Well it’s been over a week since the record breaking pigeon auction has ended where a long distance racer named Armando sold for almost three times the amount of the previous record, and this story is still making news in mainstream media.
Armando sold for over $1,400,000! after a bidding war on PIPA’s pigeon racing auction and people still can’t believe it.
I posted about the story on our facebook page and got mixed reviews from our members.
Some said that the sport has become all about the money leaving “the little guy” with no chance at competing.
Others have said that stories like this actually helps the sport get more recognition and still others think that the good ol’ days of pigeon racing are simply gone and now replaced with who has the bigger bankroll.
So my question for you is…
What do you think about the story of Armando and what it means for the sport?
Are the Good Ol’ Days of pigeon racing gone for good? and what can we do about it?
Post your thoughts below in the comments section now and we look forward to reading them and reading your perspective and ideas.
It gets people attention when a pigeon is sold for big money the biggest problem in pigeon racing now is hawks
I think there should always be a place in the sport for people who love to fly.
Not have to buy into expensive races.
For me, it was already a financial burden, but when you love the sport and the pigeons, you make due. Racing is over for me. I have a few birds that I keep and send yb’s to friends. The sport has gotten too expensive.
for me it is another milestone when it comes to pigeon sports, it will raised curiosity to those individual who doensn’t have any idea of the sports and i will maybe in some other way result to additional numbers of fancier.
It is surprising how much people pay for pigeons these days but my question is – is it because making an impression on an auction by show how much money you have OR is it about the real value of the pigeon? One must remember that it is a gamble with genetics and the ability of the specific pigeon to bread winners!
The pigeon sport offers many facets of exploring and pleasure of which breading is one. It has been proofed over the years that the perfect combination of genetics is sometimes surprising, finding the perfect pair from pigeons donated!
Well having said that my opinion is that everybody enjoys the pigeon sport in his way and if one is capable to pay that kind of money for a pigeon and that pleases him, that is acceptable to me. It should however encourage newcomers to the sport that they could also have a chance to breed such special pigeons if they follow this pigeons pedigree!
I want to know about pvm vaccination, it’s process, time everything about it. Help me.
I have mixed reviews. Any human that pays that kind of money has more money than they need. I am sure through advertisment such a feet brings Pigeon racing to the publics eye but I’m not sure for the good.
There is so much more one could do for Pigeon racing with 1 and 1/2 million dollars. Bringing people together, TV, etc. Helping others instead of the selfish goal of just simply owning the most expensive bird in the world. An ego thing.
I live in Augusta Ga. and we are 2 weeks away from the greatest Golf Tournament in the world. Its hard to get tickets but if you do you can still buy a solo cup of beer for $2.00 dollars a sandwich for about the same. They promote golf and make it something people want to do for the shear enjoyment of it. I don’t think this sale of a Pigeon helps very much. I like the idea of friends and family involvement.
Just my thoughts and I would love to compete with this birds offspring.
it good to hear the story of Armando the new most expensive bird of the world and it still takes a long long time for the next record breaker
I think it is good for the sport, getting people outside of the sport interested and talking about pigeon racing.
A great time to be promoting the sport and the local clubs being for every one to enjoy pigeons.
May be just what is needed.
Offering the opportunity for any one to sponsor a bird in a one loft race.
for a local charity.
It has put the sport in the spotlight!but the good ole days are gone I’m a hobby and Club flyer I like to watch my birds come home from a race and enter the loft that is rewarding for me and if I place in the top 10% even better …I have tried to enter some one loft races but its just out of my league I know the sane u have to spend money to win money$$ also applies to buying high priced breeders..however sonecof my best breeders were late hatches that came from other fanciers..to each us own I guess..let’s just keep the hobby and sport alive!
Can only be good for the sport of pigeon racing
I think this is good for the sport. It brings attention to pigeon racing of which we need desperately. There will be always someone who pays a large price for something to stack the odds in their favor, but they can still be beaten. Just because this bird brought a huge price doesn’t mean it will produce…………remember the thoroughbred Secrecariat was a great race horse but never produced much that ever ran. GOOD FOR THE SPORT!!!!!!!
These exorbitant prices are unfortunately also motivating thieves and paid by commission to steel other Pigeon fanciers birds as it happened recently To Mark Gilbert UK and others. Still, I believe and so it is that there are super birds out there that are really fantastic birds but they are not coming from Belgium and do not have an advertisement machine after them. Believe me, you do not have to spend A million and a half to get the best of the best. just search for honest sellers and breed yours from the best breeders/racers.
PIPA built a money making machine, as long as there are people willing to pay any amount for any birds we cant do anything about it, unfortunately it influences every body in the sense that birds are no longer that accessible to all small fanciers like me because birds are getting expensive too.
PIPA will grow but not the sport.
Just because a huge amount is paid for a bird with good lineage…it does not mean another bird with good training can’t do just as well or better. Compare this situation to the Kentucky Derby. New horses win every year just as new birds can win. These huge amounts paid for birds will excite the media and public into an interest in this sport!
I think its madness I have never sold or bought a pigeon, to me it is a sport and im glad to say there are many like me that go out of there way to help new fanciers so as to grow the sport but once it is all about the money then the sport is going to die.Thanks Shorne Hill south Africa.
pigeon sport is still very good round my area but we need to keep it local enjoye your birds and let the money men fight they will soon find they need us as well we are the bread and butter that keeps the sport alive club racing must be number 1
Any publicity is good publicity . In the good old days i listened to the goon show on the transistor, today i use blue tooth . Pigeon racing will allways be here .however not in the form of the past .i beleave one loft racing is the way of the future .you can still breed your team in your whatever back yard and put them in the fed loft .apps will enable you to watch the birds return or hangout at the fed room and have a bet on the side with your mates over a few coldies . Don,t be scared of the future , imbrase it .as for the price of pigeons don’t keep so much rubbish. By one or two of quality blood lines and concentrate on them.i myself when i flew 20 odd years ago flew alot of mediocre birds and trained hard with moderate success. I have recently obtained quality proven stock .reed everything available. I mentioned to a flyer how things have changed in the last tweenty years .his reply was nothing has changed .
It’s definitely brought are sport into the spotlight
I would just like to say congratulations to the guy that sold it hope you enjoy your money because I can’t see the buyer ever making that amount in return for his investment .I’m just starting out in racing and joined a small club all the members seem to be happy with what there doing racing small teams so it’s not all doom and gloom for the back garden racer
Its healthy sign but its not offered by every one to handle for such price.
I don’t care i do this hobby for the love of my pigeons (puttries)
and can wait to start flying comp again
To wait at home for my birds each w-end is better then one loft races
Im 3 years in the sport now
never had a win but this year different story
(hope )
Enjoy the pigeons only
Good luck to the better fanciars
Hi Fliers, far too much money paid for a pigeon. Will it breed offspring identical to itself? No , nature does not work that way. I would of rather bought some of its offspring, if he or she had been mated with a good bird. I live in New Zealand we have good birds here that fly enormous tough races, distances up too 1250km . Have a look on Google maps, see what our pigeons have to achieve to get home. If you want good birds get in touch with a flier in NZ that is flying well. You will have a better chance of breeding champions then Arlando, and you would of saved many Dollars. Good luck breeding because that is what if is all about. Cheers Pigeonwood Lofts New Zeslsnf.
What’s crazy to me is people saying the fun has been taken out of the sport etc, whether my birds come first or last the best thing to me is seeing that bird flying towards the loft folding it’s wings and dropping in. Yes there are days that get frustrating but at the end of the day those feathered champs come home and that always puts a smile on my face
Every pigeon fancier love to win races but fancier not in rich is impossible to purchase beyond the limit and to compete with strong fancier.
Well, I will never pay that sum for a Racing pigeon, maybe for a super breeding pigeon that breeds winner after winner. point i’m making is, that pigeon can be worthless as a breeder, he will have to poly breed that bird year round and hope that some will be just like him
Not everyone can afford to own a horse like Secretariat maintaining or using him productively. Just like not everyone can afford Armando, it takes a lot of money to maintain an investment like that. It could be very good for our sport.
I think its good, brings a lot of attention to our sport and perhaps will generate some interest from people who love animals and birds. Some people might check around their area and see if any pigeon guys or gals live in their area and if so perhaps they will contact some of us.
If I were very rich I’d buy that pigeon.
I think what’s happening to pigeon racing is a shame, less fourtune people can’t compete any more, and that’s what took me out , just not fun any more.
The more publicity, the better to make the public aware of our pigeons.
Post your comments here, look forward to reading them.
All the good old days are gone for good in everything. Including pigeons. But, you can have just as much fun with a 6×8 loft and a couple dozen birds as the super wealthy have with their palatial lofts and hundreds of birds. And spending 1.4 million dollars on a pigeon when little kids are dying of cancer is just morally wrong.
Totally agree!
Yes I totally agree that the good old days of Pigeon Racing have in fact gone. But also at the same time the story or Armando has brought the Sport of Pigeon Racing into the Public arena. Here in Australia it was reported in all aspects of the media print, radio and television and people are still talking about Armando, he is now immortalised. Here in Sydney it is very difficult, but not impossible to be competitive with a small to medium size team of say between 80 to 100 pigeons to start the season off with. Here it is very common for flyers to start the season off with 200/250 plus and many even fly 2 teams with a 25 bird limit in each team which is applied by the Federation. Such “Mob” flyers then struggle to get the birds away and educated as the season rolls on at a cracking pace, all “crazy stuff” Chris.
Not every loft racing two teams has 200 pigeons some actually have around 130 birds. They in fact race the second team for fun. Leslie, you failed to mention the fact the reason many lofts in Sydney have 150 plus to combat the falcon and hawk problems faced lofts on the outer areas of Sydney. Secondly Leslie I had never ever seen your name mentioned in the CCF point scores so how can you comment on the CCF as it appears you are a non flyer.
One of the top lofts in the CCF normally starts the season with 120 birds that is Graham and Lisa Cook of Campbelltown. Last season Graham and Lisa raced a second team with a total of 147 pigeons in their loft. So your Mob flyer theory is not correct. So before you rubbish the CCF it might be best that you be a active member.
Yes Graham is my younger brother and yes my younger sister is the CCF Federation secretary and yes Alan Wonson former CCF secretary cousin’s John is my uncle!
I have abstained from flying the 2017 and 2018 seasons with the CCF in order to do my best to avoid the Rota Virus. From 2011 to 2016 I flew taking several good positions at Club, Section and Fed level. In 2016 I was in the early series leading the club averages in KPS a very competitive Club racing only a very small team due to health issues and nursing my very sick mother at the time. I was very pleased with my results for the season under the circumstances. I will be flying this season if the Rota Vaccine is available in time. I have no real issues with the 2 team flyers at all, just pointing out that is becoming more frequent in recent times.
The “good Ole Days” are what each Club determines them to be. If the members of the club want it to be a Money thing then they can vote that in. My club is for sport only. We race for diplomas and trophies not money. If some idiot came along and offered me a million dollars for one of my birds, I would give him the whole loft and then start over building my ‘new’ family. Pigeon racing is a sport Not many young people are into it due to cell phones, electronic games etc. Many sports are losing some fans just because there is so much more out there. I think you can build your club membership and enjoy the socialization and competition without the big money getting involved.