EAST DOWN COMBINE
with Clifford Browne
Ballynahinch Loft Tops Open from 1st Talbenny
The East Down Combine were scheduled to fly the first of the 2017 cross channel events from Talbenny on Saturday May 27th but because of a poor weather forecast the weather committee very wisely decided to postpone race
marking until the Friday evening for a possible race on Sunday the 28th and this proved as I say a wise decision and the birds were in the air at 10.45 am Sunday morning into a light Northerly wind and a very steady race followed with
the leadingpigeons making velocities in the 1200’s .
Winning the open this week it was the Ballynahinch partnership of W Hayes & son and this follows on from their 3rd open 2nd Section the previous week from the 2nd Fermoy and in addition to first open 1st Section this week they had four
further birds in the open result. 2nd open was the Newtownbreda partnership of R & R Lambe and they also had further birds in the Open result. It was back to Ballynahinch for 3rd open to Rab Hunter who had a 2nd Bird was 6th open .
These were all West section birds ,leading the East section was Annsborough’s Mickey Croskery with clubmate James Cleland 2nd section and then it was the Rooneys of Annalong with the next three . It was a good steady start
to the Channel part of the programme with the full Open and section places being:
East Down Combine Open & Sections
28/05/2017 1st Talbenny OB
156 Members Sent: 2506 Birds in a Light Northerly Wind
Pos Name Club Velocity
1 W Hayes & Son Ballynahinch HPS 1289.236
2 R & R Lambe Newtownbreda HPS 1280.728
3 R Hunter Ballynahinch HPS 1275.760
4 A Cousins & Sons Hillfoot HPS 1273.252
5 M.Croskery Annsborough HPS 1272.877
6 R Hunter Ballynahinch HPS 1271.256
7 J Patterson Ballylesson HPS 1267.855
8 James Cleland Annsborough HPS 1263.748
9 C & D Smyth & Sons Ballylesson HPS 1259.560
10 Mackey & Lockhart Ballylesson HPS 1256.235
11 R & R Lambe Newtownbreda HPS 1256.177
12 B. Hogg & Sons Newtownbreda HPS 1255.479
13 A Cousins & Sons Hillfoot HPS 1254.919
14 K.Rooney,Son & Dtr Annalong HPS 1254.904
15 K.Rooney,Son & Dtr Annalong HPS 1254.814
16 K.Rooney,Son & Dtr Annalong HPS 1252.134
17 C & D Smyth & Sons Ballylesson HPS 1250.639
18 R. Johnston Comber Social HPS 1248.524
19 R McKibben Annalong HPS 1247.475
20 J Patterson Ballylesson HPS 1247.404
21 Mackey & Lockhart Ballylesson HPS 1246.375
22 McCartan & Woodsides Crossgar HPS 1246.305
23 M.Foulis Dundonald HPS 1245.063
24 E & A Rogan Newcastle HPS 1243.543
25 K.Rooney,Son & Dtr Annalong HPS 1241.875
26 James Cleland Annsborough HPS 1241.102
27 W Hayes & Son Ballynahinch HPS 1239.390
28 W Hayes & Son Ballynahinch HPS 1239.156
29 W Hayes & Son Ballynahinch HPS 1239.156
30 D Brennan Hillfoot HPS 1238.936
31 W Hayes & Son Ballynahinch HPS 1238.766
32 J Patterson Ballylesson HPS 1238.755
33 K.Rooney,Son & Dtr Annalong HPS 1238.376
34 R. Johnston Comber Social HPS 1237.936
35 R & R Lambe Newtownbreda HPS 1237.474
36 C & D Smyth & Sons Ballylesson HPS 1235.477
37 B. Hogg & Sons Newtownbreda HPS 1235.366
38 R & R Lambe Newtownbreda HPS 1235.156
39 A Cousins & Sons Hillfoot HPS 1234.813
40 D Brennan Hillfoot HPS 1234.457
West Section 58 Members Sent: 1095 Birds in a Light Northerly Wind
1 W Hayes & Son Ballynahinch HPS 1289.236
2 R & R Lambe Newtownbreda HPS 1280.728
3 R Hunter Ballynahinch HPS 1275.760
4 A Cousins & Sons Hillfoot HPS 1273.252
5 R Hunter Ballynahinch HPS 1271.256
6 J Patterson Ballylesson HPS 1267.855
7 C & D Smyth & Sons Ballylesson HPS 1259.560
8 Mackey & Lockhart Ballylesson HPS 1256.235
9 R & R Lambe Newtownbreda HPS 1256.177
10 B. Hogg & Sons Newtownbreda HPS 1255.479
11 A Cousins & Sons Hillfoot HPS 1254.919
12 C & D Smyth & Sons Ballylesson HPS 1250.639
13 R. Johnston Comber Social HPS 1248.524
14 J Patterson Ballylesson HPS 1247.404
15 Mackey & Lockhart Ballylesson HPS 1246.375
16 McCartan & Woodsides Crossgar HPS 1246.305
17 M.Foulis Dundonald HPS 1245.063
18 W Hayes & Son Ballynahinch HPS 1239.390
19 W Hayes & Son Ballynahinch HPS 1239.156
20 W Hayes & Son Ballynahinch HPS 1239.156
East Section 98 Members Sent: 1411 Birds in a Light Northerly Wind
1 M.Croskery Annsborough HPS 1272.877
2 James Cleland Annsborough HPS 1263.748
3 K.Rooney,Son & Dtr Annalong HPS 1254.904
4 K.Rooney,Son & Dtr Annalong HPS 1254.814
5 K.Rooney,Son & Dtr Annalong HPS 1252.134
6 R McKibben Annalong HPS 1247.475
7 E & A Rogan Newcastle HPS 1243.543
8 K.Rooney,Son & Dtr Annalong HPS 1241.875
9 James Cleland Annsborough HPS 1241.102
10 K.Rooney,Son & Dtr Annalong HPS 1238.376
11 M.Croskery Annsborough HPS 1230.954
12 M.Croskery Annsborough HPS 1230.710
13 T.Smith Killyleagh Central HPS 1225.931
14 J Crossan Downpatrick Premier 1222.473
15 J Trimble & Son Annalong HPS 1222.270
16 T.Smith Killyleagh Central HPS 1221.582
17 T & S Phillips Bangor RPC 1220.555
18 K.Rooney,Son & Dtr Annalong HPS 1219.564
19 McLoughlin Bros Annalong HPS 1218.379
20 R McVeigh & Son Newcastle HPS 1215.845
Around the Combine Clubs
Annalong 1st K .Rooney,Son & Dtr 1254.904 2nd K .Rooney,Son & Dtr 1254.814
3rd K .Rooney,Son & Dtr 1252.134
Annsborough 1st M Croskery 1272.887 2nd James Cleland 1263.74
3rd James Cleland 1241.102
Ballylesson 13 members sent 206 birds
1st J Patterson 1267.855 2nd C & D Smyth & Sons 1259.56 3rd Mackey & Lockhart 1256.235
Ballynahinch 1st W Hayes & Son 1289.236 2nd R Hunter 1275.763 3rd R Hunter 1271.26
Ballywalter 1st J Orr & Son 1164.539 2nd J Orr & Son 1150.419
3rd D W Carlile & Son 1137.548
Bangor 1st T & S Phillips 1220.554 2nd T & S Phillips 1208.003 3rd D Shaw 1182.606
Cloughey 1st Harper & Young 1204.504 2nd Gordon Bros & Sons 1199.917
3rd Gordon Bros & Sons 1199.917
Comber 1st R Johnston 1248.52 2nd R Johnston 1237.936 3rd R Johnston 1234.05
Crossgar 1st McCartan & Woodsides 1246.305 2nd McCartan & Woodsides 1228.031
3rd McCartan & Woodsides 1227.953
Donaghadee 1st Ferguson & Wilkinson 1166.978 2nd D & K McCutcheon 1153.464
3rd D & K McCutcheon 1143.894
DownpatrickPremier 1st J Crossan 1222.473 2nd R Connolly 1211.255
3rd G Lavery & Son 1193.027
Dundonald 1st M Foulis 1245.063 2nd B C T Foulis & Gill 1232.26
3rd Cowan & McCartney 1232.237
Dundrum 1st J Maguire & Ptrs 1200.841 2nd J Maguire & Ptrs 1197.811
3rd J Maguire & Ptrs 1174.633
Hillfoot 1st A Cousins & Sons 1273.252 2nd A Cousins & Sons 1254.919
3rd D Brennan 1238.939
Killyleagh Central 1st T Smith 1225.931 2nd T Smith 1221.582 3rd J & P Rice 1215.089
Millisle 1st McCormick & Muckle 1166.24 2nd McCormick & Muckle 1166.043
3rd McCormick & Muckle 1165.387
Newcastle 1st E & A Rogan 1243.543 2nd R McVeigh & Son 1215.845
3rd E & A Rogan 1214.72
Newtownbreda 1st R & R Lambe 1280.727 2nd R & R Lambe 1256.176
3rd B Hogg & Sons 1255.479
Portavogie 1st W & N Cully 1204.838 2nd K Ambrose 1137.382 3rd L Young 1136.243
East Down2bird News
2nd Fermoy 20/5/17
1st Gordon bros & sons 1731 pools £14 40
2nd D Croskery & son 1709
3rd K&B Mc McConaghie & son 1701
4th Cowan & McCartney 1700
5th R Moore & son 1697 pools £10 80
6th J Patterson 1678 pools £7 20
7th Mc Comb bros 1673 pools £3 60
8th C Healy 1668
9th J Young & pts 1667
10th Sidney McLoughlin 1666.97
11th A Cousins & sons 1666.58
12th S Casement & son 1665
This week the Combine are back in Talbenny and it is also the Derek Wishart Classic from Mallow .
Congratulations to Mark Foulis and Reggie & David Moore on having the first two East Down Combine pigeons in the recent INFC Skibbereen National with Mark finishing 2nd North Section and Reggie & David 4th North Section .