Talbenny (2) - 04/06/11

[willie reynolds]

Pritchard Bros top section from Talbenny

The East Down Combine pigeons were back in Talbenny for their second channel race of the season. They were released at 9.30 in a north wind. As expected the velocities were lower than we have been experiencing throughout the season with the Open winners G Morrison & Dtr from Ballynahinch recording a velocity of 1034. There were only 4 birds altogether that managed over a thousand yards per minute.

There were quite a few empty perches at the close of the race but many more birds returned the following day and returns would have ended up around 75%

The winners of the South Down Fed this week are Pritchard Bros Annsborough who are prolific channel men whose birds do best when the velocities are below 1200. The winning pigeon is a two-year-old Van der Wegan cock that went well on the channel last year. It was sent to this race sitting about 10 days on eggs. This bird also takes 1st east section 1st EDC 3 Bird Channel Championship club, and 3rd Open. With another two birds in the section and Open result this was another great result for the Pritchards.
These Van der Wegans were introduced a few years ago from Andy Gregson from Preston together with some Van Reets and I have noticed them hit some good section and Open results on the channel, which are the races that Charlie and Denzil target.
Annsborough’s Michael Jennings is 2nd Fed, 2nd section and 4th Open this week to give him another good result and with another bird at 10th Fed, 13th section, 30th Open it was a very good day for him. From what I hear it could have been even better but for a bad trap.

Michael’s first pigeon is a yearling hen that had only four races as a young bird. The sire is one of six he bought off John Jobey while the dam was on loan from D Croskery & Son and is out of the good old Soontjens cock when paired to his own daughter.
Michael’s second pigeon taking 10th Fed, was 3rd Fed, 5th section, 19th Open in the Talbenny Young Bird Derby last year and was then 9th Fed, 9th section, 18th Open the following week from Tyone Mills. It was 9th club last week from 1st Talbenny so is in good form and has a great record from this race point. It is out of a G Delaney Jacobs cock when paired to a De Klak from John Jobey. This is another one from the new stock that he got in last year.
Mickey Croskery Annsborough is another fancier who had a good race here with three birds in the Fed result at 3rd, 5th and 6th Fed. Mickey has had a superb record on the channel in recent years.

His first bird was 4th section, 8th Open and is a yearling hen. This one was 8th Fed, 10th section, 14th Open in the Skibbereen Classic. She was also 4th Fed, 5th Open Skibbereen Young Bird Derby last year. Her sire is from Eddie Coulter, Lisburn. These birds have bred many prizewinners for the Croskerys. The dam again is one of their De Klaks
The pigeon at 5th Fed, 7th section, 14th Open is a yearling cock whose sire is De Klak while the dam is a Janus & Fox. This pair has bred numerous prizewinners when paired together.

Mickey’s third pigeon taking 6th Fed, 8th section, 15th Open is a yearling hen. The sire of this one is down from the Old Natural Breeding Station cock and the Old Sion hen on the sire’s side, while the dam is a Wily Thas hen.
Annsborough’s RJ Keown is 4th Fed, 6th section, 11th Open this week. RJ is another who specialises in channel racing. This pigeon timed this week is a yearling hen that was injured in one of the early races and was just put back on the road for 2nd Fermoy. The dam is a daughter of ‘Oscar’ and a daughter of the ‘Show Cock’ and was 3rd Fed, 3rd section, 6th Open Bude, and 39th Open Penzance last year.

K Rooney & Son Annalong are 7th Fed, 9th section, 21st Open this week for another good result for them. The pigeon timed here is a three-year-old Staf Van Reet hen that has a tremendous racing record particularly on the channel. It has won from Talbenny twice and also from Penzance. Add to that a 2nd club Penzance and a 5th club Bude and we see a terrific record. Earlier this year she was 6th club Mount Charles.

James Cleland Annsborough is 8th Fed 11th section, 26th Open this week and s enjoying a great run of success. The pigeon timed here is a two-year-old hen that is a daughter of the ‘01’ cock, a Pros Roosen from Martin Flynn x Soontjens from Maurice Alexander. The ‘01’ cock was 2nd Open Pilmore Beach and then 4th Open Mallow in 2007. The dam is the hen that was 23rd north section Skibbereen Old Bird National in 2007 and is a Pros Roosen.

The result is completed by Annsborough’s G & P Brown in 9th Fed, 12th section, 29th Open. What a year Geraldine & Patrick are having! This pigeon was also 6th Fed, 11th section, 15th Open from 1st Mount Charles and is another one from K Rooney & Son. It is a Reynaert through Herbot Bros Belgium. This bird was 10th Fed Fermoy, and 6th Fed, 7th section, 21st Open Talbenny, and 6th Fed, 6th section, 15th Open from Bude last year so again a very impressive racing record.

Full Result: 1, Pritchard Bros Annsborough 1023; 2, M Jennings Annsborough 1010; 3, M Croskery Annsborough 964; 4, R J Keown 963; 5, 6, M Croskery 947, 946; 7, K Rooney & Son Annalong 935; 8, J Cleland Annsborough 930; 9, G & P Brown Annsborough 926; 10, M Jennings 925:

• £2 nom this week from Penzance and for the 3 French races
• Loft KO – Congratulations to RJ Keown on winning the loft KO beating P McCartan in the final from Bude.