Derby Arona Tenerife One Loft Race 

"Another year In Arona"

Welcome back to the derby Arona Tenerife one loft race for another year of excitement in one of the most unique one loft races in the world. Once again I've been asked by the Arona team to take up the position of reporting on their behalf all the success stories and on times sadly some disappointments that unfolds which makes the Derby Arona race so exciting. 

As we prepare to start who knows what the race will hold for us this year as we face a race route that makes this race so different form the many other one loft races around the world, a race that over the coming weeks will take on the rugged volcanic terrain of island training and open spans of Atlantic ocean in the form of hotspot races without mother nature adding herself to the mix with Atlantic winds and calimas (sand storms ) from the Sahara desert etc all this gives the derby Arona the claim as "The most unique one loft race and the world "

It's been a long few months since the final uk shipment had left our shores destined for the canary Island of Tenerife for this year’s derby Arona Tenerife one loft race 2023/24 and in such time a lot has changed within the derby Arona organisation over recent months as the team completed their dream of bringing a new loft in a new location to the world wide audience on the outskirts of the small sleepy village of San Lorenzo approx. 2 miles north of the old location in the town of Guassa 

The new loft initial first build is south facing taking advantage of the warm Canarian sun from sunrise to sunset and is approximately 180 ft in length and sits comfortably on a plot of 50.000 sq. metres of rugged volcanic ground which the Ledesma family purchased some four years ago prior to the pandemic halting their dream, the land has been secured with a 9ft fencing which is wall mounted with large steel gates securing the plot 

On our recent visit to the island we had the opportunity of seeing the time and money the team has put in to bring the derby Arona one loft race to another level , being in an elevated position the view from the front incorporates uninterrupted views out over the old loft location in Guassa, The banana plantations and out over the Atlantic ocean as far as the eye can see, whilst slightly to the right the popular holiday resorts of playa de las Americas and Los cristianos can be seen ,indicating the distance for visitors to the loft is similar to the new loft as it was to the old site when it comes to local taxis etc, Whilst to the rear the mountain backdrop makes up such idyllic scenery but above all with the pigeons predicted to come from the east , arrivals can now be seen on approach from a much greater distance something the old loft lacked.

Whilst there we were able to have a look at the inmates within the loft and can say they all looked well prior to Abel our entrusted loft manager releasing the pigeons for their daily flight, with all pigeons now settled and exercising together there was a number of batches at various heights as the team explained the final inmates had only been free flying for a week so no forced flying was applied and they were left to fly at their own free will at present, however in the days to come daily loft flying will be more intense to boost both confidence and fitness in preparation for the start of the new series getting underway weather permitting around the 13th Jan 

Team GB this year consists of all four nations have really embraced the new set up with a team of 570 pigeons shipped in the two shipments back in July and August and whilst we await the loft list now the ets rings have been assigned were hopeful that losses during settling will be at a minimum 

The race 

Training will get underway on the 13th of January which will consist with a minimum of four pre selection training flights these early flights going to 20klm will assure participants that there pigeons are present and settled in the loft prior to any activation payment of 220€ per pigeon being requested ,following these flights participants will have from Jan 20th to 25th to instruct and make the one off payment to the derby Arona for their pigeons to go forward as the team don’t ask for any payment upon entry only once birds have been settled this therefore saves participants at this stage as they don’t pay for lost pigeons, following such dates any pigeons not activated will become liable for 3rd party activation this is when outsiders. Can put forward a payment and claim to any unpaid/activated entries 

Once activations have been completed then its nonstop for the birds looking at the race plan this shows the birds will be rigorously trained if weather permits three times a week at various points heading north through the island to the most furthest point accessible which is approx. 70klm from the north to the loft in the south 

After such the birds will head eastwards to the neighbouring island of Gran Canaria for the first of several island to island flights, across the Atlantic. Making up the three hotspot races the first being what is described as the survival race (hotspot 1) from the west coast, one of the most testing races on the programme, as it’s the first time the birds which by such time are well trained are asked to leave land below and head out over the open waters of the Atlantic ocean back to their home land of Tenerife ,it’s a test of courage and ability and a big ask for the birds on this occasion sometimes birds will get their heads down and adventure out undisturbed whilst others will hug the coastline for. Many hours until such time they make the decision to head for home and complete their journey 

Several liberations from Gran Canaria will follow the survival race as the more times they embrace what’s in front of them the easier it will get, as proven in past years once they accomplish the initial crossing they tend to make light work of it in the future, however the open waters of the Atlantic often stir up its own difficulties with cross winds etc ,which requires the birds work hard to keep their line of flight and make it to land and home 

Hotspot races 2 and the semi-final will also be from Gran Canaria from the east coast and as such the distance increases to 125 this then incorporates a flight path over land below prior to crossing the stretch of water, with all this completed its now late march its then they face the final and most testing routes for the final Race , the double island and double water experience from Fuerteventura when birds will be released they fly from east to west over the island of Fuerteventura then out to sea towards Gran Canaria crossing over such they then face the second span of water before arriving in Tenerife for the final leg of the journey down to the loft where many fanciers will no doubt be present to witness the arrivals and crown this year’s Arona champion 

So as we prepare for the start of this year’s series here's some important dates for your diary 

Jan 13th start of the derby Arona 2023/24

Jan 20th to 25th owners activations 

Jan 26th to 29th 3rd party activations 

March 23rd (sat) final race 

Tom Harris