By Adie McCormick
http://www.pigeonnetwork.com
EXCEPTIONAL SUCCESS FOR THE
ALLISON LOFT OF CARRYDUFF
By ‘The Copper’
‘BLAST OFF’, says the modern idiom and that’s precisely what our fast rising star, R. Allison, of Carryduff, is doing. I met him last year for the first time and obtained a few details for the ‘Gazette’. He seemed then to be really going places after only a mere 3-yr in the sport and 1st Open Combine wins from Arklow and Wexford with a mother and son ably illustrated the sort of pigeon family he is cultivating. A builder by trade, this fancier works hard and ensures that his birds follow suit but is not a ‘basket maniac’ for training every day, as this remark might lead you to imagine. Indeed, his training system is simplicity itself. A few tosses round the 25/30 mls. Mark then as soon as racing starts, into it with a will. The loft is favoured with the open-hole all day and this must certainly account for the supreme fitness of the birds.
Winner of 2nd Open East Down Combine Dinard 1970. Bred and raced by R Allison of Carryduff.
The 2nd Open Combine Dinard winner, a pencil blue yearling, flew as far as Skibberdeen as a YB and this season, before the Dinard event, went to Arklow twice, Wexford, Haverford four times, Okehampton and Penzance – then over to France to Dinard, a total of 2,150 miles racing in one season alone!
Blue Cheq Cock, winner of 4th Wexford 151 miles Vel 590ypm; 4th Penzance 303 miles Vel 1205ypm; 5th Open EDC Dinard 444 miles Vel 1091ypm in 1969 and 13th Open EDC Dinatd in 1970. Owned and raced by R Allison.
The 13th Open winner was clocked to take the 5th Open last year. Sent sitting a couple of day old eggs, he is related to the pencil cock in that their dams are half sisters. Sire of the 13th Open winner came from the same loft as the two hens, from a fancier who was leaving the sport. The blood was originally that of Neill, Kircubbin and more birds of this family have been introduced during the year of 1970 to add strength to what appears to be a mighty loft in the making already. I believe Neills family is based on Barker x Bricoux and all the birds in the Allison loft have great solid bodies and look a perfect picture of health. During the winter months this loft won the Show Cup by a street and even in Eye Sign classes collared a 1st, 2nd and 3rd result so they seem to have it all. Sire of the pencil cock came from neighbour Joe Davis (not the Snooker Ace) and is of the Harkness breed. This bird won the Penzance race for Davis Brothers, this year, by the way and show that he, too, carries the winning gene. The pencil cock was sitting only 7 days but was as keen as mustard, evening after having already recorded a mileage that will no doubt raise more than a few eyebrows.
Feeding in this loft is of the “No 2 Mix” until channel racing starts, then over to beans only and no seeds at all. Water is changed that often that the birds think they are drinking from a running brook! In the 1970 programme the name Allison comes to the fore time and time again, in fact, I believe he wins the Averages in the Carryduff Club but, as last year, he excels at Dinard. With birds in the stock loft like the Cheq half sisters and racers like the Combine winners and the Dinard cocks, all fresh young stock, I’d say that we are in for something more that just a blast off; it begins to look like a journey to the stars!!