A thrilling interview on pigeon sport topics with Mr. Dan Rusu - part 4
14:37, Joi, 17.09.2009
A thrilling interview on pigeon sport topics
with Mr. Dan RUSU – ASC `AS`
- part 4 -
Mr. Rusu, out front his loft
RRP: Is there any Romanian fancier you highly appreciate for his wisdom in breeding pigeons?
D. Rusu: Yes, there is someone whom I learned a lot of things from. In my opinion, one of the most important fanciers
RRP: Is there a fancier from abroad you admire?
D. Rusu: There are a whole lot of good fanciers, some of them quite fabulous, whom I was born and raised with. I was born with Janssen in my mind and I’ll die with him there. I was born with Stichelbaut in my mind, with Delbar, with Vandenabeele and so on and so forth.
The eye of a super racer
RRP: Do you consider pigeonsport secrets can be stolen every now and then, or they can be learnt only from the books. If one fancier is not born to practice this sport, could he be able to reach the top?
D. Rusu: Yes, he could, providing he was a hard worker and having the ability to take the best out of things, that is to separate the good from the bad. This is really important.
The wing of a champion
RRP: Why do you think Romanian fanciers are so mesmerized with pigeons from abroad,
D. Rusu: I think most fanciers from abroad have access to a tremendous publicity. It’s pretty hard to say whether their pigeons have a greater genetic value because their flight conditions are different. You can’t compare a pigeon that flies under certain climacteric and relief conditions with pigeons that compete on a whole different level. Dutch and
RRP: What about Romanian fanciers, do they have skills?
D. Rusu: In my perspective, there are lots of good fanciers in
RRP: How much importance do you place on allowing your pigeons to recover after a race?
D. Rusu: Strength recovering is of great importance. In my opinion, there are 3 stages while preparing a pigeon for a race: the strength recovery stage takes 3 days after pigeons’ arrival (on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday), the preparation stage takes 2 days (on Wednesday and Thursday), and the basketing stage that occurs on Saturday, which is highly important. Throughout the recovery stage, pigeons are given energy recovery products (and I advocate for as many natural products as it gets). My pigeons are also given tea to drink. But let me illustrate you what I’m saying: on Sunday, when return from a race, my pigeons are given electrolytes, followed by a product designed for respiratory tracts (or tea from the human drug store), then a depurative mixture. I use as well different kinds of tea to fortify the liver and to energize the pigeon. I also administrate them some kind of soup, according to a recipe I copied from Silvere Toye (made of boiled onion, garlic, celery and carrots; the vegetables are filtered off, while the pigeons get the soup). Beer yeast and garlic oil are used too. The second stage refers to preparing the pigeons. Throughout this phase, I offer them certain oils based on wheat germs (that energize the pigeons) and creatine. While basketing, it’s of the uppermost importance to provide your pigeons with some liquid minerals, Dextrotonic and a mixture made of almost 30% small seeds. It’s OK to add small quantities of hemp seeds, but take caution because it can be really exciting. Rape seeds are quite good on Sunday, during the recovery stage. Then unshelled paddy and rice corn.
The champion’s loft
RRP: After performing for 28 years in pigeonsport, what piece of advice would you pass to a young fancier who is just getting started with pigeons?
D. Rusu: It’s of the uppermost importance to know what you want to achieve in this sport, just like in real life situations. First and foremost, they must purchase some quality pigeons, no matter old birds or youngsters (if they start with youngsters, they must be from the sort of highly rated pigeons, with a top quality family tree). As for their number, I think 4-6 birds are enough to build up your own sort. Concerning the flight distances, these should be regarded step by step.
RRP: Could someone achieve good results starting with long-distance races and skipping the short ones?
D. Rusu: Such results can be achieved, of course. But if you skip short and middle-distance races, it’s like you’re not enjoying the game. And you must feel the thrills of each category. Then a young fancier must create his own selection standard, meaning his pigeons should win half plus one of the races they are basketed for, until he starts to compete for the top prizes.
RRP: Do you like good looking or valuable pigeons?
D. Rusu: To be honest with you, I’m not quite excited about extremely good looking pigeons. I like better worthwhile pigeons. I appreciate a pigeon who clocked into prizes ten times better than a good looking one.
RRP: Do you sell pigeons for those interested?
D. Rusu: For the time being, there are lots of good pigeons I can offer to whoever is interested because I’m going through a difficult situation when I simply don’t have time to take care of my birds. And I’m that kind of guy who quits doing something if he cannot handle his business properly. That’s the reason why the only category I can compete to is long-distance because it doesn’t take too much time. I also have lots of original pigeons I can offer to whoever is interested, fine pigeons for a moderate price.
RRP: This is where we have to put and end to our interview. On behalf of <Romanian Racing Pigeons> visitors, we would like to thank you for your kindness!
D. Rusu: It was my pleasure.
Our note: For those interested, you can reach Mr. Rusu at the following phone number: 0766.63.45.43
Translated by Andrei - Silviu Oprea