Who will win this year's South African Million Dollar Pigeon Race?

This morning the last of five hot spot car races of the 20th Million Dollar Pigeon Race was flown and won by the US fanciers Wilfon and Rhodes. Time to briefly summarise the best fanciers and birds in those races before the final race day on 6 February 2016 when $150,000 is at stake.

Five hot spot car races, two US winners

When looking at the results of the hot spot car races, it is interesting to see that the United States have performed excellently so far:

  • Two of the five car races were won by a US fancier.
  • Three of the five races had at least one US fancier in the top three of the race.
  • On a total of fifteen top three places no less than six were taken by US fanciers.

We can without doubt say that the United States are, when looking only at the top three of the five car races, the best country by far in this year's Million Dollar Pigeon Race so far.

We do not want to sell anyone short and therefore give you the top three of each of the car races held in this year's edition:

Car race 1: 12 December, 138 km

1. Sj. van Uden - S. Gawel (Netherlands)
2. Koopman Racing Team (Netherlands)
3. Chelsey Loft (USA)

Car race 2: 19 December, 184 km

1. Darrell Bartz (USA)
2. Kelley - Buckner (USA)
3. Ken Easley (USA)

Car race 3

1. Engelbrecht Lofts (South Africa)
2. Bacalu Danut + Serafim (Romania)
3. Team Koch - Wichert (Germany)

Car race 4

1. Bader M F Al-Jwesr (Kuwait)
2. Jaworscy - Michalak (Poland)
3. Buttner - Zurecki (Poland)

Car race 5

1. Wilfon - Rhodes (USA)
2. Millys Loft (UK)
3. Partridge Family Loft (USA)


US fancier Kenny Rhodes (second left) won the fifth car race under the name Wilfon-Rhodes

US fancier Ken Easley's Alfons Klaas bird is the best pigeon so far

Not surprisingly, the best bird in the Hot Spot Averages championship is an American one. That is to say, a mixture of US and German bloodlines. Ken Easley's Mukiwa has performed the best of the flock in the past five hot spot car races and is a crossing of the own Easley strain and that of the German fancier Alfons Klaas, one of the best one-loft racers worldwide. Mukiwa has won the following prizes in the car races:

Car race 1 (138 km): 138th
Car race 2 (184 km): 3rd
Car race 3 (238 km): 111th
Car race 4 (285 km): 20th
Car race 5 (341 km): 11th

Mukiwa's dam is a child of the 2nd Ace Bird in the Texas Showdown in 2013 and the 1st Grand Average winner in the Canadian International One Loft Race. Both are 100% Easley birds. From his sire's side, Mukiwa is the grandchild of the Easley foundation pair Konbird x Blue Power. Konbird is the child of a half-brother of Konstantin (1st Million Dollar Pigeon Race 2007) x a sister of Birdy (SAMDPR 2008 Knock-Out Competition Champion, Grand Average Ace Bird and Hot Spot Average Ace Bird). Blue Power is a half-sister of a hen that performed outstandingly in the 2014 SAMDPR edition: 16th prize in the final race and 4th Grand Averages Ace Bird. Let it be clear that Mukiwa has inherited all the good from his Klaas ancestors and that he is ready to follow in their footsteps. Check it out for yourself how excellent Mukiwa's descent is in his pedigree. The second best bird of this year's SAMDPR is Sheikh Al Thani's Mumaiaz (Qatar), the third best is Saad Al Abhoul's Hofen (Kuwait).


Ken Easley and Alfons Klaas at the SAMDPR lofts

Will Ken Easly still have the best bird in the Hot Spot Averages championship after the final race? Follow the race on PIPA on 6 February and find out it Mukiwa can fight off his opponents.