Microkhan by Brendan I. Koerner

Daytona for Squabs

April 27th, 2009 · 1 Comment


The winner of the 2009 Mercedes Classic will not, in fact, walk away with a shiny new car. But there are genuine riches at stake in this competition, to be held in the pigeon-racing mecca that is central Oklahoma. By Microkhan’s count, in fact, a sweep of all events could bring a pigeon owner $109,500—more than enough to buy a nicely loaded CLS-class coupe, or score upon score of the very finest racing birds.

Like most top-tier races worldwide, the Mercedes Classic is a “one loft” sort of competition. This means that the entrants are kept together for several months before the actual races commence. As a total newbie to this sport, Microkhan remains unclear on why the one-loft approach is so popular. Is it because pigeons require acclimation in order to perform up to their abilities? Or is it to circumvent the possible use of performance-enhancing drugs?

See the video above for an update from the Mercedes Classic loft, where more than 500 pigeons are currently cooling their heels. Or check out the live webcams here. And Microkhan previously delved into pigeon history, by recounting the brave WWII-era work of Burma Queen.

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