A new competitive season is coming to an end, but this year’s one has the necessary premises to be a very special one. As difficult and intense as possible, the 2021 season ends very well, with three competitions that can rightly be considered the “finals” of the championship. Of course, we are referring to the three major national stages, Berlin, Birzai and Izium, competitions for which the pigeons have already been basketed and will be released at the end of this week.

Tuesday, July 27, was the main moment for a large number of pigeon fanciers in Romania. The fans of the marathon stages have this weekend the last and strongest races of the 2021 season, the figures of the participating pigeons and pigeon fanciers speaking for themselves. As this is the last stage, this year’s Berlin, Birzai and Izium National competitions are attended by the best pigeons of each pigeon fancier, and if we refer to fanciers, previous competitions have provided enough opportunities to correct some mistakes and better remember what needs to be done to get the pigeons as prepared as possible. To put it briefly, each of the participants has a real chance to win, which raises the level of competition very high. “Next weekend, three exceptional races are waiting for us, three national marathon races, Izium, Berlin and Birzai, which have become a tradition and will keep almost four thousand pigeon fanciers with their eyes on the sky, hoping that their favorites will return home first. As president of the National Pigeon Federation (FNCPR), I can only be proud of what I have achieved with all those involved over the years in everything that meant organizing the competitions and especially with those involved this year in organizing these three exceptional stages. We could see on the Facebook page of the Federation a real festival, a real contest of posts between the organizers of these stages, which highlighted an extraordinarily beautiful face of pigeon fancier in Romania, showed us the joy of the basketing centers, emotions and the beautiful feelings of the colleagues involved. Many years ago, when I decided to get involved in leading the national pigeon fancier, I was just dreaming of such stages and making plans to get where we are today. I am very happy that these kinds of stages have become a reality and that we are constantly growing. Moreover, I am sure that we will reach other impressive digital terminals in the coming years. Congratulations to all the people involved, congratulations to the participants and may God give us successful races, in which our pigeons will return home and bring us much joy! Good luck to everyone! ” transmitted Marius Tunduc (foto right), president of the National Federation of Pigeon Fanciers in Romania.

Izium National, absolute record of participating fanciers

The Izium National 2021 race is the perfect example of not being accused of using too many words of praise. The stage, as it is known, is organized by the Pigeon Association “Ioan-Gelu Gătejescu” of Dolj County and, as every year, has participants from all over the south of the country and beyond. And this year, an impressive number of pigeon fancier associations participate in Izium Național, no less than 15, starting with Mehedinți and ending with Brăila. However, the absolute record is set for the participating pigeon fanciers, which this year number 1,839. It is, by far, the largest number of fanciers participating together in a single stage in the recent history of Romania’s racing pigeons sport. And the number of pigeons employed is an important one, 15,345, taking into account the fact that it is the end of a rather capricious season. “This year’s Izium National competition is the most important marathon competition in the history of Oltenia, and if we look at the number of participating pigeon fanciers, it is the most important marathon competition in the history of Romania. We also have an impressive number of participating counties, with considerable differences in terms of competition distances, but the fact that the last two editions were won by pigeon fans with very long distances encouraged a significant participation. We are in the fourth edition of this stage, after for six years we organized another competition, Kharkov National, which started in 2012. We started with just over four thousand pigeons, we grew every year, and this season we have reached a very high level. We managed to organize everything very well, at the moment the cars are already on Ukrainian territory. We will launch on Friday in the first hour, immediately after sunrise, and I am convinced that a very difficult competition will await us, because the temperatures are very high. As the person responsible for organizing this contest, I would like to thank all those involved, but also the participants, and wish them a contest as successful as possible “, said Florin Gătejescu (foto left), president of the Dolj Pigeon Association.

This year, more than 15,000 pigeons were engaged for Birzai Național, the classic of Moldova

Changing the province, in Moldova, this weekend will take place the National Birzai stage, a contest organized by the Neamț Pigeon Association. Here, aswell, the race generates the same emulation and has all the characteristics of the most important competition of the season, and if Izium Național stands out with the largest number of participating pigeon fanciers, the Birzai Național stage stands out with the highest number of pigeons. Participating 1,344 pigeon fanciers from 17 pigeon fancier associations (Brăila, Tulcea, Suceava, Iași, Constanța, Ialomița, Bucharest, Călărași, Botoșani, Buzău, Prahova, Dâmbovița, Vaslui, Neamț, Galați, Bacău and Vrancea), and the number of pigeons is to measure: 15,726. It is the largest number of participating pigeons of all three national stages, but also the highest number since this stage is organized. “I don’t have much to say, because you can see everything for yourself. We have a very large number of pigeons and pigeon fanciers taking part in this competition, which I think will be a very special one. We basketed the pigeons in very good conditions and we pay special attention to the watering and feeding breaks, because the temperatures are very high. It will be very hot on the day of the launch, plus the front wind, but I am convinced that it will be a successful stage. We all contributed a lot so that everything went very well, and now all we have to do is wait for the pigeons and see who will be the big winner, especially since this year we also have a special trophy that we will give to the pigeon fancier of whose pigeons will win first place at the launch “, said Ioan Feștilă (foto right), president of the Columbofile Neamț Association.

Berlin National reaches its 11th edition this year

By far the most affected areas in the country in terms of pigeon losses this year, pigeon fanciers from Transylvania and the West province have joined forces this year as well and are participating quite consistently in what for them is the “race of the races”. Obviously, this is the Berlin National stage, whose 11th edition is attended by 3,115 pigeons and 589 pigeon fanciers. Berlin National also has its specific note, because it is the stage that “covers” the largest geographical area. Thus, pigeon fanciers from Arad, Timiș, Bihor, Caraș Severin, Sălaj, Maramureș, Satu-Mare, Bistrița Năsăud, Sibiu, Alba, Cluj, Brașov, Harghita, Hunedoara, Mureș, but also from Botoșani, Suceava and Iași participate. “11 years ago I took on the organization of a marathon competition, which I wanted to become an emblem of Romanian and Eastern European pigeon fancier! I always cared about the quality of the organization and every year I found good people who got involved and made such an event possible. On Tuesday, we basketed the pigeons for the 11th edition. We became more mature, more settled, maybe less agitated, but just as excited about this dream race. I look back nostalgically now, remembering the first editions, the explosion of a tire in the middle of the night at Vatra Dornei, the basketing that caught us the next day waiting for trucks in the country, the team that made for us the first CD of this race, the emotions experienced at each start of the race and more and more things to remember. Time, this enemy of life, passes like a madman to the horizon of eternity, while our memories sit in the library of memory waiting for the days when they will be browsed in a dream. Berlin National, the race the races, starts again as every year. Hundreds of pigeon fanciers are dreaming again of a place on the podium and, of course, the big pot: the 1st place “, also declared Marius Tunduc.

For all three races, the launch of the pigeons, weather permitting, will take place on Friday, July 30. In the true sense of the word, only then will be the most important day or, as the case may be, the most important days, especially because for some participants, pigeon fanciers or pigeons, these races are decisive for their presence or absence from the national podiums.  Therefore, we are playing with the trophies on the table.