AviRings Derby Pro is a unique one-loft race with young pigeons, characterized by the use of state-of-the-art electronic equipment for pigeon racing. Our innovative technical approach will provide participants of the AviRings Derby with current and transparent information about their pigeons.

What Makes AviRings Derby Pro Unique:

• 24/7 Live Stream: Full-time live camera feed from the loft, plus photos and videos of each pigeon.
• Advanced Loft Management: Darkening and lightening systems are utilized during the training phase to achieve optimal conditioning.
• Full Transparency: actual info about the bird is available in the app

Race Schedule – 2026

The AviRings Derby organizes its competition flights from the north-east direction, which means that the pigeons must fly across Hungary.

In the period between acclimatization and the final flights (3 September till 20 September), pigeons will have the training and intermediate distance flights (AviRings races). In the 2026 season, AviRings Derby PRO tends to organise 8 official races and 13. training tosses and several pre-training sessions in short distances, up to 1-8 km, which will not be announced in front, and where the releases will be held in more groups. In the table below is the planned training schedule:

Training Flights (16 Total):

Official Races (9 Total):

Remark: The organizer has the right to change and adjust the flight schedule with respect to weather conditions or any other condition out of the organizer's control, and may endanger the safety of the pigeons.

Competitions:

Final Races (Each 505 km: Final 1, Final 2, Final 3)

The AviRings Derby Pro final flight consists of 3 races from distances of at least 500 km. That means that pigeons compete in 3x 500km races.  The pigeon with the lowest total time in those three races will be the final winner of the AviRings Derby Pro 2026 season.

'3x500 Cup' (Lowest total Time Across Final 1, 2, 3)

The Main Competition for the Champion's Trophy!
Our program is designed to crown the best pigeon — the one that can complete three races over 500 km in the shortest total time. At AviRings Derby PRO, there is no traditional final race anymore. Instead, the winner of the 3x500 Cup is the ultimate champion.

Ace Pigeon Ranking (Overall Best Performance)

The five best pigeons on 4 intermediate races, the semi-final race, and the three final flights will be rewarded for the best Ace pigeon (overall ranking). Pigeons are ranked according to average speed, which is NEW in season 2026.

Special Competitions:

Fancier of the Race and Master Fancier - Team competition

The Master Fancier Competition is an advanced version of the Jersey Cup, starting from the 2025 season. Based on the experience gained during the 2025 season, the awards for the team competition will be increased in 2026, and the competition conditions will be adjusted accordingly. The Master Fancier Competition rewards the best fanciers based on team performance.

Joint Teams for Small Participants

“Small” fanciers or participants who send only one small team (up to 5 pigeons) are allowed to form joint teams for the purposes of the Fancier of the Race and Master Fancier competition. Two participants who each send a maximum of 5 pigeons to the 2026 AviRings Derby Pro may agree to join forces and form one joint team of up to 10 pigeons. This option applies only to the Fancier of the Race and Master Fancier competitions. Any prize money earned by such a joint team will be automatically divided 50:50 between both participants.

Team Structure

A team may consist of a minimum of 2 and a maximum of 10 pigeons. All teams must be declared before the first official race. Fanciers who have entered more than 10 pigeons may create multiple teams (A, B, C, etc.) according to their preference, each with up to 10 pigeons.

Scoring System

In each official race, the total flight time of the two best pigeons from the team counts toward both the Fancier of the Race and the Master Fancier Competition. The best single-race result earns the title “Fancier of the Race.” The accumulated results of the Fancier of the Race standings over the season determine the final Master Fancier rankings after 8 official races.

Lucky Loser

The Lucky Loser Award, which was introduced in 2025, received a very positive response; therefore, we have decided to continue this entertaining competition. The owner of the pigeon that finishes in 99th place in an official race will receive a free pigeon for the 2027 edition of the race.

New in 2026: Coding system

In 2026, the pigeons' ring numbers will not appear on the website/ranking list. Every pigeon will get a nickname or code upon arrival in the AviRings Derby lofts. The decoding system will be known to the owner, and after the last race, the coding system will be removed.

Why did we decide on a coding system?

A lot of derby pigeons were captured and never released. Due to the information about the pigeon on our website, the intention to release the pigeon or report the “missing” pigeon was very low. Our measure with the decoding system is a step in the direction to protect the identity of pigeons and providing equal treatment for all pigeons.

Prizes – Structure of prizes

The prize pool in 2026 is 213.000 € and is valid for 2.750 registered and paid pigeons. In case of fewer registered/paid pigeons, the prize money will be adjusted accordingly in percentages. In this case, the organizer will announce the changes in due time before the final flight. Monetary prizes will be paid only through a bank transfer.

In every category, generally at least the first three pigeons receive a trophy and a diploma; the distribution of the money prize is shown below.

*In case of fewer registered/paid pigeons, the prize money will be adjusted accordingly in percentages. In this case, the organizer will announce the changes in due time before the final flight.

For more info, read our tender.