Race: Race 1 (119.87 km)

AviRings Derby had a successful start to the 2023 season, despite the challenging weather conditions. The race was held in Balatonszárszó, near the Hungarian Balaton Lake, with a loft distance of 119 km. The basketing was done the day before the race (individual basketing), and the AviRings Derby Team ensured that each pigeon was in good condition before releasing them.

The race started at 7:40 with 1724 birds participating. The modest south wind made the race challenging, but the pigeons started well, raising positive expectations. The first group of pigeons arrived at AviRings lofts at 9:13, and the fastest pigeon, CH-8794, owned by Team Weijers/Wolf, had a speed of 1288m/min. Bravo, congratulation to the Team Weijers/Wolf.  Congratulations also to the owners of the second and third clocked pigeons from Slovenia, owned by fanciers from club Tržič  Janez Valter and France Ribnikar.

The challenging race continued, and 850 pigeons arrived in the first 15 minutes after the winner. Over 200 pigeons came individually or in small groups later, facing difficult weather conditions. In the afternoon hours the clouds and rain covered Slovenia. Despite the rain until midnight, a total of 1551 pigeons made it home by the end of the day, with 64 more pigeons arriving the following morning.

Overall, it was a nice and challenging start to the season, and the team is looking forward to the second race in a few days. The race tested the pigeons' abilities making it an exciting and competitive event.