EAST DOWN COMBINE
Reports by Clifford Browne
Downpatrick Fanciers win Open from Mt. Charles
I finished off last week’s column with a mention of the fact that the weather forecast was not looking too good for the 26th of April for a Saturday race from Mount Charles and by the Thursday night the weather committee had decided to postpone race marking until the Saturday night as the weather for the Sunday looked better, although there was still going to be a North Easterly wind but not as strong as on the Saturday and the rain was to have moved away. The convoy of just over 5,000 birds were away at 11.15am and with the North East wind most clubs were won on velocities in the 1200s.
Winning the open by a decimal is the Downpatrick father and daughter partnership of Philip and Courtney McCullough on 1266.1 and this is very closely followed by 4 to Gordon bros & Sons and they have two more in the open top twenty at 19th and 20th. I don’t have details at present on the open winner but do have some information on the leading Gordon bros & Sons birds. In 2nd open is a blue hen, her sire being Gaby Vandenabeele and dam a Sheldon Leonard pigeon This hen’s nest brother was EDC young bird of the year 2013 and 3rd open Mullingar (1st race). In 3rd open is a cock, a direct Sheldon Leonard pigeon and the cock at 4th open is a direct Sheldon Leonard x Kris Wynants bloodlines. This cock was 7th open Mullingar (1st race). At 5th open is a cock which was 5th open Mullingar 22nd open Tullamore and now 5th open Mt. Charles this season already (3 open positions from 3 races). Also 16th open Mt. Charles as a young bird. His sire is Vandenabeele (Pale Rider lines) and his dam is again Sheldon Leonard. At 19th open is a hen of Kris Wynants breeding. This hen scored 4 times in the EDC open as young bird and was 29th open Mullingar (1st race ob) so has now been 6 times in the open result.
The next two pigeons in the open are to the Annsborough club with James Cleland 6th open and B Jennings 7th open. Roy Irwin is enjoying a great season and is 8th open this week with fellow Dundonald club member Stephen Brown & sons having birds at 10th and 13th open. Other lofts having a good race at open level were Winston & Hugh McMaster (Ballywalter), McCartan & Woodsides (Crossgar), D Croskery & son (Annsborough), M Croskery & son (Annsborough), J Hall & son (Cloughey) with 3 together and Killyleagh Central fancier RC Clifford.
Open winners Philip McCullough & Dtr top the East section and Roy Irwin wins the West section. It proved to be a good steady race.
East Down Combine Open
27/04/2014 1st Mount Charles OB
194 Members 5108 Birds Wind North Easterly
1 P McCullough & Dtr Downpatrick HPS 1266.129
2 Gordon Bros & Sons Killyleagh Central HPS 1266.022
3 Gordon Bros & Sons Cloughey HPS 1265.837
4 Gordon Bros & Sons Cloughey HPS 1265.375
5 Gordon Bros & Sons Cloughey HPS 1265.375
6 James. Cleland Annsborough HPS 1256.198
7 B Jennings Annsborough HPS 1252.828
8 R. Irwin Dundonald HPS 1245.176
9 W. McMaster & Son Ballywalter SPC 1244.866
10 S. Brown & Sons Dundonald HPS 1243.955
11 McCartan & Woodsides Crossgar HPS 1242.731
12 D. Croskery & Son Annsborough HPS 1242.372
13 S. Brown & Sons Dundonald HPS 1241.827
14 R C Clifford Killyleagh Central HPS 1238.570
15 M. Croskery & Son Annsborough HPS 1238.240
16 J. Hall & Son Cloughey HPS 1237.629
17 J. Hall & Son Cloughey HPS 1237.629
18 J. Hall & Son Cloughey HPS 1237.451
19 Gordon Bros & Sons Killyleagh Central HPS 1236.662
20 Gordon Bros & Sons Killyleagh Central HPS 1236.221
West Section 66 Members 1957Birds Wind North Easterly
1 R. Irwin Dundonald HPS 1245.176
2 S. Brown & Sons Dundonald HPS 1243.955
3 McCartan & Woodsides Crossgar HPS 1242.731
4 S. Brown & Sons Dundonald HPS 1241.827
5 R C Clifford Killyleagh Central HPS 1238.570
6 M & A Johnston Ballylesson HPS 1233.321
7 M & A Johnston Ballylesson HPS 1233.139
8 J Patterson Ballylesson HPS 1232.270
9 J Patterson Ballylesson HPS 1231.910
10 McCartan & Woodsides Crossgar HPS 1227.484
11 McCartan & Woodsides Crossgar HPS 1227.392
12 S & K Duke Crossgar HPS 1225.901
East Section 128 Members 3151 Birds Wind North Easterly
1 P McCullough & Dtr Downpatrick HPS 1266.129
2 Gordon Bros & Sons Killyleagh Central HPS 1266.022
3 Gordon Bros & Sons Cloughey HPS 1265.837
4 Gordon Bros & Sons Cloughey HPS 1265.375
5 Gordon Bros & Sons Cloughey HPS 1265.375
6 James. Cleland Annsborough HPS 1256.198
7 B Jennings Annsborough HPS 1252.828
8 W. McMaster & Son Ballywalter SPC 1244.866
9 D. Croskery & Son Annsborough HPS 1242.372
10 M. Croskery & Son Annsborough HPS 1238.240
11 J. Hall & Son Cloughey HPS 1237.629
12 J. Hall & Son Cloughey HPS 1237.629
Club Winners from around the Combine
Annalong 1st K. Rooney, Son & Dtr 1231.815 2nd K. Rooney, Son & Dtr 1228.032 3rd K. Rooney, Son & Dtr 1218.264
Annsborough 1st James Cleland 1256.198 2nd B Jennings 1252.828 3rd D Croskery & Son 1242.372
Ballylesson 15 members sent 353 birds
1st M & A Johnston 1233 2nd M & A Johnston 1233 3rd John Patterson 1232
Ballynahinch 1st J Abernethy 1219.859 2nd R Hunter 1218.191 3rd S & P Logan & Ptnrs 1209.674
Ballywalter where the first three go to Winston McMaster and son vels 1244, 1223, 1192, the winner a Blue three year old hen gaining her fourth club win.
Bangor 1st Lambert & Stewart 1222.208 2nd Burgess & Brennan 1216.32 3rd Phillips Bros 1213.489
Cloughey 1st Gordon Bros & Sons 1265.8372nd Gordon Bros & Sons 1265.375 3rd Gordon Bros & Sons 1265.375
Comber 1st R Johnson 1185.93 2nd R Johnson 1170.04 3rd R Johnson 1169.25
Crossgar 1st , 2nd & 3rd McCartan & Woodsides 1242.731, 1227.484, 1227.392
Donaghadee 1st Ferguson & Wilkinson 1192.681
Downpatrick 1st P McCullough & Dtr 1266.129 2nd J Crossan 1203.438 3rd P Lue & Son 1201.684
Dundonald 1st R Irwin 1245.176 2nd S Brown & Sons 1243.995 3rd S Brown & Sons 1241.827
Dundrum1st A Murray & Son 1169.317 2nd A McNamara & Ptrs 1169.173 3rd A McNamara & Ptrs 1159.363
Hillfoot 1st J Scates & Son 1196.647
Killyleagh Central 1st Gordon Bros & Sons 1266.022 2nd R C Clifford 1238.57 3rd Gordon Bros & Sons 1236.662
Millisle 1st J Rankin 1212.982 2nd J Rankin 1189.329 3rd McCormick & Muckle 1188.329
Newcastle 1st, 2nd & 3rd E&A Rogan 1190.3 1190.0 1179.0
Newtownbreda 1st M McClure 1220.101 2nd W White & Son 1212.349 3rd W White & Son 1209.264
Portavogie 1st J & R Young 1233.788 2nd J & R Young 1231.828 3rd L Young 1215.631
Tyrella 1st, 2nd & 3rd C Mc Manus & Dtr 1200.124 1199.237 1191.657
East Down2bird News
The result of the 2 bird club from Tullamore was:
1st J Patterson Ballylesson 4th Open 1471
2nd McCartan &Woodsides Crossgar 1437
3rd R Johnston Comber soc 1436
4th Mackey &Lockhart Ballylesson 1428.8
5th Gordon Bros & Sons Cloughey 1428.5
6th J Patterson Ballylesson 1428.4
7th R Moore & son Bangor 1424
8th J Young & ptnrs Dondonald 1419
9th Lambert & Stewart Bangor 1413
10th McCartan & Woodsides Crossgar 1402
11th R Moore & son Bangor 1401
12th D Croskery & Son Annsborough 1395.9
13th Gordon Bros & Sons Cloughey 1395.8
14th R&G Thompson Portavogie 1395.0
Harmony Lofts Hotspot
Weekend 27th April: Well done to Jimmy Burrows of the Eastway Club on clocking bird ring no. GB13D 23179 vel. 1263, to collect the £50 Hot Spot prize. This bird finished 6th Club, 13th Section C and 104th Open.
***
This week the East Down Combine are back in Mt Charles for the second race from this spot.
---