Racing Pigeons | China | Mark Raubenheimer | Mount Moreland Lofts

A Chinese Pigeon Story

In China, it's estimated that there are close to a million millionaires and six hundred billionaires. Those numbers are going up, too. Half the world's billionaires will come from China within the decade. The country boasts the second largest economy in the world and should top the charts by 2015. It is the largest exporter and second largest importer of goods. Its economy grows by 10 per cent per annum. Of this we are well aware.

But how does this new brand of yuppies live? How do they spend their money? A documentary put out last year by ABC Australia called "The Ka-Ching Dynasty" offers an intriguing look into the spendthrift and enterprising world of China's wealthy. The typical Chinese billionaire is a 51-year-old man who lives in Beijing, while your average millionaire is 41, and lives in Shanghai, according to a Hurun Report on China’s Rich List.

In a country known for its long enforced socialistic policy, a new group of citizens has emerged known as the “capitalist class”. Today it is a common sight to find Ferraris, Maserati’s, Lamborghinis, and such, found outside expensive night clubs.

Sales of private jets here have jumped five-fold from 2008 till the present time, according to Jean-Michel Jacob, senior vice president of Dassault – a leading company in the global aviation industry. They typically sell for around $53 million.

Yes, the wealthy Chinese have been snapping up contemporary art, top wines and some of the world’s most expensive cars. Now a new fad is gaining momentum where they’re adding racing pigeons to their must-have list. This is a new trend, for pigeon racing had previously been the entertainment of the ordinary working class.

A Chinese shipping magnate recently spent 250,400 Euros (over R3 000 000) for a Dutch pigeon, a new world record according to Pigeon Paradise (Pipa), the firm that ran the online auction. Pigeon racing has become the fastest growing sport in the country – among a population of 1,344,130, 000 people. Its growth is put down mainly to the lucrative prize-money offered for each of their races. They don’t hold to the philosophy that we are just flying pigeons for the love of it. They buy the best stock and fly to win for the best rewards. Competition is very intense.

Yes, the Chinese are coming – and they’re entering the pigeon world at such a rapid pace that European fanciers are becoming rich overnight, so great is the demand for their pigeons. 2013 is celebrated in China as the “Year of the Snake” but for a certain group (numbering around 6 million sky-watchers) it is the year of the pigeon.

In fact, China has just run its Chinese Racing Pigeon Expo held in the city of Lang fang where the sport celebrated its 100th year of pigeon racing. This five day expo featured, among its many items, sale pigeons, branded pigeon feeds, branded pigeon medicines and products of many, many descriptions. It drew exhibitors from all over the world, the biggest contingent from Europe, Taiwan and China. In the midst of an exhibition hall, the size of two rugby fields, stood an exhibition that should make us South Africans proud. In a 3 by 3 meter space the only South African represented at the expo proudly displayed himself and his pigeon stud, with banners and breeding certificates to prove the authenticity of the fact that he has pigeons to stand with the best that the rest of the world has offer.

They say fortune favours the brave. Well, Mark Raubenheimer is just that kind of man. How did he get to be one of the exhibitors at such an expo?

“Well, I got interested in things happening in China and started looking up on the subject on the internet.” However, there were no answers coming across on the net for him as each website seemed to be run by agents who preferred to deal exclusively. Mark’s investigation found him eventually contacting Joe Herbots of Belgium.

“Mr Herbots was a very decent man. He put me onto a Chinese fancier named Huang Jian”, says Mark. Apparently Mr Jian was pleased to hear from someone from South Africa and asked him if he knew of the up and coming pigeon expo. Mark further found out that Mr Jian was editor of the China Pigeon World Magazine and organizer of the expo. With a personal invite to display on the expo, Mark soon found himself organizing his banners and displays which needed to be done within a short period of time. He planned his display on things he had seen at similar events he had visited in the past, in Britain and Germany. He was soon off to his expo – headed for Beijing where he would be met by his hosts. This is just what I mean when I say, “Fortune favours the brave” for there to meet him was a personal tour guide, an interpreter and an agent, given him by Mr Jian, who had organized his accommodation and his entertainment for his stay in Langfang.

As I’ve said, each exhibitor’s space was 3 by 3 meters – and there were hundreds of exhibitors and sellers. Mark was given too short a time to have birds up for sale but he feels his display was good enough – considering. He had many visitors each day; met many fanciers and was given many cards by enthusiasts from all over the world. The massive hall was jam-packed each day and the enthusiasm for the pigeon sport was very contagious. The main attraction to Mark’s tables was the fact that he had on display breeding certificates and pedigrees of Jansen pigeons which have become a great sought after commodity in China. 

It was very interesting to read the Daelemans article in a recent SA & World Magazine where mention was made of prized Jansen bloodlines – progeny of pigeons like Septemberman, Klamper and Chantilly – which, low and behold, are the very same names featuring in Mark’s acquisitions brought back to South Africa from the lofts of Louis Jansen just months before the old man’s death. 

The visitors to his stall poured over the certificates signed by Mr Jansen and soon Mark found himself signing up 300 orders for babies. “Yes”, says Mark, “The legend certainly does live on, here in South Africa – as well!”

Mark flies with the Pinetown Racing Pigeon Club in KZN – a club that presented both the North-route and West-route Champions for 2012 (Mark being the North-route Champion). His enthusiasm for pigeons is contagious and time spent with him is an education indeed. An example of this was at the expo where two quiet, conservative European exhibitors were left with 6 un-purchased birds. Mark felt to help them out so asked if he might handle the birds. He examined them in an exaggerated way – holding them up with wing open, as against the light, which stopped a number of onlookers. Then he began to describe what he looks for in a pigeon. More onlookers gathered. Then he said, in a voice loud enough to be heard, “If I were looking for good pigeons – here is where I’d buy them!” – and good pigeons they really were from winners of one-loft races, in lofts featured around the world. 

 He goes on to say: “Well, the six pigeons were sold there and then – much to the joy of their previous owners”. These were now two more friends added to the many friends he made over there. He also came back with two contracted agents that will organize all his deals with the Chinese fraternity from now on - as well as any future visits that he will be making there. I don’t know where or how he got to the printing of his adverts in the Chinese language but it sure seems like our KZN man has become an international player in the sport that we all love so much. Who knows what doors this adventure in China might open for the sport here in South Africa?

Contact Mark on +27837901708 or raubenheimerl.m@telkomsa.net