For the second consecutive year, Romanian fanciers occupy top places in the rankings of the World Best Pigeon international competition, organized every year by the International Federation Columbophile Internationale (FCI). Thus, Romania wins the first two places in the Marathon category, the second place in the Middle Distance category and other appearances with honorable places in other categories, along countries with world renown in racing pigeons sport.

The World Best Pigeon Championship is organized annually by FCI for countries that are affiliated to the international forum and contains five categories. The first category is dedicated to speed pigeons, it is called the Short distance ​​category and it’s achieved by ranking five races with a distance between 100 and 400 km. The second category is Middle Distance, achieved by ranking four races, with a distance between 300 and 600 km. Long distance is the third category of the World Best Pigeon competition, for which the pigeons must rank three competitions with a distance of more than 500 km. The fourth category is Allround is made of six races, from 100 to over 500 km, and the last of the categories of the competition is Marathon, whose norm involves the ranking of two competitions of over 700 km. Based on these criteria, the best three scores are calculated at national level for each country, and then the International Federation draws the World Best Pigeon ranking. Among the competitors we mention countries such as Belgium, the Netherlands, Poland, Germany, Italy or Hungary.

Romania wins the 1st, 2nd and 5th places in the Marathon category

By far, the best rankings of Romanian pigeon fanciers in the World Best Pigeon Championship are in the Marathon category. Romania’s national champion in the National Old birds Marathon category, Florian Cernitu, from Olt, ranks first in the world, according to the World Best Pigeon competition, with a coefficient of 0.84 penalty points. He is also followed by a Romanian, Constantin Stoian from Bucharest, national vice-champion in the National Marathon Old birds category in the Romanian championship and, from now on, world vice-champion in the marathon, with 1.15 penalty points. The two best fanciers in Romania in the National Marathon category in 2020 are ahead of ones from famous countries with old tradition of pigeon sport. The Netherlands, Belgium or Germany are behind Romania at the World Best Pigeon 2020 and let’s not forget that in 2019, through Elisei Eacobuță, Romania also won the 1st place in the Marathon category. So, we are facing a moment that we could categorize as historical. We must state more openly that our country, through the marathon races it organizes and the better results recorded in this category at international level, is a landmark in European pigeon fancier, an aspect that we have a duty to promote at fair value. “Being the the first place is a very pleasant feeling, but I think I am most happy for Romania. As a Romanian settled in another country, I know that we do not have a very beautiful image abroad. Therefore, when I realize that Romania is ahead of countries such as Belgium or the Netherlands and fanciers who represent a world-class name are lower in this ranking, I cannot help but feel proud. I think that, together with my colleagues, I managed a very good result for our country “, said Florian Cernitu. Particularly important is the ranking on the second place, made by Constantin Stoian, but also the result of Petrișor Vasile, from Argeș, the third Romanian fancier included in the World Best Pigeon championship in the Marathon category, which occupies the 5th place. something extraordinary to be in the same ranking with worldclass fanciers, from countries important for pigeon sport. As our case now, it is even more pleasant that we are above them, because we know well how the Romanians relate to the pigeons from Holland or Belgium ”, added Constantin Stoian (foto right).

The Manole Victoraș + Răzvan team ranks second in the Middle Distance

Another category where Romanian pigeon fanciers are on the world podium is Middle Distance. Here, brothers Victoraș and Răzvan Manole, from Dâmbovița, the national champions in the Middle distance Yearlings category, with a coefficient of 2.90 penalty points, occupy the second place, being overtaken only by the well-known Gunter Prange. As a matter of fact, Belgium’s first ranking is on the 11th place. “We are not at the first international experience. I won the third place at the European Cup twice and I also participated in the Continental Cup. However, the fact that we are now in second place is a very good result. It is a very good ranking for our country and a result that any fancier would want “, said Victoraș Manole. In the same category, Romania also occupies the 16th and 17th places out of a total of 54 participants, through the pigeon fanciers George Tîlvîc, from the Vâlcea Association, and Magdalena Dragomir, from the Prahova Association.

The Nica Gabriel & Haiducu Robert (OT) team, very close of the podium

At Long distance, the Oltenian team formed by the pigeon fanciers Gabriel Nica and Robert Haiducu were very close to in a place on the world podium. With 3.85 penalty points, they ranked fourth, being represented by a super hen, triple national champion in the categories Allround Old birds, Long distance Old birds and National Ace Old birds. “Although it is a very pleasant feeling, I still regret that I did not nominate the hen in the Allround category. With the score she achieved at Allround in the Romanian championship, she would have taken the second place at World Best Pigeon. However, the hen will also compete next season, and the main objective is a very good ranking at the next edition of the Columbophile Olympics “, detailed Gabriel Nica. On the 11th place, out of 48 participants, we find another Romanian, Florin Petrache, from Piatra Neamț. And the 12th place is also occupied by Romania, through Mihai Ungureanu, from the Prahova Association.

4th place for Allround category

Very close to the world podium, we also ranked in the Allround category, where Romania ranks 4th, through Marius Floștoiu, from the Prahova Association. He participated in the World Best Pigeon Championship with the cock 2085284/2018, which in 2020 won no less than six national titles: 1 National H Old birds, 2 National Allround Old birds, 3 National Allround Palmares, 3 National Ace speed Old birds, 3 National Middle distance Old birds and 3 National Short distance ​​Old birds. For the Allround category, his score was taken from the Allround Old birds category in the national ranking, where he accumulated 11.07 penalty points. “By far, for me, this result is the best in my career as a pigeon fancier. The 2020 season was a dream one. It is the first season in which I climbed the national podium, and not once, but six times, and this ranking on the 4th place in the world is a performance I never dreamed of “, explained Marius Floștoiu. Immediately after Marius Floștoiu, on the 5th and 6th places, two Romanian pigeon fanciers also rank. Their name is Vali Tudor, from Vâlcea, and Dan Militaru, from Dolj.

Top 20 in the world also for Short distance ​​category

In the sprinters category, the best place occupied by our country is 14, a result obtained by Miklos Szekey, from Alba, the 2020 national champion of the Short distance Old birds ​​category, with a coefficient of 10 penalty points. In the same category, the team Șițoiu + Tudoran, from Vâlcea, ranks 17th, and the 18th place belongs to the team Simion Emil & Dumitran Stelian, from Bucharest. “Although we have to admit that it is a pretty high score, we see that it is not far from the first place. For me, this result is very important, especially since it is the second presence in an international competition in the sports class. I think that any fancier aims at such results “, stated Miklos Szekey

In the end, all we have to do is congratulate every Romanian fancier present at this competition!