An Insight into

The Derby Arona Tenerife One Loft Race

The ultimate one loft pigeon race over the Atlantic

Jose Ledesma the founder of the Derby Arona Tenerife one loft race is successful in many different fields of human endeavour. Beautiful music, beautiful design and

beautiful racing pigeons what more could you wish to achieve? Well it would seem that Jose, is always looking for a challenge.

Most men would never have considered attempting to organize a one loft race let alone bring it to International attention and of all places on an Island in the middle of

the Atlantic Setting up such a race didn’t come without its difficulties as in 2004 ,we seen for the first time the dreaded bird flu diagnosed and as a result whilst it may have deferred a lot of people to start up such a venture and incredible idea this is exactly what Jose

Ledesma did! He successfully created the “Ultimate Challenge” he brought the “Ultimate One Loft Race” into existence regardless of all of the negative

pontifications the “Nay Sayers”. There is no one loft race in the world that can lay claim to be the “Ultimate Challenge” that is not up until Ledesma created “DERBY

ARONA”. “Derby Arona” has within a brief 15 years established itself as a “World Class”

sporting event The marriage of an ancient activity (the racing of pigeons) with the 21st Century

technology of the internet allows fanciers from all over the world and all walks of life to showcase to the entire world their prowess as breeders of the ultimate animal

athletes. Reputations can be made overnight if you have both the courage to participate and the horsepower or more appropriately the “pigeon power” to establish a world class performance. I can assure my readers that this race is not for the faint of heart, your pigeons must be exceptional in every way or you will indeed find the

race hard and challenging

The Ledesma family and proprietors of the Derby Arona Tenerife one loft race

This race is for the realist, the brutally honest fancier who believes in the superiority of his stock and is willing to challenge the “Atlantic Ocean” and all that, that entails.

This race is not for whiners or believers in affirmative action, this race is for the professional seeking to pit his breeding prowess against the fury of the seas.

You will be racing against the very best endurance pigeons in the world for the highest prize money in Europe

I think, it would be an understatement if I were to say that racing pigeons instinctively do not like to fly over large bodies of open water. In Taiwan as well as many other

Island Nations like The Canary Islands many fanciers value a racing pigeon solely on its ability to fly over the ocean.

Therefore, they seek out and greatly value racing pigeons that can fly over an unforgiving open ocean! Let’s be very clear here, not all racing pigeons have the

requisite qualities to be able to do so. These flights are dangerous, and sometimes gruelling

Risking flights over the open ocean requires the ultimate in terms of a pigeon’s ability to orient, its physical performance, its endurance, its courage and its iron will to

return to its home.? it never fails to amaze ! that the birds that we keep can have so much courage, so much raw power, so much strength, so much endurance, so much determination and such a love for home that nothing, not even a deadly ocean would

stop them from trying to get to their homes.

Yet it seems that the Canary Islands (officially a part of Spain) has a large, extremely dedicated racing pigeon fancier’s community as well as racing pigeons that face

these incredible challenges every race day. Just imagine the oceans, totally unpredictable, deadly calm one minute and gigantic 10 storey waves and winds the next. Water, fog gale force winds, peregrine falcons and add to all of this a distance of near to 300 kilometres and you certainly have a recipe for the “most extreme one loft race in the world”. The “Ultimate Challenge” This then is the background for the Derby Arona which (and I believe rightly) bills itself as “The Most Extreme One Loft

Race in The World”!

Till this happens we can only sit on the side-lines and watch as the Europeans and others take up the challenge

There are a number of long established highly successful and fully subscribed “One Loft Races” in the world today. The two that have the longest and most successful track records and pay out the largest prize money are “Sun City Million” in South Africa and “Derby Arona” in Tenerife, Canary Islands. Only the very best racing

pigeons bred should be sent to Derby Arona. The entire training takes place via huge ocean-going ferries very similar to the one represented in the photo below. The

releases are videoed so as to have a permanent record of not only the release but the conditions at the time of the release.

A modest racing set up in the early days

The birds are well trained and given every opportunity to perform at the very best of their abilities. The flights are not easy but the youngsters must come to know and

understand the conditions that will confront them. Below you can see the ocean ferry from where the mid sea races are held. There is no room for error here. The Derby Arona attracts participants from +30 countries a virtual of “who’s who” of the racing

pigeon world worldwide.

A United Nations of racing pigeon fanciers descended upon Tenerife to enjoy the hospitality of this tropical paradise and hopefully also emerge victorious in the

ultimate challenge that is Derby Arona. With the emergence of the One Loft Races

worldwide the sport of racing pigeons rose to a new level. Racing pigeons in exotic destinations for large prize money what a great excuse for a family holiday! Tenerife

is an incredible holiday destination for the entire family. A favourite destination for visitors from all over Europe and clearly you can see why! – Europeans have an

ongoing opportunity to support a world class event, that is professionally operated at the very highest level with complete transparency built into every facet and where

the birds receive incredible care and attention to detail is paramount.

Jose Ledesma the virtuoso composer has created his greatest “Opus” for racing pigeon fanciers of the world, and it is called “Derby Arona!” this image is what our sport is ultimately all about. The face of victory. We all love our pigeons and we all

love to win, and this shot tells it all.

Each year from the first week of April the Arona lofts see a steady stream of entries for the forthcoming race series these come from over thirty countries worldwide

arrive on this small island with hope and ambition to be champion ,this is a regular practice that is repeated until the final intake which is normally during the Kassel

show in Germany at the end of sept

With the doors closed for any further participants the team undergo a strict loft treatment series as part of the intake preparation, including vaccination canker cocoi

and worms etc

As the pigeons are placed in the loft for the first week or so they are kept separate from the other inmates so that a watchful eye can be kept on them and any signs of weakness or illness is easily spotted and treated , prior to being moved in with the

pigeons already within the loft.

For the next few weeks the pigeons are given the opportunity to experience their new surroundings on top of the loft under netted conditions, this enables them to have outside access under the teams control and familiarise themselves with the

location prior to complete liberation with the pigeons already flying out.

With the administration completed and with all the pigeons now daily exercising the team prepare for the start of the training process this normally starts at the beginning

of December and is considered as the owners pre selection period, an opportunity for owners to be confident that their pigeons have settled well on the island

All entries individually photographed

following on from training race 5 the owners have a unique opportunity of activating their reserve pigeons as within the Derby Arona as upon entering you only pay for

one pigeon in each team of five entered then following preselection training you can then activate the rest of your team at a cost of 220 euro per pigeon

With the activation period over and third party activation also completed then the training recommences early January, from here on its nonstop to the final ,working

slowly through the island gradually moving north over extremely challenging surroundings to the final island liberation from Porta Santa Cruz, prior to the first of

two mid sea liberations from the rear of the cross Atlantic ferry to Gran Canaria

Abel Ledesma loft manager and chief convoyer

With three hotspot races from Gran Canaria, the first is considered as the most challenging, as it’s the first time the pigeons would be released from one island and

having to face their first island to island flight, this we consider to be the survival race for the such reasons as the pigeons are more reluctant to overcome their fears of the route on the first occasion and sometimes it takes a few advances out to see before

they finally make a break for home.

With two more hotspot/car races also from Gran Caneria to overcome the final race this year will implement a further unknown challenge for the pigeons, when they are

liberated from Fuerteventura two islands over and therefore face a unique double island flight over 280klm of seas to reach the loft location in Tenerife.

With the final race being held at the end of March fanciers from many countries gather on the small island to experience the atmosphere of the race and to join and

repatriate years of friendship within the race.

Live basketing is staged at the lofts and all are welcome to attend this gives participants another unique opportunity by handling their pigeons for the first time

since parting company many months ago as they are processed through the basketing procedure this event is staged and streamed from the lofted via many internet outlets as a method of transparency, on marking they are stamped and

basketed under the watchful eye of independent security to ensure all is good through out, their journey to the liberation

Highlighting the 2019 final race and gala evening

With the pigeons on site and everyone getting excited the Arona team host their formal welcome evening at a local Canarian restaurant to formally welcome

everyone not only to the Derby Arona one loft race but to the island of Tenerife itself

Race day, and as fanciers and friends and the Arona team. gather at the loft in the small residential area known as Guazza the Ledesma family as hosts provide

continuous complimentary refreshments for all attending during the day as we await the first arrivals

A winning nation in 2019 slovakia 1st and 2nd final race winners

With pigeons homing and celebrations happening, some lucky fancier will receive the ultimate one loft race prize in Europe of 120,000 euro and the prestigious honour of

Derby Arona champion for another year

The first arrivals challenging for the top spot

The week is rounded off in traditional Tenerife style at the gala night when fanciers come together once again to celebrate recent performances by all, with the presentation of the winners prizes and the carnival atmosphere throughout

complimented by a buffet style menu pleasing to all tastes and nationalities the evening and another year slowly comes to an end

Gala presentation evening March 2019

In 2004 the lofts were deemed adequate for the plans of the Arona team when the race hosted a small number of local fanciers and a few foreign competitor, however

due to continued success the loft and race has evolved and grown into a truly international event and to a level that the current surroundings need to be improved

to accommodate such demand.

It’s through the imagination of Jose and the ambition to succeed, that as we head into 2020 the Ledesma family have invested heavily in a new project to relocate the lofts for the coming season approx. 3klm north of where it stands today, with a more

enjoyable and advantageous loft location overlooking the holiday resorts of los Cristiano’s and Playa Las Americas and on over the Atlantic Ocean With

uninterrupted Atlantic views as far as the eye can see and an idyllic backdrop of volcanic mountain regions, this will surely bring a new dimension to the Derby Arona

Tenerife one loft race and one loft racing in general, as the new loft will give an opportunity to hold an increased number of entries,

The Derby Arona organisation whilst it was a thought and ambition by an individual (Jose) and through realistic thought and enthusiasm of not just Jose Ledesma, but

the family in whole, some 15 years later other family members, also play an important role it taking the Arona one loft race to the next level for the benefit of

participants and welfare of the pigeons, never has the family used the words it’s the greatest race in the world because the race speaks for itself, however they are

prepared to say its recognised as the hardest, due to the vigorous training programme and the many obstacles and fears put before the pigeons up to and

including the final race flying over land and sea.

It’s because of this, the race attracts such large numbers from many countries around the world, so to claim to be the best you have to offer the best for the fancier, and as a fancier to be the best in the world you have to compete and beat the best in

the world which the Arona race offers.

Back in 2004 when the Arona race was launched, I’m sure the family whilst they hoped their project would be a success, they never in the wildest dreams would of

thought that in today`s one loft race market, they would stand above the rest and be recognised worldwide as offering one of the biggest prize in Europe to the winner of the final race and without doubt one of the leading and respected one loft races in

the world.

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