By CHESLEY DANIELS
The Grahamstown Racing Pigeon Club recently held its Annual Prize Giving Ceremony at the Goldrush Conference Centre. The prestigious event was well-attended by members, dignitaries and the media. The event was a huge success as the members were rewarded and acknowledged for their hard work, dedication and performances for the past year.
The Eastern Province Pigeon Union (EPPU) Chairperson Brad Bown was also in attendance and was the special guest for the evening and handed over the awards.
Andly Jeggels walked away with the Prestigious Club Champion Award and also scooped six awards in the process. Jeggels is a seasoned campaigner and is ten years in the business. This season, he was in sublime form with his pigeons and worked extremely hard to earn his Championship Award. It was, however, a very tight race in the end between Jeggels and Ian Doyle for the ultimate Club Championship Award. Jeggels just edged Doyle by one point to claim the title and crown.
Ciske McKaiser, the 2020 Club Champion, could not defend his title this year but handed over the trophy to Jeggels and congratulated him on his remarkable achievement. Doyle also performed exceptionally well the past season and walked away with two awards. Antonio May received the Best New Comer Award in his first season as a pigeon flyer.
Jeggels was very excited about his award as the new champion. “I am very happy and excited as it is quite a remarkable achievement for me. It was, however, not easy for me to be crowned the champ as it was a very tough season. The race to the title was very close towards the end as I was winning only with one point over my compatriot Ian Doyle (who did extremely well during the season). I also want to thank all the members for their competitiveness and commitment during a very tough season. I’m indeed very eager to defend my title next year,” he said.
There were 19 flying members in 2021, with 18 races over the past year, racing from a short distance from 240km (Middleburg) to the longest distance 870km (Parys).
Full list of Awards:
1. Club Champion – Andly Jeggels
2. Hearling Champion – Andly Jeggels
3. Best Bird – Andly Jeggels
4. Any Age Champ – Andly Jeggels
5. Middle Distance Champ – Andly Jeggels
6. Long Distance Champ – Andly Jeggels
7. Baby Race Champ – Ian Doyle
8. Short Distance Champ – Ian Doyle
9. Best New Comer – Antonio May
