Homers Odyssey 06/03/23
East Antrim Clubs Celebrate in Doagh -
Homers Odyssey 06/03/23 – BHW/RP/Farming Life
Ballyclare & District H.P.S. held their Annual Prize Giving Dinner and awards night on the 18th November in McDonnells of Doagh, a joint function with near neighbours Doagh & District HPS.
Group Photo of the Officials and prize winners in Ballyclare & District HPS.
Secretary Noel Higginson sent me a short report on the fortunes of Ballyclare & District one of the founding members of the NIPA and a long tradition of top success by member lofts. Our guest for the evening was Mrs Sandra Agnew our Chairman Trevor Agnew's wife. Robert Turkington was good enough to send me photos of the presentation for both clubs. The race winners during 2022 were as follows.
George Lawrie presenting special guest Mrs Sandra Agnew with bouquet of flowers, the wife of Ballyclare Chairman Trevor Agnew.
Old Birds: Tullamore – A & T Agnew, Roscrea - Higginson & Fasciolo, Gowran Park – Higginson & Fasciolo, Fermoy – A & T Agnew, Corrin – Higginson & Fasciolo, Skibbereen Nat – J & R Blair, Talbenny (1) – G & R Lawrie, Talbenny (2) – A & T Agnew, Bude – Arnold Thompson, Penzance – Higginson & Fasciolo, Penzance Classic – Higginson & Fasciolo, St Malo – Arnold Thompson, St Allouestre Kings Cup – Higginson & Fasciolo.
Young Birds: Kilbeggan – David McClelland, Tullamore (1) – J & R Blair, Tullamore (2) – A & T Agnew, Roscrea – A & T Agnew, Gowran Park – A & T Agnew, Fermoy – Higginson & Fasciolo, Talbenny Nat – A & T Agnew, Fermoy – Higginson & Fasciolo, Skibbereen Nat – Higginson & Fasciolo.
Some of the top highlights of the racing season are featured below:
Arnold Thompson – Bude 16th Sect C & 66th Open NIPA, St Malo OB Nat 1st Sect C & 12th Open NIPA, Sennen Cove Yearling Nat 21st North Sect & 42nd Open INFC, St Allouestre Kings Cup 29th North Sect & 34th Open INFC, St Malo Friendship Nat 5th North Sect & 9th Open INFC, Penzance YB Nat 54th North Sect & 62nd Open INFC. Arnold finished runner-up for INFC Nat Champion.
Higginson & Fasciolo – Skibbereen OB Nat 14th Sect C & 28th Open NIPA, Penzance Classic 10th Sect C & 58th Open NIPA, Fermoy YB 1st Sect C & 23rd Open NIPA, St Allouestre Kings Cup 28th North Sect & 33rd Open INFC (one bird sent), Skibbereen YB Nat 1st Sect C & 4th Open NIPA.
A & T Agnew – Tullamore OB 4th Sect C & 67th Open NIPA, Talbenny YB Nat 2nd Sect C & 80th Open NIPA, Skibbereen YB Nat 8th, 9th, 11th, 36th, 51st, 67th and 89th North Sect INFC.
G & R Lawrie – Tullamore OB 5th Sect C & 71st Open NIPA, Talbenny YB Nat 4th Sect C & 96th Open NIPA.
Robin Duddy – Sennen Cove Ylr Nat 48th North Sect & 77th Open INFC, St Allouestre Kings Cup 92nd North Sect & 130th Open INFC, St Malo Friendship Nat 29th & 32nd North Sect and 36th & 40th Open INFC.
Robin Duddy collects award at Ballyclare, former INFC Nat winner scored again at the distance.
J & R Blair – Corrin OB 48th Sect C & 99th Open NIPA, Skibbereen OB Nat – 10th & 28th Sect C and 21st & 66th Open NIPA.
Robert Blair with Grandchildren, Jamie and Georgia
Horner Bros & Son – Sennen Cove Ylr Nat 16th North Sect and 28th Open INFC.
Cups and trophies were presented as follows:
A & T Agnew – McKeown Cup Roscrea OB & YB, J Robinson Cup Most Points, Cameron Cup Best Ave all Tullamore races, Magill Cup Talbenny YB Nat. 7 x 1st Club Ballyclare. G & R Lawrie won – Comrades Social Cup Ave Talbenny & Rosscarbery YB Nat, Montgomery Trophy Ave OB Talbenny’s.
Top prize winners were A & T Agnew, a fantastic racing season with 7 x 1st Club winners.
Higginson & Fasciolo won – Strain Cup for best average all Nat & Classic races, McCrae Shield Inl YB Nat, Sharples Cup longest YB Race, R Turkington trophy cross channel and all Nat races, Comrades Supporters Cup best average Fermoy OB & YB, J Hill Trophy OB Inl Ave, J Blair Cup 1st Club Penzance, Greer Cup Penzance Classic, Andy Agnew Trophy Highest NIPA Open position (4th Open).
Higginson & Fasciolo top trophy winners in Ballyclare & District and single entry well placed in the Kings Cup. Also 2 x 1st NIPA Section C.
Desi & Robert Turkington top awards racing and in the show pen.
W R Moore & Son won – Vint Cup Young Bird Average. Davy McClelland won – R McConnell Cup Best ave Bude & Penzance. J & R Blair won – Dodds Cup OB Inland Nat, L Houston Trophy r/u OB In lave.
William McClelland collecting trophy for his late father David McClelland.
Arnold Thompson won – Banford Shield 1st Club Bude, Baird Cup Ave Bude, Penzance & St Malo, T Boys Cup Most Points selected races, R Hayes Cup Ylr Nat & Penzance YB Nat, Horner Cup Lowest winning velocity, Mairs Cup Cross channel old bird. Runner-up INFC Nat Champion, always to the fore in this competition.
Arnold Thompson, major winner again at local club including 1st Sect C St Malo NIPA and runner-up for the INFC National Champion. One of the best Long Distance lofts in Ireland.
The special guests for the evening for Doagh & District HPS were Mr & Mrs Ian Lewis of Lewis Paving & Landscaping. Once again, a terrific meal was served and enjoyed by everyone.
Joan McGrugan presenting Denise Lewis with flowers at the Doagh & Dist presentation night in McConnells Lounge.
The club paid out £794 in prize money in the 2022 season and would like to thank all our sponsors once again for supporting us. Denise Lewis kindly presented the prize awards. Top prize winners were Anthony & Norman Lewis followed by J & R Scott, Mr & Mrs B McNeilly and Wilson & McCullough.
A & N Lewis won – C & D Smyth trophy best average all Irish races old and young. W Brown trophy- YB average, S Robinson cup - all YB races ex nationals, Bell trophy- Bude trophy, B Craig cup- OB knockout, T Wilson mem- best average 3 x old bird & 3 x young bird races J Wilson cup- best average all Roscrea & Gowran parks. T Lorimer cup- best average Tullamore Gowran parks & Talbenny..
A & N Lewis top prize-winners in Doagh & District HPS.
J & R Scott won - Ashe trophy-Talbenny YB national, A Agnew cup- Skibbereen YB nat, N Logan mem shield- best average 2 Skibbs, S Lorimer mem shield- best average last 3 YB races, Patterson shield- Lowest vel in YB races, L Burgess mem shield- 1st yb race, R Stavely mem- YB knockout, N Rea mem cup- best average 2 x yb Nat’s.
J & R Scott runner-up for the top prize-winner in Doagh & District.
Mr & Mrs McNeilly won - J McGrugan mem cup- best average last 5 OB races ex OB National, McGrugan & Luke cup- Bude & Penzance a, Bridges mem cup- 1st bird Yearling national, J Kincaid mem cup- 1st Talbenny, j Montgomery cup- 2 x Talbennys old birds, Mont & Todd Rosebowl - OB inland average.
Mr & Mrs McNeilly consistent season in Doagh & Dist and Best 2 Bird Ave in the INFC Yearling National from Sennen Cove. Homer (r) presents the Sam Buckley Mem Trophy to Brian McNeilly.
B & M Gilmore won - Suitters trophy- Lowest winning vel on channel, Mairs trophy- OB National St Malo OB, Mairs trophy- Ace pigeon over 200 mile, McMannus glass trophy- 1st member timed in Kings Cup Grand National.
Brian & Mervyn Gilmore won the St Malo OB Nat and lowest winning velocity cross channel.
Wilson & McCullough won - Crone shield- 1st Penzance, J McGrugan cup- best average Penzance ob/Talbenny yb, W A Turkington- 1st bird timed in Penzance from Doagh/Ballyclare clubs.
Wilson & McCullough winners of Penzance and 4th top prize-winner in Doagh.
D & S Suitters & sons won - Novice cup- best novice, C & W Drennan trophy- Skibbereen OB National. This is a brief description of Doagh & District prize distribution. Many thanks to Norman Lewis for the short report.
D & S Suitters & Sons of Doagh & Dist 2nd Sect C & 2nd Open in the NIPA Skibbereen OB National.
In the big Irish Nat FC competition open to all lofts in Ireland there was a super result in the Yearling Nat - 7th & 8th North Sect and 9th & 11th Open Mr & Mrs B McNeilly Doagh & District, vel 1180 and 1173 flying 324 miles winning £1289. At the annual presentation, the loft collected the Sam Buckley for Best 2 Bird Average. De Scheemaecker trophy for runner-up in the National Champion was as I had mentioned earlier collected by Arnold Thompson of Ballyclare, he also won a Friendship Nat Merit Award his Blue hen winning 9th Open INFC Lamballe and in 2022 45th Open INFC St Malo. In one of the top results racing with the NIPA Arnold timed early in the Old Bird National from St Malo finishing 1st Sect C and collecting the J Campbell Memorial Cup.
A quick look through the NIPA results shows the following. These are available in pigeonnetwork.com in the Forum under NIPA Weekly race results. The whole season is listed there although I have just noticed I need to complete the season from Bude to St Malo. Bit of future work to keep me busy.
Doagh & District HPS – In the opening race of the year from Tullamore Mr & Mrs B McNeilly took 1st Sect C 98/2371 vel vel 1956, Skibbereen Inl Nat the winners D & S Suitters & Sons finished 2nd in Sect C 76/858 on vel 1918, behind the 1st Open winners G & C Lowry of Kingsmoss to finish 2nd Open NIPA. In the first cross channel race from Talbenny M/M McNeilly finished 3rd in Sect C vel 1246, and in Talbenny (2) the loft finished 2nd & 8th Sect C, winners vel 1172 and W Cowan was also well placed. In young bird’s 1st Roscrea A & N Lewis were 7th Sect C 98/3041 vel 1705 followed by J Stewart & Son. In the YB Talbenny Nat race winners J & R Scott finished 3td Sect C. The J & R Scott team race winners in Fermoy (1) finished 3rd in Sect C. The same team the next week from Skibbereen Nat finished 7th Sect C followed by A & N Lewis.
Group Photo of the Officials and prize winners in Doagh & District HPS.
Riley Hunter collecting award on behalf of J Stewart & Son & Riley Hunter collecting award on behalf of J & L McClean.
Wesley Cowan of Doagh, well placed in 2nd Talbenny old birds
Ballyclare & Dist – Tullamore race winners A & T Agnew finish 4th in Sect C. J & R Blair finished 10th Sect C in Skibbereen Inl Nat. A & N Lewis in Talbenny (1) were 4th Sect C doing vel 1244. In the young bird Talbenny Nat race winners A & T Agnew on vel 1228 finish 2nd Sect C 71/593. G & R Lawrie were also well placed. In the Fermoy (1) race Higginson & Fasciolo were 1st Sect C 69/1491 on vel 1335. The next race and last one was Skibbereen Nat winners again Higginson & Fasciolo 1st Sect C 51/531 vel 1400, G & R Lawrie were just behind. The race winners were to finish 4th in the NIPA Open 279/3026, super finish to the year for the loft.
G & R Lawrie, top loft year in year out racing the best of Cock Crow Lofts, 2nd Highest prize-winners in Ballyclare Club this year.
Willie Reynolds – NIPA & INFC Press Officer
Tel/Fax: (028) 256 44683
Mobile: 07538 238364
Twitter: willie reynolds@homerbhw>
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http://www.irishnationalflyingclub.com
