East Down Combine News
with Clifford Browne

J & R Young win St. Malo for a second Consecutive Year

Apologies for this week? s article being a bit on the late side, the reason being that I was away on Holiday and I now find that missing the odd race or two in order to do other things is quite acceptable to me but apologies to all looking for the column and results. As St. Malo, the Old bird Derby, has now been flown as well as Penzance I will give the result of St Malo first and hope to have details of the winning birds etc. for next week?s article.

Liberated in St. Malo at 6.30am into a light NE wind the Combine entered 195 birds a decrease on the previous year when the entry was almost 400 birds. Last year you will recall that over the three days of the race only 2 birds were recorded in race time ,this year the number recorded was 8 but the winners again this year were the same Portavogie father and son partnership of Ronnie &Jim Young , not only that but in 2016 they had been second in this race ,now that is some achievement by any ones standards but even more so considering how difficult this race has proved over the last couple of years .Many Congratulations to them and all those who recorded an arrival and the 8 birds timed were :

East Down Combine
29/06/2018 St Malo OB Derby

Derby / Classic
66 Members Sent: 195 Birds in a Light North Easterly Wind
Pools
Pos Name Club Velocity Section Grand Total

1 E1 J & R Young Portavogie 610.637 ab n ABC N £561.21
2 E2 R Watson & Son Killyleagh Central HPS 598.164 ab n ABC N £389.17
3 W1 C. Lavery & Son Ballynahinch HPS 546.607 AB £123.37
4 E3 W.Hardy & Son Annsborough HPS 527.615 a A £89.54
5 E4 Gallagher Bros Annsborough HPS 504.252 ab ABC £187.56
6 W2 J. McGreevy Crossgar HPS 468.013 n ABC £120.66
7 W3 J. McGreevy Crossgar HPS 456.668 ABC £76.18
8 W4 T Marshall & Son Newtownbreda HPS 348.774 ab £150.02

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The Combine were in Penzance on the 23rd of June for what is for many the longest club race of the season. The 1200 plus convoy was released at 7.30am into a light variable wind and a steady race ensued. The first two birds in the Combine were into the Annalong club with the winners being to Kevin Rooney and family up in the Mourne Country on a velocity of 1245. The Rooneys enjoyed further success with their next bird finishing at 10th open but as you may have heard this looks to be this lofts last racing season as living where they do they have a serious problem with losses to P?s OB, if they do decide to call it a day the fancy will lose yet another top loft.

Clubmates John Trimble and son were 2nd open just 3 yards behind Kevin and family and the Trimble loft are usually to the fore in these events and in fact the top three places in the Annalong club are as 2017 with the Rooneys 1st and the Trimbles 2nd and 3rd and of course John was 2nd Open St. Malo last year as well.

Ballywalter?s Sam Regan was 3rd open and these top three Open birds were also the top three in the Classic and the East Section with Sam Regan also winning the 3-bird channel championship club with this yearling blue w/f Cattrysse cock racing natural. Breeding --Sire a son of 1st Club, Fed, East Section, 6th Open Bude 2006. Dam a Blue Bar a sister to Shoreline Kodi the winner of 2nd Open East Down Combine Y/B.Derby Skibbereen, 6th,Open Navan, 14th.Open I.N.F.C. YB. National in 2013. This family of Cattrysse birds has been producing many Winners for Sam's Shoreline Lofts in Ballywalter over the past 20 years.

The West section winners were J Gillespie & sons of Ballynahinch finishing at 6th open, the ever-present John Patterson of Ballylesson was 2nd West Section 9th open with Dundonald?s Mark Foulis having two birds close together for 3rd and 4th West section for 11th and 14th open. The full results of the Open, Classic and 3 bird championship club were:

East Down Combine
23/06/2018 Penzance OB10

127 Members Sent: 1240 Birds in a Light Variable Wind
Pos Name Club Velocity
1 K Rooney,Son&Dtr Annalong HPS 1245.166
2 J Trimble & Son Annalong HPS 1242.901
3 S.Regan Ballywalter SPC 1230.059
4 M Adair & Sons Cloughey HPS 1229.484
5 Harper & Young Cloughey HPS 1227.178
6 J Gillespie & Sons Ballynahinch HPS 1221.290
7 M.Croskery Annsborough HPS 1209.376
8 D.Croskery & Son Annsborough HPS 1202.603
9 J Patterson Ballylesson HPS 1201.666
10 K Rooney,Son&Dtr Annalong HPS 1193.664
11 M.Foulis Dundonald HPS 1190.939
12 Gordon Bros & Sons Killyleagh Central HPS 1190.074
13 C McManus & Dtr Crossgar HPS 1187.268
14 M.Foulis Dundonald HPS 1185.485
15 J.Young & Ptnrs Dundonald HPS 1185.253
16 Palmer & McKay Ballywalter SPC 1184.277
17 Cowan & McCartney Dundonald HPS 1174.489
18 H. Ballantyne & Son Ballylesson HPS 1169.941
19 M.Foulis Dundonald HPS 1168.999
20 K Rooney,Son&Dtr Annalong HPS 1167.817
21 R.Irwin Dundonald HPS 1165.977
22 A Cousins & Sons Hillfoot HPS 1165.637
23 Burgess & Brennan Bangor RPC 1164.117
24 R & R Lambe Newtownbreda HPS 1160.421
25 Cowan & McCartney Dundonald HPS 1159.838
26 C. Lavery & Son Ballynahinch HPS 1159.138
27 Cowan & McCartney Dundonald HPS 1154.626
28 J.Orr & Son Ballywalter SPC 1154.093
29 C McManus & Dtr Crossgar HPS 1151.844
30 W & L Robinson Hillfoot HPS 1151.148
31 J. McGreevy Crossgar HPS 1149.180
32 J.Orr & Son Ballywalter SPC 1147.158
33 J. McGreevy Crossgar HPS 1146.260
34 Gordon Bros & Sons Killyleagh Central HPS 1145.871
35 Gordon Bros & Sons Killyleagh Central HPS 1145.787
36 M.Croskery Annsborough HPS 1145.621
37 J Trimble & Son Annalong HPS 1144.153
38 M.Foulis Dundonald HPS 1143.547
39 C. Lavery & Son Ballynahinch HPS 1139.923
40 C. Lavery & Son Ballynahinch HPS 1139.546

West Section

43 Members Sent: 473 Birds in a Light Variable Wind
1 J Gillespie & Sons Ballynahinch HPS 1221.290
2 J Patterson Ballylesson HPS 1201.666
3 M.Foulis Dundonald HPS 1190.939
4 M.Foulis Dundonald HPS 1185.485
5 J.Young & Ptnrs Dundonald HPS 1185.253
6 Cowan & McCartney Dundonald HPS 1174.489
7 H. Ballantyne & Son Ballylesson HPS 1169.941
8 M.Foulis Dundonald HPS 1168.999
9 R.Irwin Dundonald HPS 1165.977
10 A Cousins & Sons Hillfoot HPS 1165.637
11 R & R Lambe Newtownbreda HPS 1160.421
12 Cowan & McCartney Dundonald HPS 1159.838
13 C. Lavery & Son Ballynahinch HPS 1159.138
14 Cowan & McCartney Dundonald HPS 1154.626
15 W & L Robinson Hillfoot HPS 1151.148
16 J. McGreevy Crossgar HPS 1149.180
17 J. McGreevy Crossgar HPS 1146.260
18 M.Foulis Dundonald HPS 1143.547
19 C. Lavery & Son Ballynahinch HPS 1139.923
20 C. Lavery & Son Ballynahinch HPS 1139.546

East Section

84 Members Sent: 767 Birds in a Light Variable Wind
1 K Rooney,Son&Dtr Annalong HPS 1245.166
2 J Trimble & Son Annalong HPS 1242.901
3 S.Regan Ballywalter SPC 1230.059
4 M Adair & Sons Cloughey HPS 1229.484
5 Harper & Young Cloughey HPS 1227.178
6 M.Croskery Annsborough HPS 1209.376
7 D.Croskery & Son Annsborough HPS 1202.603
8 K Rooney,Son&Dtr Annalong HPS 1193.664
9 Gordon Bros & Sons Killyleagh Central HPS 1190.074
10 C McManus & Dtr Crossgar HPS 1187.268
11 Palmer & McKay Ballywalter SPC 1184.277
12 K Rooney,Son&Dtr Annalong HPS 1167.817
13 Burgess & Brennan Bangor RPC 1164.117
14 J.Orr & Son Ballywalter SPC 1154.093
15 C McManus & Dtr Crossgar HPS 1151.844
16 J.Orr & Son Ballywalter SPC 1147.158
17 Gordon Bros & Sons Killyleagh Central HPS 1145.871
18 Gordon Bros & Sons Killyleagh Central HPS 1145.787
19 M.Croskery Annsborough HPS 1145.621
20 J Trimble & Son Annalong HPS 1144.153

Around the Combine Clubs

Annalong K .Rooney,Son & Dtr 1245.166 , J Trimble & Son 1242.901 ,
J Trimble & Son 1144.153
Annsborough J Patterson 1201.666 , H Ballantyne & Son 1169.941 ,
A Crawford 1129.601
Ballylesson 8 members sent 88 birds J Patterson 1201 , H Ballantyne & son 1169
A Crawford 1129
Ballynahinch E McLaughlin 1066.139
Ballywalter S Regan 1230.059 , J Orr & Son 1147.158 ,
S Regan 1074.275
Bangor Burgess & Brennan 1164.117 , R Moore & Son 1121.231 ,
R Moore & Son 1105.488
Cloughey M Adair & Sons 1229.484 , Harper & Young 1227.178
M Adair & Sons 1127.888
Comber Burns Bros 1068.38 , Burns Bros 1059.49 , Burns Bros 1025.06
Crossgar C McManus & Dtr 1187.268 , C McManus & Dtr 1151.844
J McGreevy 1149.18
Donaghadee E D & K Allan & Sons 998.007 , A & P Trimble & Sons 900.388
Downpatrick Premier J Crossan 1120.739 , M Ward 1105.97 , J Crossan 1029.585
Dundonald M Foulis 1190.939 , M Foulis 1185.485 , J Young & Ptnrs 1185.253
Dundrum R McVeigh & Son 1059.797 , R McVeigh & Son 1015.119
R McVeigh & Son 979.822
Hillfoot W & L Robinson 1113.182
Killyleagh Central Gordon Bros & Sons 1190.074 ,
Gordon Bros & Sons 1145.787 , Gordon Bros & Sons 1138.517
Millisle Bickerstaff & Butler 1129.223 , T McCullough 1045.564 ,
J.& J Hollinger 1032.822

Newtownbreda R & R Lambe 1160.41 ,T Marshall & Son 922.188
T Marshall & Son 907.136
Portavogie W & N Cully 1089.873 , Ambrose & Kelly 1089.317

East Down Combine

23/06/2018 Penzance OB10
3 Bird Channel Championship
55 Members Sent: 164 Birds in a Light Variable Wind
Pos Name Club Velocity Pools Total Money
1 S.Regan Ballywalter SPC 1230.059 £0.00
2 M.Croskery Annsborough HPS 1209.376 AB £44.00
3 C McManus & Dtr Crossgar HPS 1187.268 AB £33.00
4 J.Young & Ptnrs Dundonald HPS 1185.253 AB £27.50
5 R.Irwin Dundonald HPS 1165.977 £0.00
6 Cowan & McCartney Dundonald HPS 1154.626 £0.00
7 J.Orr & Son Ballywalter SPC 1147.158 AB £22.00
8 C. Lavery & Son Ballynahinch HPS 1139.923 A £6.60
9 C & D Smyth & Sons Ballylesson HPS 1128.074 A £4.40
10 D.Croskery & Son Annsborough HPS 1122.632 AB £14.30
11 R Moore & Son Bangor RPC 1121.234 AB £11.00
12 J Crossan Downpatrick Premier 1120.739 £0.00

Remainder Pools
W & L Robinson Hillfoot HPS 1113.182 AB £11.00
J Patterson Ballylesson HPS 1026.374 AB £11.00
R McVeigh & Son Dundrum HPS 1015.119 AB £11.00
M.Croskery & Son Annsborough HPS 1001.652 AB £11.00
R McVeigh & Son Dundrum HPS 979.822 B £6.60
A & A Cheevers Crossgar HPS 973.865 B £6.60