These days, pigeons are being specially bred and trained to participate in a racing competition. Most female pigeons are bred with two or three males to help get the best results out of the eggs. Some pigeons are also gifted to other people to help with the breeding process. Pigeons undergo this training to be able to fly longer distances, not only for racing but also because it’s beneficial in general.

One female pigeon, Golden TT, has raced and won various medals over the years, along with bringing offsprings that were medal winners. Her trainers, Johan and Mark King, said that “Golden TT achieved five top ten scores at union level and was crowned the middle-distance gold medal winner in the Pretoria Union. She was also the SANPO long-distance bronze medal winner and won R50 000 in the Expensive Ring Race.”

The pigeons are released from a large coop, where they can fly freely before returning to continue racing. Hundreds to thousands of pigeons are let out like this every year before they head back home on their own. Oliver Egger, a man who watched this event take place, wrote that, “They could fly anywhere. They flap their wings as fast as they can until they disappear over the horizon—all heading toward Chicago, all heading home.”

Pigeon racing is a legal sport, and in most states, it isn’t considered animal endangerment; instead, it’s an event many people enjoy.