Top 3 National Long Distance Old Birds – 2025 Season

The 2025 pigeon racing season delivered an exceptional level of competition in the Old Birds Long Distance category, with the podium pigeons recording some of the lowest penalty scores ever achieved at national level. To meet the standard, competitors had to clock three races over 500 km, and the fight for supremacy was extremely tight.

The national champion finished the season with only 2 penalty points, followed by two other pigeons with very similar scores. The three winged athletes – two cocks and one hen, all bred in 2023 – also confirmed their value by qualifying for the national teams for the Pigeon Olympiad and the FCI World Best Pigeon Championship.

The Bușe Brothers – a First National Title

Alin and Daniel Bușe, from Strehaia (Mehedinți Region), achieved the most important result of their career in 2025: National Champions in the Old Birds Long Distance category.

The cock RO-2023-0318418 recorded only 2 penalty points, winning two Palanca races (558 km) with 4,572 and 1,303 pigeons entered, and placing 3rd from 2,983 pigeons in the third centralised race. With this performance, the Bușe Brothers’ pigeon entered the gallery of the most valuable long-distance pigeons in the recent history of the category.

Bred from a cock owned by Cristinel Chelaru (Vrancea) and a hen from the Olaru Brothers (Bacău), the champion did not stand out as a youngster, but fully confirmed his value in 2025: 11 prize races, National Champion, County Champion, 3rd Provincial As Long Distance, and also a World Best Pigeon participant.

The Bușe Brothers raced their pigeons on the widowhood system, with daily training sessions of 40–50 minutes, extended to one hour before long-distance races, and occasional 60 km tosses. Feeding was based on Gerry, Energy (Versele Laga), and Dynamik 184 (Vanrobaeys) mixes, while recovery supplements included Belgasol, Tollyamin, Immunol, and kefir.

Nicu-Petrică Florea – National Vice Champion

Second place went to the cock RO-2023-0196342, raced by Nicu-Petrică Florea (Pașcani, Iași Region), with a final coefficient of 2.78 points.

The season started spectacularly for the vice champion: 1st place on the release at 528 km against 4,579 pigeons. This was followed by 2nd place from 2,448 pigeons (608 km, county) and 2nd place from 1,125 pigeons (594 km, overall).

The pigeon, of 100% Gerard van Tuyl bloodlines, was raced on the natural system, with 70–100 km training tosses two to three times per week. His father, purchased from Sorin Racolta, proved to be an elite breeder, with several national-level descendants over the years.

Ion Lucian – National Podium

After a decade of competitive racing, Ion Lucian (Bocșa, Caraș-Severin Region) reached the peak with the hen RO-2023-0303342, author of some of the most impressive results of the 2025 season.

She clocked 12 prize races, including five long-distance races, and achieved:

1st National As Long Distance Old Birds

3rd National Long Distance Old Birds

2nd place in the Olympic team

1st place in the World Best Pigeon team

At the three centralised long-distance races (559 km), the hen placed 1st on the release each time, against 1,918, 1,438, and 483 pigeons, accumulating 3.29 points.

Bred from pigeons of Daniel Pîslă, the champion shone from an early age, becoming County Champion in Speed and General as a yearling. In 2025, she also added top rankings in Speed Career (5th National) and General Career (8th National), alongside the major trophies already mentioned.

Ion Lucian races approximately 80 widowhood cocks, which rear one youngster before the season, are separated a week before the first race, and are periodically trained at 70 km between races.