By Adie McCormick
http://www.pigeonnetwork.com
EAST DOWN COMBINE SUCCESS FROM DINARD
For George McKinstry of Newtownbreda
1st and 22nd Open East Down Combine is just yet another success for the well established George McKinstry of Newtownbreda. George started racing in 1950 with the South Belfast Club with good levels of success, then in 1954 he emigrated to Rhodesia where he stayed for 5 years. In 1959 he arrived back in the Province and once again joined the very strong and competitive South Belfast Club this time in partnership with a gentleman by the name of Carroll and for some seasons he continued flying with the South Belfast Club. In 1967 George and his family were on the move again but this time only a few miles, to Newtownbreda, to a lovely bungalow where he soon made the picture complete with a loft in the garden.
George McKinstry of Newtownbreda snapped here with his winner of 1st Open East Down Combine Dinard flying 445 miles. This bird was also a winner on three occassions prior to Dinard.
1968 seen George fly with the Netownbreda HPS for the first time and that year he went on to win the Y/Bird Average at his first attempt, the bird most responsible for this being a Red Cheq Cock who took 6th Arklow, 1st Wexford and 24th Open Haverford Y/Bird Derby and 9th Open Skibbereen when only a handful of pigeons made it home on the day. This particular cock contained all the best of Coyle of Milltown bloodlines, a family that is making the biggest contribution to the success of the loft. In 1969 the yearlings were raced to Haverford where George stopped them. For a man such much a fanatic as George, this was a hard decision but George had bigger plans and was already mapping the road out for 1970 and the future years. The policy was paying dividends for George wasn’t too far into the 1970 season when success arrived at the door the loft won 2nd and 4th Arklow, 1st Wexford, 1st and 6th Haverford (1), 3rd Haverford (2), 6th Haverford (IV), 1st Penzance and finally the Dinard Classic when he took the premier position with another bird close up to take 22nd Open also.
Now, though I have already pointed out that George is a fanatic, devoted to the sport, his first effort when talking to him would be to try and convince you that all his success was down to the work of other fanciers, this was just the type of personality George had never one to clot upon success. His first open winner is a fine Dark Cheq 2 year old cock bred by Ferguson Bros of Newtownbreda. This bird came into the loft as a baby, and George, realising that it bore a Newtownbreda ring, took the Y/Bird along to friend Jack Gilmore thinking it was one of his Dark Cheq. Jack soon dispelled this illusion and found from the Club Secretary that it was the property of Ferguson Bros and took it back to them. It declined to stay in the loft of its birth, however, and returned to George. He promptly returned it again and yet again it flew back to the McKinstry loft, having firmly decided it wanted to stay there. The Fergusons recognised that they were wasting their time trying to convince the bird where it should live, so they transferred it to George. So far this fine article has clocked up four successes, three times before the Dinard event. He was raced as far as Haverford (2) in every race, then had one more jump from Okehampton before crossing to Dinard. He had two tosses from Newcastle, Co.Down 20 miles each week, single up each time and the last of these only 3 days before the race and was sent sitting 10 days. The 22nd Open winner was the Red Coyle cock who flew so well as a Y/Bird. He went sitting 12 days and continued his consistent ways. George had many outstanding birds at that time including a Blue W/F Cock, closely related to Nelson Corry’s Kings Cup Winner, also a Blue Cattrysse Hen from Smyth & Halliday of Milltown. Several birds from Coyle of Milltown and one that stood out particularly well namely a Black Cheq Hen this being a direct daughter from Coyle’s famous Black hen who was 3 x times France when mated to the Red also 3 times France, winning 6th and 9th Open Les Sables. This hen has bred 11 prize winners for George so far and is a golden jewel within the stock loft. Yet another specimen that would catch anybodies eye was a Mealy cock of Clayton Gits and Neill Bloodlines.
George races to a couple of lofts, one is 14ft by 5 & ½ ft and is reserved for O/Birds while the other is 10 & ½ ft by 6ft for the Y/Birds. A great believer in fresh air you would come to foresee that both lofts are almost completely open at the front and both are scraped at least twice per day. Feeding is by hoper and contains beans, peas, tares and a little linseed. Water is changed twice daily, or more often if it gets dusty, or dirty. George openly gives a lot of the credit to his friends for the quality of the birds that he has within his lofts, but all must give credit for the way he flies them! He would like to fly the open hole but cannot for he is troubled badly with cats. Instead the birds are flown morning and night and training aids in getting that supreme fitness that is required to win. George would tell you that he finds it hard to believe that he has won the Combine but is delighted to have done so.