Aces of the Long distance category from the 2023 season

The Ace Long distance category is, without any doubt, one of the most difficult categories of the National Championship. The pigeons engaged in the competition for this norm do not have the "right" to any misses, this is because any flight plan contains only five long-distance races, and As Long distance category involves their ranking, made up of five races with a distance of more than 500 km.

As with the other competition categories, Ace Long distance is a category that can be achieved both by youngsters and by yearlings or mature pigeons. But, being one of the most difficult categories to fulfill, the number of pigeons that achieve this norm is quite low at the national level.

244 of the norms at Ace Long Distance made by mature pigeons

In the 2023 season, only 244 pigeons from Romania managed to meet the norm of the Ace Long distance category. Considering the very large number of pigeons currently competing in our country and the fact that the overwhelming majority of fanciers approach the Long distance category, the percentage of standards achieved is quite small. Moreover, in the 2022 season, only 189 norms were made in the same category, an aspect that once again highlights the difficulty of this category.

On the first place of the national podium in the Ace Long distance category, season 2023, we find the trio Fekete&Fekete&Budai, from the Satu-Mare Branch. The trophy was won by hen RO-2020-2014625, who covered a total of 2,674 km and was penalized with 66.44 points. They are followed by Eugen Stoica from Arad and Marian Smărăndoiu, from the Gorj Columbophile Branch.

151 norms at Ace Long distance yearlings

As expected, the norms achieved by yearlings pigeons in this category are less. More precisely 151 in number, but unlike the case of mature pigeons, here we can see a significant increase in the number of norms compared to the 2022 season, a competitive year in which only 111 norms were fulfilled in the yearlings Ace Long Distance category.

The national champion from the 2023 season of this category is Dragoș Rîbalcă, from the Columbofilă Buzău Branch. The performer is also a hen this time, having the series RO-2022-0442031. It ranked 3,059 in this category and accumulated 87.92 penalty points. The national podium is completed by the tandem of Diaconu Ștefan+Tatăl+Constantin, from Argeș, and Mihăiță Istodor, from Gorj.

It is very interesting that we have a national podium made up exclusively of hens in the yearlings category, and in mature, the 1st and 2nd national places are also occupied by hens. We inevitably ask ourselves the question: Are hens stronger or better suited for such categories of endurance?