Algarve Great Derby

🐦 Ringo Report – Activation Race: Now It Gets Serious!

Hello everyone!

Ringo here, and oh boy... what a race we had today!

The Activation Race took place today, and it certainly wasn't an easy morning. As is quite usual this time of year in the Alentejo, the day started with plenty of fog and low clouds. So the ritual was familiar: wait, stay calm, keep hydrated and wait for visibility to improve.

This week was particularly tricky because a depression was moving across Portugal, making it difficult for the trainers to find the right window. But eventually, they believed they had found it.

When the route was clear, the GO was given!

There was practically no wind along the entire route, while around 80% of the sky was covered by clouds during the first part of the journey. The second half opened up a little, giving us some more sunshine along the way.

Then it was time to find our way home.

The arrivals were steady, with medium-sized groups appearing one after another. Some of us came in very low, while others preferred to make their entrance from much higher up. Everyone seems to have their own flying style!

And here's the really impressive part: 50% of us arrived in less than 13 minutes! That's a fantastic result for youngsters our age, especially considering the conditions we had to deal with today.

The training phase is now officially behind us. We've learned about distance, heat, wind, clouds, navigation, and even a few surprises along the way. We believe the trainers have given us the right tools and experience to face what comes next.

Because next week... it's no longer training.

The real races begin! 🏁

Our first official race will take us around 200 km, and we're ready for the challenge.

One important message for our human friends: the Activation Period is now running. If your team has more than 4 pigeons, you can contact the AGD team to activate your reserve pigeons.

Now the fun really begins!

Until next time, keep your eyes on the sky!

Ringo 🐦

🐦 Ringo Report – Training 7: Over 100 Km!

Hello everyone!

Ringo here, reporting from the AGD Summer 2026 loft after another big day on the road.

Today we crossed an important milestone: 115 km! For the first time, we youngsters were sent beyond the 100 km mark. And the Algarve decided to make us work for it, with a headwind all the way home.

The morning started foggy, with the sky completely closed. The drivers weren't taking any chances, so they kept us waiting and made sure we had enough water while they watched the conditions.

Then the sky slowly started to open, a few rays of sunshine appeared, and suddenly we knew what was coming...

GO! 🚚💨

Off we went!

The first of us made it home after around 1 hour and 25 minutes, and the arrivals were very encouraging. More than 50% of us were back within around 12 minutes. Not bad for our first trip beyond 100 km!

Something interesting happened today too. We didn't all find our way home from exactly the same direction. Our groups arrived from several directions, mainly from the east, north and west, while only a few of us showed up from the south. Another valuable lesson in navigation—and another reason why every training matters.

And now, things are getting serious.

Our training programme is almost finished. There is just one more training before the official AGD Summer 2026 races begin.

Next Tuesday, weather permitting, we'll be heading out again for around 165 km. That's going to be our final rehearsal before the real competition starts.

One more journey. One more lesson. And then the waiting is over...

The official races begin!

Until next time, keep your eyes on the sky!

Ringo 🐦

🐦 Ringo Report – Training 6: The Algarve Strikes Back

Hello everyone!

Ringo here with another update from the AGD Summer 2026 youngsters.

Oh boy... what a training!

Training 6 took place today, and it was by far our most challenging one so far.

The morning started very busy for the trainers and drivers. With fog and low clouds forecast in central and western Portugal, we decided to drive around 25 km further east than planned to find better visibility. And it turned out to be a very wise decision: around 95% of the pigeons arrived from the direction of the release point, suggesting the route home was clear.

But then there was the heat.

Temperatures were rising incredibly fast. At 9:00 it was already 29°C at the loft, and the pigeons were showing clear signs that the limits were approaching. Open beaks and wings held away from the body showed that they were working hard to dissipate the heat.

Welcome to Algarve racing! ☀️

This is exactly what makes racing here so challenging. The youngsters need to learn how to deal with heat, and it will only become more demanding as the distances and flight times increase.

A few pigeons are still missing. In these conditions, some may have landed temporarily to find water and escape the heat, something that can happen during particularly hot flights. Hopefully they will continue later when temperatures drop or resume their journey tomorrow morning. The team is monitoring the situation closely.

We also received a few injured pigeons again. One possible concern is the increasing number of electricity cables along the usual flight routes, with more solar farms being installed every year. These new obstacles may create additional risks for pigeons navigating the area.

Today was tough, but that's exactly why we train. The youngsters learned a lot.

A weather change is expected in the coming days, so we'll keep a close eye on the forecast. For now, Training 7 is planned for next Wednesday, weather permitting.

Another difficult lesson learned. Another step forward.

Until next time, keep your eyes on the sky!

Ringo 🐦

AGD SUMMER 26

Dear Participants,

Tomorrow the training 6 of the AGD SUMMER 26 will take place at a distance of 95 Km.

You can follow the arrival at Benzing Live:

https://oneloftrace.live/lofts/17/flights/66297?tab=one

We wish everyone Great arrivals!

🐦 Ringo Report – Training 5: A Real Lesson

Hello everyone!

Ringo here with another update from the AGD Summer 2026 youngsters.

Today was Training 5, and this time we travelled 74 km. And let's be honest... this one was different!

It was by far our most demanding training so far, but also probably the one where we learned the most.

The morning conditions were a little tricky. Although the sky was quite clear at both the release and the loft, there was a possibility of fog and low clouds in some areas along the route. So the team waited a little longer before giving us the green light. But with temperatures rising quickly, there was no time to waste.

At 8:15, the GO was given!

A few brave youngsters reached the loft on their own, followed just a minute later by some big groups. After that, the arrivals became more spread out, with mostly medium and smaller groups making their way home.

And there was something particularly interesting today: many of the groups arrived from the back of the loft, meaning from the opposite direction of the release point. This suggests that some of us may have flown past the loft and then had to correct our course to find home.

Could low clouds or fog along the route have caused some of those navigation corrections? It's certainly possible. Whatever the reason, today gave the youngsters something very valuable: real experience in dealing with changing conditions and finding their way home when everything doesn't go exactly according to plan.

That's what training is for.

The next road training is planned for Friday, but the weather is already giving us something to think about. Very high temperatures are forecast for the coming days, so the team will carefully monitor the conditions and decide whether an earlier release is possible. Safety always comes first.

74 km today. A tough lesson, but a very valuable one.

We're learning, we're gaining experience, and we're getting ready for the challenges ahead.

Until next time, keep your eyes on the sky!

Ringo 🐦