EAST DOWN COMBINE
Reports by Clifford Browne
1st & 2nd Open Talbenny for McCartan & Woodsides
Saturday May the 31st saw the East Down Combine in Talbenny (Wales) for the first race in the 2014 channel race programme. The weather as always is the all important factor and from across the Irish Sea fog and mist are the big problem and this was the case on Saturday and so the liberation was held back until 1pm to allow the early morning mist to burn off. With a West South West wind to aid the birds the early birds made good time with the first 10 home making over the 1600ypm mark. Crossgar club have the first four in the Open with the 2013 fanciers of the year McCartan & Woodsides having two together for 1st and 2nd open 1st and 2nd West section with fellow club member S McLoughlin having the next two and again it looks like two together. This is followed by two to the Killyleagh partnership of J & P Rice who take the top two places in the East section. Top Open and section places were:
East Down Combine 31/05/2014 1st Talbenny OB
161 Members 2047 Birds Wind West South West
1 McCartan & Woodsides Crossgar HPS 1647.063
2 McCartan & Woodsides Crossgar HPS 1646.362
3 S. McLoughlin Crossgar HPS 1642.403
4 S. McLoughlin Crossgar HPS 1640.629
5 J & P Rice Killyleagh Central HPS 1627.419
6 J & P Rice Killyleagh Central HPS 1622.387
7 A. Edgar & Son Comber Social HPS 1616.930
8 J.Davis Ballylesson HPS 1602.109
9 T.Smith Downpatrick HPS 1601.149
10 B Murray Crossgar HPS 1600.480
11 J & P Rice Killyleagh Central HPS 1593.620
12 C. Lavery & Son Drumaness Mills HPS 1593.039
13 A Lavery & Son Crossgar HPS 1589.921
14 Burns Bros Comber Social 1585.084
15 R C Clifford Killyleagh Central HPS 1583.894
16 R Hunter Ballynahinch HPS 1583.708
17 J.Orr & Son Ballywalter SPC 1580.237
18 G & J O'Hare Crossgar HPS 1578.267
19 D Adams Portavogie 1578.162
20 C McManus & Dtr Tyrella HPS 1576.952
West Section 56 Members 826 Birds Wind West South West
1 McCartan & Woodsides Crossgar HPS 1647.063
2 McCartan & Woodsides Crossgar HPS 1646.362
3 S. McLoughlin Crossgar HPS 1642.403
4 S. McLoughlin Crossgar HPS 1640.629
5 A. Edgar & Son Comber Social HPS 1616.930
6 J.Davis Ballylesson HPS 1602.109
7 B Murray Crossgar HPS 1600.480
8 C. Lavery & Son Drumaness Mills HPS 1593.039
9 A Lavery & Son Crossgar HPS 1589.921
10 Burns Bros Comber Social 1585.084
11 R C Clifford Killyleagh Central HPS 1583.894
12 R Hunter Ballynahinch HPS 1583.708
East Section 106 Members 1221 Birds Wind West South West
1 J & P Rice Killyleagh Central HPS 1627.419
2 J & P Rice Killyleagh Central HPS 1622.387
3 T.Smith Downpatrick HPS 1601.149
4 J & P Rice Killyleagh Central HPS 1593.620
5 J.Orr & Son Ballywalter SPC 1580.237
6 D Adams Portavogie 1578.162
7 C McManus & Dtr Tyrella HPS 1576.952
8 L Young Portavogie 1574.586
9 J Nixon Portavogie 1570.850
10 T & S Phillips Bangor RPC 1564.848
11 Ferguson & Wilkinson Donaghadee RPC 1561.570
12 J.Hall & Son Cloughey HPS 1560.577
The top places from the comeback Mullingar of the previous week were:
East Down Combine 26/05/2014 2nd Mullingar OB
188 Members 3931 Birds Wind Light Southerly
1 M.Foulis Dundonald HPS 1366.428
2 S.Brown & Sons Dundonald HPS 1363.256
3 J.Young & Ptnrs Dundonald HPS 1362.285
4 D W Carlile & Son Ballywalter SPC 1353.684
5 A & J Brown Dundonald HPS 1353.022
6 W.McMaster & Son Ballywalter SPC 1351.233
7 C & D Smyth & Sons Ballylesson HPS 1349.571
8 T.Smith Downpatrick HPS 1348.626
9 T.Smith Downpatrick HPS 1347.442
10 M.Foulis Dundonald HPS 1345.232
11 Cowan & McCartney Dundonald HPS 1342.865
12 S.Brown & Sons Dundonald HPS 1341.577
13 D.& D Chew Newtownbreda HPS 1336.885
14 J & I Moore Bangor RPC 1333.428
15 Mackey & Lockhart Ballylesson HPS 1332.690
16 J.Young & Ptnrs Dundonald HPS 1329.017
17 J.Young & Ptnrs Dundonald HPS 1328.845
18 J Patterson Ballylesson HPS 1326.654
19 Gordon Bros & Sons Cloughey HPS 1325.799
20 R.Irwin Dundonald HPS 1324.125
West Section 67 Members 1442 Birds Wind Light Southerly
1 M.Foulis Dundonald HPS 1366.428
2 S.Brown & Sons Dundonald HPS 1363.256
3 J.Young & Ptnrs Dundonald HPS 1362.285
4 A & J Brown Dundonald HPS 1353.022
5 C & D Smyth & Sons Ballylesson HPS 1349.571
6 M.Foulis Dundonald HPS 1345.232
7 Cowan & McCartney Dundonald HPS 1342.865
8 S.Brown & Sons Dundonald HPS 1341.577
9 D.& D Chew Newtownbreda HPS 1336.885
10 Mackey & Lockhart Ballylesson HPS 1332.690
11 J.Young & Ptnrs Dundonald HPS 1329.017
12 J.Young & Ptnrs Dundonald HPS 1328.845
East Section 107 Members 2489 Birds Wind Light Southerly
1 D W Carlile & Son Ballywalter SPC 1353.684
2 W.McMaster & Son Ballywalter SPC 1351.233
3 T.Smith Downpatrick HPS 1348.626
4 T.Smith Downpatrick HPS 1347.442
5 J & I Moore Bangor RPC 1333.428
6 Gordon Bros & Sons Cloughey HPS 1325.799
7 J Rankin Millisle & District HPS 1315.913
8 J Rankin Millisle & District HPS 1312.631
9 R Moore & Son Bangor RPC 1311.736
10 Ferguson & Wilkinson Donaghadee RPC 1309.308
11 R Moore & Son Bangor RPC 1307.224
12 J & R Young Portavogie 1307.087
Around the Combine Clubs from Talbenny
Annalong 1st P Trimble 1425.7 2nd K.Rooney, Son & Dtr 1421.03 3rd K. Rooney, Son & Dtr 1412.9
Annsborough 1st M Croskery & Son 1450.1 2nd R McDowell & Son 1447.1 3rd W Hardy & Son 1445.9
Ballylesson 10 Members sent 106 birds 1st John Davis 1602 2nd J&H Thompson 1463 3rd Mackey & Lockhart 1459. John Davis Breaks his novice status with this magnificent win from Talbenny in with a blue hen bred down from birds from Reggie & David Moore’s (Bangor) winning him 1st club 6th West sec 8th open E.D.C. Well done John
Ballynahinch 1st C Lavery & Son 1593.0 2nd R Hunter 1583.3 3rd C Lavery & Son 1471.0
Ballywalter 1st J Orr & Son 1580.2 2nd Palmer & McKay 1385.4 3rd 3 J Orr & Son 1380.7
Bangor 1st T & S Phillips 1564.8 2nd T & S Phillips 1422.57 3rd M & K Browne 1411.5
Cloughey 1st J Hall & Son 1560.5 2nd Harper & Young 1374.4 3rd Gordon Bros & Sons 1357.6
Comber 1st A Edgar & Son 1616.92 2nd Burns Bros 1585.08 3rd Burns Bros 1435.88
Crossgar 1st &2nd McCartan & Woodsides 1647.0, 1646.3; 3rd S McLoughlin 1642.4,
Donaghadee 1st Ferguson & Wilkinson 1561.5 2nd A & P Trimble & Sons 1406.73rd A & P Trimble & Sons 1388.4
Downpatrick 1st J Crossan 1500.2 2nd F Black & Sons 1486.4 3rd P Lue & Son 1423.9
Dundonald 1st A & J Brown 1554.2 2nd L McKinstry 1492.2 3rd A & J Brown 1484.9
Dundrum 1st J Maguire & Ptrs 1500.6 2nd A McNamara & Ptrs 1479.7 3rd A McNamara & Ptrs 1417.5
Hillfoot 1st W & L Robinson 1454.7 2nd L & H Fields 1424.6 3rd W & L Robinson 1403.7
Killyleagh Central 1st J & P Rice 1627.4 2nd J & P Rice 1622.387 3rd T Smith 1601.1
Millisle 1st J Rankin 1547.8 2nd J.& J Hollinger 1546.5 3rd R Strain & Son 1412.77
Newcastle 1st R Mc Veigh & Son 1487.0 2nd W Mc Neilly & Son 1453.8 3rd E&A Rogan 1401.3
Newtownbreda 1st T Marshall & Son 1574.7 2nd T Marshall & Son 1554.6 3rd D.& D Chew 1548.8
Portavogie 1st D Adams 1577.4 2nd L Young 1574.5 3rd J Nixon 1570.85
Tyrella 1st C McManus & Dtr 1576.9, 2nd S Milligan & Dtr 1491.3 3rd S & E McGaw 1474.2
East Down2bird News
The result of the East Down 2 Bird Club from the 2nd race from Mallow was:
1st D&W Carlile & Son Ballywalter 1353 4th open
2nd Mackey & Lockhart Ballylesson 1332 15th open
3rd J Young & pts Dundonald 1329 16th open
4th Mackey & Lockhart Ballylesson 1323
5th R Moore & son Bangor 1307
6th J Mc Nally & son Annsborough 1245
7th W Mc Master & son Ballywalter 1242
8th J Patterson Ballylesson 1233
9th D Croskery & Son Annsborough 1231
10th R Moore & Son Bangor 1230
11th Sam Regan Ballywalter 1215
12th D&W Carlile & Son Ballywalter 1202
Well done to the lofts of D & W Carlile, Mackey &Lockhart and R Moore & Son who have both their birds in the result.
***
Well that’s it for another week. This week the EDC have two races planned - the 2nd Talbenny and the Derek Wishart Memorial from Mallow and again already the weather has caused a change to these plans with the race marking for Talbenny due to take place on the Thursday night having been postponedand the hampering for a Saturday Mallow race also postponed with the possibility of both events on Sunday. It certainly is proving to be a frustrating season and I have every sympathy with the race controller and the weather committee who have a very difficult job on their hands.
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