Similar to the model launched a few years ago by pigeon fanciers in the area of ​​Moldova, more and more Romanian fanciers participate in marathon competitions with young birds of only a few months old. Following these proofs of courage, we had the opportunity to observe what efforts pigeons are capable of, but also to see that patience is no longer a quality of pigeon fanciers. This is how in the 2020 season we have young birds that have achieved the norms in all three categories of marathon: National Marathon, Ace Marathon and Grand Prix Marathon. To achieve this, young birds do not benefit from any derogation from the regulation applicable for old birds, except that they can be engaged in competitions during the old birds season. For today, we set out to present to you how things were in the National Young birds Marathon category.

As difficult as it may seem, in the 2020 season, 24 young birds met the norm of the National Marathon category. To make this performance, they had to rank two marathon races (+760 km), making the impossible… possible. In these conditions, the best score was obtained by the pigeon fancier Predoi Ion, from Constanța, whose young pigeon accumulated a coefficient of 66.49 penalty points. With 124.17 penalty points, Aurel Munteanu, from the Neamț Association, ranks second, and also from Constanța, Sergiu Duda ranks third, with 158.06 penalty points.

Ion Predoi: “I participated with the young birds in the marathons more out of curiosity”

With a young bird reproduced at the beginning of February, Ion Predoi from Constanța managed to make history. A pure marathonist, Ion Predoi decided this year to try to fly at these stages with the 2020 young birds, and a hen, with the series 0257910/2020, managed not only to come home, but also to rank three out of three marathon competitions , becoming national champion in the Marathon young birds and Ace Marathon young birds. The marathon norm was met with 66.49 penalty points, after its young hen managed to rank 48th out of 1,460 pigeons (Terespol), at a distance of 955 km, and 16th out of 476 pigeons, at a distance of … 1,385 km (Birzai National). “It is a bird from the first series, reproduced at the beginning of February. Half is from my old pigeons, which I have been cultivating for over 40 years, and half is from Jellema pigeons, from George Vochin, which came to me through Mihai Voicu. The young birds have a separate compartment and they all sit there, without being kept in the dark. I selected a batch of 10 young birds that I played with the old birds, benefiting from the same treatment. They receive the same food all season, made by me from different seeds, and for recovery and preparation I use only Romanian products. I mean, this hen, being in the young birds compartment, flew more naturally. I didn’t pay much attention to hen, I didn’t prepare nest positions or something else. It is true that it mated and laid eggs, but the chicks did not hatch. For example, in Birzai, it had been hatching for about 10 days. This season was the first in which I participated with the young birds in the marathon, and I can say that I participated more out of curiosity “, Ion Predoi detailed.

Aurel Munteanu (NT), national vice-champion

The second best young bird in the marathon competitions belongs to Aurel Munteanu, a member of the Neamț Pigeon Association. At the Vilnius stage (875 km), the first marathon of the season, the 2001529/2020 bird of the pigeon fancier from Neamt ranked 326th out of 22,070 pigeons, ahead of a competition of 21,643 pigeons with much more experience. The next marathon stage in which he was engaged and ranked was Madonna National (1,113 km), a competition in which he won the 1,917 place out of 17,523 pigeons. It was basketed and also arrived from the Birzai National competition (1,023 km), very little missing to rank this race as well. Moreover, the same young bird managed to meet the norm at the Long distance, occupying the 7th county and 28th national place. “The pigeon comes from special fliers. One of his grandmothers won four national trophies, and one of his grandparents won three national trophies. His father was introduced directly into the breeding compartment, being paired with a hen from Cătălin Bocăneț, on the Verweij-de Haan line. It hatched on March 5 and competed very, very naturally. I used the food from Ioan Feștilă. I am most glad that this is the 17th national trophy of my career “, said Aurel Muneanu.

Sergiu Duda (CT), three young birds with Marathon norms     

Three of the 24 old birds who achieved the norm at the Marathon belong to Sergiu Duda from Constanța. The first of them, 0069322/2020, ranks 3rd National, with a score of 158.06 penalty points, and the other two occupy 6th and 17th national. All the three young birds who achieved the Marathon norm were engaged at the Terespol competitions (953 km), and the 3rd National place was ranked 36th out of 1,460 pigeons and 250 out of 1,874 pigeons. “His father is from Adrian Ciucur, and the mother is a hen with Ko van Dommelen origins. He is part of a group of 10 young birds with which I participated in the marathon races, being hatched at the beginning of January. I can say that they flew naturally, apart from the fact that I put in their compartment old birds, both cocks and hens, with which they mated. For example, the young bird that occupies the 3rd National place, a cock, was very well motivated if we changed his hen often, being basketed every time he ran his hen to the nest. I used Beyers food, Koopman mixes and Vandenabeele, to which I added hemp and hazelnuts. Three or four times a week they were taken to an 80 km training session “, mentioned Sergiu Duda (foto right).

Because the achievement of the Marathon Young birds norm is a performance itself, even if not all the pigeons reach the national podium, it is clear that they have a special value.