Belgian carrier pigeon reaches a record price of $ 2.7 million

New Kim is worth its weight in gold and something else, actually much, much more.

A wealthy Chinese pigeon racing fan paid a record price of 1.6 million euros ($ 2.77 million) for the Belgian-raised bird, saying much more than just how much money can be made in the A once picturesque sport that seemed destined to decline just a few years ago.

During a frenzied last half hour Sunday at the end of a two-week auction at the Pipa pigeon center, two Chinese bidders trading under the pseudonyms Super Duper and Hitman raised the price by 280,000 euros ($ 484,000), setting the record. Before Armando, a Belgian breed, fell far behind last year with 350,000 euros ($ 605,000).

Super Duper got the hen, and it is said that behind the pseudonym is the same rich Chinese industrialist who already had Armando, which allows the reproduction with both faces of birds.

Once again, it was proof that an old Western European pastime identified with working-class men now has a new, elitist chance at life abroad. Top breeders who rely on generations of family experience can now sell their birds at prices unprecedented just a decade ago, and China is often their destination.

On this occasion, successful breeder Gaston Van de Wouwer retired at 76 and his son had too busy a professional life to continue with the famous loft. The 445 birds were auctioned and the total sale already exceeded 6 million euros ($ 10.3 million). A second part of the auction will end on Monday, but did not include any birds that could match New Kim. Still, it was an amazing weekend for a pigeon breeder.

Belgians have long stood out as the best breeders, both because of their generations of experience and because of the density of a network in which many breeders can organize races together. However, it is not a short-term endeavor, as becoming an expert in genetic reproduction with the constant mixing and mating of birds takes years, if not decades. Birds can live up to 15 years.

“Everybody is interested in our pigeons,” Pascal Bodengien, director of the Belgian pigeon federation, told The Associated Press.

Just a decade ago, the record price for a pigeon was one-tenth the price for New Kim. And the current price of gold is around 26,000 euros ($ 44,970) a pound.

As is often the case, globalization has made a difference.

With the rise of corporate wealth in China also came conspicuous consumption and a new place for gambling. Somehow, the pigeons fit the bill. China often features single-loft racing, where pigeons get used to a chicken coop for months and then are released hundreds of miles away to return with their unique sense of direction and special speed training. Prize pools can reach tens of millions of euros.

For breeding, however, there is no place like Belgium. This is where, just over a generation ago, national weekend radio news was followed by announcements about whether pigeons were being released in far-flung places in France or even Spain and the weather conditions the birds were facing. .

After World War II, Belgium had more than 250,000 members in the federation of fanciers. Now there are 18,000, says Bodengien.

Pigeon breeding demands constant attention, every day of the year. Those demands had alienated many modern folks, once they led the sport to decline.

“To be the best, it has to be your life’s work. For some, it may seem boring. Day after day. Winter and summer, always those pigeons.” he said.

However, once bitten, many remain committed for life. And the news that a pigeon can sell for $ 2.7 million could spur new competitors to enter the sport. Bodengien welcomed that development, but asked for patience and a reality check.

“Anyone who’s thinking of getting into our sport to get money out of it better think again and switch to another sport,” he said.