EAST DOWN COMBINE
Reports by Clifford Browne
January 10th 2014
Ballynahinch HPS show update
The Ballynahinch club has been holding a series of shows in the run up to Christmas and I am indebted to Robert Topping for details of these starting back in November with two show classes one for Any age cock held on the 28th November 2013 and judged by Philip McCullough and Jackie Crossan, the result of which was:
1st H Wallace 2nd A Bradley 3rd H Wallace 4th A Bradley Res. S&P Logan & Partners
VHC D&R Topping HC R Trimble C R Trimble
and Any age hen on the 28th November 2013 judged by Philip McCullough and Jackie Crossan.
1st A Bradley 2nd D&R Topping 3rd D&R Topping 4th R Hunter Res. A Bradley
VHC A Bradley HC R Trimble C D&R Topping
Then on 7th December2013
Old cock handled judged by Sid McLoughlin and Dean Grieves
1st H Wallace 2nd J Abernethy 3rd R Hunter 4th J Abernethy Res. R Hunter VHC A Bradley HC R Hunter C J Abernethy
Old Hen handled judged by Sid McLoughlin and Dean Grieves
1st A Bradley 2nd D&R Topping 3rd D&R Topping 4th R Hunter Res. D&R Topping
VHC D&R Topping HC A Bradley C H Wallace
Young birds handled judged by Sid McLoughlin and Dean Grieves
1st A Bradley 2nd A Bradley 3rd J Gillespie & Son 4th A Bradley Res. S&P Logan & Partners VHC A Bradley HC A Bradley C S&P Logan
Old Cocks Through the wires judged by Sid McLoughlin and Dean Grieves
1st J Abernethy 2nd D & R Topping 3rd J Abernethy 4th R Hunter
Res. J Abernethy VHC R Hunter HC H Wallace C J Abernethy
Old Hens Through the wires judged by Sid McLoughlin and Dean Grieves
1st A Bradley 2nd R Hunter 3rd D & R Topping 4th R Hunter Res D & R Topping VHC D & R Topping HC D & R Topping C D & R Topping
Young birds through the wires judged by Sid McLoughlin and Dean Grieves.
1st A Bradley 2nd A Bradley 3rd A Bradley 4th R Hunter Res. S & P Logan & Pts VHC S & P Logan & Pts HC S & P Logan & Pts C A Bradley
The Club would like to thank all the judges throughout the show season for their time and all who donated prizes and refreshments for the Christmas show. The show season was enjoyed by all members in the club.
Christmas show 3 in 1 was held on Friday 27th December judged by members of the Ulster Fed’s Fortfield club Christopher Carson and Sean Rice.
Best in Show and Best Young Bird goes to Harry Wallace with the winner of through the wires and the same Young Blue Chequer Cock was second in the handled class.
Best Opposite Sex goes to D&R Topping’s Blue Hartog hen winner of the Eyesign class.
Through the wires
1st H Wallace 2nd A Bradley 3rd A Bradley 4th A Bradley Res. A Bradley VHC S&P Logan HC R Hunter C H Wallace
Handled
1st S&P Logan 2nd H Wallace 3rd A Bradley 4th R Hunter Res. H Wallace VHC A Bradley HC A Bradley C H Wallace
Eyesign
1st D&R Topping 2nd H Wallace 3rd D&R Topping 4th H Wallace Res. H Wallace
VHC D&R Topping HC H Wallace C A Bradley
Staying with Ballynahinch the East Down Combine Breeder Buyer of 2013 saw a back to back Breeder Buyer win for D & R Topping. This year’s winner was bred by R Topping & Son Lisburn & District H.P.S. raced by D & R Topping Ballynahinch H.P.S. The breeding of the blue pied cock is from a pair of Hartogs. The blue pied was flying to the perch and had five races always with the first birds returning to the loft. The partnership were also third in this race with a homebred bird full brother to the 2012 winner, this blue cock had four races and was also flying to the perch. The partnership would like to thanks the EDC breeder buyer organisers for a well run event.
East Down 2bird News
Just a reminder to all 2bird cup holders to please ensure that they bring or arrange to have someone bring these to the East Down AGM on January 25th so that they can be got ready for the 2 bird dinner in February.
Sam Regan reports
From Around The Ards Peninsula
The annual show and prize presentation of the above was held on Saturday the 7th December 2013 in Portavogie. I'll will start this report by thanking the Portavogie members for the use of their premises and also the bar staff and the sponsors who donated the prizes for the show and ballot. Most of all a very big thank you to our excellent and very hard working secretary/treasurer Olive Adair for all her hard work all through the year and in the smooth running of the prize day for which she has everything prepared and without her the Peninsula Amalgamation would be lost ,again many, many thanks Olive.
The show result's have appeared in an earlier column in the pigeon press and the member's would like to thank Rodney for arranging the judges to travel up from Annsborough and Mickey Croskery. Michael .Jennings and Doley. Croskery for carrying out their tasks in both judging and presenting the awards on the day it was greatly appreciated by all the Amalgamation members and a very big thank you for giving your time.
Now to the results and first we will deal with the Three Bird Club and we will report these in reverse order. With one position were Ferguson & Wilkinson, G. Coffey, K. Ambrose and J& J. Hollinger. With two places were D& W. Carlile & son and Jack Rankin with a first. Palmer & McKay next with three. Taking four cards are McCormick & Muckle one first, Angus & son & McConkey, W &N. Cully one first. The next two lofts with five cards are R&G. Thompson and Billy Donnan who win two firsts. Now we come to the top four fanciers in the Three Bird and in fourth is Kieron McCutcheon of Donaghadee also taking Runner up in the Channel average. Third goes to Sam Regan of Ballywalter winning the Channel Averages and runner in the Old Bird Averages & two firsts. The Runner's up are Drew Harper & Martin Young of Cloughey H.P.S. with three firsts and runners up in the Old Bird inland, Old Bird averages and Combined averages.
Top Loft and Fanciers of the year with a great year's picking their pigeons and winning 7 races and taking the Old bird Inland, Old Bird Averages, Young Bird Averages and the Combined Averages are Gordon Brothers & sons also Cloughey H.P.S. members and many congratulations to them on their great year.
Amalgamation results and before I start with everyone's awards for the 2013 season, I must mention the very high standards of both the fanciers and pigeons performances throughout the season with many members winning not only the Amalgamation and Section, but the Open with the East Down Combine to show to all the high class of both members and their birds in this very competitive part of County Down flying into the most Easterly part of Ireland and this is what makes our Amalgamation so enjoyable to be a part of, so well done to everyone concerned.
2013 Results: and again in reverse order, with one position are G. Coffey, A& E. Muckle, J. Keenan & sons, Mr & Mrs Gardiner and C. Murray & ptnr. Two place cards, S. Killen, W &W. Albert, S. Duffy, Angus & son & McConkey, E &D. &K. Allan & sons. With 4 x cards J& J. Hollinger, 5x positions Ferguson & Wilkinson, & M. Adair & sons, 6x places Palmer & McKay, R.N & L. Brown winner from 1st.Talbenny. 7 places taken by Robert and Glenn Thompson, Winston and Hugh McMaster with two firsts - Mullingar and Penzance Open. 8 cards including winner of 2nd. Mount Charles and Channel Averages go to Kieran McCutcheon. Donaghadee. Nine positions go to the following: Jackie Rankin Millisle, John Hall & son Cloughey, and Brian Young of Portavogie winner of 1st Open 1st Mount Charles Young Bird. The next three members have ten places each with McCormick & Muckle 1st Skibbereen Y.B., Leslie Young Portavogie 1st from Portland and fellow Portavogie member Billy Donnan 1st Open 1st. Mount Charles. 11 places go to Alec Trimble and family from Donaghadee. Two lofts win 14 places each with Millisle's father and son team of Raymond and Michael Strain winning from Fermoy, Another father and son partnership racing with Portavogie were Ronnie and Jim Young also with 14 cards.
It's now the time to introduce the top four lofts in the Peninsula Amalgamation for the 2013 season.
4th place goes to Sam Regan from Ballywalter S.P.C. with 17 cards including two wins both with young birds from 1st Navan and 2nd. Skibbereen and this loft is runner up in the Channel Averages with 35 points.
3rd place goes to the Father and son team from Portavogie of Walker & Niall Cully with 20 positions and a win from young bird Talbenny.
The Runners up are the Cloughey members Drew Harper and Martin Young having yet another very good year with 32 cards 3 wins including a great old bird season highlighted by open victory from 1st Fermoy and winners of Amalgamation from Skibbereen O/B Classic and they also win the old bird inland average with 46 points and are runners up in both the young birds with 35 points and Combined averages with 95 points - very well done men.
Champion loft of the year 2013 goes to the Gordon Bros and sons from Cloughey with a fabulous 71 places won in the season including winning the last five young bird races not only in the Amalgamation but also FIVE OPEN WINS in the East Down Combine what a performance and they win the Young bird Average with 88 points, the Combined Averages with 142 points, and were runners up in both the old bird Inland average 41 with points, and the Old Bird Averages with 54 points. They were also Amalgamation Fanciers of the year, absolutely top drawer racing from this family of dedicated fanciers many, many congratulations on a great year's racing.
Well that's all for the 2013 season and thanks to all who supplied the info through the season and scribe Clifford Browne for all his help and the Homing World and all others for publishing the results all year, many thanks and good luck to all.
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Finally this week it is with sadness that I learnt of the death of Tommy Patterson of Muckamore, the brother of Ballylesson club member John Patterson and the members of the Ballylesson club extend their deepest sympathy to their esteemed member John at this sad time.
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