Article by Randy Engelbrecht PRO – Federated Board of Homing Unions
Article Published 17 December 2009



Racing into the future!!!!



Pigeon Racing is Alive and Well as Country kappit Uit!!!

What a night! What a jol! And I was there!

I was very privileged to be invited to the Abbotsdale Sportsman Flying Club’s trophy presentation on Saturday, 12th December in the Malmesbury Civic Centre.

Teenstrydig met wat ek gedink het ek daar moes doen, was ek gevra om seremonie meester te wees en die beker uitdeling te hanteer en ek die ondervinding beslis geniet. Om so ’n saal vol uitbundige en entoesiastiese mense te hê, tesame met ’n baie goeie orkes was ’n wonderlike gesig om te aanskou. Ek het lanklaas so iets beleef waar mense met soveel energie die duiweboere luidkeels toegejuig het soos hulle hul bekers kom afhaal het.

What I saw took me back to the old days of house parties and “langarm” dances with young and old joining each other on the floor with every song the band played. I was convinced that they came there not so much for the trophy presentation, but for the dancing to the tunes of “Hop Johanna” and various other old favourites. However, with each trophy presented, there were shrieks of delight and support for the specific fancier.

Een van die uitstaande aspekte van die aand was dat uit die tien lede in die klub, drie van hulle met byna al die bekers weggeloop het. Een van die grootste wenners van die aand was beslis William Arendse, wat altesaam sewe wedvlugte gewen het, asook die kort-en langafstand kampioen was. Roy Faro het drie wedvlugte gewen, insluitende die Hanover 3-Duif kampioenskap en Jonothan Paulus twee wedvlugte. Die goot kampioen van die aand was egter Elton Claasen, wat ook sewe wedvlugte gewen het en as die klub kampioen gekroon was waarvoor hy, behalwe sy sewe ander bekers ook ’n geborgde beker ontvang het wat groter was as enigiets wat ek al hierdie jaar gesien het. Hy het dawerende applous ontvang van almal in die saal, maar dit het ook gelyk asof hy sy eie groep ondestuners saam gebring het om vir hom te skree. Dit was egter wel verdiend.

A great gesture by the club was also the awarding of medals for the wives of club members and a few other very special ladies who supported the club at various functions throughout the season. A word of appreciation must go to Larry and Jonathon Paulus, William Arendse, as well as Roy Faro for an utterly enjoyable evening that set me thinking that the pigeon sport in these regions has to be supported and sustained in order for it to survive in the future. As I learnt, between the ten members of the club they sold out the hall to nearly two hundred supporters. They even had to cart some of them from home to the hall and back, but they did it wholeheartedly in support of their beloved sport.

I believe that with the support of the Federated Board of Homing Unions the sport can only grow in leaps and bounds. With such unadulterated enthusiasm, I believe pigeon racing in Malmesbury, Abbotsdale and other country areas is alive and well!