We need to talk about what is happening in the east of Croatia right now.

The days when all One Loft Races looked exactly the same are behind us, and it is high time we separated the contenders from the pretenders. If you are looking for a place where the sport of pigeon racing is still pure and where there is still room for honest, hard flying, you end up at Derby AS Croatia 2026. We are entering the third season, and what is being built there in Đakovo, is nothing short of pure class.

The face behind this success story is Petar Brlošić. Forget the anonymous managers you see at some of the mega races; Petar is a man of practice. He understands better than anyone that as a participant, you only want one thing, and that is trust. You do not just send your best youngsters across the border without a second thought. You want to know they are in the hands of someone who loses sleep if things don’t go right. Petar runs this race with the passion of a true fancier and the precision of a professional. You can feel that in everything. It is that personal approach combined with a top-sport mentality that makes this OLR so incredibly attractive.

An Arena for Gladiators

The location might be the biggest ace up their sleeve. The loft is situated right on top of a hill in the Slavonia region. This isn’t just some simple backyard plot, but a strategically chosen spot where the pigeons have free rein. There are no trees blocking the view and, even more importantly, no high-voltage cables in the immediate vicinity. It is a safe haven in a challenging landscape. Make no mistake, flying in Slavonia means hard work. In the summer, temperatures can rise significantly, and the wind has free play across the open plains. No free gifts are handed out here. A pigeon that wins here has true grit in its bones.

To keep that battle fair, massive investments have been made for the 2026 edition. Petar has expanded the capacity of the lofts to 1,700 perches, but he did so while maintaining plenty of air and space. Health is religion here. The biggest game-changer, however, is the new transport fleet. A brand-new truck is ready to accommodate 1,100 pigeons, supplemented by a modern trailer. Your pigeons are not transported like sardines but travel in style to the liberation site. That is essential, because a rested pigeon is a fast pigeon.

From 150 to 620 Kilometers

The program for 2026 is psychologically brilliant. It starts calmly to give the young birds confidence, but after that, they turn up the heat. Via five Hotspots ranging from 150 to 350 kilometers, we work towards the real fireworks. The Semi-Final at 450 kilometers is already a serious test, but the Final at 550 kilometers is where the real selection takes place. The winner of that final, by the way, takes home a handsome 12,000 euros from a total prize pot of 60,000 euros.

But Petar wouldn’t be Petar if he didn’t take it a step further. For the pigeons that simply refuse to quit, there is the Super Final over 620 kilometers. The beauty of this concept is its fairness. The first 40 pigeons from the Final and the best Ace Pigeons are protected and do not participate. They are safe for the auction. The Super Final gives the tough long-distance birds, which perhaps fell just outside the top prizes in the final, a stage to shine on the long haul.

Quality Over Quantity

Everything about Derby AS Croatia 2026 breathes ambition. The collaboration with veterinary specialists from Vet-Schroeder-Tollisan, the use of premium feed from Vanrobaeys, and the partnership with PIPA for the auctions show that the bar is set incredibly high. And let’s not forget the financial picture. At activation, you only pay for the pigeons that have survived the preparation and are ready for the first Hotspot. It hardly gets any fairer than that.

So if you ask me where you need to be in 2026 for an honest fight, a top-tier organization, and a beautiful racing program, the answer is simple. Send your future champions to Petar in Croatia.

Jan de Wijs
The Pigeon Boss