Sometimes you only need to look at a result once to know you are seeing something special.
The Derby AS Croatia Final 2026 was exactly that kind of race. After 550 kilometres, more than seven and a half hours on the wing and constantly changing wind conditions, the first three pigeons arrived within just 0.960 seconds of each other.
And right at the top stands Laketa Mario.
His CRO.26-33218 was officially clocked on 13 September at 15:20:17.860. The winning speed was 1208.0009 metres per minute, equal to roughly 72.5 kilometres per hour.
Over 550 kilometres.
That is absolute class.
At the moment we checked the standings on 14 September at around 08:30, the system showed 349 arrivals from 520 starters. The race was still technically marked as ongoing on the platform, but the battle at the front had already been decided.
Laketa Mario Delivers When It Matters Most
The pigeons were liberated on 13 September at 07:45 from Pardubice SK, Chrudim. Ahead of them was a demanding 550 kilometre journey back to the Derby AS Croatia lofts.
The conditions made sure nothing came easy.
The temperature at release was around 13 degrees Celsius and the pigeons started with a headwind. After approximately 150 kilometres the wind changed into a crosswind, while several further wind changes were reported along the route. Temperatures later climbed towards 25 degrees.
That means work.
This was not a race where the pigeons could simply settle into one rhythm and follow the same line all day. They had to keep adapting.
CRO.26-33218 handled it brilliantly and reached the loft first after roughly 7 hours and 35 minutes of racing.
What makes the victory even more impressive is that the same pigeon had already completed the 450 kilometre semifinal one week earlier. Another hundred kilometres were added for the final, and on the biggest day of the season this pigeon was the first one home.
That is exactly when you want a quality pigeon to stand up.
Less Than One Second Covered the Entire Podium
Anyone who thinks Laketa Mario could relax with a comfortable lead only needs to look at the clock.
Team Ekkel arrived with NL.26-8421867 just 0.830 seconds behind the winner.
Riciozo Racing Pigeons followed with MK.26-260610, only 0.960 seconds behind.
Think about that for a moment.
550 kilometres of racing. Hours in the air. Headwind, crosswind and multiple changes in conditions.
And the first three pigeons were still separated by less than a single second.
That is why we love pigeon racing.
And the pressure did not stop after the podium.
The entire top ten arrived within 25 seconds of Laketa Mario. The first 21 pigeons were separated by only 37.580 seconds.
Perhaps even more remarkable, positions eight through ten were covered by just 0.130 seconds.
After 550 kilometres, you can literally lose several places in the blink of an eye.
The First Ten Prize Winners of the Derby AS Croatia Final 2026
This was not a top ten spread across several minutes.
This was a leading group that almost arrived together after 550 kilometres.
But there can only be one winner.
Laketa Mario and CRO.26-33218.
They deserve the spotlight.
Derby AS Croatia Shows What a Real Final Should Be
A strong One Loft Race final should be more than simply the last race of the season.
The preparation should build towards something. The distance should test the pigeons properly. And when the conditions change along the route, you want to see which pigeons still have the intelligence, strength and orientation to make the right decisions after hundreds of kilometres.
This Derby AS Croatia Final delivered exactly that.
By the morning of 14 September, 349 of the 520 starters had returned, approximately 67 percent of the field.
That number says enough.
These 550 kilometres had to be earned.
And that is exactly why the result carries weight.
Petar Brlošić Is Building a Race With Character in Croatia
I follow enough One Loft Races to know that a good website or a big name is never enough.
In the end, everything comes back to what happens around the loft every single day.
That is where Petar Brlošić comes into the story.
Derby AS Croatia is organised from Đurđanci near Đakovo in Slavonia, where Petar leads the operation. Earlier information from the Derby AS Croatia project consistently paints the same picture. Petar is not an organiser who only appears on race day. He works among the pigeons and is personally involved in the daily management and care of the team.
You can feel that approach in the race.
The young pigeons are built up through a serious programme towards increasingly demanding distances. The semifinal was raced over 450 kilometres. One week later, the final asked them to tackle 550 kilometres.
That is a genuine test.
The race information is also presented professionally. Liberation times, weather conditions, wind, arrivals and speeds are all made available in detail.
And when three pigeons arrive within one second after 550 kilometres, you immediately understand why accurate timing matters.
The Pigeon Boss Says: Keep Your Eyes on Derby AS Croatia
For me, Derby AS Croatia has everything it needs to attract even more international attention in the years ahead.
- There is real sport here.
- There is tension.
- There is an organiser behind the race who comes from the pigeon sport and stays close to the pigeons.
- And above all, the participants get a programme that genuinely asks their youngsters to prove themselves.
- The Derby AS Croatia Final 2026 also produced exactly the kind of moment that gives a race its reputation.
- A winner over 550 kilometres.
- A podium inside one second.
- A top ten inside 25 seconds.
- Those are the numbers people remember.
So first of all, huge congratulations to Laketa Mario and his outstanding CRO.26-33218. On the day when everyone wants to be at their best, they were the first ones home.
Respect also goes to Team Ekkel, Riciozo Racing Pigeons, Team Opacak, Tim F.A.I.D., Marco Knust, Tim Vila Velebita, Miha Sovic, Viglidan Agoston & Laszlo and Visser Meijboom #MAKTB.
Together they turned the Derby AS Croatia Final 2026 into a final worth watching.
And to every fancier who is not yet following Derby AS Croatia closely, I have one simple message.
Keep your eyes on Croatia.
This race has a future.
Jan de Wijs
The Pigeon Boss
