Race: Race 6 (401.74 km)

Race 6 (402 km) – A Tough Challenge Once Again

Race 6 proved to be another difficult one. A total of 582 pigeons returned on the same day, and in the following days the number rose to 1001 pigeons home. Just like in earlier races, there were no big groups arriving together—most pigeons came individually or in pairs, sometimes in small groups of three.

We congratulate the winner, Miloš Kučera, already well-known to AviRings fans from 2023, when he placed 3rd and 9th in the Ultimate 607 km race. This time, he struck again, confirming himself as one of the serious contenders for the coming finals.

Second place goes to the USA—congratulations to Mike Ganus, a world-renowned fancier with outstanding results in major one loft races. The quality of his pigeons is beyond question, and he proved it once more here in AviRings Derby, known as one of the most challenging OLR programs worldwide.

Third place goes to the Netherlands—congratulations to E. Boers, competing in AviRings for the first time. A strong debut and great motivation for the young fancier, to whom we wish the best in the coming final races.

The “Fancier of the Race” title goes to Austrian team Herbert & Roland Kremper—a pleasant surprise, but a well-deserved one. They edged out the well-known Dutch duo Frits & Wytse Mantel, who have already scored several top results this year in AviRings Derby Pro. Team Vennix-Pigeons secured third place, arriving 17 minutes after the winning team.

This season has been extremely demanding. Across six races, only five pigeons achieved an average speed higher than 1200 m/min, and on the other hand, only two pigeons managed to collect 6/6 prizes under the 1:3 winning rule.

Still, we can be proud that more than 1000 pigeons have qualified for the finals through this tough program of six races and twelve trainings. For these pigeons and their fanciers, the real challenge starts now—the countdown to the finals begins today. The first final race is planned for next weekend, weather permitting, with one short midweek training.

Nothing is decided yet—everything is still possible. The trilogy of the final races will reveal the very best pigeons.

Let the best pigeon win!