Algarve Great Derby 2024. Race 3

Today we faced Race 3 from a distance of 241 km, and it was by far the toughest and most challenging race yet. The trainers had a busy weekend and early week, keeping an eye on the weather forecasts to ensure a safe release. Several atmospheric phenomena were at play, making the decision even harder.

There are wildfires in northern Portugal, and with north winds, smoke could have impacted our flight path. Fortunately, the northeast wind helped clear some of the smoke. However, strong magnetic storms overnight and into the morning may have affected our orientation a bit. On top of that, Sahara desert dust was expected to cover southern Portugal this morning. High temperatures and low humidity also played a big role in the decision-making process, with concerns about how we would handle these tough conditions.

Despite these challenges, it was decided today was the best chance for release, as conditions were only predicted to get worse in the coming days. At 7:45 AM, with 20°C at the release point, we set off. The first part of the race was helped by the wind, but the final stretch saw us battling against it. By the time we reached the loft, it was 28°C, with the temperature rising along the way. The biggest issue was the very low humidity: only 26% at release, increasing slightly to 32% on the journey, and finally reaching 49% at the loft. One hour after the first arrivals, temperatures were already hitting 30°C.

Despite the tough conditions, we gave it our all, and here are today’s top 3 winners:

1st – RO 502 from Only OLR – Romania

2nd – TT0054 from Roy Inge Johnssen – Norway

3rd – MI 383 from Immeln Marian – Germany

It’s amazing to see another international mix in the Top 10, with pigeons from 8 different countries making it through. We’re still missing a few pigeons, but we expect them to return by tonight or early tomorrow morning. Let’s hope they arrive safe and strong!

Until next time, keep flying high!