EAST DOWN COMBINE

Reports by Clifford Browne

2012 Skibbereen Classic winners win it again in 2013

Yet again on the weekend of May 18th/19th the weather was the deciding factor in what was the first of this year’s Old Bird Derby races, the inland Joe Ringland Skibbereen Classic. The forecast for the Saturday was to say the least not good with very heavy rain and fairly strong winds so from early in the week Saturday looked to be out and the other two NI organisations opted for a Thursday basketing and a Friday race. The East Down Combine weather committee decided to race mark Saturday night and race Sunday. Sunday saw a SSE wind which is not the most favourable from Skibbereen as it lies well to the SW of Ireland and wind from this art very often provides an erratic race. This year’s winners were the Crossgar partnership of McCartan & Woodsides who also won this event last year. Runners up were the Killyleagh partnership of McComb Bros, who were 8th in this race last year and the Cloughey partnership of Harper & Young who are having a dream season are in 3rd place with last year's runners up Gordon Bros & sons in 4th spot. I’ll have full details next week when the final result is to hand. The top four velocities were 1345, 1340, 1333 and 1332 but it did turn out to be an erratic race for many.

The provisional top 20 EDC Skibbereen Classic. 19/05/2013. Open 126 Members sent 1432 Birds. Wind South East. East Section 82 Members sent 829 Birds. West Section 44 Members sent 603.

1 W1 McCartan & Woodsides Crossgar HPS 1345.355 abc ABCD N £291.70 £523.14

2 E1 McComb Bros Killyleagh Central HPS 1340.367 £0.00 £201.18

3 E2 Harper & Young Cloughey HPS 1333.995 abc D £145.37 £316.11

4 E3 Gordon Bros & Sons Cloughey HPS 1332.676 £0.00 £130.31

5 E4 M. Croskery Annsborough HPS 1293.446 abc £90.60 £189.47

6 W2 L. McKinstry Dundonald HPS 1257.718 £0.00 £95.18

7 W3 R. Irwin Dundonald HPS 1256.916 bc BC N £153.99 £240.13

8 E5 Burgess & Brennan Bangor RPC 1256.292 abc n ABCD N £190.43 £270.16

9 W4 A. Crawford Ballylesson HPS 1255.235 abc ABC £98.81 £175.90

10 E6 K. Rooney, Son & Dtr Annalong HPS 1242.151 £0.00 £79.73

11 W5 A Cousins & Sons Ballylesson HPS 1241.773 £0.00 £51.08

12 E7 M. Croskery Annsborough HPS 1232.748 £0.00 £56.73

13 E8 J & R Young Portavogie 1230.610 abc £60.40 £112.98

14 E9 R. J. Keown Annsborough HPS 1227.279 £0.00 £52.58

15 E10 Gordon Bros & Sons Cloughey HPS 1224.054 £0.00 £52.58

16 E11 McComb Bros Killyleagh Central HPS 1215.536 £0.00 £52.58

17 E12 K. Rooney, Son & Dtr Annalong HPS 1212.718 £0.00 £52.58

18 W6 B. Hogg & Sons Newtownbreda HPS 1209.974 £0.00 £51.08

19 E13 McCormick & Muckle Donaghadee RPC 1208.926 bc £39.45 £87.89

20 E14 Gordon Bros & Sons Cloughey HPS 1205.042 abc ABCD £77.93 £126.37

BEST FROM AROUND THE CLUBS

With this being a Derby race not all clubs have a club race. A couple of results in are: Ballylesson Skibbereen Derby. 1st Alex Crawford 1255 2nd A Cousins &Sons 1241 3rd Mackey&Lockhard 1177 4th A Cousins &Sons 1158 5th Alex Crawford 1155 6th A Cousins &Sons 1148 7th 1143 8th 1135 9th 1135 10th1135 11th M&A Johnston 1131 12th C&D Smyth & Sons 1130. Ballywalter where the winner was Sam Regan with a 2 year old roundabout hen a previous winner from Mt. Charles, a Cattrysse/ Lambrecht on 1168. 2nd were Palmer & McKay with a 4 year old Lambrecht natural hen bred by the Llandudno loft of D, L&E.Jones on 1165 and 3rd Walter and Norman Carlile with a 3 year old Dark Cheq Cock.

SAM REGAN REPORTS FROM AROUND THE ARDS PENINSULA

Billy Donnan's winner Speeds Home

The third race of the year saw the pigeons in Mount Charles a race point close to Nenagh in the West of Ireland. The liberation of the East Down Combine convey of 6366 birds took place at 10.30 into a freshening south west wind and a fast race resulted. The Portavogie club claimed their first Peninsula Amalgamation since returning to the Combine and the winner, a yearling Cheq pied, sped home at over 70 .m.p.h. to its Cloughey based loft for Billy Donnan to win not only the club but also the Amalgamation, East Section and EDC Open, a great Day for the owner. The breeding is from two very well known fanciers, with whom Billy has been friendly for several years with the sire being from stock via the Arklow loft of Sheldon Leonard, whilst the dam of the winner is a cross of another of Sheldon's birds crossed with a pigeon from Bob Donaldson of North East of England fame and congratulations on this victory to all concerned. The same loft also clocked a second bird in 8th placed to finish off a fine performance.

Cloughey club winners Drew Harper and Martin Young had a great race with a grand total of five birds on the result sheet. The first two pigeons clocked finished second and third section and open and the team's other pigeons timed for 11th, 12th and 14th to complete a super day. Next is the father and son team of Robert and Glen Thompson from Portavogie who clocked to take fourth into the Peninsula. Last week's winning loft of John Hall and son continued their good start to the season taking 5th spot into his loft beside Loch Cooley. Another father and son team Walker and Neil Cully flying with Portavogie had two drop together and trapped likewise to be 6th and 7th in the Amalgamation. Ballywalter’s winning pigeon was a two year roundabout hen a Cattrysse/Lambreicht these coming from North Wales loft of D.L.&E.Jones and was clocked into the Shoreline Lofts of Sam Regan for 9th. The 10th place was taken by Gordon Bros and sons racing with Cloughey and the result is completed by Donaghadee club winners Ferguson and Wilkinson timing a two year old roundabout Slatey hen, the breeding from Wall, Lunt and Green lines for Bennett and Harry in at 13th.

Full Result 53 members sent 1500. 1st & 8th B&J.Donnan 2134, 2074. 2nd, 3rd, 11th, 12th &14th Harper & Young 2131, 2116, 2069, 2067, 2064. 4th R&G.Thompson 2079. 6th & 7th W&N.Cully 2075x2. 9th Sam Regan 2070. 10th Gordon Bros & sons 2079. 13th Ferguson & Wilkinson 2066.

3Bird Club 22/66.
1st Harper & Young 2116 A.B.C.
2nd R &G. Thompson 2052 A.B.C. NOM.
3rd Sam Regan 2038 A.B.C.

The next race sees a step up to two hundred miles with Fermoy being the venue. Till then good luck to all.

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This week the Combine is back in Fermoy and the weather looks better than last weekend's forecast.