St Malo - 26/06/11

[willie reynolds]

Marvelous Maguire 2nd Open from St Malo

The East Down Combine held their Old Bird Derby from St Malo in France on Sunday 26 June following a two day hold over due to bad weather. The Sunday morning again started off dull but the weather improved through the morning and the pigeons were liberated at 9.30am in a clear blue skies and sunshine. Wind at the race point was southeasterly wind, which freshened throughout the day.
The winner of the Combine was T Marshall & Son, Newtownbreda who was winning the race for the third year in a row and that’s a fantastic achievement. The winner of the South Down Federation is Annsborough’s Noel Maguire who timed his single entry at 5.30pm to take 1st South Down Fed, 1st East section and 2nd Open. What a season this has been for Noel, who was 1st and 2nd Open from 1st Mount Charles and backed this up with a series of top class performances. I know that Noel was particularly thrilled with this performance.

Noel’s pigeon was 5th Fed, 7th section, 19th Open from 2nd Mount Charles. This bird is a two-year-old Pros Roosen hen from James Cleland Annsborough. This bird was 7th Fed from Mullingar, and was fourth club, 6th Fed, 7th section, 18th Open Young Bird Talbenny in 2009. She was sent to this race sitting on chipping eggs and Noel gave her a youngster the night before basketing to win £454.

Annsborough’s Michael Jennings was next to time in the Fed at 5.38pm. Michael has had a good season as well with many fine performances but he will rate this as his best one yet. Michael’s pigeon was 2nd section, 4th Open. This one is a yearling hen that was again sitting on chipping eggs and she was given a youngster on the morning the birds were basketed. She is out of ‘Doley’s Pied cock’ that is a son of their Hall of Fame winner, while the dam is a Van der Wegan. Michael’s bird had all the races this year except one of the Fermoys and this bird was 9th club in the 1st Talbenny.

G & P Brown Annsborough end an incredible season in style by taking 3rd East section, 11th Open. 2011 has been a year, which has seen Geraldine and Patrick win back to back Opens and win the East Down Combine Inland Championship. The pigeon timed here is a five-year-old cock that is Grondelaars from their own stock crossed with one from James Cleland’s distance pigeons.
Annalong’s Bobby McConnell is 4th Fed, 6th section, 14th Open and he too has had a super year including 1st Open from Tullamore. Bobby timed his two-year-old cock at 6.11pm. This bird has been a consistent racer and flew the hard Penzance in 2010. The sire was bred by A Tonks, West Midlands from his top Marc De Cock bloodlines, while the dam was out of a Blue Pied cock that was 81st open INFC Yearling National and a Blue hen that was 5th Open and 18th Open East Down Combine pus numerous club positions.
R McDowell & Son Annsborough are 5th Fed, 8th section, 19th Open this week. This loft are previous winners of the Old Bird Derby and have a great record from the race. This yearling hen was so fresh on her return from Bude that Robert felt that she would have to go to St Malo. This proved a good decision. This bird was sent to the race sitting 10 days on eggs. Her sire is from Billy Lecky Ards while the dam is a Kenyon.

Tyrella’s S & E McGaw are 6th Fed, 9th section 24th Open here with the pigeon that was 5th Fed, 15th section 26th Open in this race last year and she came from the exact same direction as last year. She has been 3rd club three times down Ireland and was 4th club from Talbenny The pigeon timed is a three-year-old black hen. This Busschaert hen won the club race from Bude two years ago by over 20 minutes and is a grand daughter of J Maguire & Ptrs ‘white eyes’.

J McNally & Son Annsborough are 7th Fed, 15th section, 39th Open timing at 9.30pm. This two-year-old cock was in such good form coming home that he flew for an hour the next morning with the young birds. This bird flew most of the races up Ireland this year and had the two Talbennys before being set up for the Derby. The sire is a Jan Arden while the dam is a Rapido Busschaert from Taylor Bros of New Biggin in the Up North Combine.

The last bird timed on the night was by Dundrum’s J Ringland & Son at 10.47pm to take 8th Fed, 16th section, 40th Open. This two-year-old cock was 4th Open from Talbenny last year. The breeding of this bird is ½ A Murray & Son, ¼ N King & Son and ¼ Louella Vandenabeele. This game pigeon hasn’t reared any young birds this year and was sent sitting on eggs for 12 days.
Pritchard Bros Annsborough timed on the second morning at 10am to take 9th Fed, 20th section. This one is another from their Jan Arden bloodlines and is a two-year-old cock that was sent sitting 10 days. The Pritchards have been on a good run of form over the past few weeks.

Full Result: 1, N Maguire Annsborough 1574 Nom £32; 2, M Jennings Annsborough 1546; 3, G & P Brown Annsborough 1426; 4, B McConnell Annalong 1416; 5, R McDowell & Son Annsborough 1376; 6, S & E McGaw Tyrella 1332; 7, J McNally & Son Annsborough 1044; 8, J Ringland & Son Dundrum 946; 9, Pritchard Bros Annsborough 655:

• £2 Nom this week from Friendship National
• It is hoped to have a Young Bird race on Tuesday 13th July from Navan. This race will be open to South Down Federation members only. Birds will be race marked in their own clubrooms with normal rules applying in that there must be 5 members present for race marking. Birds will cost 25p each. Pick up times Tyrella 9am, Dundrum 9.15am, Annsborough 9.30am, Newcastle 9.45am and Annalong 10am. Clocks will be checked in Annsborough at 7pm. No clocks will be checked after this time.
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