EAST DOWN COMBINE

with Clifford Browne

With a new Racing season almost upon us it is a good time to look at some of the outstanding loft and individual pigeon performances of the season just past and one I refer to this week

is the performance of the blue hen of Harper & Young of the Cloughey club.

“Geordie Lass” IHU North Section Award For Harper &Young

The East Down Combine and Cloughey partnership of Harper & Young have won another prestigious award with their blue yearling hen “Geordie Lass”. having already won

The East Down Combine’s Old Bird of the Year for 2016 with this hen having 5 open placings in the Combine from 6 races flown ,this performance has also won her

and her owners the IHU’s “Jimmy Hughes cup” for the IHU’s North section Old Bird of the year which was presented at the recent IHU AGM.

“Geordie Lass “ is as I said a blue yearling hen and is from a Van Dorp cock a gift from Bob Donaldson and a cheq hen ,a Van de Merwe x Busschaert cross which

was a gift from Alfie Hawthorn and the partnership cannot thank these two UNC fanciers enough for their friendship and kindness over a number of years and

the success that Drew Harper and Martin Young have had over the last few years with these pigeons is well known .

“ Geordie Lass’s” performances from her 6 races with the East Down Combine in 2016 which won her these trophies were;

1st Tullamore : 2611 birds competing in the EDC open - 5th club,5th East Section EDC ,7th open EDC and 5th Peninsula Amalgamation

2nd Tullamore : 3943 birds competing in the EDC open - 7th club , 7th East Section EDC, 15th open EDC and 7th Peninsula Amalgamation being beaten home by 3 loft mates

Fermoy: 4918 birds competing in the EDC open - 4th club, 4th East Section EDC, 4th Open EDC, 4th Peninsula Amalgamation, 1st Peninsula 3 bird

2nd Thurles: 4255 birds in EDC open -3rd club, 4th Section EDC, 7th Open EDC 3rd Peninsula Amalgamation

Skibbereen Old Bird Derby : 1062 birds competing - 1st Club,1st East section EDC, 2nd Open EDC ,1st Peninsula Amalgamation, 1st Peninsula Amalgamation 3 bird club , 1st East Down Combine 2 bird club .

Congratulations to this partnership, not forgetting John Adair who trains their birds for them, on their success.

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BCT Foulis & Gill --EDC 3 Bird champions 1st Talbenny

Another winner from the 2016 season was the Dundonald partnership of BCT Foulis & Gill. They won the EDC 3 bird Channel Championship from 1st Talbenny, but Brian Foulis

was unable to make the EDC Dinner owing to work commitments so he and his uncle Tommy collected their Diploma recently and Dorothy Smyth got them to stop for a photo,

in the picture is Brian Foulis and his uncle Tommy a sprightly 86 year old .