EAST DOWN COMBINE
Reports by Clifford Browne
ANNALONG LOFTS TOP OPEN FROM TULLAMORE
For the second Old Bird race of the 2012 Combine programme on Saturday April 21st the birds were in Tullamore. Although a beautiful morning early at the race point and for much of the route home, there was showery activity at the home end and it was 11am before the birds were away into a westerly wind. This saw a much faster race than the previous week with the open winner just breaking the 1700ypm mark. It turned out to be a great event and credit once again to the weather committee and the Race Controller Paddy McComb and also Trevor McKelvey for once again returns were in almost all cases 100%.
A look at the open result shows that all the early arrivals were to the clubs in the South of the Combine with Annalong dominating with 9 of the top twelve in the open and some 26 in the Open top 40. Downpatrick and Tyrella also made the top places.
The open winner was Billy Higgins followed by B Tremlett with McLoughlin Bros in 3rd spot and the top six in the open were also the best of the East Section. Rab Hunter of Ballynahinch had a magnificent result in the West Section taking the top three places in both section and club, the full result being:
East Down Combine Open Tullamore Top Twelve
209 Members. 5693 Birds. Wind Westerly.
1 B Higgins, Annalong HPS 1701.3
2 B Tremlett, Annalong HPS 1676.8
3 McLoughlin Bros, Annalong HPS 1671.0
4 J Trimble & Son, Annalong HPS 1666.8
5 R Connolly, Downpatrick HPS 1663.3
6 Telford Bros, Downpatrick HPS 1661.6
7 B Higgins, Annalong HPS 1661.5
8 B Higgins, Annalong HPS 1659.0
9 K Rooney & Son, Annalong HPS 1658.6
10 K Rooney & Son, Annalong HPS 1657.7
11 Telford Bros, Tyrella HPS 1656.4
12 K Rooney & Son, Annalong HPS 1656.3
West Section 67 Members 1932 Birds
1 R Hunter, Ballynahinch HPS 1637.8
2 R Hunter, Ballynahinch HPS 1634.1
3 R Hunter, Ballynahinch HPS 1633.4
4 R.Irwin, Dundonald HPS 1633.1
5 McCartan & Woodsides, Crossgar HPS 1630.9
6 McCartan & Woodsides, Crossgar HPS 1630.0
East Section 142 Members 3761 Birds
1 B Higgins, Annalong HPS 1701.3
2 B Tremlett, Annalong HPS 1676.8
3 McLoughlin Bros, Annalong HPS 1671.0
4 J Trimble & Son, Annalong HPS 1666.8
5 R Connolly, Downpatrick HPS 1663.3
6 Telford Bros, Downpatrick HPS 1661.6
The Best From The Clubs
Annalong. Top three places, top three in the open. B Higgins 1701, B Tremlett 1676, McLoughlin Bros 1671. Annsborough was won by Michael Jennings on 1655, G & P Brown were 2nd on 1649 and Mickey Croskery was 3rd on 1649. Ballylesson. 16 Ballylesson members sent 457 birds to Tullamore for the second EDC race of 2012. The winner and their second win this year was the lofts of C D Smyth & Son with a yearling hen on 1622.8 ypm, runner up was the lofts of A Cousins & Sons with a Blue pied hen on 1592.5ypm with Alex Crawford 3rd on 1591. Ballynahinch. A great result for Rab Hunter with a 1, 2, 3 result on 1637, 1634 and 1633 which as mentioned take the top places in the West section. Ballywalter. The first three were to Winston McMaster & Son with three yearling hens vels 1612, 1602, 1602. Making it two out of two for this partnership. Bangor and another great result for Reggie & David Moore 1586, 1577, 1577. Cloughey. Harper & Young take 1st and 3rd 1643, 1639 with Gordon Bros & Sons 2nd on 1640. Comber. Eugene Murray has the winner here on 1558 with Halliday Bros 2nd on 1556 and Francis Gilmore 3rd on 1554. Crossgar Another great result for McCartan & Woodsides who took the 1st three on 1630, 1630 and 1629. Donaghadee sees Ferguson & Wilkinson 1st and 3rd 1585 and 1570 with 2 yearling chequer roundabout cocks with McCormick & Gray in 2nd place on 1576 with a blue cheq hen and this is a broken off pigeon as Rodney has moved his loft and birds since last season and got them flying with him very quickly. Downpatrick. Bob Connelly takes the no1 spot this week on 1663, Telford Bros are 2nd 1661 and Jackie Crossan was 3rd on 1656. Drumaness. J Kirk and Son win here again this week on 1609, Burns & O’Neill are again 2nd 1593 and also take 3rd on 1582. Dundonald. Roy Irwin again takes 1st and 2nd 1633 and 1594 with Stephen Brown & Sons 3rd on 1589. Dundrum. A Murray & Son collect the red card again this week this time on 1626 with Foster, Connor and Parry having the next two 1612 and 1598. Killyleagh Central. McComb Bros take the top three 1645, 1637 and 1632. Millisle. R Strain & Son have 1st and 3rd 1599 1569 with Jackie Rankin in 2nd place 1581. Newcastle. E & A Rogan have the top three 1587, 1586 and 1584. Newtownbreda was won by the R & R Lamb partnership on 1596, M & A Johnston were 2nd on 1577 with W White & son 3rd 1559. Tyrella. Telford Bros have the winner here on 1656 with S Halpin & Sons 2nd on 1655 and also 3rd 1651.
East Down 2bird News
I mentioned last week that the club was now up to 76 members for 2012, which is great to see and this is in no small part due to the dedication of the top officials in the club, Secretary Stephen Logan and Treasurer Rab Hunter who work quietly behind the scenes ensuring that the club functions efficiently week by week, year by year, doing everything from the weekly result calculations to ensuring all is to hand for the annual prize distribution and maintaining the club on a sound financial footing, not to mention the many little tasks that have to be undertaken, all of which require considerable time from both men.
The result of the first 2012 race from Mullingar sees Gordon Bros & Sons win the 2 bird club with the bird that was 2nd open EDC that day, that is the level of competitiveness in the 2 bird club . McCartan & Woodsides (Crossgar) were 2nd 2 bird club 4th open with Reggie & David Moore 3rd 2 bird club and 5th 2 bird club with both entries in the top 6. The result was:
1st Gordon Bros & Sons, Cloughey, 1198.0
2nd McCartan & Woodsides, Crossgar, 1197.5
3rd R Moore & Son, Bangor, 1164.7
4th McComb Bros, Killyleagh Central, 1162.7
5th R Moore & son, Bangor, 1148.3
6th P Brown & Son, Annsborough, 1126.8
Now just a note for fanciers in the Peninsula area that Rodney McCormick has his training trailer on the road Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday and further details of pick up points can be obtained from Rodney on 07596296464.
SOUTH DOWN FEDERATION with Brendan McLoughlin
G & P Brown off to a flyer
The 2012 pigeon racing season got underway on Saturday 14th April when the pigeons were released in Mullingar in a light north north-easterly wind. The weather in the week prior to the first race, while cold, provided ample sunshine and dry conditions to permit the birds to be trained in preparation for their first race.
Saturday morning started off bright but was once again quite cold in the north north-easterly wind. With showers forecast throughout the day race controller Patrick McComb got the birds into the air at 10am and a super race ensued with most lofts recording full returns.
The East Down Combine Fanciers of the Year in 2011, Gordon Bros got off to a great start with another magnificent race card with 13 of the top 15 in the Open result. Likewise the South Down Federation’s Fanciers of the Year in 2011, G & P Brown got off to a winning start taking 1st, 2nd, 8th and 9th Fed. This was another superb race for the Browns. Geraldine and Patrick’s Fed winner this week is a Busschaert from K Rooney & Son Annalong who provided the bloodlines for the Browns’ four pigeons in this week’s Fed result. Kevin and Kristopher obtained these Busschaerts from Davy Shiels, Son & Dtr, Durham and they have produced a host of winners including the pigeon that was 1st Open for Geraldine and Patrick from Fermoy last year. The dam of the pigeon timed here is a Soontjens that has also bred prize-winners. The pigeon at second Fed is a Gust Jansen x Van Reet and this pair has also bred multiple prize-winners. Geraldine and Patrick’s third pigeon is from the Rooney’s Bastian Bros lines. The sire of this one is also the sire of Kevin and Kristopher’s Skibbereen Open winner. The sire of the pigeon at 9th Fed is a full brother of the bird that was 1st Open NIPA 5-Bird Fermoy for the Rooneys and is from their original Soontjens pigeons. The dam of this one is from the Lindelauf lines.
D Croskery & Son Annsborough, keen to win back the Fancier of the Year award, got off to a good start taking 3rd and 4th Fed. Their first bird is a latebred cock having his first ever race, having been given just a few short tosses last year. The sire is a Kees Bosua cock while the dam is the ‘01’ hen. This young cock is the same way bred as the hen that was 2nd North section in the Skibbereen National in 2010. Their second pigeon takes 4th Fed and the sire is the ‘02’ cock, a nest mate of the dam of their first bird, and this one has also bred a few winners. The dam is from Rodney & Jason Walker, Killyleagh and this hen also bred the bird that was 3rd Open in the Portsmouth National.
D McNabb & Ptrs Tyrella are 5th Fed here and they have a great record from this race having won the Open in 2010. The pigeon timed here is a two-year-old hen and is a Janssen from Alex Crawford, Ballylesson. Annsborough’s J McNally & Son are 6th Fed to get their season off to another good start. The sire of the pigeon timed here is a Van der Poel from J Watt & Sons Ligoneil, and is a son of ‘Berbatov’. The dam is a Janssen x Van Loon from Malcolm Taylor.
R McDowell & Son Annsborough are 7th Fed and Robert is another who will compete from the first race to the last. The pigeon timed here is a yearling cock and on the sire’s side he is off a cock from Billy Leckey and a Kenyon pied hen. On the dam’s side he is off a son of Robert’s French hen and a Best hen.
The result is completed by P Brown & Son Annsborough at 10th Fed. This yearling cock was bred by G & P Brown from their K Rooney & Son stock and is from the Marita Vinks lines.
Full Result: 1, 2, G & P Brown Annsborough 1146, 1145; 3, 4, D Croskery & Son Annsborough 1138.7, 138.2; 5, D McNabb & Ptrs Tyrella 1136; 6, J McNally & Son Annsborough 1132; 7, R McDowell & Son Annsborough 1130.8; 8, 9, G & P Brown Annsborough 1130.6, 1130.6; 10, P Brown & Son Annsborough 1126:
Around the clubs: In Annalong Pat Trimble broke his novice status to finish ahead of C McVeigh who was 2nd and 3rd. In Dundrum A Murray & Son took the first four, while in Newcastle Dan Hillen led the way from E & A Rogan who took the next two. In Tyrella it was 1st D McNabb & Ptrs, 2nd S Halpin & Sons and 3rd S Milligan & Dtr. The first three in Annsborough are featured above.
- 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 2nd Mount Charles with the final from Bude.
This week for the 3rd race we move on further to Mount Charles and already the weather looks like the wind is going to return to the North East. As always Combine news to tel. no 028 9146 5273 or e-mail me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Or write to 29 West burn Crescent, Bangor. BT20 3RN.