Speed ace, the “sprinters” category, was met in the 2020 season by 642 old birds. A figure that at first glance might seem small, but, considering that for this norm the pigeons have to rank ten races with the distance between 95 and 630 km, the number of norms fulfilled last season doesn’t seem so small anymore. The best score and, automatically, the 1st place National Speed ace Old birds category was obtained by a super cock, competed by the team Constantin + Ivănescu, from Pitești. The second place belongs to another cock, this time competed by the well-known Bucharest team Stănescu + Dobre, and the third place is occupied by one of the most awarded pigeons from the 2020 season, also a cock, competed by Marius Floștoiu.

“Sultan”, the cock with the series 0154047/2018 competed by the team Constantin F. + Ivănescu I., from Pitești, Argeș County, finished the norm with 142.24 penalty points and won the most coveted position from the National Catalog of this category. This pigeon is also national champion at Speed ace ​​Palmares 2020, but also national vice-champion at Short distance ​​Palmares, trophies that make him one of the best short stage pigeons in Romania at present. The national vice-champion at Speed ace Old birds, competed by the team Stănescu + Dobre, has the series 4044297/2018 and was penalized with a total coefficient of 163.25 penalty points. The pigeon on the 3rd National place, competed by Marius Floștoiu, from Prahova, is a pigeon that I mentioned repeatedly. He has the series 2085284/2018, and at Speed ace Old birds he finished the norm with a total score of 193.27. Last season, Marius Floștoiu’s cock won no less than six national trophies.

Three national trophies brought by the “Sultan” to the team Constantin F. + Ivănescu I. (AG)

A total of 11 races last season ranked the cock with the series 0154047/2018, competed by the tandem Constantin F. + Ivănescu I., from Pitești. With their help, including 1 place out of 2,384 pigeons (165 km) and several places 2 and 3, “Sultan” managed to win three national trophies. Winning the 1st place National Speed ace old birds in the 2020 season and the 1st place National at Speed ace ​​Palmares, we can say that the cock of the Pitesti team has clearly dominated this category in the last two seasons. “The cock is original Silviu Glodeanu and has brought us the greatest satisfactions so far in pigeon-loving. He competed in widowhood, like the whole flight group, being separated two weeks before the first race, after raising a chick. Usually, we prefer to send the calm pigeons to competitions, but there were also stages when we let them see each other before basketing. For feeding we used Vanrobaeys, mixture 29, and Gerry from Versele Laga. As a recoverer we use Avipharm on arrival, and on Monday, probiotics. Between races, the pigeons are taken two or three times a week at the beginning of the season, and towards the end, we leave them a little lighter “, said Ionuț Ivănescu.

A team also in the second place

On the second place we find another team, Stănescu + Dobre, from Bucharest, for which the 2020 season brought a new presence on the national podium. The trophy for the 2nd place National Speed ace Old birds was won by the cock 4044297/2018, who managed in the 2020 season to rank 13 stages, with distances between 150 and 680 km. One of his best rankings was the 2nd place out of 6,702 pigeons at a stage of 158 km. He is a cock with Leo Heremans origins, on his father’s side, and his mother is a sister with our famous hen “300”, a combination of Van Dyck with Rudi Diels. The pigeons in the flight group have competed as widows since the first stage. The flyers do not reproduce before the season, but only after the stages are over. We use the Versele Laga range of blends for feeding, and we use supplements from Rohnfried, CEST Pharma and Versele Laga. Twice a week the pigeons are taken to a 40 km training session, and those who stand out at competitions during the season are launched separately “, explained Cosmin Dobre.

Marius Floștoiu (PH), on the national podium also for this category

Among the six national trophies won by the cock 2085284/2018, competed by Marius Floștoiu from Prahova, is the 3rd place National Speed ace Old birds. The other national places occupied by the pigeon fancier from Prahova, one of the most awarded pigeons in Romania, are 1 National Mature H, 2 National Allround old birds, 3 National Allround Palmares, 3 National Middle distance old birds and 3 National Short distance ​​Old birds. During the season, Marius Floștoiu’s champion ranked 12 stages, winning three times the 1st place at the center level, at three stages of 384 km, but also a 2nd place out of 12,427 pigeons, at a competition of 142 km. “The cock is a cross of several lines of pigeons for short stages, his father being a Louis van Loon pigeon. I competed in widowhood, and to motivate him I tried several options. It came best when I left him in the breeding box, where he also had the nest, before the stage or when I put another cock and his hen in his box. I tried in two races to leave him with the hen before basketing, but he failed in those ones and I gave up this method. Out of the 12 stages he competed in, he was the first to arrive home at eight of them. During the season, I used food from Versele Laga and Beyers and I trained them two or three times a week from about 90 km ”, explained Marius Floștoiu.