The Gold Club, competition created and organized by the National Federation of Pigeon Fanciers in Romania (FNCPR), is one of the most appreciated racing pigeons competitions in Romania. This year, Gold Club had a new regulation, which ensured the same high level of competitiveness, but, in the same time, more equity for all the participants. Like every year, at the National Columbophile Exhibition, which took place in Brașov, the 19 winners were awarded. At the same time, the start for the next season has been given. The champion of 2019 for Gold Club, and also the fancier with the most awards won is Vali Tudor from Valcea. He claimed 1st, 13th and 18th place nationally, winning a consistent prize of 30,000 lei (aprox. 6500 €). In second place was Florin Petrache (Neamț), he also won two Gold awards (aprox. 4200 €), and the podium was completed by Alexandru Rusu from Bacău (aprox. 2200 €). “I consider the Gold Club to be the best project of its kind ever initiated in Romania. It was a very good year for me, considering that I won 1st place Gold Club and three national awards in total, plus four other county awards. I will definitely buy Gold rings in the future, it would be the peak not to do it! Honestly, I think it’s a unique opportunity for us, the fanciers, to monetize our passion!” said Vali Tudor, absolute champion of this competition in 2019, and a formidable fancier of one-day races.
The ranking of the Gold Club 2019 season looks as following: 1. Vali Turor VL, 2. Petrache Florin NT, 3. Rusu Alexandru BC, 4. Petrache Florin NT, 5. Rusu Isac SV, 6. Arvinte Bogdan BC, 7. Mirăuță Daniel SV, 8. Dencef Adrian NT, 9. Mirăuță Daniel SV, 10. Frații Olaru BC, 11. Dumitru Florentin NT, 12. Team Catrinescu VL, 13. Vali Tudor VL, 14. Rusu Alexandru BC, 15. Frații Onică Putneanu SV, 16. Feștilă Ioan&Cătălin NT, 17. Nistor Cristi și Doru SV, 18. Vali Tudor VL, 19. Biciu Marius Nicolae OT. Looking at the picture of the 19 winners, the most relevant aspect that emerges is the diversity of areas where the award-winning fanciers come from. In the Gold Club standings of the season that just ended, we can find fanciers from almost all areas of the country, areas where the Long distance category is played intensively, which makes us believe that the Gold Club achieves one of its most important goals, addressability. „We are very pleased that another edition of the Gold Club has ended very well. It was a new success of this daring project, and the fanciers who participated were very pleased. The progress of the Gold Club is one we hoped for when we decided to organize this competition. In 2019 we had the largest number of Gold rings distributed so far and I think in the future the Gold Club will enjoy the same appreciation from the Romanian fanciers, following a natural and healthy upward trend. It is a competition of an irreproachable fairness, which is an important point of attraction for our colleagues, and the prizes are very consistent. Surely, Gold Club will have a beautiful future, becoming a part of the Romanian columbophilia tradition! ”, said Marius Tunduc, president of the National Federation of Pigeon Fanciers in Romania.
The Gold Club is a competition with financially consistent prizes which is addressed to yearlings pigeons. The birds participating in this contest must have a special rings distributed by the FNCPR. The birds thus identified must meet the norm for Yearlings Long distance category (3 races out of 5, nominated over 475 kilometers, totaling a minimum of 1800 kilometers). After the second race of the competition, all the pigeons who “fight” for the Gold Club awards, have special stickers attached above the ring, and at the arrival of the contest, the fancier has the obligation to announce the series on the sticker in no more than one hour, if the flight takes place on the weekend, or two hours if the flight is during the week.