In this two-part series it will be revealed for the first time since South African businessman Mark Kitchenbrand’s R800, 000-00 acquisition of the South African Million Dollar Pigeon Race ace pigeon Birdy that she is not only a world-class racer but also a world-class breeder!
Pound for pound the Birdy family counts amongst the biggest money-spinners in one-day loft competition in South Africa and different continents. It’s a genetic package in our pigeon world that serious fanciers cannot afford to ignore!
Birdy, A Wise Choice
To name her Birdy was just a fun thing but the origin of her genetic composition was serious business!
When, in the winter of 2007, the German Partnership Südhoff & Van Beers (Burkard Südhoff & Willi Van Beers) chose to enter a young blue bar racing pigeon they named Birdy (DV06053-07-900) into the South African Million Dollar Pigeon Race (annually hosted in South Africa), nobody knew what an astounding impact this fine pearl-eyed hen would have on the global pigeon scene.
The selection of her parents as a match was made as a consequence of skilful pigeon breeding for a number of generations.
Be it pigeons, horses, cattle or sheep, it’s a fundamental approach of the ‘strain makers’ to strictly abide to the disciplines of a prescriptive breeding plan in which there is no room for mediocrity or compromise!
Only a minute glance into Birdy’s family tree is needed to realise that only key pigeons from the very best bloodlines in the world were considered good enough to be used as genetic building material. Birdy Sire, known as As-Vogel 1687, is himself an ace racer and foundation breeder. Its sire known as Effe 66 is also a foundation breeder. Birdy’s sire’s dam is a daughter of Carl Lewis and Naomi (Hardy Kruger), a world-renowned click pair. Birdy’s dam is from the cream of the gene pool of world-champion breeder Louis Van Loon. Birdy is an aunt to Mark, 1st National Young Bird Champion Germany. Birdy’s full brother Maximus, bred in the same year as her, is a yearling winner against 5,568 pigeons in Germany scoring 10 times within the top 50. There are countless near-kin superstars around the world such as Terry, Playboy, James, the London Cock, Starlett, Konbird and too many more we have space for in this article.
This is the discipline that not only produced Birdy the ace racer but also Birdy the ace breeder. Equally so this extraordinary genetic strength is being shared by her bothers and sisters and is powerfully passed on to its children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. The Birdy family is a superior genetic monument!
Birdy, the Ace Racer
Birdy is arguably one of the best ace pigeons and foundation breeders to have ever been born on this planet. The results are on the table to prove it!
It’s now the 20th platinum season of the South African Million Dollar Pigeon Race and as an ace performer no other pigeon has yet managed to equal the results of Birdy in one-day loft competition worldwide! It’s mind-boggling just to think that she has beaten the choice entries of all the world players in pigeon racing which includes the life-time investments of millionaire pigeon fanciers who would sacrifice an eye tooth to equal her scores!
- From the first published road training flight held on the 10th of November 2007 in the pre-finals of the South African Million Dollar Pigeon Race, Birdy showed her class in taking the lead in the 26th position against 3,821 pigeons from the cream of near 40 countries of the world’s best pigeons.
- Birdy subsequently scored no less than 10 top 32 positions of the 24 published races of the SAMDPR series.
- Birdy finishes 22 times in the top 500 of the 24 published races of the SAMDPR series.
- Birdy won the following prizes in the hot spot car races held prior to the final: 13th, 14th, 15th, 114th and 310th.
- In the SAMDPR final held on the 2nd of February 2008, Birdy achieved the 10th prize against 2,866 pigeons. Most pigeons that have worked so hard in the pre-finals would not have the strength to manage 552 kilometres in a nine-hour race with soaring temperatures of 35°C (94.28°F).
- Birdy’s remarkable consistency clinched her the titles of SAMDPR 2008 Knock-Out Competition Champion, Grand Average Ace Pigeon, Hot Spot Average Ace Pigeon and subsequently the best-performing pigeon ever entered in the twenty-year history of the South African Million Dollar Pigeon Race.
