EAST DOWN COMBINE
Reports by Clifford Browne
5th week at the top for Gordon family
Saturday September 14th and the East Down Combine were in Skibbereen for the final event of the 2013 season “The Ken McConaghie Skibbereen Young Bird Derby”. With a light NW wind for most of the journey a good steady race was predicted and the birds were away at 9.30am.
Leading the field for the 5th consecutive week is the partnership of Gordon Bros and sons. I don’t remember this being done before, a truly magnificent performance and this has been achieved over a variety of race types from 1st Mount Charles with a velocity of 1859 to their latest win from Skibbereen velocity 1316. The winner from Skibbereen is a blue cock and was previously 8th open EDC from Mullingar. His breeding is: sire bred by Sheldon Leonard a Janssen, dam is from the Gordon’s very best Vandenabeele lines and the gdam was also a 1st open East Down Combine winner. Congratulations to Gordon Bros & sons on what has been an outstanding last five weeks.
Runner up from Skibbereen was also out on the East Coast to The Ballywalter loft of local Peninsula Amalgamation Scribe Sam Regan who timed a blue w/f Cock named “Shoreline Kodi”. This cock had flown all races this season, a darkness pigeon he is a Cattrysse/Lambrecht sent to the race sitting 14 days. This cock is full of winning blood and its half brother was excellent in this year's final four old bird races from across the channel and was in the money in all three championship channel races. This Blue cock won top club old bird racer and was runner up in both East Down Combine Meritorious awards in 2013.
The Skibbereen runner up won from the 2nd Mt Charles plus 5 other positions including 3rd club, 3rd Amalgamation, 3rd East Section, 7th open Navan beaten by loft mates. He also won two bird club in that Navan and Ballywalter S.P.C. club champion young bird racer.
The Cattrysse family Sam has blended together since 1999 are based on birds from the late Taffy Bowen, Louella and a Romain Legiest cross in 2000 with birds from The Cederwood loft's of Alan Brown. The Lambrechts came later via Sam’s very good friends David and Eirlys Jones of Llandudno, North Wales who over many years have provided the very best of this breed not only to win pure but made an excellent cross with his own pigeons and this can be seen in this result and many other results. Sam says that he cannot thank them enough for all their generosity, advice and kindness towards all his family and wishes them both great happiness and the best for the future. Finally Sam wishes to thank everybody who phoned, called or personally congratulated him, it was much appreciated, and Sam passes on his congratulations to the Gordon family - John, Gary and Niall on a fabulous young bird season in the East Down Combine, on winning this race and the previous four OPENS, what a great piece of racing.
In 3rd place it was the Combine’s Financial Secretary Sam Duke who timed the first hen in the race a Blue raced on darkness. Her Sireis one of Sam’s best stock birds which has bred many prize winners with different hens mainly in National & Derby races. He in turn is from my very good stock pair that have bred many winners and breeders of winners through to France. For example the sire of Harry Fields’ good St Malo pigeons is from the same pair.
Dam is a gift bird from Paddy Burns (Burns Bros Comber Social), a half-sister to his Gold Medal winner “Dolly” and has bred many prize winners with the above cock. Sam timed three in the positions in the 2012 INFC Yearling National all from this pair. This is a brief run down on the top three in this final race in the Combine calendar. The full result is:
East Down Combine
14/09/2013 Ken McConaghie Skibbereen YB Derby
84 Members 896 Birds Wind Light North West
1 E1 Gordon Bros & Sons Cloughey HPS 1316.646 b B £93.60 £244.55
2 E2 S.Regan Ballywalter SPC 1305.724 abc n ABCD £312.32 £423.64
3 W1 S & K Duke Crossgar HPS 1304.484 c C £73.68 £161.73
4 W2 A Cousins & Sons Ballylesson HPS 1294.388 £0.00 £67.44
5 W3 M.Foulis Dundonald HPS 1293.469 £0.00 £51.83
6 E3 R Moore & Son Bangor RPC 1283.448 bc n BC N £222.05 £270.54
7 W4 S & P Logan & Ptnrs Ballynahinch HPS 1276.982 £0.00 £36.22
8 W5 J.Young & Ptnrs Dundonald HPS 1274.471 £0.00 £34.35
9 W6 A Cousins & Sons Ballylesson HPS 1272.262 abc n ABCD N £190.78 £225.13
10 W7 W.White & Son Newtownbreda HPS 1268.679 £0.00 £34.35
11 W8 A Cousins & Sons Ballylesson HPS 1260.299 n N £34.80 £63.28
12 W9 S & K Duke Crossgar HPS 1254.885 £0.00 £28.48
13 W10 W.White & Son Newtownbreda HPS 1253.386 £0.00 £28.48
14 E4 Gordon Bros & Sons Cloughey HPS 1244.251 b B £34.10 £70.76
15 E5 B Young Portavogie 1243.234 £0.00 £34.05
16 E6 Harper & Young Cloughey HPS 1242.971 £0.00 £33.05
17 E7 W & N Cully Portavogie 1242.761 £0.00 £33.05
18 E8 C J Healy Killyleagh Central HPS 1242.658 £0.00 £30.44
19 E9 J & R Young Portavogie 1242.571 abc ABCD £134.25 £164.69
20 W11 Kincaid & McCann Dundonald HPS 1242.425 abc ABCD £93.48 £120.96
21 W12 McCartan & Woodsides Crossgar HPS 1241.954 £0.00 £22.48
22 E10 J & R Young Portavogie 1241.376 abc ABCD £97.59 £123.03
23 E11 J & R Young Portavogie 1241.376 abc ABCD £85.79 £111.23
24 W13 M.Foulis Dundonald HPS 1241.217 £0.00 £20.61
25 E12 J Crossan Downpatrick HPS 1240.915 £0.00 £25.44
26 W14 K & B McConaghie &son Ballylesson HPS 1240.706 abc BC £51.79 £72.40
27 E13 C J Healy Killyleagh Central HPS 1240.422 abc ABCD £73.16 £95.99
28 E14 Gordon Bros & Sons Cloughey HPS 1240.250 b B £20.86 £43.69
29 W15 S & K Duke Crossgar HPS 1239.872 £0.00 £20.61
30 W16 S & P Logan & Ptnrs Ballynahinch HPS 1236.623 £0.00 £20.61
31 W17 T Marshall & Son Newtownbreda HPS 1235.237 £0.00 £15.61
32 W18 K & B McConaghie &son Ballylesson HPS 1234.810 £0.00 £15.61
33 W19 J.Young & Ptnrs Dundonald HPS 1233.572 £0.00 £14.68
34 W20 R.Irwin Dundonald HPS 1233.417 abc ABCD £63.78 £78.46
35 E15 Phillips Bros Bangor RPC 1232.512 £0.00 £17.83
36 E16 J Rankin Millisle & District HPS 1232.182 abc ABCD £67.53 £85.36
37 E17 R & G Tompson Portavogie 1231.433 £0.00 £17.83
38 Caskey & Adair Crossgar HPS 1230.803 £0.00 £10.00
39 E18 P McCartan Annsborough HPS 1230.609 abc ABCD £67.53 £85.36
40 E19 J Maguire & Ptrs Dundrum HPS 1230.199 abc £29.23 £45.76
E20 W & N Cully Portavogie 1225.601 £0.00 £6.53
Remainder Pools
Kincaid & McCann Dundonald HPS 1221.847 A C £17.10 £17.10
McCartan & Woodsides Crossgar HPS 1221.285 A CD £28.14 £28.14
McCartan & Woodsides Crossgar HPS 1220.938 abc A D £30.11 £30.11
McCartan & Woodsides Crossgar HPS 1220.070 A D £14.70 £14.70
J.Kirk & Son Drumaness Mills HPS 1219.138 ab A £8.94 £8.94
Mackey & Lockhart Ballylesson HPS 1218.702 bc £11.40 £11.40
Gordon Bros & Sons Cloughey HPS 1217.385 £0.00 £0.00
R Moore & Son Bangor RPC 1217.055 c £14.60 £14.60
Gordon Bros & Sons Cloughey HPS 1215.828 a c D £29.57 £29.57
S & K Duke Crossgar HPS 1214.075 abc D £23.82 £23.82
Ferguson & Wilkinson Donaghadee RPC 1211.835 a c £18.53 £18.53
M.Croskery Annsborough HPS 1209.898 a £3.93 £3.93
McCartan & Woodsides Crossgar HPS 1208.847 abc £12.78 £12.78
M.Croskery Annsborough HPS 1206.744 a £3.93 £3.93
T. Horner & Sons Crossgar HPS 1206.215 bc £11.40 £11.40
J.Abernethy Ballynahinch HPS 1189.979 abc £12.78 £12.78
S & K Duke Crossgar HPS 1181.520 abc £12.78 £12.78
McCartan & Woodsides Crossgar HPS 1171.622 a £1.38 £1.38
S Casement & Son Ballylesson HPS 1166.779 a £1.38 £1.38
The Best From the Clubs - Skibbereen 2
Being a Derby race I have only a couple of club results ;
Ballylesson 1st 2nd & 3rd Albert Cousins & Son 1294, 1272, 1260.
Ballywalter 1st Sam Regan winning second week in a row with same bird on 1305 also 3rd on 1201 with a blue hen both on darkness, 2nd Winston and Hugh McMaster with a blue hen.
East Down 2bird News
The 2 bird result from the 2nd Mount Charles race was:
1st B Young 1649.441
2nd J&R Young 1647.367
3rd J Maguire &ptnrs 1635.675
4th B Hogg & sons 1635.369
5th J Abernethy 1620.581
6th S Regan 1618.856
Sam Regan reports From Around The Ards Peninsula
Walker and Niall Cully Best from Talbenny Y/B Derby
The Double Header weekend of the 31st of August saw the East Down Combine in Wales for its annual young bird Derby from Talbenny and the birds were liberated at 10.15 into a North West head wind. A good testing race ensued and the best pigeon into the Ards Peninsula was clocked by the Portavogie partnership of Walker Cully and his son Niall timing their young Blue Hen at 15.20 on a velocityof 1082. The breeding of the winner is a cross from two well known fanciers, Geoffrey Douglas from Lurgan and Tony Bates of England. The Cully family had a very good race from Talbenny with no less than six pigeons in the result their 2nd bird, another Blue Hen was bred by Jeff Greenaway from Dromore and Niall and his father would like to thank all these fanciers for their support.
Runner up in the amalgamation is Jackie Rankin flying with the Millisle club and he clocked his young Blue Cock at 15.41 to his Ballybuttle lofts and very well done.
The Harper and Young team flying with Cloughey club continue with their very good year's racing and Drew and Martin are in 4th place on this occasion with a Blue hen on 1008. Next up sees John Hollinger and wife Jean clock a young Blue Cheq cock into their Millisle loft and these well known fanciers are at their best when it comes to channel racing and again well done on your result.
Best pigeon timed into Donaghadee goes to Glen Gardiner and he clocked a Mealy hen for 7th spot. Winston and Hugh McMaster of the Ballywalter club also timed a Mealy hen into their Burnside lofts sited in Ballyhalbert to follow their last Channel success which was winning the open from Penzance.
The result is completed by Millisle club's secretary Adam Muckle clocking a young Blue Cheq cock and very well done to all the fanciers and pigeons for their efforts in a good testing race.
Full Result. 22/96.
1st, 3rd, 5th, 8th, 10th & 11th. W & N. Cully , 1082, 1032, 1003, 930, 912, 796.
2nd. J. Rankin 1062,
4th. Harper& Young. 1008.
6th. J&J. Hollinger 983.
7th. Mr & Mrs.G.Gardiner 946.
9th. W. McMaster & son 916.
12th. A& E. Muckle. 735.
McCormick and Muckle win the 1st Skibbereen YB Derby
The first young bird Derby of 2013 saw the birds released at 8.30 in a light west wind in Skibbereen and a somewhat erratic race ensued with some pigeons making a good shape in getting home while others struggled and some lofts had a few losses.
Now on to the winning pigeon raced by the partnership of McCormick & Muckle which is a Blue Bar Cock, a De Klak crossed with a Leon Boers hen and the father of this youngster had been placed 19th open from the same race point in the old bird Classic earlier in the year so this one was bred for the job and this Amalgamation winner on 1346 is 29th open. The team's second bird a Belgian bred pigeon lifts 12th place and comes with a story. Rodney attends the Isle of Man T.T. races and met and formed a friendship with a fellow motor bike follower from Belgian the previous year who in the course of conversation over the week's racing told Rodney that he had a friend back home who raced pigeons also and said that he would ask him to get some young pigeons to send back to Ireland and this bird is one of that batch so the team would like to thank them both. Well the new team of Rodney and uncle Harold have made a good start to their partnership and well done to you both.
The Ballywalter club’s winning pigeon, a Blue darkness hen is runner up on 1346 and wins 34th open in the Combine and sees the very good season continue for Winston and Hugh McMaster and again well done.
Best bird into Donaghadee sees Alec Trimble and sons lift 3rd place with a Blue Pied cock. Fourth are the Cloughey club members Mark Adair and sons assisted by his father Jim and are having a good year with their young bird team.
Laurence Brown of Millisle with a Blue hen is next in the Amalgamation at 5th and these distance races are a favourite of the Brown family.
Portavogie club winner Leslie Young clocked two in the result for 6th and 8th in the Peninsula and the breeding of the first, a Blue Cheq cock, is a Tony Marden Van Reet crossed with a Van Loon from his good friends Raymond and son Michael Strain and the second pigeon a Blue hen is a Cooreman coming from Bob Fenech.
In 7th place splitting the birds of fellow club member Leslie Young is the father and son team of Ronnie and Jim Young with a Blue cock. John Hall is next on the list and this Cloughey member finishes 9th Amalgamation
Drew Harper and Martin Young come next with a Blue Cock and continue to fly to the fore in all races. Gary Coffey gets his first card in the Peninsula this year timing a young Blue hen for 11th. Robert and son Glenn Thompson are in 13th spot and the result is completed by fellow club members Walker and Niall Cully both father and son partnerships.
Full result 32/333.
1st, 12th, McCormick & Muckle, 1364, 1248.
2nd. W. McMaster & son 1346.
3rd. A &P. Trimble & sons 1318.
4th. M. Adair & sons 1316.
5th. R. N.& L. Brown 1284.
6th & 8th. L. Young 1278,1274.
7th. R& J. Young 1276.
9th. J. Hall & son. 1266.
10th. Harper & Young 1259.
11th. G. Coffey 1253.
13th. R& G. Thompson 1246.
14th. W &N. Cully. 1240.
3bird club result.
1st. B& J. Donnan 1181 C.
2nd. McCormick & Muckle 1138 ABC.NOM
3rd. McCormick & Muckle 1083 ABC. also 1083 AB.
Well as we close the 2013 season can I once again thank all who have contributed to this column throughout the season and hope that in the closed season you will continue the good work with news of Dinners/prize distributions, shows and details of your members outstanding performances of 2013.
With the racing season now over we have a few reports this week to complete the season before Dinners, Shows etc get underway. I hope all club Press Officers in the EDC will take the opportunity to forward on any items of interest from the season just finished to give their club and their members the publicity they deserve.
The final race of the year was the INFC Young Bird Inland National from Skibbereen and a number of EDC members finished to the fore winning prizes in the top forty of the North Section. They were Roy Irwin (Dundonald) 13th & 37th, Sam Regan (Ballywalter) 14th and this was the same blue w/f cock “Shoreline Kodi” which had won 2nd open in the EDC Derby from Skibbereen the previous week. A Cousins & sons (Ballylesson) were 21st, Francis Gilmore (Comber Social) was 31st and this was the same blue cock that had won 3rd Open in the East Down Combine’s first Skibbereen young Bird derby & Jim Young & ptnrs (Dundonald) 40th North section.
Comber Social Award Winners 2013
The Comber Social club has its Averages for 2013 calculated and three lofts dominate, the awards being won as follows:
Old Bird Inland Average R Johnston
Old Bird Of The Year R Johnston
Channel Average Burns Bros
Combined Average F Gilmore
Young Bird Average F Gilmore
Over All Average F Gilmore
Young Bird Of The Year F Gilmore
EDC 2B News
The result of the 2 bird club from the 2nd Skibbereen YB derby was as follows:
1st S Regan 1305.724 (2nd Open EDC)
2nd R Moore &son 1283.448 (6th Open EDC)
3rd S &P Logan 1276.9 (7th Open EDC)
4th K&B McConaghie&son 1240.706 (26th open EDC)
5th C Healy 1240.422 (27th open EDC)
6th S &K Duke 1214
Jack McMillan
It was with great sadness that we learnt of the death of the Hon. Life Vice President of the 2 bird club Jack McMillan of Crossgar at the age of 93. Jack was one of the founder members of the 2 bird club and for over 25 years had served as its Secretary. He it was that compiled the league system for the club which is still in operation today. Jack was well known in many spheres throughout Northern Ireland and ran a very successful family business in Crossgar manufacturing sectional buildings and many fanciers have raced to lofts built by the McMillan family.
Jack was a true gentleman, a man of great integrity and will be sadly missed by all of us who had the great privilege of knowing him. To Anne, Iris, Tom & William and the wider family circle I extend my deepest sympathy at this sad time.
Sam Regan reports From Around The Ards Peninsula
Gordon Family Top Four from 2nd Mt Charles
The Peninsula Amalgamation returned to Mount Charles for the last club race of the season and with a very poor forecast for Saturday the race committee made a move to hamper on Saturday for a Sunday race and again this was a good decision and the birds were liberated at 10.30 in a helping wind.
Winning the Amalgamation and also lifting their Fourth Open win in a row sees another great result for the Gordons and with a total of 8 pigeons on the sheet it was another brilliant day for the men with their young bird team - very well done gentlemen.
Billy Donnan winner of the Portavogie club had three drop into his loft in the village of Cloughey for 5th, 6th and 7th in the Amalgamation and his second pigeon wins the three bird club to make it a good day - well done Bill.
Brian Young the secretary of Portavogie takes 8th and 9th to continue his good season having earlier won the Open from Mullingar and again well done on another good result.
Ronnie Young and son Jim, also from the Portavogie club take 12th spot in the Amalgamation well flown and all these lofts must be looking forward to the final Derby from Skibbereen to bring down the curtain on racing with the East Down Combine.
Full Result 28/451.
1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 10th, 11th, 13th & 14th Gordon Bros & sons 1666 x 2 1665, 1664, 1648 x 2,1647 x 2.
5th, 6th, 7th, B&J. Donnan 1654, 1653 x 2.
8th, 9th B.Young 1651, 1648.
12th J & R Young 1647.
3 Bird Club 13/45.
1st B&J.Donnan 1653 ABC.
2nd Gordon Bros & sons ABC. 1647.
3rd Harper & Young ABC. 1638.
NOM. S.Regan 1618
Show Money Prizes one per loft.
1st Gordon Bros & sons
2nd B & J.Donnan
3rd B.Young
4th J & R.Young
As I conclude this week’s column I have just learnt of the death of Combine Secretary Sam Duke’s mother Jean who passed away peacefully in hospital on September 27th. To Sam, Linda and the wider family circle I extend my sincere condolences.
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