THE GRAND SLAM IN PIGEON RACING

I am sure that many of you will already have heard or read about this New One Loft Race with a totally different concept?

It gave me great pleasure to have beeninvited by the Race Organisers in South Africa to act as the United Kingdom Race Co-ordinator/Agent & Shipper for this new prestigious race series.

You may of already seen on Facebook that this new venture has a different concept to all other One Loft Races around the world and all the AFRIKAPRO Rules & Regulations can be seen by visiting their very informative Website:­ www.afrikapro.com

Let me invite you to have a look at their promotional videos – once you have had a look at these then I am sure you will agree that this initiative promises to present us with something new and on a different level in One Loft Racing!

AFRIKAPRO LAUNCH EVENT VIDEO:­

PROMOTIONAL VIDEO:­
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v= huxwc3fgOdc

PHALA PHALA WILDLIFE VIDEO:­
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v= zRq7K6ydpBI

(TO VIEW ANY OF THESE 3 VIDEOS, PLEASE LOG ON TO YOUTUBE AND THEN YOU CAN WATCH THEM ALL IN THE COMFORT OF YOUR HOME).

Very briefly – the concept is based on providing a platform for the best fanciers in the world to compete with each other on a level playing field where everyone will have the same amount of birds in their team at the start of a 10-week long young bird series. Yes, you have read it correctly – the focus will not be on a couple of Hot Spot Races and Final Race only but the big winner will be determined by consistent top performances. No one-hit-wonders here!

The location of the AFRIKAPRO Race Loft for this exciting event is at the President of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala Wildlife Farm, Limpopo, Transvaal, which really is a spectacular place to have such a prestigious international pigeon race.

The new state of the art AFRIKAPRO Race Loft has now been completed and is 130 metres (approx. 400 feet) long x 11 metres (approx. 37 feet) wide and can easily handle over 8,000 pigeons comfortably but the total intake will only be 6,000 pigeons (300 x 20 pigeons/teams lor the 2023 season). All the 40 sections have been fitted with outside aviaries so all the pigeons can enjoy the South African sunshine.

This new state of the art AFRIKAPRO Race Loft is a first class facility and fit for all the entrant’s pigeons. Those that have already seen it state it is the best OLR they have ever seen. If you wish to see more photographs and updates, these can be seen online at www.afrikapro.com

As you well know, One Loft Racing often gets criticised for overcrowding and of course this also contributes to losses but at AFRIKAPRO there will definitely be no overcrowding!

It should also be mentioned that the AFRIKAPRO Race Loft has now been fitted out with the latest state of the art BENZING CLOCKING SYSTEM and more information will be emailed out to all competing fanciers/entrants so that they can follow their pigeons progress as we move through the race programme. All fanciers have been asked to supply their BENZING IPFN NUMBER, so that they can receive all the latest information.

Hendrik von Wielligh is the AFRIKAPRO Race Director and is the founder of AFRIKAPRO. Since the age of 10, he had great interest in homing pigeons and owned a few throughout Primary School. He believes it taught him routine and discipline at such a young age. In High School he went to hostel and could no longer keep his pigeons. He studied Agriculture and furthered his studies in Zoology and Agricultural Management. When meeting people with the same interests, he stumbled upon a fellow fancier, who awakened his passion once again. He is a follower of sports and when searching for top athletes and performers, he realised there was an event to name the best of the best in every sport. In his quest to find the best pigeon fancier, he noticed that there was not a Grand Slam Event in pigeon racing circles to name the undisputed champion fancier. He saw that there was an opportunity to create a platform for the pigeon sport and after months of planning and drafting, the concept of a level playing field to determine the champion fancier and champion pigeon in a 1a-week series came to light and ARFIKAPRO was created.

Ruan Louw has been appointed as the AFRIKAPRO Loft Manager, he has been one of the top fanciers in South Africa over the last five years and has a racing record second to none. Undisputed South African Champion leading number one specialist racing pigeon trainer of this decade. Since joining the pigeon sport at the tender age of 12, Ruan’s touch to bring forward the best results from his feathered friends in the race loll was shown when he scored his first Union win in addition to his two Combine wins in 2010 as well as being awarded the Best Junior in South Africa. After joining a new Union in 2011, he scored six times within the top 1O and 13 times in the top 20. In 2013 Ruan shot to fame with his remarkable performance with the quickest rise to success in South African Pigeon Racing when he became the youngest fancier to achieve the Points Champion Titles on Club, Union and Truck Points League Accolades against 580 members. His results and consistency on all levels of competition over the years speak for them self. Amongst other titles Ruan has also been crowned Short, Middle and Long Distance Points League Champion. His management skills and astounding talent is hailed in the media together with the biggest names in the sport that South Africa ever produced.

Banie Deetlefts has been appointed as the AFRIKAPRO Training Advisor, he is a legend in his own lifetime and classed as one of the best fanciers in South Africa for the last 30 years, he has been Union Champion 7 times in total. Since 2012 he has been Union Champion 7 times and 3 times second and from 2012 to 2019 he was also Combine Champion 5 times and runner up the other two years. It is however, as owner and trainer at the DINOKENG OLR in South Africa that Banie has distinguished himself as the most talented trainer in this field.

Dr. Rob Conradie has been appointed as the AFRIKAPRO Loft Veterinarian, he has kept pigeons for over 60 years and worked closely with the early South African Million Dollar Pigeon Race and the Victoria Falls World Challenge Pigeon Race, plus Carnival City One Loft Race. He has extensive experience in quarantine and health management processes involved in One Loft Races and is responsible for most pigeons passing through OR Tambo Airport Quarantine Station, South Africa.

If you look at the AFRIKAPRO Website you will be able to see all the Country Race Co­ ordinator’s/Agent’s/Shipper’s are there for all to see and the current list shows Country Race Co­ ordinator’s/Agents from United Kingdom, Southern Ireland, Germany, United States of America, Canada, Poland, Netherlands, Czech Republic, Slovenia, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Romania, Qatar, Kuwait, China, Angola, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Columbia, Peru, Belgium, France, Hungary, Philippines, Bulgaria, Portugal, Spain, Morocco, Egypt, Mexico, Turkey and of course the host country South Africa.

You have all done a magnificent job getting entries and I can now reveal that 107 fanciers entered 1,500 pigeons.

Every registered fancier was limited to just one team of 15 pigeons for the 2022 AFRIKAPRO PREMIER ONE LOFT SERIES, so the race will be on a level playing field.

It should also be pointed out that that the mortality rate during quarantine was just under 2%, which meant that only about 30 pigeons died, which in itself is a remarkable achievement in the first year for all the Loft Staff.

Fanciers and Entrants have been kept informed by email regularly of the progress of their pigeons after their arrival in South Africa and after the quarantine was finally completed.

All the pigeons in the AFRIKAPRO Race Loft will be trained up to 160km (approx. 100 miles) and then all participants will have to select a maximum of 1o active pigeons to represent them or their syndicate for when the actual race series starts, which comprises of 1O consecutive weekend races and which starts at 240km (approx. 150 miles) around the 1st July 2022 and gradually builds up to the Final Race from approximately 600km (approx. 373 miles) which is due to take place on Saturday 17th September 2022.

It should also be mentioned that all pigeons that remain in the AFRIKAPRO Race Loft after the ACTIVATION RACE will participate in the CHAMPION PIGEON COMPETITION, FINAL RACE and COUNTRY CUP.

The proposed AFRIKAPRO Race Programme is as follows (dates may have to be altered depending on the weather conditions):­ ACTIVATION RACE:- 160km (99 miles) on Friday 1st July 2022, Race 1:- 240km (149 miles) on Friday 15th July 2022, Race 2:- 280km (174 miles) on Friday 22nd July 2022, Race 3:-320km (199 miles) on Friday 29th July 2022, Race 4:- 360km (224 miles) on Friday 5th August 2022, Race 5:- 400km (249 miles) on Friday 12th July 2022, Race 6:- 400km (249 miles) on Friday 19th August 2022, Race 7:- 280km (174 miles) on Friday 26th July, Race 8:- 480km (298 miles) on Friday 2nd September 2022, Race 9:- 240km (149 miles) on Friday 9th September 2022 and Race 10 (FINAL RACE):- 600km (373 miles) on Saturday 17th September 2022.

AFRIKAPRO reserves the right to adjust the distance and dates to suit the conditions of the pigeons and the weather.
In Race 1 to Race 9, the flying time of the participant’s first 2 pigeons will be added together and on the FINAL RACE (Race 10), the flying time of the first 2 pigeons will be added together. In each race the fancier/syndicate with the shortest accumulated flying time will be crowned ‘THE CHAMPION FANCIER’ and will win the US$500,000 (approx. £357,143) FIRST PRIZE.

Excellent Accommodation, Top Safari Lodges, Superb Hotels and Golf Courses are also available in the area.

Entry Fee for the 2023 AFRIKAPRO PREMIER ONE LOFT SERIES is US$15,000 (approx. £11,111) for your team of 20 pigeons for the 2023 season.

Once you equate the entry fee to a per pigeon cost, it works out at US$750 (approx. £556) per pigeon and no extra costs like some other OLR’s
– it’s fixed for every competitor and all pigeons take part in all the prize money categories.

1st Payment of US$3,000 (approx. £2,222) Reservation Fee when you deliver pigeons to your Country Race Co-ordinator, payable when you deliver your pigeons to your Country Co­ ordinator/ Agent and Shipper.

2nd Payment of US$6,000 (approx. £4,444) Entry Fee with intake of pigeons into the Race Loft and payable when your pigeons are accepted into the Race Loft.

3rd Payment of US$6,000 (approx. £4,444) Activation Fee after the last 160km (approx. 100 mile) qualifier and before 1st Race, payable around end of June 2023.

By doing your payments this way, it spreads the cost out over numerous months.

SYNDICATE TEAMS are accepted but as long as one fancier sends all payments and that fancier also receives all the winnings, which they can then share out with his shareholders.

SYNDICATE TEAMS can be made up of a few fanciers breeding a few pigeons each to make the syndicate up to 20 pigeons or alternatively you can try to get club mates, friends, family, relations to join in the fun by offering them shares.

GUARANTEED PRIZE MONEY will be US$2.003 Million Dollars (approx. £1,483 Million Pounds Sterling). A total of 144 different Cash Prizes will be on offer throughout the 10-week race series.
JUST TAKE A LOOK AT THE STAGGERING PRIZE MONEY ON OFFER:-
‘THE GRANDEST PRIZE AT THE BEST ODDS IN PIGEON RACING’.

‘BLACK JACKET’ • ‘CHAMPION FANCIER COMPETITION’.

1st US$500,000 (approx. £370,370), BLACK JACKET and crowned CHAMPION FANCIER, 2nd US$150,000 (£111,111), 3rd US$100,000(approx. £74,074), 4th US$45,000 (approx. £33,333), 5th US$30,000 (approx. £22,222), 6th US$25,000 (approx. £18,519), 7th US$20,000(approx. £14,815), 8th US17,000 (approx.£12,593), 9th US$15,000 (approx. £11,111), 10th US$14,000 (approx. £10,370), 11th US$13,000 (approx. £9,630), 12th US$12,000 (approx.£8,889), 13th US$11,000 (approx. £8,148), 14th US$10,000 (approx. £7,407), 15th US$9,000 (approx. £6,667), 16th US$8,000 (approx. £5,926}, 17th US$7,000 (approx. £5,185}, 18th US$6,000 (approx. £4,444), 19th US$5,000 (approx. £3,704), 20th US$4,000 (approx. £2,963), 21st to 35th US$3,000 (approx. £2,222) each, 36th to 50th US$2,000 (approx. £1,481) each, 51st to 75th US$1,750 (approx. £1,296) each, 76th to 85th US$1,500 (approx. £1,111) each.

‘BLUE JACKET’ • ‘CHAMPION PIGEON COMPETITION’.

‘THE ACE PIGEON’ will be the pigeon with the shortest accumulated flying time throughout the 10-week-long race season. (Similar to other One Loft Race ACE PIGEON Competitions).

1st US$150,000 (approx. £111,111), 2nd US$75,000 (approx. £55,556}, 3rd US$40,000
(approx. £29,630), 4th US$25,000 (approx.£18,519), 5th US$20,000 (approx. £14,815), 6th US$15,000 (approx. £11,111), 7th US$10,000 (approx. £7,407), 8th US$7,000 (approx.£5,185), 9th US$5,000 (approx. £3,704), 10th US$3,000 (approx. £2,222), 11th to 15th US$2,000 (approx. £1,481) each, 16th to 20th US$1,500 (approx. £1,111) each.

‘FINAL RACE WINNER’.

Although the major prize will be awarded on the fancier competition, this by no means diminishes the importance of performing well in the Final Race.

‘FINAL RACE PRIZE MONEY’.

1st US$170,000 (approx. £125,926), 2nd US$100,000 (approx. £74,074), 3rd US$70,000 (approx. £51,852), 4th US$40,000 (approx.£29,630), 5th US$20,000 (approx. £14,815), 6th US$15,000 (approx. £11,111), 7th US$10,000 (approx. £7,407), 8th US$7,500 (approx.£5,556), 9th US$5,000 (approx. £3,704), 10th US$4,000 (approx. £2,963), 11th to 15th US$2,000 (approx. £1,481) each, 16th to 30th US$1,500 (approx. £1,111) each.
‘FANCIER OF THE WEEK’ • ‘WEEKLY RACE PRIZES FOR RACES 1 TO 9’.

1st US$3,000 (approx. £2,222) for each Race Winner.

THE PRIZE MONEY OF US$2,003,000.00c AMERICAN DOLLARS (approx. £1.483 POUNDS STERLING) IS GUARANTEED IRRESPECTIVE OF THE NUMBER OF PIGEONS RECEIVED UNLESS AN ACT OF GOD PREVENTS THE RACE TO TAKE PLACE IN WHICH CASE THE PORTION OR THE FEES RECEIVED WILL BE PAID BACK TO THE PARTICIPANTS. (SEE TERMS AND CONDITIONS).

(See www.arfikapro.com for full list of all the Prizes & Awards).

The Cash Prizes and Entry Fees quoted above are at US$1.35 American Dollars to the Pound Sterling. (These of course may change slightly depending on currency exchange rates at the payment time).
It should also be pointed out that this AFRIKAPRO PREMIER ONE LOFT SERIES is in no way associated with any other One Loft Race in South Africa, past or present!
We have taken the view that we are rewarding the ‘CHAMPION FANCIER’ and the ‘CHAMPION PIGEON’ richly, therefore, our prize structure is unique compared to the traditional One Loft Races worldwide.

Pipa Pigeon Auctions from Belgium will run the auction/s after the Final Race has been completed, with 60% of the proceeds going to the breeder of the pigeons which completed the race programme.

If you would like to book your space into the Race Loft for the 2023 AFRIKAPRO PREMIER ONE LOFT SERIES, please contact your Country Co-ordinator/Agent as soon as possible because the race will only be open to 300 fanciers/entrants. The fanciers/entrants that supported the first 2022 AFRIKAPRO PREMIER ONE LOFT SERIES will be given first choice to enter again. As there is a tremendous amount of interest from other fanciers from around the world, I strongly suggest if you are interested then you contact your Country Co­ ordinator/Agent immediately.

We are hoping to start taking pigeons in for the 2023 AFRIKAPRO PREMIER ONE LOFT SERIES from the end JULY 2022 to the 1st.
JANUARY 2023. The anticipated United Kingdom shipping date will be late OCTOBER to middle of NOVEMBER 2022.
The ‘TEAM’ at AFRIKAPRO PREMIER ONE LOFT SERIES have already published quite a few numerous informative short videos on Facebook and other social media channels and all are available to view on YouTube for all to see, plus all the competing fanciers/entrants that are on WhatsApp get regular updates regarding what is happening at the AFRIKAPRO Race Loft.
I will be compiling and writing my International Press Release and these will be published to the world’s pigeon publications and pigeon related websites on a regular basis. If you would like to receive a regular copy, then please just email at reglofts@aol.com and I will add you to my email database.

If you would like any more information then please call me on my Home Telephone (+44) 01279-812005 or Mobile (+44) 07860-568216 or
email me at reglofts@aol.com and I will be only too pleased to answer any questions or queries you might have.

Best regards, keep safe and I hope you decide to join us all and have some Fun in The Sun in South Africa in September 2022.

Paul Smith, United Kingdom Race Co-ordinator/Agent & Shipper for the AFRIKAPRO PREMIER ONE LOFT SERIES to be held in Phala Phala Wildlife, Thabazimbi, Limpopo, Transvaal, South Africa.
Final Race to be held on Saturday, 17th September 2022.
Website Address:- www.afrikapro.com
Regency Lofts, 2, Highmead, off Coltsfield, Stansted Mountfitchet, Essex CM24 8LJ. England.
Home Telephone: 01279 812005. Mobile: 07860 568216.Email:reglofts@aol.com