The S.A.H.U. National loft was established six years ago. It was in Bloemfontein for three years and has now been in Kempton Park for the past three years.

Location:

The location of the National loft is at 282 Elgin Road, Pomona, Kempton Park. The team that runs the loft all reside on the premises. The loft is very well situated position wise. We are approximately 10 minutes from the airport. That makes the collection of pigeons very convenient. Loft visits are always welcome and your observations will be appreciated.

Management Team:

The team is made up of four people, they are:

Silas Willis: He is the manager and decision-maker of the loft. He is a very experienced pigeon fancier (58 years racing pigeons experience). He was the T.H.U. chairman for thirty-one years, he retired last year. He has been a S.A.H.U. council member for thirty years, and is a past president and an honorary life member.

Norman George: He has been a pigeon fancier for thirteen years. Everything he knows Silas Willis taught him.

Mary-Anne George: Daughter of Silas Willis, she has been involved with pigeons all her life. She actually flew pigeons with her brother as a young girl. Winning Edenvale racing pigeon club averages in 1965.

Joseph: He is the loft assistant, he has grown to love the pigeons and he even calls them his babies. He takes instructions from Norman and Mary-Anne.

Medication:

All medication is sponsored and supplied by Dr. O. Botha of Medpet (Ecovet). To date (this year) he has supplied the loft with approximately R5000.00 worth of medication.

Tossing:

The T.H.U. provides us with free tossing on their trucks. They toss the birds every Tuesday and Thursday mornings, until Thursday night basketing, whereafter it is only Tuesday mornings. We, the team, provide a short toss on Wednesday of fifty km.

Treatment:

All the birds are inoculated for pox and paramyxo every year. They are treated for canker and coccidiosis on a regular basis. If a pigeon is ill and the problem cannot be diagnosed it is sent to Dr. O. Botha for his diagnoses and if necessary an autopsy is preformed, which is also free of charge. The results are sent to the management team with the recommended treatment for the loft.

During the racing season the loft is kept on a program drawn up by Dr. O. Botha.

Prize Money:

The prize money varies from year to year; this is worked out according to the number of birds in the loft.

This year the prize money was as follows:

Race 1 and 2: Fifteen prizes:

1. R1000
2. R 750
3. R 600
4. R 500
5. To 15. R150

Main race: Twenty-five prizes:

1. R10000
2. R 6300
3. R 4000
4. R 3000
5. To 9. R1200

10. To 14.R1000

15. To 18. R 750

18. To 21. R 450

22. To 25. R 350

Intake:

We accept pigeons as from 1 September until the end of January. There are two entries into the loft, individual birds competing in the three yearling races at R 350-00 per pigeon. Teams consisting of four pigeons per team made up by an individual fancier or various fanciers at a cost of R 600-00 per team. A pigeon may fly as a team and individual entry.

Two year-olds:

We run a two-year-old scheme as well. This consists of pigeons that were in the loft as yearlings and that are bought back on the auction, and then entered into the two year old-scheme. These pigeons are entered into the Kempton Park pigeon club as the National loft teams. They race eighteen races a season. The cost for a two-year-old is R350-00, which includes entry into the car race, and the Gauteng combined races. The prize money is R 200 for the first bird in the loft, R 150 - second, R 100 - third. All prize monies won in the Kempton Park pigeon club and T.H.U. by these pigeons are paid to their owners. After the season these pigeons are returned to their owners.

Auction:

All pigeons are auctioned at the end of the main yearling race, which is usually at the end of September. The auction is held at the Kempton Park clubhouse.

Report back:

We try to send out at least four newsletters a season. The first is just a report on the pre-season activities, the second and third are the results of the first two races with a short note on the loft activity, the fourth has the results of the main race as well as an auction list of all the birds in the loft.

Computerized trapping system:

There will be a computerized system installed in the loft ( UNIKON ). This system has been sponsored by the organization that runs the Sun City Million Dollar Race (Sports International).

Contact persons:

Should you require any further information do not hesitate to contact the management team of the National loft:

Silas Willis 011 396-2524

Norman / Mary-Ann George 011 979-2514

Or contact your local Provincial member:

 

Western Province: S. Penkin 021 689-5118 / 0833756096

Natal: A. Godfrey 031 47-2642

Free State: H. Stighling 051 33-2640 / 0828001412

North Eastern Cape: R. Billet 0833053302

Eastern Cape: N Biddulph 041 73-3534

Northern Province: J van Zyl 01542956733

North West: C.M. Pieterse 0142 24112

Mpumalanga: J Josch 0137440195

Northern Free State: A. Beck 057 352-2823

Border Homing Union: N. Featherston 0431 56898

North East Cape: F. Gillmer 04956 21505

South East Transvaal: H Prenzler 017 712636

Northern Gauteng: A. Jordaan 012 45-2040

Free State: J. Venter 05886 33328

Durban: G. Ratner 031 904-3594

Ixopo: R. Hill 0336 32-0053

Northern Free State: Rassie Erasmus 057 212-8584

 

Race Results

1. Yearling race 1 : Glen
2. Yearling race 2 : Colesburg 9 August 1997
3. Yearling race 3 : To follow
4. Two year old results : Updated on regular intervals