Fairs - Carrier pigeon sold for 5900 euros at auction in Dortmund
The most beautiful, the fastest, the most expensive: racing pigeon fans get their money's worth at Europe's largest exhibition at Messe Dortmund. The highlight of the two-day event with 130 exhibitors was an auction in which an animal from the German champion "Team Kallen" from Moers on the Lower Rhine fetched the top price of 5900 euros on Saturday afternoon. The total proceeds of the auction were many times higher and will benefit research projects and aid campaigns in German racing pigeon breeding.
A total of around 1000 racing pigeons were on display, including the 27 "super stars" of the German Racing Pigeon Exhibition (DBA). These birds will take part in the 2024 Racing Pigeon Olympics in Maastricht in the Netherlands. The most beautiful female, the "standard female", and the male counterpart, the "standard bird", are owned by a breeder from Forchheim in Bavaria. The fastest birds are bred by the German champion "Team Kallen" from Moers. The most beautiful and fastest are determined in a complex process, with criteria such as overall impression, form and strength or musculature as well as kilometers flown (between 200 and 600) playing a role.
The Association of German Pigeon Breeders has around 25,000 members. In the boom times of the 1960s, there were more than 100,000. According to the association, there is still a comparatively lively racing pigeon scene in Poland in Europe. Since last year, racing pigeons have been on the Unesco Intangible Cultural Heritage List. Nevertheless, the sporting use of racing pigeons is controversial: critics believe that the birds are exposed to considerable stress during races.
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- In addition to Dortmund, German racing pigeon fans also travel to exhibitions in North Rhine-Westphalia for their leisure time, showcasing their birds at events like the one held in Moers near the Lower Rhine.
- The top breeder of the fastest racing pigeons in Europe is based in Moers, a city known for its rich racing pigeon scene, located in the region of North Rhine-Westphalia.
- As interest in racing pigeons continues to grow across Europe, Moers has become a hub for the sport and regularly hosts auctions, where champion birds can be purchased, such as the one held in Dortmund that saw an animal sell for 5900 euros.
- For those looking for a unique addition to their leisure-time hobbies, rare racing pigeons can sometimes be acquired through auctions, like the one in Dortmund, which attracted bidders from all over Europe, including breeders from Bavaria.
- Despite the ongoing controversy surrounding the sport's impact on the birds' welfare, the racing pigeon scene remains vibrant in countries like Poland in Europe, where the birds are considered an important part of cultural heritage and are celebrated in exhibitions and auctions such as the one in Dortmund.
Source: www.stern.de
