Top 3 National – Mature Speed 2025

The National Catalog has recently been finalized, and the new champions are still riding the excitement of winning their national cups. For some, it is a reaffirmation of their achievements; for others, a strong start to a promising journey. The national rankings have now taken their final form, allowing us to know exactly who the top performers of the freshly concluded season are. In today’s article, we present the three pigeon fanciers who stood out in the Mature Speed category.

The top three positions in the national ranking for Mature Speed are held by Iulian Oprea, Bogdan Nistor, and Oliviu Râmneanțu, each supported by an exceptional pigeon responsible for remarkable performances during the 2025 season.

Iulian Oprea (BB) – Champion of the Edition

With 25 years of experience, Bucharest native Iulian Oprea had one of the most successful seasons of his career in 2025. Although his limited time forces him to focus primarily on short-distance races, he reached the highest step of the national podium thanks to the hen RO-2023-0295445, whose performances were flawless. Entered in only the first five speed competitions, the hen accumulated an exceptional score, prompting Oprea to strategically withdraw her from further races. The decision proved decisive: by the end of the season, she became national champion, with only 9.49 penalty points. Her results were as follows:

2/5,856 pigeons (136 km)

4/2,276 pigeons (210 km)

5/1,620 pigeons (211 km)

9/5,559 pigeons (246 km)

15/5,595 pigeons (173 km)

Her lineage includes renowned bloodlines — Ad Schaerlaeckens, Leo Heremans, Dirk van Dyck, and Koopman — and Oprea’s chosen racing method, classic widowhood, proved highly effective.

Bogdan Nistor (PH) – Prahova Keeps Flying High

The second place on the podium goes to Bogdan Nistor from Prahova, a pigeon fancier with over 35 years of experience who continues the tradition of excellence. His pigeon, RO-2022-0746208, finished the season extremely close to the national title, with 9.60 penalty points, only 0.11 behind the champion.

Raced on the Bulgaria route, the pigeon achieved impressive placements:

2/11,602 pigeons (304 km)

2/794 pigeons (193 km)

3/738 pigeons (193 km)

4/5,055 pigeons (304 km)

25/12,166 pigeons (223 km)

Bogdan Nistor competes exclusively with males and only in speed-demifond races. His vast experience is evident in every detail. The vice-champion pigeon comes from Cosmin Olteanu and Dirk van Dyck lines and already showed its champion potential in 2024, being the best pigeon of the club in the Speed category.

Oliviu Râmneanțu (TM) – A Well-Deserved National Podium After an Exceptional Season

The bronze medal in the Mature Speed category goes to Oliviu Râmneanțu from Timiș, one of the most consistent and visible performers of the 2025 season. His name will also appear in other categories due to an almost perfect competitive season. The pigeon RO-2023-0526463, also raced under widowhood, completed the season with 12.02 penalty points, achieving the following placements:

1/366 pigeons (183 km)

2/6,161 pigeons (305 km)

3/7,276 pigeons (245 km)

3/1,165 pigeons (183 km)

6/1,003 pigeons (183 km)

The pigeon’s lineage is primarily Dirk van den Bulck, complemented by Patrick Boeckx influences. Râmneanțu started the season with 52 pigeons, and this male was one of the key contributors in winning multiple trophies in the Breeders category.