Before the auction: all the values stand at "zero" - numbers that will change significantly quite soon!

...and here is the winning pigeon, VICTOR, a much-handled bird this morning!

A fancier displays the number 8 pigeon, HOT CHOCO of the USA

Fanciers view the pigeons that will be auctioned in just a few minutes

Fanciers queue up for the previewing at the Superbowl

A brief glimpse of an African sunset at the Sun City superbowl

Here they are, the unofficial 11-20 pigeons home in the 2011 SCMDPR (screengrab):

Here's a screenshot of this year's SCMDPR top ten (unofficial result):

Mark and Naomi Kitchenbrand, and their partner Alfons Klaus of Germany, on stage at the SCMDPR Superbowl

The Winner: MARK KITCHENBRAND and his wife NAOMI receive celebratory calls right after VICTORY comes home:

The announcement of the winning pigeon appears on screen at the Sun City Superbowl:

Bird spotters in the loft towers, scanning eagerly...

The cameraman has started panning across the sky in search of the first pigeons...

Bright sunshine at the SCMDPR lofts waiting to welcome the first pigeons home...

Here's a Google Earth screenshot showing race truck check-in points, cloud cover along the race route and current temperatures:

...and we've got our first shot of the LIVE FEED from the SCMDPR lofts - now streaming in the Superbowl:

The performance ends with a bit of gumboot dancing

Here's a great wide show of the Sun City Superbowl, showing the children's choir on stage

The children's choir takes the stage at the Superbowl

The busiest stand at the Superbowl, meanwhile, is the pools stand, where fanciers and punters are making last-min bets