'EPP FLAMING SKY' Wins Victoria Falls Enduro Race 2026 For Exclusive Pigeon Paradise

Outright Victory At Victoria Falls

Exclusive Pigeon Paradise (ZA) closed out 2025 with 'EPP ELLIE' winning the Marlbanks OLR semi final by more than ten minutes and 'EPP ATLANTIS' finishing 4th in the Afrikapro Final over 601km. On 24 June 2026, the loft and partner Ninja Lofts went one better. Their check cock 'EPP FLAMING SKY' won the Enduro Race outright, part of the Victoria Falls World Challenge Pigeon Race, one of Africa's premier One Loft events.

The Big Stage

996 pigeons were liberated from Nyamapanda at 06:30 (GMT + 2) for the 591km flight to the Victoria Falls loft. The international top ten featured fanciers from South Africa (ZA), Kuwait (KW), Germany (DE), the United States (US) and Zimbabwe (ZW), exactly what One Loft Racing is built on, competing against the world under identical conditions.

A Winning Performance

'EPP FLAMING SKY' clocked a velocity of 1346.20 m/min to take the win. Six pigeons broke clear of the main group in a battle decided in hundredths of a second, before the gap to seventh place opened up to well over two minutes. Exclusive Pigeon Paradise and partner Ninja Lofts placed a second bird, ZA 25 VPU 2535, inside that breakaway group too, finishing 5th. The check cock had been building toward the win all season, climbing from 5th of 1,728 pigeons on the training toss to 207th of 1,611 in the Final before peaking on race day, with a combined team of twelve pigeons sent to the Victoria Falls OLR in 2026.

Father to 'EPP FLAMING SKY'

The Father behind 'EPP FLAMING SKY' is central to the Exclusive Pigeon Paradise story. ZA ABL 1456 24 'SKY' is an inbred Kittel cock from the Dirk Van Den Bulck line. At just seven months old, he bred the legendary 'EPP ELLIE', winner of the Marlbanks OLR semi final by more than 10 minutes, 2nd in the Final and 3rd Ace Bird overall in 2025. A year later, he produced 'EPP FLAMING SKY', the 1st of 996 pigeons winning the Enduro Race at Victoria Falls OLR 2026.

His sire DV21-01769-1008, 'Kittel x Kittel 1008', is inbred directly back to the legendary Kittel, bred from a son of Kittel mated to a granddaughter of Kittel. His dam, NLD 1418637 19 , is granddam to 'Turbo Kittel', 3rd FCI World Best Allround Pigeon in 2021 and a 6 x Sanpo Gold Medal winner. NLD 1418637 19 is also granddam to 'Blue Moon', winner of 1st Ace Bird and 1st Final at Dinokeng OLR 24 before being sold for R400,000. NLD 1418637 19 is also granddam to 'UNTOUCHABLE' 2nd Blue Jacket Overall Ace Afrikapro 2025. 'SKY' is a champion producing offspring in two seasons, a cock built on some of the most decorated Kittel blood in the sport.

Mother to 'EPP FLAMING SKY'

'EPP FLAMING SKY' has taken the headlines, the dam behind him deserves her own moment in the spotlight. 'FLAMING ROCK' is herself a proven winner for De Beers Duiwe (ZA). Entered at Dinokeng OLR 21, she won the Champion of Champions title outright, added 4th Ace Bird, finished 27th in the Main Race, 6th in the Barzalona Race and 4th in the Big Money Race, a season strong enough to mark her out as one of the loft's standout breeding hens long before her offspring took over.

That promise has already paid off twice. As well as producing 'EPP FLAMING SKY', the 1st of 996 pigeons winning the Enduro Race at Victoria Falls OLR 2026, she is also dam to ZA JKL 1060, who finished 10th in the Final at Dinokeng OLR 2025.

Her own bloodline runs just as deep. Her sire, 'Gondolier Brother', carries the De Beer's Duiwe strain, with a direct brother that won at Dinokeng Barcelona in 2017. Her dam, 05373 ZA 15 WRRPA, comes from the Tom Lock and Wouters lines, a full sister to a hen that won 1st Club, 1st Union and 1st Combine as a young bird against more than 9,000 pigeons from Bloemfontein.

The Team Behind The Victory

'EPP FLAMING SKY' races under the Exclusive Pigeon Paradise banner (ZA), bred by Justin Lambie and entered in partnership with Wayne McPherson from Ninja Lofts. Reflecting on the win, the team called it a pleasant surprise, though they always believed the cock had the engine to go the distance, much like his Marlbanks winning half sister.

Looking Ahead

With 'EPP ELLIE', 'EPP ATLANTIS' and now 'EPP FLAMING SKY' all delivering for the same loft, Exclusive Pigeon Paradise's breeding program looks set to keep producing winners heading into the next campaign.