EAST DOWN COMBINE
Reports by Clifford Browne
MOUNT CHARLES - APRIL 2012
The East Down Combine were in Mount Charles for the 3rd race of the season and as with the first race of the year the wind was from the North East, cold and on the coast quite strong, so the velocities were just into the 1200s with the top twelve in the open on top of each other. Dundonald’s Roy Irwin took the top three in his club from the first race; this time he was 1st and 2nd club 1st and 3rd open East Down Combine 1st and 3rd West section. Another great result from this fancier. Ballylesson’s A Cousins & sons were in 2nd spot beaten by .02 of a yard. As you can see, there was only some 16ypm between the 1st twelve in the open. Gordon bros & sons had another good result with 7th and 8th open 1st and 2nd in the East Section. The leading positions Open and Section were:
East Down Combine Open. 28/04/2012. 1st Mount Charles.
213 Members sent 5639 Birds. Wind North East.
1 R.Irwin Dundonald HPS 1220.1
2 A Cousins & Sons Ballylesson HPS 1219.9
3 R.Irwin Dundonald HPS 1213.8
4 R Hunter Ballynahinch HPS 1212.0
5 C & D Smyth & Sons Ballylesson HPS 1209.8
6 M & A Johnston Newtownbreda HPS 1209.8
7 Gordon Bros & Sons Cloughey HPS 1209.6
8 Gordon Bros & Sons Killyleagh Central HPS 1209.5
9 G & P. Brown Annsborough HPS 1205.6
10 C & D Smyth & Sons Ballylesson HPS 1205.4
11 T.Smith Downpatrick HPS 1205.2
12 James Cleland Annsborough HPS 1204.5
West Section 73 Members 1991 Birds
1 R.Irwin Dundonald HPS 1220.1
2 A Cousins & Sons Ballylesson HPS 1219.9
3 R.Irwin Dundonald HPS 1213.8
4 R Hunter Ballynahinch HPS 1212.0
5 C & D Smyth & Sons Ballylesson HPS 1209.8
6 M & A Johnston Newtownbreda HPS 1209.8
East Section 140 Members 3648 Birds
1 Gordon Bros & Sons Cloughey HPS 1209.6
2 Gordon Bros & Sons Killyleagh Central HPS 1209.5
3 G & P. Brown Annsborough HPS 1205.6
4 T.Smith Downpatrick HPS 1205.2
5 James Cleland Annsborough HPS 1204.5
6 McComb Bros Killyleagh Central HPS 1201.3
The Best From The Clubs
Annalong The Ronneys are to the fore this week with Kevin & Kristopher taking the top three in the club 1158, 1152 and 1152.
Annsborough Geraldine & Patrick Brown take 1st and 3rd 1205 and 1188 with Jim Cleland in 2nd place on 1204.
Ballylesson 16 Ballylesson members sent 411 birds to Mount Charles for the third old bird race and the winner and 2nd open were the lofts of A Cousins & Son with a cheq pied cock on a velocity of 1219.8. Runner up was last week's winner C & D Smyth & Sons with a blue cock on 1209.8 and they were 3rd again on 1205.4.
Ballynahinch Rab Hunter repeats last week's result and again has the top three 1212, 1189 and 1170.
Ballywalter 1st and 2nd Winston and Hugh McMaster with two yearling Blue Hens. The winner also won the first race of the season which like today’s was into a head wind. 3rd was Sam Regan with a yearling Van Schoorise/Cattrysse Cock on roundabout. vels 1197, 1150, 1147.
Bangor Phillips bros split Reggie & David Moore's first two for 2nd place on 1186 with David & R eggie 1st and 3rd 1200 and 1182.
Cloughey Gordon bros & sons have 1st and 3rd in Cloughey 1209 and 1182 with W & N Cully in 2nd place on 1194.
Comber A one, two three result in Comber for Francis Gilmore 1150, 1147 and 1146.
Crossgar and again McCartan & Woodsides take the top three here for the third week in a row. Velocities were 1195,1189 and 1187.
Donaghadee and this is another club where the one loft takes the top three, that of Ferguson & Wilkinson with three cocks mainly Janssen of Lunt and Green lines. The winner was a 3yo Blue on 1192, 2nd a 4yo Blue Cheq on 1168 and the third a yearling on 1149.
Downpatrick T Smyth records his 2nd win of the season this one is doing 1205, P Byrne & son was 2nd on 1179 and Jackie Crossan 3rd on 1178.
Drumaness R & K O’Neill win from Burns & O’Neill both on 1159 with J Kirk & sons 3rd on 1148.
Dundonald has Roy Irwin at 1st and 2nd club 1st and 3rd open on 1220 and 1213 with Stephen Brown &sons 3rd on 1200.
Dundrum 1st and 3rd for J Maguire & ptnrs 1168 and 1126 with S. Foster, Connor & Parry 2nd on 1140.
Killyleagh Central Gordon bros & sons win 1st and 3rd 1209 and 1175 with McComb Bros 2nd on 1201.
Millisle where Jackie Rankin on 1179 gets ahead of last week’s winners R Strain & son who take 2nd and 3rd 1169 and 1147. Newcastle E & A Rogan have the top two 1175 and 1133 with D Hillen 3rd on 1121.
Newtownbreda M & A Johnston were 1st and 3rd 1209 and 1181 with W White & son 2nd on 1181.
Tyrella 3 together for S Milligan & dtr to take the top three 1138, 1138 and 1137.
East Down 2bird News
Good Result for Annalong from Tullamore
From Tullamore the top 6 in the 2 bird club again reflected the high standard of competition with the winner being the open winning pigeon in the Combine to Annalong’s Billy Higgins. 2nd two bird club was to J Trimble & son also Annalong and this pigeon was 4th open that day with Billy Higgins with his 2nd two birder in 3rd spot in the 2 bird club with a pigeon that was 8th open. The prize list was:
1st B Higgins Annalong 1701.4
2nd J Trimble & son Annalong 1666.8
3rd B Higgins Annalong 1659.0
4th M Jennings Annsborough 1655.2
5th McLoughlin Bros Annalong 1650.3
6th McComb Bros Killyleagh Cent 1637.7
News From Around The Ards Peninsula
& Peninsula 3bird club
Harper and Young Win fast Tullamore
Report by Sam Regan
The second race of the year saw the pigeons racing from Tullamore, a distance on average of around 128 miles into the Ards Peninsula. The convoy was released into a west wind and unlike last week’s race the birds received a helping hand home and the winning velocities were in the mid 1600s. The pigeons raced onto the East coast of Northern Ireland en route home and Annalong was the winning place for the Open winners this week. The winning birds in the Peninsula Amalgamation again came from Cloughey Club and this week sees the Partnership of Drew Harper and Martin Young racing to their Portavogie sited lofts come out on top in both the Amalgamation as well as the 3 Bird Club with different pigeons.
The winning team also claimed 3rd and 6th places in the Peninsula to complete a very good day's racing. Runners up are the Gordon Bros and sons keeping up their very strong start to the 2012 season and follow last week’s success by timing a Ch Pied Hen, a previous winner from Navan as a youngster to be 2nd Amalgamation and adding six more birds on the sheet in 4th, 5th, 10th, 11th, 12th & 13th. Yet another top performance from the Cloughey members. Hugh and Eleanor Keenan are 7th clocking a 2 year old Blue Cock a consistent racer for the family having twice been carded last year from Mount Charles and Fermoy. This pigeon came as a gift from Tony Smyth of Downpatrick to the Keenans. Ronnie Young and son Jim had two birds drop together for 8th and 9th positions and again like the previous members belong to the Cloughey club. The result is completed by Ballywalter club winner the father and son partnership of Winston and Hugh McMaster timing a yearling Blue Cheq Hen to end the prize list.
Full Result 42 sent 1195 birds.
1st, 3rd & 6th Harper & Young 1643, 1639, 1630. 2nd, 4th, 5th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th Gordon Bros & sons 1640, 1639, 1630, 1629, 1623x2, 1622. 14th W.McMaster & son 1612.
3 Bird Club. 19/57. 1st a.b.c. nom. Harper & Young 1603. 2nd & 3rd. Gordon Bros & sons A.B.C. 1600. A.B.C. 1600.
That’s it for the second week of the racing year and the next race sees the birds advance to Mount Charles for our third race. Remember to forward to me any info about your pigeons.
South Down Federation
with Brendan McLoughlin
Higgins Tops Combine from Tullamore
The East Down Combine were in Tullamore, Co Offaly for their second race of the season. With the birds off in a light west wind the race turned out to be very similar to the corresponding race last year. On that occasion the winner of the East Down Combine Open was Annalong’s Bobby McConnell on a velocity of 1697 and the Annalong club had 21 birds in the Open result. This year the Open winner is Annalong’s Billy Higgins on a velocity of 1701 and Annalong have 26 birds in the Open result.
With the NIPA liberating in Tullamore at 10am, the East Down Combine race controller waited an hour to give them every opportunity to clear the race point. As a result the East Down fanciers had another excellent race with great returns throughout the Combine.
The winner of the South Down Fed this week and as mentioned above of the East Down Combine is Annalong’s Billy Higgins who had a superb race here with three birds in the top ten of the Combine and another one at 18th Open.
The winning pigeon is a three-year-old Van Reet cock winning its fourth race. This cock first won as a young bird when he was 1st in the Corrigs club from Mullingar and was 14th Sect F that day. As a yearling he was 1st club Tullamore in the Corrigs, and last year he was 1st club from Mullingar in Annalong. As well as a having a great race record he was also the sire of Billy’s Open winner from Navan last year. His sire is a Hession Van Reet while the dam is a Kevin Lawson Van Reet on loan from Kevin and Kristopher Rooney.
Billy’s second pigeon taking 5th Fed, 7th Open is a two-year old Van Reet cock. This bird was 13th Open in this race last year and has had two other club positions. The sire of this one is a brother of this week’s winner and of the pigeon at 6th Fed, 8th Open. The dam was 17th Open Skibbereen Classic in 2006.
The pigeon at 6th Fed, 8th Open is a nest mate of the Open winner and another terrific racer. This one was 1st club Fermoy in Annalong last year and has also won twice in the Corrigs club. With Billy’s first and third birds both pooled in the Fed and this one winning the Nom he has winnings of £69.10 on the day.
Billy Tremlett Annalong is 2nd Fed 2nd Open with a yearling Flor Engels cock. This pigeon is a full brother of Billy’s Open winner from this race in 2005. This yearling cock had only one race last year and this was his first race this year. The sire is pure Flor Engels from Geoff Kirkland while the dam is Flor Engels x Marcellis. The winner of the Open in 2005 was the first pigeon off this pair while the pigeon timed here is the last one off the pair as he was the only young one they had last year.
Annalong’s McLoughlin Bros are 3rd Fed 3rd Open with a yearling Van Reet cock. The parents were gift birds from good friend Len McKinstry Dundonald. These birds have done particularly well for the Ballymartin partnership with the sire of this one having a great record from Skibbereen having been 2nd club Skibbereen Derby as a young bird, then last year as a yearling he was 1st club Skibbereen Classic and 1st club Skibbereen National.
J Trimble & Son Annalong are 4th Fed, 4th Open this week in their first old bird season since they returned to the sport last year. The pigeon timed here was a yearling cock from K Rooney & Son. The sire is a Lindelauf and is a son of ‘Provins’. This cock has bred several winners for different lofts. The dam is a Gust Jansen, which is a dam of many winners including three section winners for McCartan & Woodsides, Crossgar.
K Rooney & Son Annalong have another great race here with three birds in the Fed result and five in the Open result, taking 9th, 10th, 12th, 15th and 23rd Open. Their first pigeon is a yearling whose sire is Gust Jansen while the dam is from top Belgian fancier, Rudi Diels. The dam is a daughter of ‘Goud Haantje’.
Kevin and Kristopher’s second pigeon is two-year-old Gust Jansen that was 8th Open in this race last year, as well as having a first and second as a young bird. He is a brother of the hen that was 3rd Open Talbenny Young Bird Derby in 2009.
Their third bird is from their number one stock pair with the sire being a Schoffield Janssen and the dam a daughter of their old Van Wildermeersch pair. This pair has been responsible for many winners for Kevin and Kristopher as well as for others around the country.
The result is completed by Telford Bros Tyrella who take 9th Fed, 11th Open. Their pigeon is a yearling cock that was unraced as a young bird. The sire is a Soontjens from Colin Gibson, Dromara while the dam is a Lindelauf from K Rooney & Son. Colin and Alan had a good race here with another bird taking second in the Downpatrick club and 6th Open.
Full Result: 1, B Higgins Annalong 1701 ABCD £41; 2, B Tremlett Annalong 1676; 3, McLoughlin Bros Annalong 1671; 4, J Trimble & Son Annalong 1666; 5, 6, B Higgins 1661, 1659 ABCDNom £28.10; 7, 8, K Rooney & Son Annalong 1658, 1657; 9, Telford Bros Tyrella 1656.44; 10, K Rooney & Son 1656.36; M Jennings Annsborough 1655.2 ABCD £12.40.
* Around the Lofts: E & A Rogan had a super race in Newcastle taking the first seven positions. In Dundrum A Murray & Son make it two wins in a row, with S Foster, Connor & Parry taking second and third. In Annsborough Michael Jennings had the first bird to scoop the pools and DTW, with last week’s winners G & P Brown in second and Mickey Croskery third. As above Telford Bros are the winners in Tyrella ahead of S Halpin & Sons who had the next four. The first three in Annalong are as per the Fed result.
- May Day race will take place on Monday 7th May from Mullingar. Birds will be hampered on Monday morning in Annsborough from 8.30 to 10.00. Cost will be £2.50 for first 5 birds or less and 50p per bird for more than 5. This race is open to Federation members only.
- The loft KO will start from this week from 2nd Mount Charles with the final from Bude. The draw will be available in the clubs on Friday night.
- Pool race this week from 2nd Mount Charles
Harmony Lofts Hot Spot Racing weekend 28/4/12
Our first Hot Spot Race for the season. Congratulations to C & G Lowry, Kingsmoss, winning 1st club with vel 1237 GB11D08343 collecting £50 1st prize. Also congratulations to Billy Willis of Kingswood winning 1st club with bird GB11D08387.
Weekend 21/4/12. Fantastic result for Colin McMahon racing Ballyholland club,Newry on winning 1st Open NIPA 24,000 birds with a Harmony Lofts Staff-Van-Reet. Other top performances Gary McKenna 1st club Eastway, Mark Maguire & Sons Newry on finishing 11th Section G & 18th Open GB11D08132.
Photo attached of Colin McMahon with his Harmony Lofts Staf Van Reet Open winner.
Colin McMahon
This week the Combine is back in Mount Charles.