Top Result For Alan Darragh Of Cullybackey
The first channel race of the season was flown from Dale in Pembrokeshire in Wales. The birds were liberated on Saturday morning at 9.00am in light northerly winds and as expected a tough race followed. Alan Darragh had the card of the day in the local area timing three early birds in Cullybackey at 14.38pm and two more at 14.39pm to win 1st, 3rd & 4th Mid Antrim Combine 1st, 3rd & 4th Section B and 18th, 28th & 29th Open Nipa with 9439 birds competing. Alan's first bird doing 1159 is a 2yo blue w/f cock bred by John Wheatcroft of England. This cock has an excellent channel record having last season won 1st Club, 3rd Combine, 5th Section and 39th Open Nipa from 1st Talbenny and the following week 1st Club, 1st Combine, 2nd Section and 13th Open from 2nd Talbenny. Alan's second pigeon a 3yo blue hen is a sister to the first bird and his third bird timed a 2yo blue chequer hen won 1st Combine, 1st Section and 9th Open in the 2022 Nipa YB National from Talbenny.
Runner up in the Combine on 1155 was Harry Boyd who had the top four in Kells & District and was winning the club for the fifth time this season. Harry's latest winner a 2yo red Soontjen cock racing on widowhood is bred from a grandson of Ray Forbes famous Shifty cock and finishes the day with 2nd Section & 27th Open Nipa.
Johnston Eagleson & Sons were best in Ballymena & District and the Town on 1140 with a blue chequer pied yearling hen winning her fourth prize of the season including 6th Section Roscrea and 6th Section Dale. The sire is Van Den Bulck from LPW and the dam is a daughter of Martin Graham's "Champion Denman" when paired to a top Lambrecht stock hen from Danny Dixon of Dunloy.
Sam Crawford was best in Harryville on 1120 followed by John Miller who had the winner in Randalstown on 1119 with a 2yo mealy widowhood cock off Frank Sheader stock. Harold Cubitt won Rasharkin on 1111 with the same 2yo blue widowhood cock that won Roscrea the previous weekend finishing 2nd in the Mid Antrim Combine. The sire was given to Harold as a youngster by clubmates John & Mark Milliken and the sire which won four races for Harold is off a bird he purchased at a clearance sale in Chimney Corner in 2012 from a Mr Belshaw of Drumnavaddy. Jimmy Smyth & Son had the top two in Ahoghill with the winner doin 1097. The parents of Jimmy's 2yo cheq hen sitting eggs were from Sam Murphy who races in Muckamore. Davy Houston & Son were best in Broughshane on 1028.
Mid Antrim Combine 1st Dale 49/661 - A Darragh Cullybackey 1159, H Boyd Kells 1155, A Darragh Cullybackey 1154, A Darragh Cullybackey 1154, H Boyd Kells 1143, J Eagleson & Sons Ballymena 1140, G Gibson Cullybackey 1135, G Gibson Cullybackey 1133, G Gibson Cullybackey 1132, J Eagleson & Sons Ballymena 1126, Mr & Mrs Robinson Cullybackey 1124, A Darragh Cullybackey 1123, S Crawford Harryville 1120, J Miller Randalstown 1119, Blair & Rankin Ballymena 1119
G Gibson Cullybackey 1114, H Boyd Kells 1114, J Eagleson & Sons Ballymena 1114, A Darragh Cullybackey 1112, H Cubitt Rasharkin 1111, C & R McIntyre Cullybackey 1111, G Gibson Cullybackey 1110, A Darragh Cullybackey 1110
A Darragh Cullybackey 1110, A Darragh Cullybackey 1109, F Barkley Rasharkin 1108, D Dixon Rasharkin 1106, J Miller Randalstown 1106, G Gibson Cullybackey 1103, S Johnston & Son Ballymena 1101, A Darragh Cullybackey 1100, S & N Doherty Cullybackey 1097, J Smyth & Son Ahoghill 1097, S Johnston & Son Ballymena 1092, J Smyth & Son Ahoghill 1091, D Dixon Rasharkin 1089, S Crawford Harryville 1089, F Barkley Rasharkin 1089, D Dixon Rasharkin 1089, D Dixon Rasharkin 1088.
Mid Antrim Combine Les Mairs OB Points Cup Dale - G Gibson Cullybackey 291, J Eagleson & Sons Ballymena 284, A Darragh Cullybackey 240, H Cubitt Rasharkin 166, D Dixon Rasharkin 150, Steele & McNeill Rasharkin 113, D Magill 101, S Crawford 93, J Smyth & Son 79, Stewart Bros 73, Blair & Rankin Ballymena 71, S Johnston & Son Ballymena 70, Young & McManus & Sons Ahoghill 69, J & J Greer Cullybackey 69, F Barkley Rasharkin 69.
Mid Antrim Combine Knock Out last 16 - Winners in capitals
J SMYTH & SON Ahoghill 1097 v Bye.
H CUBITT Rasharkin 1111 v W McFetridge Rasharkin 1020.
STEELE & McNEILL Rasharkin 1054 v RJ & WJ Reid Rasharkin 0.
MR & MRS ROBINSON Cullybackey 1124 v S Johnston & Son Ballymena 1101.
G GIBSON Cullybackey 1135 v D Dixon Rasharkin 1106.
Rock & Moore Harryville 1065 v YOUNG & McMANUS & SONS Ahoghill 1085.
J & M Milliken Rasharkin 0 v S CRAWFORD Harryville 1120.
T WHYTE Ahoghill 1087 v Bye.
Champions League Knock Out last 16 - Winners in capitals
BLAIR & RANKIN Ballymena 1119 v J Smyth & Son Ahoghill 1097.
J & J GREER Cullybackey 1087 v Steele & McNeill Rasharkin 1054.
J Miller Randalstown 1119 v MR & MRS ROBINSON Cullybackey 1124.
S JOHNSTON & SON Ballymena 1101 v T Whyte Ahoghill 1087.
J Balmer Ahoghill 1044 v G GIBSON Cullybackey 1135.
Stewart Bros Randalstown 1074 v J EAGLESON & SONS Ballymena 1140.
A DARRAGH Cullybackey 1159 v H Cubitt Rasharkin 1111.
A & C & T Tweed Rasharkin 1019 v D DIXON Rasharkin 1106.
Mervyn Eagleson Mid Antrim PO.
NIPA Section B 1st Dale 68/1097 – A Darragh Cullybackey 1159, H Boyd Kells & Dist 1155, A Darragh 1154, 1154, H Boyd 1150, 1143, J Eagleson & Sons Ballymena 1140, S Murphy Muckamore 1137, G Gibson Cullybackey 1135, 1133.
NIPA Sect B Clubs
Ahoghill Flying Club 7/91 – J Smyth & Son 1097, 1091, T Whyte 1087, Young McManus & Sons 1085, T Whyte 1085, G Jackson 1078.
Ballymoney HPS 19/317 – A & M Boyle 1119, D Dixon 1106, C McCook 1090, D Dixon 1089, 1089, 1088.
Ballymoney West Combine 7/86 – W Rodgers 1070, J McConaghie 1063, Young & Gibson 1038, Curry & Gilmore 1027, W Blair 984, S Torrens 981.
Broughshane & District 3/19 – D Houston & Son 1028, J Getty 816.
Ballymena & District HPS 7/92 – J Eagleson & Sons 1140, 1126, Blair & Rankin 1119, J Eagleson & Sons 1114, S Johnston & Son 1101, 1092.
Cullybackey HPS 9/213 – A Darragh 1159, 1154, 1154, G Gibson 1135, 1133, 1132.
Crumlin & District 8/207 – J Harkness 1109, McConville Bros 1107, Fleming Bros 1103, McConville Bros 1090, 1078, Fleming Bros 1075.
Harryville HPS 5/44 – S Crawford 1120, 1089, 1074, Rock & Moore 1065, R H Celements 1058, S Crawford 1053. Sam Crawford winning dale with his grizzle hen she was 3rd club last year from dale we sam got 3 with a lite this year's she's been 4th Roscrea 2nd Roscrea 1st Fermoy now wins dale she breed by Chris's Houston p&d cros Darren Hunt. Great we hen she is well done m8 ur going well no more tips lol. D Magill PO.
Kells & District HPS 5/54 – H Boyd 1155, 1150, 1143, 1114, A Barkley & Son 1013, H Boyd 1007. Sizzlers 2 Bird Club – H Boyd 1050, A Barkley & Son 1013, H Boyd 1007, Surgenor Bros 981, Gregg Bros 980.
Muckamore HPS 8/182 – S Murphy 1137, 1106, 1106, A & E Bell 1103, A Steele 1096, D J Thompson 1096.
Randalstown HPS 6/67 – J Millar 1119, 1106, 1088, Stewart Bros 1074, 1068, 1064.
Rasharkin &District HPS 6/37 – H Cubitt 1111, F Barkley 1108, 1089, J Millar & Son 1074, Steele & McNeill 1054, 1035.
West End 1/21 – S & N Maginty 1101, 1089, 1062, 1050, 1045, 1044.
Alan Darragh from Cullybackey had a good card from 1st Dale and wins MAC.