My name is Suad Sokolovic. My friends and acquaintances call me Sudo. I was born in Sarajevo in 1945, where I still live. By profession, I am Civil Engineer and I work in “Energoinvest” in Sarajevo, as an Advisor to the Director.

I’ve been breeding pigeons since I was 10 years old. I started with “MARTUN” just like all the kids back then, followed by “PERTLA”, “GOJAS” and “SRBIAN HIGHFLIER”, and finally I started breeding “IZMIRAC (SARAJEVO ROLLER) in 1963 with my good friend Miroslav Tucakovic in his pigeon house at Samardije 3.

We acquired a flock of 14 pigeons from Dado in Kovaci. Those pigeons were bred by Kemal Kukavica and were extraordinary quality. In addition to these pigeons we also bought “BLACK SPOTTED MALE” from Nedzad Selmanovic-Aba, and then we bought “CHECKERED BLUE MALE” from Sakic from Sirokaca and “BLACK SPOTTED MALE” and “BLACK FEMALE” from Saket. In addition to these pigeons in the same pigeon house Miroslav also had a flock of “SRBIAN HIGHFLIER” which were healthier and more resistant to disease.  Due to those circumstances after two years of breeding “SARAJEVO ROLLER” we did not have any quality descendants. At that time, at least in Sarajevo, medicine for pigeons was not available so we had great loses among the young pigeons, and often the mature birds as well.

In 1965 our pigeons were stolen. 10 days later we found out that they were stolen by some kids from Soukbunar, where is where we found them. Unfortunately they were in poor condition due to bad upkeep as well as poor diet.

At that point we made a decision to stop breeding “SARAJEVO ROLLER”. Miro continued to successfully breed “SRPSKE” until 1994 when he moved to Canada.

I started breeding “SARAJEVO ROLLER” again in August of 1968.

I bough “BLACK SPOTTED MALE”, “BLUE SPOTTED MALE” & “CHECKERED BLUE FEMALE” from Dragas Zarko. I was Junior in College and was receiving a scholarship. I gladly spent the entire scholarship money on those 3 pigeons. During the purchase, I was accompanied by my girlfriend at the time, now my wife, and as it was August and mini skirts were in, Zarko was extremely accommodating. For a long time there was a story going around Sarajevo that if Sudo did not have Cica with him, Darko would never have sold him pigeons from his main flock.”

During the next few years, I bought “BLUE SPOTTED MALE” from Beriz Belkic, “BLACK FEMALE” from Ratomir Duricic, “BLACK FEMALE” from Zoran Zubic, “BLACK FEMALE” and “BLACK SPOTTED MALE” from Saket, and from Muhamed I bought “CHECKERED BLUE SPOTTED MALE” which supposedly was caught and was a direct descendant from pigeons owned by Joza Miletic (son of Talambasa).

In 1972 I had to leave to serve in the army, fist six months in Karlovac and then another six months in Belgrade. During this time my father looked after my pigeons.

During the period from 1973 to 1992 I added to my flock “BLACK FEMALE” and “BLUE SPOTTED MALE” bought from Zoran Zubic, “BLACK MALE” from Ratomir Duricic, “BLACK SPOTTED MALE” from Alija Jazic, “BLACK FEMALE” from Kemal Kukavica, “BLACK FEMALE” from Mirko Morovic (Divulje - Croatia), “CHECKERED BLUE SPOTTED MALE” from Vladimir Kovacevic (Brac - Croatia) and “BLACK SPOTTED MALE” from Rasko Redep.

In 1982 I left for Iraq for one year temporary work. I gave my main flock to Miroslav Tucakovic and Miro Morovic to look after. Upon my return from Iraq, I built a new pigeon house in my parents’ back yard and got my main flock back.

Upon return of the main flock to the new pigeon house, thieves broke into and took 9 pigeons. After about 20 days I found some of them on Vratnik at Eso Hadzibajric’s who bought them from some kids. The rest I found few months later in a pretty poor condition. Since Eso Hadzibajric had already mated my pigeons, he suggested I take them back as their chicks get older, one at the time, which suggestion I accepted, given the fact that Edo was a “SARAJEVO ROLLER” enthusiast himself.

During the war from 1992 to 1995 I was lucky enough to hold onto all of the important pigeons since grenades just seemed to keep missing my yard.

At the beginning of the war I had 700 kg of seeds. These seeds and green peas I was receiving as humanitarian aid were enough for the survival of the flock.

From 1995 until today, I have acquired “CHECKERED BLUE MALE” from Dragan Bjelanovic, “BLUE MALE” from Mirsad Nale and “CHECKERED BLUE FEMALE” from Avde Karic.

Pigeons that I have acquired and whose descendants I did not keep, I am not mentioning in this biography.

Today I have 24 pairs in the main flock. In the past 40 years I have bred approximately 1,300 pigeons. Each year in the month of October I chose the young that were better looking, better fliers as well as better rollers than the pigeons in the main flock and swapped them out.

During the 40 year period, on two occasions I had a “paratyphus” outbreak and had to terminate all of the young pigeons as well as some of the mature ones from the main flock. On one occasion a weasel got into the pigeon house and killed all of my young pigeons. All of these were mistakes that I had to make and learn from and I believe those things will never happen to me again.

In 1973 I started showing my pigeons at the shows. On most occasions when showing my pigeons they received a title of a champion:

- Sombor, 10.01.1974. „SARAJEVO ROLLER", Champion

- Loznica, 27.01.1974. „ SARAJEVO ROLLER", Champion

- Vršac, 19.01.1975. „ SARAJEVO ROLLER", Champion

- Novi Sad, 06.02.1981. „ SARAJEVO ROLLER", Champion

- Sarajevo, 16.11.1986. „ SARAJEVO ROLLER", Two pigeons with a title of Champion

- Sarajevo, 08.11.1987.  „ SARAJEVO ROLLER", Four pigeons with a title of: Champion

- Modriča, 2012.1987. „ SARAJEVO ROLLER", Champion

- Doboj, 18.01.1987. „ SARAJEVO ROLLER” Three pigeons with the title of: Champion

- Belgrade, 06.12.1987.  Collection - „BLACK SPOTTED SARAJEVO ROLLER", title: „European Master" at 21. European Show

- Sofija (Bulgaria), 04.12.1988. „Intergolub", „ SARAJEVO ROLLER ", Champion

-Travnik 01.02.1998. „ SARAJEVO ROLLER", Champion

-Banja Luka 05.11.2009. “SARAJEVO ROLLER ", Champion

-Nitra (Slovakia), 20.11.2009.  „ SARAJEVO ROLLER " Europachmpion at 26. European Show.

On February 1, 1988 in Doboj, I passed the exam to become a judge for rolling and structured pigeons.

During the period from 1968 to 1992 I held the following positions in connection to my hobby:

- Long-term leader of the Pigeon Breeders Club within Birds, Pigeons and Aquarium Fish Breeders Club of Sarajevo.

- President of the Small Animal Breeders Association of Bosnia and Herzegovina

- Member of the executive board of the Small Animal Breeders Association of Yugoslavia

In 2008 I made a decision to start breeding Komorn Tumblers. Why?

My entire career I worked as a civil engineers and was very professionally active: construction site supervisor, leader of the proposal team and managed many projects, I worked on projects outside the county, and was a director of a department at Energoinvest for ten years.

So, how could I not keep busy once I retired, not have any stress in my life and have no sleepless nights. I couldn’t!

Breeding Komorn Tumblers was the solution since for years I watched my good friends Kasim, Svabo, Fako, Ibro and other breeders in Sarajevo struggle with the breed. Something is always missing, they are always traveling and acquiring new pigeons, fighting multiple known and unknown diseases that plague the breed and overall keep very busy. Once I made the decision that this was the breed for me, I started getting pigeons for the main flock.

In 2008 I acquired the pigeons from the following breeders

1. Radetić Željko, Sisak, Croatia – Two pigeons

2. Trtić Stevan, Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina – One pigeon

3. Bohm Ante, Buna, Bosnia and Herzegovina - One pigeon

4. Latin Ivo, Sisak, Croatia - One pigeon

5. Ušanović Kasim, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina - Two pigeons

6. Čiča Zoli, Komarno, Slovakia - One pigeon

7. Kalman Konyves ,Komarom, Hungary - One pigeon

8. Dezso Pentek, Gyor, Hungary - One pigeon

9. Kristić Ivan, Derventa, Bosnia and Herzegovina - Two pigeons

10. Roert, Vac, Hungary - One pigeon

11. Sušec Ilija, Čapljina, Bosnia and Herzegovina - Two pigeons

12. Toni Kohler, Neuenkirch, Switzerland - One pigeon

13. Mladen Majcenović, Samobor, Croatia - One pigeon

In 2008 I hatched 34 new pigeons, and kept 15 for the main flock.

In 2009 I bough pigeons from the following breeders:

1. Schaub Jozsef, Gyor, Hungary - Three pigeons

2. Kalman Konyves, Komarom, Hungary - Three pigeons

3. Čičo Zoltan, Komarno, Slovakia – Two pigeons

4. Ilija Sušec, Čapljina, Bosnia and Herzegovina – One pigeon

5. Radetić Željko, Sisak, Croatia - Three pigeons

6. Salih Bošnjak, Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina – Two pigeons

In 2009 I hatched 95 pigeons and kept 14 for the main flock.

As of January 15th 2010, I had 21 pairs in main flock and 5 females waiting their turn for mating (one male to two females), consisting of 2 female Hungarian pigeons, 4 female Croatians, 20 female Bosnians, 7 male Hungarians, 2 male Slovakians, 1 male Swiss, 10 male Bosnians and 1 male Croat.