CPL Race 3: Johan Van Rensburg Victorious. Team Judels leads the Ace Pigeon rankings
The Central Provincial Loft Race 3 Yearlings 401km report is here! Get all the details on Race 3, including the overview, Top 10 standings, Velocity News Fancier of the race, ranked fanciers, Ace Pigeon standings, and our weekly Pigeon of the week. Stay updated on the latest racing developments!
Race Overview
For the Race 3 Yearlings, 896 pigeons from 232 fanciers undertook a 401km journey from Three Sisters, Northern Cape, to Bloemfontein's Central Provincial Loft in the Free State.
The birds encountered ideal Karoo winter weather along the route. At liberation, skies were clear with a light breeze, which shifted to a helpful cross-tailwind near Richmond. These pleasant conditions held steady all the way to Bloemfontein, welcoming the birds on a mild, sunny afternoon.
The Podium
Johan Van Rensburg secured the top spot in the Race 3 Yearlings event, with his bird CPL 720 2026 clocking a speed of 1478.46 m/min.
The competition for the remaining positions saw Munnik/Du Randt/Kok take second place with GPU 0746 2025, just ahead of Fourie & Olivier in third with FOURIE 329 2025.
Fancier of the Race
Of the 232 fanciers who basketed pigeons for Race 3 Yearlings, 85 qualified for Velocity News Fancier of the Race.
Rankings are determined by Efficiency Rate: the percentage of a fancier's basketed pigeons finishing in the top 5% (position 44 of the 896 total pigeons). Fanciers with fewer than 4 pigeons are excluded, and ties are broken by average velocity across those top finishes.
Coenie Hattingh was named Velocity News Fancier of the Race, placing 50.00% of his participating pigeons in the Top 5% of the race.
By raw count, Fourie & Olivier placed the most pigeons inside the top 5% cutoff of any fancier in the race, with four birds finishing inside position 44.
The Follow Up Ranking
Out of 232 fanciers in Race 3 Yearlings, 85 qualified for the Top 10% Follow Up Ranking. This ranking measures the Follow Up Rate—the concentration of a fancier's basketed pigeons finishing in the top 10% (the top 89 of 896 birds). Fanciers with fewer than four pigeons are excluded, and ties are broken by average velocity. This metric does not determine Velocity News Fancier of the Race.
Coenie Hattingh led the Follow Up ranking with 50.00% of his basketed pigeons placing in the Top 10% of the race.
Average velocity resolved three separate ties at 50.00% (a three-way tie), 40.00%, and 33.33%. By raw count, Fourie & Olivier placed the most pigeons inside the cutoff, with five birds finishing inside position 89.
CPL Ace Pigeon Ranking
The Ace Pigeon Ranking Week 3 Central Provincial Loft. From Race 1 through Race 3 Yearlings 2026.
- Team Judels' 'Peregrine' (KUR 406 2025) at 1459.254 m/min placing 3rd Race1, 39th Race 2 and 19th Race 3.
- Fourie & Olivier's FOURIE 56 2025 at 1457.980 m/min placing 15th Race 1, 46th Race 2 and 6th Race 3.
- Barlu's 'Storm' (RWDK 2037 2025) at 1456.963 m/min placing 12th Race 1, 68th Race 2 and 37th Race 3.
Pigeon of the Week
Velocity News introduced Pigeon of the Week to identify which pigeons are in form week by week. It is awarded to the pigeon with the smallest average margin behind the winner across two consecutive races. For Yearlings Races 2 and 3, Strauss Hokke's MASK 1563 2025 won, followed by Pigeon Power Lofts' KUYS 41 2025 and Huebsch, Ronnie's GPU 4673 2025.
Looking Ahead
Race 3 Yearlings featured standout performances: Van Rensburg, Johan won with CPL 720 2026; Hattingh, Coenie topped both Efficiency and Follow Up Rates at 50.00%; and Fourie & Olivier demonstrated depth with the most top 5% and 10% placements.
In the season standings, Team Judels' 'Peregrine', Fourie & Olivier's FOURIE 56 2025, and Barlu's 'Storm' lead the Ace Pigeon race. Strauss Hokke's MASK 1563 2025 earned Pigeon of the Week for the lowest average margin behind winners over two races.
With Fourie & Olivier, Hattingh, Coenie, and Barnard Familie showing strong form, the next Central Provincial Loft race promises to clarify the competition.
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