By Adie McCormick
http://www.pigeonnetwork.com
NIPA OPEN SUCCESS FOR GILMOUR & BEATTIE
The partnership of Gilmour & Beattie have already up until now been reported on more times than I care to remember. They have the distinction of having topped the Open in the three largest organisations in Northern Ireland, their first was in 1969 when they were 1st Open East Down Combine. In 1970 they won 1st Open INFC Y/B National Penzance and in 1971 the year in question they recorded 1st Open NIPA Dinard, what a record.
The highly respected Jack Gilmour of the Gilmour & Beattie partnership winners of 1st Open NIPA Dinard Derby 1971
Jack Gilmour is a fancier who never sits on his laurels, just one of these fanciers regardless of the enormity of the success he isn’t satisfied that this particular success is the be all and end all of pigeon racing and the same set of circumstances any other week will produce a similar result. The man is an example both about the loft and his business always on the look out how to improve and ultimately planning that bigger and better win.
The 1971 success flying with the NIPA from Dinard was one of the partnerships latest success stories although Jack would admit that they nearly missed the boat on this occasion. The story starts at the beginning of 1971 when Jack was going to the loft daily to feed and water the birds. When he opened the door of the cocks section every day he found a bundle of feathers, these were pushed aside and no further thought was given them until one day he found two cocks sitting beside one another at the back of the door. A mental note was made and when mating time came along Jack found that the two cocks would not take hens but insisted on pairing together, so he let them pair and was able to slip eggs and do practically what he wanted with them.
The Yearling Red Cock winner of 1st Open NIPA Dinard flying 446 miles competing against 3,047 pigeons and winning £633.
This was how the cocks where raced all season and how the Yearling Red Cock was sent to Dinard. He is half bred Harkness, his Sire being a Red Cock and his Dam a B/C, a gift from Billy Erwin of Ballymena. The Harkness blood forms the basis of the Gilmour and Beattie team, their two other Open winners being pure Harkness.
On this short report on the Dinard success Jack finished with the following thoughts on what it took to be a successful fancier, apart from good birds and management observation was equally as important as the latter two elements. He went on to explain that one should observe the birds very closely and play on some of the things that one sees giving an example the antics of his two cocks and how he played on them to win the Dinard Derby. Had he insisted on mating them to hens I’m certain he would not have won but his bird was good enough and he got the best out of it.
No doubt as the years progress in this archive section we will once again be reading more about this wonderful partnership that is Gilmour & Beattie of Newtownbreda.
Here you will find the names of the first 50 recorded pigeons from the Dinard event mentioned in the report the convoy of 3,047 pigeons sent by 1,262 competing members were liberated in Dinard on 26th of June 1971 competing for a total of £6,872 in pools and prize money. 1st Gilmour & Beattie, Dunmurry Vel 1209 £633; 2nd J Blair, Ballyclare & District Vel 1203 £517; 3rd W Dickson, Moira Vel 1199 £971; 4th J Haire, Portadown Inv Vel 1197 £66; 5th J Guiney, Lurgan Ame Vel 1197 £261; 6th J R McCracken, Banbridge & District Vel 1197 £568; 7th T Andrews, Hill Street Vel 1195 £272; 8th A Turkington, Lisburn & District Vel 1195 £304; 9th Cochrane Bros, Lisburn & District Vel 1195 £72; 10th R McCreight, Ballyclare & District Vel 1194 £407; 11th E Maternaghan & Son, Ballymena & District Vel 1192 £421; 12th Neill Bros, Lisburn & District Vel 1191 £107; 13th W McWhirter, Glengormley Vel 1191 £65; 14th G McGonigal, Randalstown Vel 1185 £286; 15th J Lowry, Glenavy & District Vel 1185 £50; 16th S Robinson, Doagh & District Vel 1184 £39; 17th J Leitch & Son, Doagh Social Vel 1184 £217; 18th P Turner, Moira Vel 1182 £171; 19th Parkes Bros, Killyleagh & District Vel 1181 £110; 20th D Hunter, Doagh Social Vel 1180 £40; 21st A Mairs, Doagh Social Vel 1180 £82; 22nd D Suitters, Ballymena & District Vel 1177 £115; 23rd G Barr, Ballymena & District Vel 1176 £146; 24th S Burke, Millbrook Vel 1176 £44; 25th D Walker, Glengormley Vel 1175 £19; 26th W Dickson, Moira Vel 1173 £85; 27th W Smith, Ballymena & District Vel 1173 £74; 28th T Banks, Moira Vel 1173 £15; 29th T Banks, Moira Vel 1173 £15; 30th Workman & McClintock, Ballymena & District Vel 1173 £52; 31st A McAuley, Larne & District Vel 1172 £7; 32nd J McMullan, Glenarm & District Vel 1170 £11; 33rd A Walkingshaw & Son, Killyleagh Inv Vel 1170 £11; 34th F Marks, Ballymena & District Vel 1168 £13; 35th T W Boomer, Glenavy & District Vel 1168 £42; 36th Watts & Peacock, Ballymena Championship Club Vel 1166 £23; 37th Mr & Mrs P Brankin, Edgarstown Vel 1165 £62; 38th R Robinson, Larne & District Vel 1165 £45; 39th H Walsh, Millvale Inv Vel 1164 £31; 40th T Bamford, Ballyclare & District Vel 1164 £28; 41st McClintock Bros, Ballymena & District Vel 1163 £12; 42nd A Walkingshaw & Son Killyleagh Inv Vel 1163 £30; 43rd G Fee, Antrim Amal Vel 1163 £12; 44th W Lowry, Ballymena & District Vel 1161 £11; 45th H Beattie, Laurelvale Vel 1161 £44; 46th W Parkes, Killyleagh & District Vel 1159 £22; 47th D Ward & Son, Killyleagh & District Vel 1158 £10; 48th G Wright, Doagh Social Vel 1155 £22; 49th Rodgers & Jackson, Killyleagh Inv Vel 1155 £10 and 50th McCandless & McMurray, Dromore West End Vel 1154 £10.