Chinese spend big on Belgian racing pigeons

[January 14, 2011]  KERMT, Belgium (AP) -- Two recent Belgian auctions of racing pigeons have brought in hundreds of thousands of euros (dollars), based on heavy bidding by wealthy Chinese buyers.

The sale of a 218-bird colony last weekend yielded a world-record euro1.368 million ($1.8 million). A single bird named Blue Prince went for euro156,000 ($205,000).

The auctions confirmed Belgium as the age-old breeding hub of the birds and China as the new center of demand.

In pigeon racing, birds are released up to 1,000 kilometers (700 miles) from their lofts. The bird that flies back fastest wins.

The sport has spread from its origins as a working-class pastime in Western Europe and developed a cachet in modern-day China, which escaped the brunt of the global financial crisis and is now spending passionately on pigeons.

[Associated Press]

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