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Million Euro Race Shanghai 2007

Tuesday 13th of November, I left for a trip to China, to visit the Million Euro Race in Shanghai and before also to bring a visit to our close friend Luna Lai in Hong Kong.
Luna Lai on the left, Mr. David Lam on the right. Mr. David Lam is a famous HongKongnese pigeon racer. He is chairman of an important real estate company, but tries to do it a little slower on the recent years.
This picture is taken on Saturday 17th of November in Macau. Macau is a very small island, close to Hong Kong ( about 1 hour with the Ferry ). Macau used to be a Portugese Colony, but is since end of the nineties again part of China.
A picture of Venetian. The Venetian Macao is a casino resort in Macau, China owned by the Las Vegas Sands hotel-casino chain.
After we went to Macau, monday morning we left to Shanghai to visit the Million Euro Race... This picture is taken in the evening in Shanghai on the famous BUND. The Bund is an area of Huangpu District in Shanghai, Peoples Republic of China.
The race itself, the race took place on 20th of November in Shanghai. On the background of this picture you can see the enormous lofts. The million Euro Race has already the 9th edition, but since last year the prize money went up to 1.000.000 ?, same like this year. The organisation is in hands from a big Taiwanese businessman Mr Lin. On the picture you can see the Dutch racer Jaap Koehoorn, showing all his power, and holding Mrs Luna Lai in the air.
Two Dutch Fanciers, famous in China. Jaap Koehoorn, on the left, breeds every year 1200 pigeons, 300 of them is to participate in the one loft races in China.
On the left side Mr Ks Wong, a HongKongnese fancier who lives now in Shanghai. He is crazy about pigeons. Even now he lives in Shanghai, he still keeps pigeons, because he cant live without. Ks Wong is a regular bidder on the PIPA internet auctions. On the right, one of the many Shanghainese friends of KS Wong. The man on the right bought a Verkerk pigeon last year in Jewels of the Sky...
Mrs Luna Lai, explaining pigeon stuff to Chinese pigeon racers. Luna Lai must be one of the biggest pigeon encyclopedias in China and Taiwan. Her phone is constantly ringing, and pigeon fanciers constantly ask her all kind of advice. Luna knows almost all pedigrees from all famous fanciers by heart. She is admired by many Chinese / Taiwanese pigeon racers who count on her advice to introduce new pigeons into their lofts.
Mr KS Wong and Mr Gerard Koopman. Gerard Koopman had last year an unbelievable result on this same Million Euro Race. Also this year Mr Koopman participated again and had a very good result. Number 19 in the final race, won by Marcel Nicolaescu from Romania, was also a 75 % Koopman pigeon !
A view on the Million Euro Race lofts.
Hundreds of Chinese came to see the final race of the Million Euro Race, probably the biggest one Loft Race in China.
Nikolaas and Mrs Luna Lai, and in between the winner of the Million Euro Race of last year ! Last year the 1st price even won 200.000 euro ! This year the price money was divided differently and the 1st prize winer got 120.000 euro, 2nd prize winner 100.000 euro etc...
The computer girls working to get the result on the big computer screen during the one loft race.
Big screens where fanciers can follow the arrival of the first pigeons...
People are getting nervous, the first pigeons should arrive soon. The final race was almost 500 KM, but in hard weather circumstances, because no clear sky. In Shanghai, the whole year through, the sky is hazy, and foggy...So pigeons have to be very smart to survive here !
A big crowd, full of people, waiting for the first pigeon to arrive.
The first pigeon arrived ! The winner of the 2007 Edition of the Million Euro Race is this man on the picture, his name is : Du Chao Hui. Now for one year he will be one of the most famous fanciers in China ! Having won this race, he won 120.000 euro on prize money and he will also get 50 % of the auction price of this bird. Most likely also the auction price of this winner will be very high...
Mr Du Chao Hui, the winner, smoking a big cigar... And phoning his friends or ? his wife ? to tell that he won the biggest one loft race in China !
Another picture of the winner.
Mrs Luna Lai and 3 customers of PIPA Auctions. The most right one, bought in the most recent auction on PIPA, a daughter of Horsy, 3rd national ace pigeon on the long distance KBDB 2007.
Team XXL from Germany, who won today in the final the 3rd price and they won 80.000 euro prize money !
Arrivals of pigeons are published on the big screens...
Mr Lin on the left, he is the organiser of all this. And I have to admit, the organisation during my stay was really good, also the hotel we stayed in was very nice !
Mr Gerard Koopman phoning with his Dutch friend Cor Leijtens to congratulate him winning the 6th prize in this race. Cor Leijtens however did not activate his pigeon himself, but his pigeon was sold to a Chinese fancier who activated the pigeon.
In the middle of the picture you can see Mr Wu Jun from the famous Wu Brothers. The Wu brothers bought in the most recent years for millions of euros of pigeons, amongst them around 30 KBDB Ace pigeons, 1st international Barcelona Winner of Fauche, many other different national winners, many ace pigeons from Germany, The Netherlands, etc... In this Million Euro Race today, the Wu Brothers won 2nd place; so they won 100.000 euro prize money !
Mrs Luna Lai and Mr Lin, the organiser of the race. Mr Lin asked Luna if she can manage to make the new auction catalogue for the million euro race. Just like many taiwanese / chinese pigeon magazines everybody wants to make use of Lunas extended pigeon knowledge. But also for Luna one day only has 24 hours !
Peeters - Huybregts from the Netherlands, who achieved a great result in the Million Euro Race 2006.
The computer girls...
The first 6 pigeons, the first one on the right, etc...
Mrs Luna Lai, Nikolaas, Ks Wong and the famous pigeon veterinary Dr Henk De Weerd.
The winner of the Million Euro Race 2007...Chinese television immediately wanted to ask him questions.
Mr Andre Leideman, working for Mr Gerard Koopman and on the right one of his Chinese friends.
Mr Stuart Chu in the middle, on the right Gerard Koopman and on the left another Chinese pigeon friend.
The famous Mr Wu, who won the 2nd place. Mr Wu is a regular visitor of PIPA and is very impressed by the quality of the auctioned pigeons.
The 6th pigeon in the final race on the left, bred by Cor Leijtens from Oostelbeers. Father is Super Sander, Mother is Bander. Bander is grandchild of 178, one of Engels main breeders.
Making Noodles...
Frank Quinlan from UK, and his wife also attended the Million Euro Race. Also people from Australia were present...Fanciers from all over the world came to see the pigeons arrive. The organisation of the Million Euro Race made a whole schedule for the fanciers who came from abroad and their wives, so they could also do some sightseeing, etc...
A view of the lofts...
As many free drinks and free food as you want...
The German Group !
One of the busses on the way to the Million Euro Race, on the right you can see Mrs Yuan who helped to coordinate the Million Euro Race and who was the correspondent for the fanciers from abroad. On the 2nd row in the bus you can see Mr Klaus Stieneker and his wife from Germany. Mr Stieneker, was together with Mr Wolfgang Zimmerman representative for the Million Euro Race in Germany.
In the hotel where the fanciers from abroad stayed. On the picture you can see Mrs Luna Lai, translating for Mr Gerard Koopman and the Shanghainese pigeon fancier and very good PIPA-customer Tan Yong. Tan Yong is a young very succesful businessman.
In the hotel again. On the picture from left to right ; Mrs Luna Lai, Mr Tan Yong, Mr Gerald Mack, Mr Gerard Koopman, Mr. Wolfgang Zimmerman, Mr. Alexander Mack ( only 16 years old ! ), Mr Andre Leideman.
Nikolaas and Tan Yong.
Tan Yong and Luna Lai.
During the auction of the pigeons ; From left to right ; pigeon veterinary Alex ( from the Greupink Group, Nikolaas, Mrs Robert Greupink, Robert Greupink, and Danny Lu ( also from the Greupink Group )...
Mr Alexander Mack, pigeon vet Alex, and Mr Gerald Mack. Gerald and Alexander Mack are famous for their grizzly pigeons. They invested the last year for huge amount of money in pigeons and started to race better and better. They introduced pigeons from Leijetns, Van Noordenne, Vd Merwe, De Zutter, etc... Mack Family have their own factory in Germany where they produce glass.
Klaus Stieneker and his wife, Mr Lin, organiser of the race and Nikolaas.
Mr Alexander Mack, Mr Gerald Mack and Mr Andre Leideman.
Klaus Stieneker, Gerard Koopman and Luna Lai.
Gerard Koopman and Luna Lai.
A Chinese fancier, a woman from the organisation and Mr Gerard Koopman, the living legend !
The auction.
Administrative team of the auction.
The auction.
The auction.
The auction.
The auction.
The auction.
The last evening in Shanghai, 20th of November, we went to have dinner with Mr Fong Chiang ( standing, next to Nikolaas ) and some of his Shanghainese friends. To conclude I would like to thank everyone who made this nice trip possible, especially Mrs Luna Lai, who took care of me so well during this trip. She makes my trips to Asia every time for me like a new adventure. Thanks for everything Luna ! And many regards to Dodo...
minna - 12/05/2009