Pigeon fancier João Valente from Nisa owns the fastest pigeon in Portugal. “Beatrice 007” won among 50 thousand birds from 8,000 fans from 400 clubs in the country in the largest race of racing pigeons in Europe. In distance competitions that were held recently. “It was a great moment,” he says CM João Valente, 45, member of the Nisense Pigeon Racing Society. The owner of the pigeon “Beatrice 007” (Beatrice is his daughter’s name and 007 is the end of the ring) inherited his passion from his father – also a pigeon lover – and devotes himself, in his words, “365 days a year” to catching pigeons. caring for 250 pigeons from your loft. João Valente has a championship history, having won the race in 2009 and 2012. He named one of the winning pigeons after his other son: Gabriel. “Beatrice 007” is a valuable pigeon: its cost can be about 15 thousand euros. Last year, the world’s best pigeon in the speed category, owned by a pigeon breeder from Aveiro, was sold for 65 thousand euros to Belgium.