The birds were in Fermoy in County Cork for the fourth race of the old bird season on Saturday 11th May. The liberation took place at 9.00am in light south easterly winds increasing as the day went on.
Best bird in the Mid Antrim Combine was timed by Jimmy Smyth & Son of Ahoghill at 12.28pm to record 1685.81 ypm. Jimmy's winning blue yearling hen bred by Philip Boal of Dromore has now won 3 x 1st including this week's 1st Mid Antrim Combine & 8th Section 3050 birds, 1st club, 4th Combine and 9th Section from Roscrea last weekend and 1st club, 5th Combine & 12th Section from Roscrea young birds last season.
Runner up in the Combine was Gary Gibson of Cullybackey on 1685.18 with a cheq w/f Lambrechts x Van Den Brande hen racing on roundabout. The sire has won 2 x 1st and 2nd Harryville Centre from the Skibbereen YB National and the dam is also a winner of two firsts and 3rd Combine Gowran Park.
Trevor Whyte of Ahoghill was 3rd Combine on 1678 with the nestmate to last season's Section B Meritorious Award winner. Breeding is Paddy and William McManus of Ahoghill being a grandson of the "Bad handler Cock" and bloodlines are Jespers-Van der Wegen.
Danny Dixon was placed 4th Combine on 1670 with a 4yo cheq cock that has won many top positions in the past including 3rd Section & 23rd Open Penzance OB Classic, 5th Section Talbenny and a Section B Meritorious Award all in the 2022 season. Dam is a sister of "Dixie Chick" and sire is a half brother to Danny's Fermoy Nipa Open winner of 2022.
Last weeks Combine winners Jimmy & Jamie Greer of Cullybackey are in at 5th Combine this week with a 2yo red Staff Van Reet hen flying on roundabout. She is nestmate to 3rd club Fermoy last season and also related to 1st club Fermoy young birds. Harold Cubitt was best in Rasharkin on 1652 with the same 2yo chequer cock that won last week from Roscrea. This one's bred by good friend Jimmy Smyth of Ahoghill.
Next best were Johnston Eagleson & Sons on 1652 winning Ballymena & District and best in the Town for the third week in a row with the same 2yo blue hen that topped the Combine and Section a fortnight ago from Roscrea. This hen was bred from stock acquired from top racing and breeding lofts of Paddy & William McManus of Ahoghill. The sire is Van Den Brande and is half-brother to Martin Graham's 1st Open Infc Penzance young bird National winner "Sammy's Girl" having the same mother. The dam is Lambrecht x Paddy & Williams best Karel Laenen cock.
Stewart Bros were best in Randalstown on 1634 with the same blue pied hen that won last week. The sire being their Bude cock and the dam their good Louis Thijs hen, a winner of five firsts. Marcus Morrow was best in Broughshane on 1622 with a 3yo blue hen winning for the third time. Both parents from Gary Gibson, the sire Lambrecht and dam Van Den Brande and Harry Boyd took the top two in Kells with his winner doing 1605.
Mid Antrim Combine 1st Fermoy 60/1636 - J Smyth & Son Ahoghill 1685.81, G Gibson Cullybackey 1685.18, T Whyte Ahoghill 1678, D Dixon Rasharkin 1670, J & J Greer Cullybackey 1669, J Whyte Ahoghill 1668, G Gibson Cullybackey 1668, G Gibson Cullybackey 1656, H Cubitt Rasharkin 1652, J Eagleson & Sons Ballymena 1652, H Cubitt Rasharkin 1647, F Barkley Rasharkin 1644, A Darragh Cullybackey 1640, C & R McIntyre Cullybackey 1639, A Darragh Cullybackey 1638, J Eagleson & Sons Ballymena 1637, G Gibson Cullybackey 1636, A Darragh Cullybackey 1636, Stewart Bros Randalstown 1634, C Moore Cullybackey 1631, J Miller Randalstown 1630, G Gibson Cullybackey 1629, Young & McManus & Sons Ahoghill 1629, J & J Greer Cullybackey 1629, J Smyth & Son Ahoghill 1627, W McFetridge Rasharkin 1627, G Gibson Cullybackey 1627, H Cubitt Rasharkin 1623, A Darragh Cullybackey 1623, T & M Morrow Broughshane 1622, Steele & McNeill Rasharkin 1618, Steele & McNeill Rasharkin 1618, D Dixon Rasharkin 1618, J Millar & Son Rasharkin 1617, J & J Greer Cullybackey 1617.
Mid Antrim Combine Les Mairs OB Points Cup (1st Fermoy) - J Eagleson & Sons Ballymena 193, G Gibson Cullybackey 123, A Darragh Cullybackey 101, D Dixon Rasharkin 95, H Cubitt Rasharkin 94, Blair & Rankin Ballymena 61, D Magill 56, Steele & McNeill Rasharkin 52, S Johnston & Son Ballymena 48, F Barkley Rasharkin 48.
The first 32 lofts from 2nd Fermoy qualify for the OB Knock out commencing from Skibbereen OB Inland National.
Champion’s League Group Stages - Top 2 in each group go through to last 16 Knock-Out competition. Any group that can't be decided by points will go to the best velocity's from Skibbereen OB Inland National. Knock-Out starts at 1st Talbenny.
Group (1) - G Gibson Cullybackey 123, D Dixon Rasharkin 95, S Crawford Harryville 16, H Turkington Kells 0.
Group (2) - J Eagleson & Sons Ballymena 193, Mr & Mrs Robinson Cullybackey 21, A Barkley & Son Kells 0, W & D Rodgers Harryville.
Group (3) - H Cubitt Rasharkin 94, J & J Greer Cullybackey 45, Surgenor Bros Kells 0, A Purvis Broughshane 0.
Group (4) - Blair & Rankin Ballymena 61, Rock & Moore Harryville 0, A & C & T Tweed Rasharkin 0, W & W Gilbert Randalstown 0.
Group (5) - Steele & McNeill Rasharkin 52, S Johnston & Son Ballymena 48, Young & McManus & Sons Ahoghill 30, W Jackson Harryville 0.
Group (6) - J Smyth & Son Ahoghill 45, J Miller Randalstown 4, H Boyd Kells 0, M Neilly Broughshane 0.
Group (7) - T Whyte Ahoghill 44, Stewart Bros Randalstown 37, W McFetridge Rasharkin 17, T & M Morrow Broughshane 0.
Group 8 - A Darragh Cullybackey 101, D Houston & Son Broughshane 0, K & K Kernohan & Sons Ballymena 0, J Balmer Ahoghill 0. Mervyn Eagleson P O.
NIPA Section B 1st Fermoy 92/3050 – D & H Stuart Ballymoney 1724, R & J Parke Windsor Soc 1720, 1711, A & M Boyle Ballymoney 1708, T & J McDonald Coleraine Prem 1694, M & J Howard & Son Coleraine Prem 1690, R & J Parke 1689, J Smyth & Son Ahoghill 1685, G Gibson Cullybackey 1685, T & J McDonald 1683.
NIPA Sect B Clubs
Ahoghill Flying Club 7/180 – j Smyth & Son 1685, T Whyte 1678, 1668, Young McManus & Sons 1629, J Smyth & Son 1627, Young McManus & Sons 1615.
Ballymoney HPS 24/1064 – D & H Stuart 1724, A & M Boyle 1708, D & H Stuart 1677, D Dixon 1670, W Rodgers 1667, A & M Boyle 1659.
Ballymoney West Combine – W Rodgers 1667, M Gamble & Son 1651, L Neill 1617, Young & Gibson 1601, Curry & Gilmore 1592, C Henry 1551. –
Broughshane & District 5/114 – T & M Morrow 1522, A Purvis 1572, T & M Morrow 1549, D Houston & Son 1513, A Purvis 1507, 1471.
Ballymena & District HPS 9/228 – J Eagleson & Sons 1652, 1637, Blair & Rankin 1615, 1615, J Eagleson & Sons 1611, R Survice & Son 1611.
Cullybackey HPS 13/492 – G Gibson 1685, J & J Greer 1669, G Gibson 1668, 1656, A Darragh 1640, C & R McIntyre 1639.
Crumlin & District 12/305 – Sefton Thompson 1611, McConville Bros 159, Fleming Bros 1579, Sefton Thompson 1573, 1561. Well done Sefton Thompson winning from Fermoy today.
Harryville HPS 6/106 – S Crawford 1594 R H Clements 1581, 1571, D Magill 1561, Rock & Moore 1560, R H Clements 1557.
Kells & District HPS 6/167 – Harry Boyd 1605, 1604, Surgenor Bros 1593, B Swann & Son 1556, H Turkington 1542, Surgenor Bros 1534. Sizzlers 2 Bird Club – Surgenor Bros 1520, B Swann & Son 1515, H Turkington 1458, Gregg Bros 1424.
Muckamore HPS 8/323 – S & J Bones and T Yates 1606, S Murphy 1606, 1593, S & J Bones and T Yates 1590, Magill & Lavery 1589, 1589.
Randalstown HPS 5/127 – Stewart Bros 1634, J Millar 1630, Stewart Bros 1605, J McNeill & Son 1586, J Millar 1579, Stewart Bros 1569.
Rasharkin &District HPS 8/166 – H Cubitt 1652, 1647, F Barkley 1644, W McFetridge 1627, H Cubitt 1623, Steele & McNeill 1618.
West End 1/40 – S & N Maginty 1591, 1566, 1563, 1559, 1548, 1548.
Jimmy Smyth of Ahoghill Flying Club 1st Mid Antrim Combine Fermoy.