Pigeon sale yields world record for feathered Bolt

[May 21, 2013]  BRUSSELS (AP) -- Lightning fast pigeon Bolt, with a name and pedigree to match, has become the world's most expensive racing bird with his Belgian breeder selling it for 310,000 euros ($400,000) to a Chinese businessman.

Belgian-bred pigeons have a worldwide reputation for being the fastest around, yet the record prize surprised anyone involved in the sport, auction house Pipa said.

Pipa CEO Nikolaas Gyselbrecht said Tuesday he was "stunned by the prices offered" in the auction of 530 birds which also yielded a world record of 4.345 million euros ($5.58 million). Nine of the 10 top birds went to China or Taiwan.

The previous record for a sale of a single bird stood at 250,000 euros ($322,000). Top birds after sale are traditionally used for breeding only.

[Associated Press]

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