Inauguration of the
South-African Fancy Pigeon Club (presently Association) or best known
as
In the early 1940’s,
the so-called important and well-known pigeon fanciers felt the
necessity of establishing a country wide organisation to handle the
”problems in solving the differences between the various fanciers
and to obtain show pens for pigeon shows as was the case in overseas
countries.” On the morning (08:30) of 13 April 1943, 11 fanciers
held a meeting in Hof Street, Cape Town “with the object of forming
a country wide Fancy Pigeon Club.” This is how the South African
Fancy Pigeon Club, with its headquarters in Cape Town, was
inaugurated, and it was only in the 1980’s that the name changed
from “Club” to “Association”."
In September 1943, the
S.A.Fancy Pigeon Club spread its wings from Cape Town to various parts
of the country and by the end of the year more than 100 members had
enrolled, but not without problems. The very strong Fantail Club
refused to join the SAFPC and a meeting was called to “iron out the
negative feelings between the Fantail Club and the SAFPC.”
Everything went well at this meeting. The two groups decided that it
would be better to join forces and also decided to “create areas
(currently Regions) in every part of the then Union of South Africa.”
The first membership fees were fixed at 3 shillings per year until
they were “regretfully” raised to 3 shillings and sixpence in
1948.
Shows in various areas
started to gain momentum all over South Africa, but it was only in
1946 that the first National Championship Show was held in East London
to decide on the Grand Champion Fancy Pigeon. The late Mr. AW (Willie)
Roos of Pietersburg, who at times kept more than 1 000 fancy pigeons
of 60 different breeds, was the first recipient of this award.
Except for 1950, when
there was a Paramixco Virus outbreak in South Africa, SAFPA has staged
their National Championship Show in different regions, every year
since 1951. This show usually attracts more than 3 000 pigeons of
about 101 different breeds, the current record number of entries
standing at 4 010.
