Home » World » In Belgium, a carrier pigeon was sold for 1.6 million euros

In Belgium, a carrier pigeon was sold for 1.6 million euros

AGI – A mysterious Chinese buyer has been awarded a carrier pigeon in Brussels for 1.6 million euros, beating all records recorded so far in this particular auction category. It is a female pigeon, called New Kim, belonged to a well-known Belgian breeder, and was sold by the online sales house Pigeon Paradise (Pipa).

New Kim, trained in a well-known kennel in the Antwerp region (north), broke the record of another Flanders bird, the male Armando, which sold for 1.25 million euros (1.47 million dollars) in 2019 at the same buyer.

The president of Pipa, Nikolaas Gyselbrecht, could not hold back his amazement: “I think it is a world record, there has never been an official sale at this price. I never thought we could have reached this figure”. Maximum reserve on the name of the buyer, even if it is practically certain that the pigeon is intended for breeding. New Kim, whose starting price was 200 euros, is in fact a world distance champion: she has won several races in Europe, including the prestigious “Ace Pigeon Grand National Middle Distance” held in Chateauroux and Argenton-sur- Creuse, France.

For years in Europe birds have been bred that over time have gained world fame: they have become famous especially in China where pigeon and pigeon competitions are a billionaire business, capable of generating generous winnings. In the Old Continent, the breeding of racing pigeons has ancient roots in Belgium, Holland and northern France.

Traditionally considered a popular sport, bird competitions in recent decades had lost their luster, only to regain popularity thanks also to auction houses that sniffed out the deal thanks to the interest of Chinese and Saudi customers. Wealthy buyers from the Gulf and Asia have therefore pushed up the price of European racing birds, which possess a particular instinct that makes them able to fly hundreds of kilometers and then find their way back to the nest. Gyselbrecht said there are 20,000 breeders of racing birds in Belgium alone, almost exclusively destined for competitions around the world.

Kim was trained by Gaston Van De Wouwer and his son Kurt, on their farm in Berlaar, near Antwerp: on Sunday they not only sold her, but their entire herd for an undisclosed amount.

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