Most pigeon fanciers in Romania are quite moderate in terms of young birds competition in the year of birth. The young flyers are b askete for several competitions, with the role of preparing them for the future and to make a first selection based on sports skills. But, there are a considerable number of fanciers for whom the youngsters championship is very important. They prepare the races in detail, practice special systems for competing them, such as the “darkening” method, and achieve important results at national level. This is also the case of fanciers Andrei Malinovschi (Suceava Association), Daniel Pîslă (Caraş-Severin Association) and Bușe Brothers (Mehedinți Association, on the national podium of the National Federation of Pigeon Fanciers in Romania in the Middle distance Youngsters category.

As in the case of old birds and young ones, the Middle distance Youngsters category is achieved by ranking four races with a distance between 285 and 630 km. As most associations do not include in the flight plan too many stages that can be centralized in this category, young flyers have to rank almost all races to meet the norm. Moreover, in the case of the associations Mehedinți and Suceava, the number of races of Short distance – Middle distance and Middle distance – Long distance was four races, and in Caraş-Severin five such competitions were organized.

Andrei Malinovschi, national champion in his debut

For Andrei Malinovschi, member of the Suceava Pigeon Association, 2020 was the debut season. After the races with the old birds, where he did very well for a young pigeon fancier and at the beginning of the road, followed the season with the youngsters, who the young pigeon fancier from Suceava will always remember. “Rossa”, RO-20-0921417, a young blue hen, won for Andrei Malinovschi the 1st place National Middle distance Youngsters (8.65 points) and the 2nd place National Allround Youngsters (24.82 points), outstanding performances for a beginner fancier. “The hen is a gift from Mihai Bizubac, whom I and my mentor Daniel Sabău would like to thank. I had the opportunity to choose from over 20 young birds, and I chose her. I had a batch of 44 youngsters. I competed with 10 of them using the natural method, and the rest, including this hen, I competed using the darkening method. I started to keep them in the dark a little later, because I wasn’t determined, so only two weeks after the separation, the youngsters started the program. The time interval in the dark was 16:00 – 08:00, starting in March, up to three weeks before the first race. I used food from Versele Laga, Gerry, Black Label and Energy mixes, and for recovery I used protein, which I put on food. I want to mention that all four Middle distance races of the hen, two of 335 and two of 558 km, were very difficult. At the last race, the decisive one, the hen arrived home in the evening, at 19:19, when I was no longer hoping. As for the results, I can say that they are a dream that has become a reality”, said Andrei Malinovshi (foto right). Regarding the rankings made by Andrei’s hen in the Middle distance category, they are as follows: 1/2,037 pigeons (558 km), 7/7,356 pigeons (335 km), 4/1,448 pigeons (335 km) and 5/1,123 pigeons ( 558 km).

Daniel Pîslă (CS) is on the second place

If on the 1st National place  is a pigeon fancier in his debut, the second place is occupied by a fancier with a lot of experience and with many results of national level, the well known Daniel Pîslă, from Reșița, Caraș-Severin. In fact, the two pigeon fanciers are swapping places in the national ranking of the Allround Youngsters category, with the same two pigeons. The score made by Daniel Pîslă at Middle distance Youngsters, with RO-20-2015775, also a hen, is 15.83 penalty points. It should also be remembered that the same pigeon is the 1st place National Long distance Youngsters, which further highlights its quality. “This pigeons ie a hen related to the 2017 pigeon, that won five national cups and to the hen who last year was the national champion at the National Ace Palmares. Her parents are brought through my friend Constantin Fulger, the pigeons with mostly Koopman origins, from Marc Brett. It is reproduced in the first series of young birds, having a sister who also competed very well. The youngsters were competed using the natural method, without darknening or other methods, because for me continuity is important and I believe that such procedures affect in the future. All the youngsters were basketed for the first long distance race, those who managed to rank it also went to the second and, of course, those who also qualified the second stage of the long distance category, went to the third. So was this hen. To feed the youngsters during the season, I use light, pea-free food from different producers. It doesn’t matter the company. It is important to have a good mixture and not to have peas. Even for the long distance races, the youngsters did not receive a mixture containing peas. I have to say that I don’t have a specific training program either. It depends on the pigeons. If it was a difficult race, I don’t do any training between competitions. This year, almost all the races with the youngsters were difficult, and the three long distance races were windy. It was very difficult, especially, the third one, where the pigeons were launched at 10:35, due to the fog, and only one pigeon from the competition arrived home on the first day “, explained Daniel Pîslă. All season, Daniel Pîslă’s hen ranked nine races out of ten, but the ones that interest us at the moment are the following: 5/2,660 pigeons (538 km), 4/1,297 pigeons (598 km), 15/3,141 pigeons (329 km) and 11/1,726 pigeons (627 km).

The Bușe Brothers (MH) are in third place

Competing for the first time in this formula, the team formed by brothers Neluț and Claudiu Bușe, from Strehaia, Mehedinți, manage to win the 3rd place National Middle distance Youngsters. And this time we are also talking about a hen, RO-20-0587503, who in the four middle distance races she ranked accumulated a coefficient of 60.72 penalty points. “After competing alone for a while, starting this year I formed a team with my brother and it seems that it was a welcome change. We managed several good results, including this one from Middle distance Youngsters, but also the 9th place National Long distance Ace Yearlings. The mother of this hen is from Liviu Plăvițu, and the father is from Călin Ususan. It is a first series young bird, competed using the natural method. She participated for all the races, ranking seven of them. We used food from Versele Laga, Tollyamin and Belgasol for preparation and recovery and the usual treatments for trichomoniasis and respiratory problems. Between races, the youngsters were taken to one or two trainings from 50 km “, said Neluț Bușe. For this performance, the hen of the Bușe brothers ranked as follows: 2/673 pigeons (479 km), 2/332 pigeons (306 km), 41/1,687 pigeons (305 km) and 31/1,130 pigeons (330 km).

A first aspect that we can deduce from this presentation is that the three pigeons had to fly considerable distances to climb the national podium and, in this context, it may not be at all coincidental that all three youngsters are hens