Exciting Finish to Africa Pro 600 km Finale; Hans and Evert-Jan Eijerkamp secure 3. Finale and claim the 7. Black Jacket Overall Winner
The second edition of the Africa Pro witnessed a thrilling climax as our pigeons performed exceptionally well throughout the competition. In the 600 km final race, "Beetle"s African Dream" secured a remarkable 3rd place, reaffirming her excellence. After winning Race 7 and finishing 9th the following week, she narrowly missed the victory on the final flight, conceding to two South African pigeons. "Beetle’s African Dream" made it to the first drop and ultimately took the 3rd position, earning a substantial prize of US $20,000. The winner of the 600 km race received a prize of US $190,000, marking an incredible achievement by achieving a top-ten finish three times in this highly competitive event, which featured not only local top fanciers but also numerous international stars.
"Beetle"s African Dream", NL23-9099753NL23-9099753, was bred in January this year from the pairing of Bert"Bert" X "Dreamster," with "Dreamster" being a daughter of Olympic Leo"Olympic Leo" and Beetle"Beetle"—two standout performers in the Eijerkamp lofts. Olympic Leo"Olympic Leo", acquired after he achieved the status of Olympiade Pigeon and 2nd National Ace Pigeon for Wolfgang Roeper, has become the father, grand- and great-grandfather of many top-class pigeons. Meanwhile, Beetle"Beetle", after being crowned 1st National Ace Pigeon for Yearlings in the Netherlands in 2019, has evolved into not just a mother but also a grandmother to several exceptional pigeons. Bert"Bert", originally brought into the Eijerkamp lofts as a young pigeon from the Leideman brothers, also emerged as a top flyer at the Eijerkamp lofts, with his genes demonstrating their excellence in One Loft Race competitions, as exemplified by his grandson "Neptunes", NL22-8228912NL22-8228912, who clinched the 1st Ace Pigeon title in the 2022 As Golden Pigeon Race in Greece.
7th Black Jacket Overall Winner
In the final race, our second pigeon NL23-9099791NL23-9099791, secured the 62nd position, and this bird, bred from the "Finn" X "Hot Volcano" pairing, ensured that Team H. and E.J. Eijerkamp finished 7th in the prestigious Black Jacket competition. This competition encompasses all 14 races that were held, with the flying time of the first two pigeons from each team determining the rankings. The clear victors in this contest were the South African team of Du Pree and Dettleffs, who claimed the top prize of US $200,000. The 7th place in this competition once again earned Team Eijerkamp a prize of US $20,000.
The competition commenced with over 1600 pigeons, and by the final race, 960 birds were still in contention, collectively covering a staggering distance of over 4,500 kilometers in this edition. Nowhere else in the world is there a race that demands more mileage from its participants than the Afrika Pro. The race lofts are situated on the Phala Phala estate, effectively the backyard of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in the Northwestern region of this vast nation.
