EAST DOWN COMBINE

Reports by Clifford Browne

Ballylesson Double Derby Success

The East Down Combine held two Derby races on the weekend of August 30th/31st, the channel Young Bird Derby from Talbenny and the first of the Inland Derbies from Skibbereen. Again the weather was the deciding factor and initially the Talbenny event was postponed with a plan to reschedule later but an improved forecast for Sunday 31st saw the birds being race marked on the Friday as were the birds for Skibbereen. However Saturday was not suitable for a release in Skibbereen so both races took place on the Sunday with the Talbenny birds away at 8.30am and the Skibbereen birds 9.15 am, both into a light West wind and what a result for the Ballylesson club with both races being won there. From Skibbereen the winners were the partnership of Mackey & Lockhart and from Talbenny it was John Patterson with yet another great result and my thanks to Dorothy Smyth for forwarding on details of these birds.

Firstly Mackey & Lockhart’s Skibbereen winner. The sire of this Derby winner was bred by their good friend and clubmate Alex Crawford and is the best of his Soontjens breeding. The dam of the derby winner was bred by Bill Mackey & Albert Lockhart also from Alex Crawford's stock and this is a terrific racing hen having won numerous prizes in the club and the East Down Combine open.

John Patterson’s Talbenny winner’s sire is a Soontjens/Grondelaer cross. He was second open INFC Skibbereen national and is a full brother to the famous 147. The dam of the winner was always stock and is dam of first open Skibbereen National and second open Talbenny Derby then 2 weeks later was 4th open Penzance national.

The provisional top 12 in each of the races were as follows and I hope to have further details later when the full result is published for there are lots of good performances put up in both races, for example that of Mackey & Lockhart who came second in the Talbenny Derby and R Moore & son of Bangor who top the East Section from Skibbereen and this pigeon looks the likely winner of the breeder buyer.

SKIBBEREEN

1st Mackey & Lockhart Ballylesson HPS 1797.44 40

2nd B C T Foulis & Gill Dundonald HPS 1793.588 39

3rd B Hogg & Sons Newtownbreda HPS 1788.219 38

4th T Marshall & Son Newtownbreda HPS 1785.894 37

5th J Young & Ptnrs Dundonald HPS 1785.416 36

6th J Young & Ptnrs Dundonald HPS 1785.297 -

7th G Lyttle Comber Social HPS 1779.791 34

8th R Irwin Dundonald HPS 1778.093 33

9th R Hunter Ballynahinch HPS 1769.11 32

10th B C T Foulis & Gill Dundonald HPS 1757.878

11th W Hayes & Son Ballynahinch HPS 1757.46 30

12th J Abernethy Ballynahinch HPS 1755.08 29

TALBENNY

1st J Patterson Ballylesson HPS 1343.64 40

2nd Mackey & Lockhart Ballylesson HPS 1331.51 39

3rd K & B McConaghie & Son Ballylesson HPS 1305.47 38

4th Angus&Son; McConkey Donaghadee RPC 1276.395 37

5th C & D Smyth & Sons Ballylesson HPS 1270.5 36

6th G Lyttle Comber Social HPS 1268.588 35

7th Mackey & Lockhart Ballylesson HPS 1239.26

8th J Kirk & Son Ballylesson HPS 1227.1 33

9th D Croskery & Son Annsborough HPS 1224.2 32

10th D Croskery & Son Annsborough HPS 1222.7 -

11th B & H Marshall Newtownbreda HPS 1221.607 30

12th T Marshall & Son Newtownbreda HPS 1219.054 29

Around the Combine Clubs - Skibbereen

Annalong 1st L McCavery 1540.464 2nd McLoughlin Bros 1537.07 3rd K. Rooney, Son & Dtr 1536.625

Annsborough 1st James Cleland 1651.6 2nd D Croskery & Son 1647.5 3rd D Croskery & Son 1634.3

Ballylesson 1st Mackey&Lockhart 1797 2nd & 3rd John Patterson 1728, 1705

Ballynahinch 1st R Hunter 1769.11 2nd W Hayes & Son 1757.46 3rd J Abernethy 1755.08

Ballywalter 1st and 3rd Junior Orr and son 1608, 1560 2nd Palmer & McKay 1574.

Bangor 1st R Moore & Son 1722.97 2nd R Moore & Son 1690.595 3rd R Moore & Son 1690.388

Cloughey 1st Gordon Bros & Sons 1680.796 2nd Harper & Young 1659.992 3rd Harper & Young 1642.766

Comber 1st 1 G Lyttle 1779.791 2nd G Lyttle 1701.473

Crossgar 1st T Horner & Sons 1744.407 2nd McCartan & Woodsides 1733.845 3rd McCartan & Woodsides 1733.728

Donaghadee 1st Angus&Son; McConkey 1705.89 2nd Angus&Son, McConkey 1705.875 3rd Ferguson & Wilkinson 1667.84

Dundonald 1st B C T Foulis & Gill 1793.588 2nd J Young & Ptnrs 1785.416 3rd J Young & Ptnrs 1785.297

Dundrum 1st J Maguire & Ptrs 1561.374 2nd S Foster Connor & Parry 1561.075 3rd J Maguire & Ptrs 1505.946

Killyleagh &Dist 1st B & D Grieves 1690.669 2nd Morrison Bros 1636.878

Millisle 1st McCormick & Muckle 1709.894 2nd R.N. & L Brown 1668.394 3rd J Rankin 1652.75

Newtownbreda 1st B Hogg & Sons 1788.219 2nd T Marshall & Son 1785.894 3rd B Hogg & Sons 1719.396

Portavogie 1st B Young 1552.513 2nd B & J Donnan 1533.262 3rd B & J Donnan 1525.235

Around the Combine Clubs Talbenny

Annalong 1st K .Rooney,Son & Dtr 1177.187 2nd K. Rooney, Son & Dtr 1155.145 3rd K. Rooney, Son & Dtr 1131.505

Annsborough 1st D Croskery & Son 1224.2 2nd D Croskery & Son 1222.7 3rd R McDowell & Son 1201.2

Ballylesson 1st J Patterson 1343, 2nd Mackey & Lockhart 1331 3rd K&B McConaghie & Son 1305

Ballynahinch 1st S & P Logan & Ptnrs 1096.357

Ballywalter 1st J Orr & Son 1196.323

Comber 1st G Lyttle 1268.588 2nd G Lyttle 1211.755 3rd K Tompsett 1171.243

Crossgar 1st T Horner & Sons 1116.434 2nd A&A Cheevers 1103.89 3rd S & K Duke 1090.984

Donaghadee 1st Angus&Son & McConkey 1276.395 2nd Angus&Son & McConkey 1074.619

Dundonald 1st Kincaid & McCann 1200.579 2nd Cowan & McCartney 1188.019 3rd J Young & Ptnrs 1181.438

Killyleagh Central 1st Morrow Bros 1060.181

Millisle 1st McCormick & Muckle 1196.337 2nd J Rankin 1172.875 3rd McCormick & Muckle 1071.733

Newcastle 1st E&A. Rogan 956.5 2nd E&A Rogan 761.6

Newtownbreda 1st B & H Marshall 1221.607 2nd T Marshall & Son 1219.054 3rd T Marshall & Son 1180.692

Portavogie 1st J Keenan & Sons 816.081

East Down2bird News

Mallow

1st K&B McConaghie & Son Ballylesson h.p.s 1365.87

2nd R McDowell & Son Annsborough hps 1322.81

3rd McCartan & Woodsides Crossgar h.p.s 1329.63

4th Joe McGreevy Hillfoot h.p.s 1308.89

6th R Johnston Comber soc 1297.86

7th K&B McConaghie & Son Ballylesson h.p.s 1281.88

8th Mackey & Lockhart Ballylesson h.ps 1278.86

9th Mackey & Lockhart Ballylesson 1278.55

10th Jim McNally & Son Annsborough h.p.s 1249.50

11th C&D Smyth & Sons Ballylesson h.p.s 1236.83

12th Garry Coffey Portavogie h.p.s 1235.50

 

Sam Regan reports From Around The Ards Peninsula

Harper and Young 's Treble Top

The fifth race of the young bird season saw the East Down Combine advance to Mount Charles for a flight home of an average 170 miles home. Returning to their winning ways with their young bird team sees Drew and Martin clock three pigeons close together into their loft to again take another open win lifting the first three places for good measure with the pigeons romping home assisted with a helping south westerly wind at speeds in the mid sixties miles per hour. Congratulations again to the Harper and Young team on yet another great performance with their pigeons. Next best loft in the Amalgamation goes to Ballywalter's winning bird flown by Junior Orr who is 5th open also well done.

Full result with 38 members sending 1080 pigeons to the race point.

1st, 2nd, 3rd Harper & Young. 1855, 1854, 1853.

4th J.Orr & son. 1840.

5th to 12th Gordon Bros & sons. 1827 x2, 1826 x 6.

13th Sam Regan. 1823.

14th J.Rankin. 1822.

3 Bird Club result.

1st Gordon Bros & sons. 1826.A.B.C.

2nd & 3rd H.Gordon & ptnrs 1816 A.B.C. 1777 A.B.C. Nom.

Next race sees a further advance to Mallow an average distance into the Newtownards Peninsula of 215 miles. Till then best of luck to all fanciers.

Gordon Brothers do a One, Two from Mallow

Saturday the 23rd of August saw the birds in Mallow and after racing home in helping winds for several weeks we saw the first head wind and a more testing race for the pigeons ensued to home to their lofts a flight of 214 miles. Getting their first Peninsula Amal win with their young birds are the Cloughey members Gordon Brothers and sons who get the first two pigeons home into the area. The Park in Ardkeen sited lofts got two birds clocked close together from 816 entered in the Amalgamation and very well done on your latest win. The second placed loft in 3rd place into the peninsula goes to Laurence Brown and family flying into their loft in the seaside village of Millisle well done on a good result in a steady race.

Full result 33 members sent 816 pigeons.

1st &2nd Gordon Bros & sons. 1395, 1392.

3rd R.N.L. Brown. 1362.

4th, 8th 10th & 11th J.Rankin. 1361, 1351, 1350, 1348.

5th & 6th Ferguson & Wilkinson. 1361, 1360.

7th D&K.McCutcheon 1353.

9th, 12th, 13th & 14th Angus& son & McConkey 1351, 1342x2, 1343.

The next race sees the first Young Bird Derby of the year which will be flown from Skibbereen and until then enjoy your pigeons.

Harmony Lofts Hot Spot Result

Weekend 30/08/14
With a helping wind the birds made excellent velocities this weekend. The E.D.C. were in Skibbereen for their Derby & Jim Young from the Dundonald Club had a great result clocking a very good Gaby Vandenabeele with a Vel 1785 Bird ring No. 10004 to win 5th Section and 5th Open winning our Hot Spot & collecting £50. The N.I.P.A. was in Roscrea & the loft of Gerry Swift of the Monaghan Club clocked his Leo-Van-Rijn hen Bird ring No. 10446 with a Vel 1748 to win 1st Club. This pigeon should feature well in Section E result & also the Open. Gerry wins 2nd Hot Spot & collects £30. 3rd Hot Spot goes to Jim Carson from Corcreeny Club. Jim had two of our birds on the same yard winning 1st & 2nd Club Vel 1741 Bird Ring No. 10601 and 10272. With these birds exactly on the same velocity, Viv says to give the man £20 for each bird so the Total is £40. "I know she is too kind"!!!!
Thanks to everyone who rang through their velocities this weekend & we look forward to hearing from you all again next week.

 

Well that’s it for another week with the next race being the 2nd Mount Charles which includes the EDC 2 Bird Golden ring event.

 

---