KOOS Botha, a Gqeberha-based dedicated figure in the world of pigeon racing, started his journey early, with a passion for pigeons fostered by his father, grandfather, and great-uncle. Botha embarked on his pigeon racing journey in Grade 6, honing his skills under the mentorship of Jannie Nel.
Renowned for his selective breeding techniques and innovative training methods, Botha achieved notable success in 2024, securing the title of Union Middle Distance Champion with only half a team and placing fourth in overall points. His unique approach, which prioritises performance, homing ability, and strong follow-up, is encapsulated in his mantra of “results on results.”
As Botha prepares to compete with a full team in 2025, his story continues to inspire fellow fanciers to focus on quality breeding, strategic selection, and the importance of maintaining healthy, fit pigeons for the race ahead.
In a press release, Botha said that he bought three pigeons from Nel, two of which remain a crucial part of his breeding programme today.
“My family of pigeons basically consists of about 50% of Nel’s pigeons and 50% of my own family pigeons, which are made up of a hybrid power family. The hybrid power family, which I now see as my own family, consists of a mixture of Tom Lock (Car hen 11305), Catrysse, Oscar, Jansen, Venus, Gold Medal, Des Acke, De Norre, and Lou Wouters pigeons,” Botha said.
Botha built a strong reputation in pigeon racing, largely due to his ability to breed and train high-performance birds. Despite competing with half a team due to a late pairing with his friend, Frederick Meyer, he achieved success in 2024. Botha added, “I finished fourth overall, only 164 points behind the winning fancier racing a full team, and I also finished fifth overall with loft points or all bird point system, only 600 points behind the second person, all fanciers racing full teams of 30. I will, however, participate again in the 30-pigeon team in 2025 and hope to be able to race competitively again.”
Botha shared his advice for the 2025 season to upcoming fanciers by saying that they should not bring in new pigeons if they already have ones that work.
“Build on the ones you currently have year after year and breed with your best racers and their brothers and sisters before you put them in stock. Already a year or two earlier, pull a set or two of eggs from the best and let the
ir surrogate grow up with others and test their breeding ability that way,” he said.
