The Nitra Agrokomplex fair-ground hosted the 33rd Olympiad of Carrier Pigeons in January. In total, 32 federations participated in the event; it was the first time that Slovakia had hosted it. The history of pigeon Olympiads dates back to 1945.
Pigeons competed in the categories ‘standard’ and ‘sport’. In the standard category, Slovakia came first in doves and Germany in male pigeons. An international jury of ten decided the results, Daniel Dudzík of the Slovak Association of Carrier Pigeons’ Breeders told the TASR newswire. The sport category was divided into eight sub-categories according to the length of the races. The biggest number of titles – five – went to Polish breeders. Dutch breeders won in two sub-categories and one title was won by Germany.
The history of carrier pigeons in Slovakia started in 1923 when the first association of breeders was founded in Liptovský Mikuláš. Currently, about 4,300 enthusiasts dedicate to the breeding of these pigeons are organised in the Slovak Association of Carrier Pigeon Breeders. Dudzík said that Slovak breeders belong among the best worldwide – which is demonstrated by their top placing in international competitions.
4. Mar 2013 at 0:00 | Compiled by Zuzana Vilikovská
