednesday 6th January, HOT SPOT CAR RACE 4 from 300km (187 miles) on Saturday 9th January, Training Race 12 from 80km (50 miles) on Wednesday 13th January, Training Race 13 from 100km (62 miles) on Saturday 16th January, Training Race 14 from 80km (50 miles) on Wednesday 20th January, HOT SPOT CAR RACE 5 from 350km (218 miles) on Saturday 23rd January, Training Race 15 from 40km (25 miles) on Wednesday 27th January, Training Race 16 from 80km (49 miles) on Saturday 30th January, then THE FINAL RACE from 550km (342 miles) on Saturday 6th February 2016. The dates are not be set in stone and if the proposed date for any of these races is not suitable for liberation, then these will take place on the next best day in that week. Daily training will also take place during the week providing the weather is suitable. No training will take place on Sundays unless of course a holdover takes place on the Saturday race. The Overall Averages and the allocated Prize Money will only count in races of 50km (31 miles) and over. The three Pre-Training Races 1, 2 & 3 and Training Race 1 will not count in The Overall Averages.
All the United Kingdom Team fanciers/entrants and syndicate shareholders will be kept up to date with weekly “NEWSLETTERS” plus any of them or in fact anybody can log on to the state of the art The South African Million Dollar Race web site:- www.samdpr.com and get all the information they might require over the next few months.
It should be noted the Organising Committee and Loft Managers have decided this year not to try to rush the youngsters up to the 50km (31 miles) mark. So with the pigeon’s best interest in mind there will now be a total of three Pre-Training Races 1 to 3 up to distances of 35km (22 miles). Please watch the Race Programme listed on the dedicated web site:- www.samdpr.com for more information on the distances as some of these earlier races as some might have to be changed or altered because of circumstances. Of course as mentioned earlier only races of 50km (31 miles) will actually counts in the SAMDPR Ace Pigeon Overall Averages and only fully paid up pigeons can win any of these three cash prizes which have been allocated to this competition.
TRAINING RACE 1 then took place on Saturday 20th November 2015 from 38km (24 miles) and a total of 3,090 pigeons were basketed from 36 different countries and this total included 2,903 International and 187 South African pigeons and this total also included 242 from the United Kingdom and 48 from Ireland. The convoy were liberated at 07-15 in overcast and cool conditions, with little to no wind, 15c (58f) and a good race was anticipated. The temperature was expected to rise to 29c (86f) during the afternoon, with light rain forecast from about 14.00.
CONGRATULATIONS for winning 1st OPEN goes to HENRI & PETRA STIGLINGH from the SOUTH AFRICA with pigeon named IRISH MOLLY and bred by this great partnership, which was officially clocked at 07.44.51.88 to record a velocity of 1408ypm (48mph), it was great to see this partnership taking the number one spot because unfortunately Henri Stiglingh who was the ambassador for the SAMDPR passed away earlier this year. 2nd Ganus Family Loft from United States Of America, 3rd Bader Al-Elayaan from Saudi Arabia, 4th APC Loft from United States Of America, 5th Guido Barth from Germany, 6th Kubacek & Kodl Team from Czech Republic, 7th Team Peterv u Bianca Kocks from Germany, 8th Helmut + Alfons Klaas from Germany, 9th Hussain Rashid from Bahrain, 10th another for Helmut + Alfons Klaas from Germany, 11th Zandys Dream Team from United Kingdom, 12th Walfred Stockinger from Austria,
13th Chuck Lopresti from United States Of America, 14th Quad Syndicate from Germany, 15th A Defaulter Pigeon, 16th Van Heerden Kruger Loft from Canada, 17th Franz Kleinhans from Germany, 18th Gaddin Brothers & Charl Stander from South Africa, 19th Club Sonskyn Duiweklub from South Africa and 20th Norman - Van Den Berghe from Belgium. The top twenty in this result were separated by just 16.73 seconds and had 9 different countries represented in the top 20 and 14 different countries in the top 50, only 33.26 seconds away from the actual race winner. A total of 2,840 pigeons being officially recorded by 18.45, leaving just 250 pigeons to make it back to the lofts. A further update on Sunday morning showed 2,983 pigeons in the race lofts, leaving 107 pigeon to return to the race lofts.
CONGRATULATIONS on winning 1st UNITED KINGDOM, 11th OPEN went to the ZANDYS DREAM TEAM, administered by PAUL SMITH from STANSTED MOUNTFITCHET and with pigeon named ZANDYS HOPE, which was bred by this syndicate, which was officially clocked at 07.45.01.61, just 9.73 seconds after the actual race winner. Then 2nd UK, 81st Open Premier Stud UK Syndicate, administered by Paul Smith from Stansted Mountfitchet and with a pigeon bred by Premier Stud from Patringham Haven, 3rd UK, 100th Open Lucky Devils Syndicate, administered by Paul Smith from Stansted Mountfitchet with pigeon bred by Bob Fenech from Attleborough, 4th UK, 107th Open Paul Smith Syndicate and administered by Paul and with pigeon bred by Jimmy Richards from Laindon, 5th UK, 108th Open Dream Team Syndicate, administered by Paul Smith and with pigeon bred by Terry Robinson from Goffs Oak, 6th UK, 115th Open Tadt with pigeon bred by Tadt Truszkowski from Melton Mowbray, 7th UK, 122nd Open Planet Brothers and bred by Gary & John Squibb from Noak Hill, 8th UK, 127th Open Guys Lofts with a pigeon bred by Graham Guy from Wolverhampton, 9th UK, 129th Open Lloyd & Kelly from Didcot and with pigeon bred by this partnership, 10th UK, 137th Open JCT Syndicate with pigeon bred by Julta Brothers from Upton Park, 11th UK, 145th Open Smith - McAllister Syndicate, administered by Paul Smith from Stansted Mountfitchet and with pigeon bred by Bruce McAllister from Furneaux Pelham, 12th UK, 146th Open Millys Loft and with pigeon bred by Mike Mellor from Crewe, 13th UK, 163rd Open Mark Gilbert GB from Southfields, 14th UK, 175th another for Planet Brothers with pigeon bred by Gary & John Squibb from Noak Hill, 15th UK, 181st Open Mr & Mrs Brian & Mavis Clayburn with a pigeon bred by this partnership from Ackworth, 16th UK, 186th Open another for Smith - McAllister Syndicate with a second pigeon bred by Bruce McAllister from Furneaux Pelham, 17th UK, 195th Open another for Zandys Dream Team with a second pigeon bred by this syndicate, 18th UK, 196th Open another for Paul Smith Syndicate and with a pigeon bred by Jimmy Richards from Laindon, 19th UK, 238th Open Rixshaw with a pigeon bred by Len Rix from Mildenhall, this pigeon won 1st UK earlier on in this race series and then 20th UK, 240th Open Oberholster Race Team with a pigeon bred by Pieter Oberholster from Keysoe. A total of 219 UK pigeons being officially clocked by 18.45, leaving 23 pigeons still to make it back to base camp. A Sunday morning loft list showed 234 UK pigeons were in the race lofts, leaving 8 pigeons still to make it back home.
CONGRATULATIONS on winning 1st IRELAND, 58th OPEN went to MAURICE O’DONNELL with his pigeon named LUCKY LOUISE, which was officially clocked at 07.45.28.09, just 36.21 seconds after the actual race winner, this pigeon has already win 2nd Ireland, 95th Open in Pre-Training Race 1 and then 2nd Ireland, 54th Open in Pre-Training Race 3, I bet Maurice is feeling just great about this special pigeon, 2nd Ireland, 87th Open Johnson - Leonard & Sons, 3rd Ireland, 132nd Open Safet Duran, 4th Ireland, 134th Open Pat Maher, 5th Ireland, 220th Open James King and then 6th Ireland, 267th Open Padraig & Caoimhe. A total of 46 Irish pigeons were officially clocked by 18.45, leaving just 2 pigeons to return. The Sunday morning loft list showed all 48 Irish pigeons had returned to the race lofts..
More short training took place on Monday and Tuesday giving these pigeons more confidence and experience to cope with what was in front of them.
Once again I logged onto LIVESTREAM about 06.00 (GMT) or 08.00 South African time for TRAINING RACE 2 and the skies looked bright but the wind was really blowing but looked like it was going to slightly help the pigeons. All of a sudden at 06.03 about 150 pigeons arrived in bang on line and flew round the lofts trying to land in the wind and as they landed another gang of about 100 pigeons and swung round the race lofts and hit the trapping area and roof. The trapping was first class as the tape cassette was switched on. The first 500 were officially clocked by the Deister Unikon Electronic Clocking System by 08.08.16.55 just 4 minutes and 12.42 seconds away from the race winner and the first 1,000 were clocked by 08.12.59.02 just 8 minutes and 54.89 seconds away from the race winner. It was interesting to see that 1,333 viewings took place on this race.