Loft Farcasel wins 1st Provincial and 7th National Marseille

On the international race from Marseille, Loft Farcasel, managed by Sorin Ovidiu  Farcasel, achieved a solid result with a pigeon that won 1st provincial against 162 old birds. On the zonal level, the bird placed 3rd against 355 pigeons, and at the national level it finished in a respectable 7th place against 1812 old birds.

A second pigeon from the loft also arrived early, placing 22nd provincial, 43rd zonal, and 180th national — a consistent result on this classic long-distance race.

Who is Sorin Ovidiu  Farcasel?

Sorin has been active in pigeon racing since 2010. His journey started in Romania, where he quickly made a name for himself with birds imported from Belgium and the Netherlands. In 2015, he became a triple national champion with pigeon RO12-469052, a cross between 50% Herbots and 50% Silvere Toye.

After a two-year break, he resumed racing in Romania in 2018 and 2019, again with success: he placed 1st in Iași county in the marathon category for yearlings.

In 2020, Sorin moved to Belgium with the goal of competing at the highest level of long-distance racing. Since joining the KBDB in 2021, he has made steady progress year after year:
In 2024, he ranked 11th National Long Distance Champion Yearlings with results in races like Agen and Narbonne. 
In 2025, he secured a 5th national in Brest with BE23-3053537.  
And now a 7th national in Marseille with BE22-3101224.

The story of BE22-3101224

The Marseille winner has a remarkable story. During its first race from Valence in 2024, the pigeon returned only after three days — and with its wing feathers cut, as shown in the attached photos.

Despite that, Sorin decided to keep him in the race team for 2025. “I knew he had quality,” he says. “That belief has now paid off.”

The cock will still be entered for Perpignan later this season. Sorin hopes he can prove himself once again — on what is generally considered the toughest race of the year.

With this performance, Sorin Ovidiu Farcasel continues his steady rise in Belgian long-distance racing. A fancier with vision and trust in his pigeons.

Maarten Herbots