EAST DOWN COMBINE
Reports by Clifford Browne
Sean Milligan & Dtr - 1st EDC bird in King’s Cup
The East Down Combine Cup in the King’s Cup race is won this year by the father & daughter partnership of Sean Milligan and Daughter Jennifer who race in the Tyrella club and who finished at 13th open 12th North section with a 2 year old blue cheq hen bred from a pair of birds which are producing winners for the Milligans regularly, a Braspenning cock from Ron McKelvey (Newry) and a Jos van der Veken hen. Their King’s Cup hen went to the race sitting 6 days and this was her first time over the water having flown Fermoy earlier in the season and then been privately trained. Sean and Jennifer have been enjoying a great season with the INFC with some seven birds in the Yearling national result, the first of these being a blue Joop Koch hen at 16th open 9th north section and again this hen was sitting 6 days although at the start of the season they race roundabout. In the final Old Bird National, the Friendship from Quimper, they recorded a yearling to take 89th open. From the King’s Cup both Gallagher Bros and Michael Jennings were in the top 50 in the open with many other Combine members making the result and M & K Browne of Bangor just missing out on a Hall of Fame timing their 4yo blue hen “Chippendale Blue” on the 2nd afternoon and just missing getting into the prizes having been a prize winner the two previous years. From Quimper the best recorded EDC bird was to G &J O’Hare who timed one of their two entries for 17th. Congratulations to all who were successful in these Nationals.
Young & Partners set the pace from Navan
The first young bird race of 2013 got underway on Saturday July 20th from Navan. It had been hoped that an early liberation would be possible so as to avoid the heat of the day, however this was not to be for as so often happens with an Easterly wind there is an early morning mist and so the birds did not get away until 10am into what was an East to NE wind which pigeons are not fond of. With the wind from this direction all the early ones are to the West of the Combine, Dundonald, Ballylesson, Newtownbreda and Hillfoot getting the first of these and Jim Young & ptnrs having a super race taking the top five in the open and West Section. These were followed by Newtownbreda’s Mark McClure, Dundonald’s Mark Foulis and then six Ballylesson birds as per the result, the first of these to John Patterson. In the East Section it was the Peninsula which dominated with Gordon Bros and sons having the top ten the first of these being entered through Killyleagh along with one of their Cloughey entries both on the same yard. With the East wind and as it was the first Young Bird race there were some absentees at the end of the day. This week it is back to Navan again.
East Down Combine Open
20/07/2013 1st Navan YB. 158 Members, 4442 Birds. Wind Easterly.
Pos Name Club Velocity
1 J. Young & Ptnrs Dundonald HPS 1370.565
2 J. Young & Ptnrs Dundonald HPS 1369.087
3 J. Young & Ptnrs Dundonald HPS 1368.595
4 J. Young & Ptnrs Dundonald HPS 1366.876
5 J. Young & Ptnrs Dundonald HPS 1362.475
6 M .McClure Newtownbreda HPS 1362.448
7 M. Foulis Dundonald HPS 1354.422
8 J Patterson Ballylesson HPS 1352.003
9 Mackey & Lockhart Ballylesson HPS 1343.429
10 Mackey & Lockhart Ballylesson HPS 1340.838
11 J Patterson Ballylesson HPS 1337.569
12 Mackey & Lockhart Ballylesson HPS 1336.712
13 C & D Smyth & Sons Ballylesson HPS 1333.293
14 B C T Foulis & Gill Dundonald HPS 1330.969
15 J. Young & Ptnrs Dundonald HPS 1325.953
16 J. Young & Ptnrs Dundonald HPS 1324.570
17 J. Scates & Son Hillfoot HPS 1323.520
18 J. Scates & Son Hillfoot HPS 1322.817
19 J. Abernethy Ballynahinch HPS 1322.033
20 C & D Smyth & Sons Ballylesson HPS 1313.057
West Section 50 Members 1427 Birds
1 J. Young & Ptnrs Dundonald HPS 1370.565
2 J .Young & Ptnrs Dundonald HPS 1369.087
3 J. Young & Ptnrs Dundonald HPS 1368.595
4 J. Young & Ptnrs Dundonald HPS 1366.876
5 J. Young & Ptnrs Dundonald HPS 1362.475
6 M. McClure Newtownbreda HPS 1362.448
7 M. Foulis Dundonald HPS 1354.422
8 J Patterson Ballylesson HPS 1352.003
9 Mackey & Lockhart Ballylesson HPS 1343.429
10 Mackey & Lockhart Ballylesson HPS 1340.838
11 J Patterson Ballylesson HPS 1337.569
12 Mackey & Lockhart Ballylesson HPS 1336.712
East Section 108 Members 3015 Birds
1 Gordon Bros & Sons Killyleagh Central HPS 1311.294
2 Gordon Bros & Sons Cloughey HPS 1311.076
3 Gordon Bros & Sons Killyleagh Central HPS 1311.058
4 Gordon Bros & Sons Killyleagh Central HPS 1311.058
5 Gordon Bros & Sons Cloughey HPS 1310.840
6 Gordon Bros & Sons Killyleagh Central HPS 1310.822
7 Gordon Bros & Sons Cloughey HPS 1310.604
8 Gordon Bros & Sons Cloughey HPS 1309.425
9 Gordon Bros & Sons Killyleagh Central HPS 1309.170
10 Gordon Bros & Sons Killyleagh Central HPS 1309.170
11 Harper & Young Cloughey HPS 1306.761
12 Harper & Young Cloughey HPS 1304.998
The Best From around the Clubs
Annalong 1st and 2nd Kevin Rooney, son and dtr 1062, 1060 A McDowell 3rd on 1060 Annsborough D Croskery takes the top three 1284, 1272 and 1271 Ballylesson 10 Members Sent 185 Birds 1st John Patterson 1352, 2nd Mackey & Lockhart 1343, 3rd Mackey & Lockhart 1340 Ballynahinch John Abernethy has the top two 1322 and 1311 with Stephen & Pearl Logan 3rd on 1258 Ballywalter 1st Billy Albert on 1147 with a Blue Cheq Cock bred by Plunkett, Pollock and Nelson Ards, 2nd Adam Palmer on 1139, 3rd W. McMaster and son on 1135 Bangor good start for the new members McQuaid & Briggs 1271 with Lambert & Stewart having the next two 1265 and 1262 Cloughey Three together for Gordon Bros & Sons 1311, 1310, 1310 Comber Another fancier with three together Francis Gilmore 1280, 1279, 1279 Crossgar Top three to a new name here Bunting and Reid 1309, 1280 and 1262 Donaghadee sees A & P Trimble & sons with the winner on 1238, a blue hen from premier lofts. In second place with a blue chequer Janssen cock were Ferguson & Wilkinson on 1227 with D & K McCutcheon 3rd on 1218 with a blue hen from Lier Market Downpatrick Jackie Crossan wins on 1268 with Philip McCullough & dtr taking 2nd and 3rd with two together on 1264 Drumaness Top three places for E McLaughlin 1138, 1129 and 1104 Dundonald great result for Jim young & ptnrs top five in the open and club top three velocities 1370, 1369 and 1368 Dundrum A McNamara & ptnrs have a good clear win on 1232 with J Maguire & ptnrs having the next two 1056 and 1053 Hillfoot Jackie Scates has first and second on 1323 & 1322 with T Farlow 3rd on 1300 Killyleagh Central where Gordon Bros take the top three all on 1311 Millisle R Strain & son win 1st and 3rd on 1238 & 1200 with J & J Hollinger 2nd on 1206 Newcastle top three for Ronan McVeigh & Son 1123,1032 and 1030 Newtownbreda Mark McClure wins on 1362 with T Marshall & son having the next two on 1310 1308 Portavogie two together for R & G Thompson on 1301 with J & R Young 3rd on 1299 Tyrella was won by S & E McGaw on 1176 with Denis McNabb & ptnrs having the next two both on 1145.
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