Race: Semi-final (400.58 km)

Race 5, semi-final from 401 km, was the most challenging race this year in AviRings Derby. 1.9. The 1321 pigeons were released in Görbehaza in Hungary. Also, in the first two seasons, we had seminal from the same liberation point and we had only a positive experience.

We expected on hard race, mainly because the wind direction (2/3) of the route should be a modest headwind, and in the last 150km, pretty strong south wind.

In the morning hours, the fog disappeared around 7, so we decided to release the pigeons at 7:30.  It was a nice clear start in the right direction.

A group of participants from Slovenia, Croatia, and Hungary gathered at the AviRings Derby loft to wait for the pigeons. After more than 7,5 hours of flight came the first 3 pigeons together, achieving the speed of 935 m/min, which indicated a very hard race. It was obvious that pigeons had to miss the straight direction and went a longer way.  On the first day, only 20% of the pigeons were in the loft; the next day, an additional 446 pigeons arrived and day, and as we finished the race, another 27 pigeons were at home. Round 60% of pigeons were in this difficult race. We are expecting some more pigeons to come. In this aspect, we will also prolong the final race for a few days, in order to give fair chances to all pigeons that succeed in this very, very hard semi-final to compete prepared under the best conditions in the final race.

The strongest pigeons did make the challenge and will go to the next level – the final race.

We congratulate the winners, top 3 and top 10 list. We have to say that the fancier with the winning pigeons,  Bram ten Klei/Begovic send this year 6 pigeons to AviRings. All 6 pigeons are still in the competition, winning in the semi-final:  1, 20, 190, 358, 442, 464 places.  There are also a few other fanciers with 100% pigeons still in competition from the beginning on in this most heavy OLR program yet, however, we will disclose these after the program is closed – after the final race.

 1. Team ten Klei/Begovic; NL-2023-9214600 ; 932.09 m/min

 2. Pleiter-Kolkman; NL-2023-9093893 Avi 93; 929.86 m/min

 3.  Ferenc Batha; HU-2023-14-78007; 929.70 m/min

 4.  Dušan Kompara; SLO-2023-117-3402; 921.44 m/min

 5. Team Behrens/Böllstorf; DV-2023-1211-133 Speedy; 916.94 m/min

 6. Karin und Walter Leichtfried; AUT-2023-615-107; 908.83 m/min

 7. Daniela Koffler; DV-2023-7236-1428; 907.59 m/min

 8. Team Doldersum-Ekkel; NL-2023-7083048; 906.56 m/min

 9.  Alpineloft; SLO-2023-108-8801 Boris Junior; 906.41 m/min

10. Vladimir Zec; CRO-2023-32823; 905.54 m/min

We are going forward. A big final race of 520km is ahead of us. It will be even very exciting. We wish all the fanciers good luck for the big final.