A veteran pigeon fancier, Iulian Duică has been officially active in pigeon racing since 2009, but his passion for pigeon breeding runs deep, passed down from father to son. Constantin Duică, his father, successfully raced homing pigeons as early as the 1970s. Essentially, Iulian grew up among racing pigeons.
Iulian Duică's career in pigeon racing, marked by numerous successes in short- and middle-distance categories, reached a remarkable milestone in the 2021 season: the "silver star" at the National Championship in the As Marathon Adult category, with a penalty coefficient of 9.00 points. This achievement was made by his male pigeon, "RAMSES," series number 0016894-2018. Transitioning from a devotee of one-day racing to a celebrated marathon champion, Iulian achieved this feat in a short period after entering the "queen" category of the Champions League.
As previously mentioned, the Bucharest-based pigeon fancier has consistently excelled in shorter-distance categories, making him a formidable competitor among his peers. He has won numerous trophies across all levels, including the 2015 National Champion title in the Adult Middle-Distance category with "Count Dracula," a male pigeon (series number 12448-2013), a mix of Raoul and Xavier Verstraete’s pigeons with birds from the Nicolaescu & Adi tandem. The bloodlines he cultivates in his lofts for short and middle distances include pigeons from C. & G. Koopman, Gaby Vandenabeele, Raoul and Xavier Verstraete, Gebr. Herbots, Ad Schaerlaeckens, Hans & Evert-Jan Eijerkamp, and others. These lines often come from friends and mentors such as Ion V. Radu, Ion Florea (Mazăre), Chicheanu & Rusu, Liviu Pîrvulescu, Adi Ursuleț, and others. His pigeons are raced using a mixed method: initially natural for a few stages, then transitioning to widowhood. This strategy has enabled Iulian to master the art of motivating and controlling his pigeons in both systems.
This swift and successful transition from one-day racing to marathon categories showcases Iulian's adaptability and expertise. His current marathon lines include pigeons from Hugo Batenburg, Emil Denys, and Menne & Tochter. For example, his As Marathon Adult category champion is a blend of Hugo Batenburg and Emil Denys lines. "RAMSES" has proven his potential since his early days, flying the Uman stage as a young bird and excelling in a derby where only he and his nest sister returned home. This promising start hinted at his extraordinary value. As a yearling, he met the standard for the Young As Marathon category, giving his owner confidence to race him further. At two years old, the male pigeon fulfilled the standard for the Marathon Palmares Adult category. At three years old, in his first marathon stage at Dnipro, competing against 3,478 pigeons from Bucharest, "RAMSES," in a widowhood position, surpassed most of his opponents, placing 5th with a penalty score of 1.44 points.
In the following marathon stage, Harkov National, "RAMSES" flew 1,000 aerial kilometers in the natural position, sitting on eggs, and placed 5th zonally out of 5,144 pigeons, with a penalty score of 0.97 points. By then, he was already one of the top contenders in the National Championship. This status was confirmed in the next marathon stage, Izium National, where "RAMSES" became a Romanian pigeon-racing star. Competing against 15,345 pigeons from 1,839 fanciers nationwide, including 6,976 from Bucharest, this medium-small blue male displayed remarkable strength, intelligence, and endurance. He reached his nestling on the 46th position in Bucharest with a penalty score of 6.59 points. This result secured his second-place finish in the National As Marathon Adult category. A bird of exceptional quality, possessing enviable physique, musculature, and intelligence, paired with a skilled and determined fancier like Iulian, restored Bucharest's prominence in Romania's long-distance racing scene.
His consistent top results year after year have kept Iulian at the forefront of OLR races and national and international championships.
Results 2024
- 12=1st Place, VIP Academy OLR Final 2024, 10813 - 24 RO
- 23rd Final / 30th Semifinal / 5th As, VIP Academy OLR 2024, 10841 - 24 RO
- 35th Final / 33rd Semifinal, VIP Academy OLR 2024, 10840 - 24 RO
- 7=1st Place, Derby Autostrada Soarelui OLR 6565-24-1278 DV
- 7=1st Place, Romania Golden Pigeons OLR Final 2024
- 3rd Place, Romania Golden Pigeons OLR ExtraFinal 2024
References 2024
- 4th Place, Autostrada Soarelui OLR ExtraFinal 2024 – Constantin Vasile, 50% Duică Iulian
- 4th As, 6 stages, Romania Golden Pigeons 2024 – Constantin Vasile, 100% Duică Iulian
- 13th Place, Romania Golden Pigeons 2024 Final – Constantin Vasile, 50% Duică Iulian
International References 2024
- 1st Place, National Calais 665km – Guțanu Daniel, 100% Duică Iulian
- 2=1st Place, National Brussels 603km – Guțanu Daniel, 100% Duică Iulian
- 1st Place, National Brussels 2024, 603km – Guțanu Daniel, 100% Duică Iulian
- 9th Place, National Calais 2024, 665km – Guțanu Daniel, 100% Duică Iulian
And the list goes on!