By Adie McCormick
http://www.pigeonnetwork.com
EDC Success in 1971 from Dinard for Pat Maguire of Annsborough
Patrick Maguire of Annsborough was only back into pigeons about 4 years when he won the Dinard Derby flying with the East Down Combine in 1971. The pigeons which numbered 769 and sent by 272 competing members were liberated in Dinard on the 26th of June, also that day the Ulster Federation and the NIPA were liberated at the same time both convoys also in Dinard.
The Winner of 1st Open East Down Combine Dinard flying 428 miles and runner-up for the Miller Gold Cup
What makes Patricks 1st Open success all the more prestigious is the fact that he had the best velocity recorded into Northern Ireland that day from Dinard in France with a velocity of 1236ypm, the NIPA Open winner was Gilmour & Beattie on 1209ypm and the Ulster Federation was won by Jimmy McCluskey also on a slower Velocity than Pat Maguire’s good arrival.
The foundation family of the Maguire loft is a family of pigeons that have adapted to the Irish tasks very successfully namely ‘Gits’, Paddy purchased his stock from a Northumberland fancier and have been a total inspiration at stock. For instance the G/G/Dam of this Blue Cheq Hen winner of 1st Open Dinard was an exceptional pigeon at stock. One nest pair that comes to mind won between them 2nd Combine 1,400 pigeons flying 367 miles and the other bird in the nest won 7th, 35th and 37th Combine Burgess 589 miles and was eventually lost having been sent to the race point for the 5th time. There’s no doubt that this blood will tell.
The loft that houses such good pigeons is 20ft x 5ft with two sections and 17 nest boxes and is well ventilated. Birds are given the open loft and training is varied as Patrick sends the birds in any direction and any distance. So long as it’s a training toss nothing else seems to matter. The pigeons are fed a good sound mixture and this is supplemented each morning with a helping of porridge meal, the water is changed twice per day with a few drops of TCP added.
A bit now on the winner she is a nice medium sized two year old Blue Cheq hen with a tick in her eye, in the hand she is very slightly deep with a good eye and excellent feather quality. As well as winning the Combine she finishes runner-up for the highly sought after Miller Gold Cup. She was sent sitting 5 days and as previously mentioned had the best recorded velocity into Northern Ireland that day from Dinard beating both the Ulster Federation and NIPA winners flying 428 miles.
Winner of 13th Open Dinard East Down Combine raced by Patrick Maguire
Patrick was also 13th Open with a fine Blue Cheq Cock which is related to the winner, sent to the race driving his hen to the nest. As well as flying all inland races he competed from Haverford, Okehampton and Penzance. Patrick won 1st Open East Down Combine from Wexford earlier in the season with a bird bred from a full sister of the cock that finished 13th from Dinard, not bad for a fancier just back into the sport 4 years earlier winning 2 x 1st Combine’s in 1971.
John Joe pictured with his good Black cock winner of 1st Club, 4th Open Penzance and 1st Club, 2nd Open Dinard
John Joe Toner a Club mate of Patrick Maguire came so close but yet so far from wining the Derby, finishing runner-up 12 yards behind. John Joe has been racing pigeons for over 20 years and has really started to light the stage up over the last three. A lot of this recent success is down to a purchase of eight Young Birds from a fancier in Scotland named Martin Bell of Kirkcaldy.
They raced steady as youngsters but didn’t break any ice until yearlings when they more than held their own weekly which accumulated in J.J. winning the O/Bird and Channel average in both the Annsborough Club (28 members) and the Castlewellan Club (17 members) in both 1970 and 1971.
The Toner loft would make any fancier shiver, it measures 10ft x 6ft and the whole frontage of the loft is wire mesh, except for a small landing board. My first query to John was does the loft not get wet in the winter, but he assured me he has protection from the elements with the high wall that surrounds the yard. The Young bird loft is of the same size also with a small trap fitted at the front.
The system is simple, Birds are fed a No 2 mixture with the water changed daily twice daily and no tit bits whatsoever, a bath once per week and they receive a little training, i.e. four or five tosses prior to the first race and that is all. The birds are let out to fly twice daily at 6.45am and again at 4.30pm and although there is no forced flying the birds seldom fly less than an hour.
Now to a couple of winning birds, firstly we have a Black cock, bred in 1969 he flew all stages to Skibbereen as a youngster in 1970 he once again went right through to Penzance when he collected 2nd Club Haverford on the way. 1971 he once again received all the races up Ireland then Haverford from here to Penzance sitting 8 days to be clocked with a loft mate to record joint 1st Penzance and equal 5th East Down Combine.
When he went to Penzance another cock claimed both his nest box and his hen and this is how he was sent to Dinard, fighting for his nest. Liberated at 6.45am he was clocked at 4.50pm to win 2nd Open with 769 pigeons competing. He is above medium size with a racing yellow eye. His half-brother was also clocked to take 33rd Open in the same race and had already won two races, i.e. Haverford as a Yearling and Arklow in the year in question 1971.
Another pigeon I would like to mention belonging to J J Toner is a Red Cheq yearling cock bred from a hen sourced from J M K McGugan. This bird won two excellent races in 1971, firstly he was 1st Club Haverford West and was the other pigeon that arrived with the Dinard cock from Penzance to finish equal 1st Club and 4th EDC, a lot of time was lost that day as both cocks started to fight and wouldn’t let each other enter the loft. As a fancier John Joe is highly regarded some say he could race a crow. Well I don’t know about that but he can certainly race pigeons.
** One of the top results from Dinard with the East Down Combine in 1971 was achieved by Harry Stockman of Ballynahinch who was featured in the previous years archive report. Harry makes Dinard look easy, I reported the last time about his achievement of clocking eight birds on the day from Dinard, but he just slightly bettered that in 1971 clocking 28 arrivals on the day at a distance of 434 miles, what a performance.**
The following is the first 45 positions of the 1971 flown EDC Dinard Derby in which 272 competing members sent 769 which were flying for a combined total of £1,123 in pools and prize money. 1st P Maguire, Annsborough Vel 1236; 2nd J J Toner, Castlewellan Vel 1224; 3rd J Quinn, Dundrum Vel 1223; 4th Graham Bros, Ballynahinch Vel 1222; 5th E Carlisle, Dundrum Vel 1216; 6th Harry Stockman, Ballynahinch Vel 1211; 7th G Herron, Donaghadee Vel 1203; 8th H Stockman Vel 1189; 9th R Richmond, Annsborough Vel 1189; 10th R Russell & Son, Newtownbreda Vel 1183; 11th J Quinn Vel 1163; 12th H Stockman Vel 1162; 13th P Maguire Vel 1161; 14th McKibben & Young, Annsborough Vel 1160; 15th B Cunningham, Newcastle Vel 1159; 16th Dunn & Green, Bangor Vel 1158; 17th A & W McKee, Ards Vel 1156; 18th Marshall & Shaw, Newtownbreda Vel 1154; 19th H Stockman Vel 1152; 20th H Stockman Vel 1152; 21st Major McIntyre & Son, Dundonald Vel 1148; 22nd Marshall & Shaw Vel 1146; 23rd H Stockman Vel 1146; 24th W J Neill, Ards Vel 1138; 25th D Hutchinson, Comber & District Vel 1136; 26th Carroll Bros, Comber F C Vel 1133; 27th McMillan & Son, Ards Vel 1130; 28th H T Fisher & Son, Knock Vel 1125; 29th L Ritchie, Downpatrick Vel 1125; 30th Davis Bros, Carryduff Vel 1123; 31st Keown & Gallacher, Annsborough Vel 1120; 32nd Kennedy Bros, Comber FC Vel 1117; 33rd J J Toner, Vel 1115; 34th Waddell Bros, Bangor Vel 1114; 35th Gibson & Mitchell, Ballynahinch Vel 1110, 36th Gibson & Mitchell, Vel 1110; 37th Small & O’Hare, Annsborough Vel 1107; 38th J Leneghan, Newcastle Vel 1105; 39th H Stockman, Vel 1104; 40th H Stockman, Vel 1103; 41st R J McConnell, Annalong Vel 1103; 42nd F Lynch, Annsborough Vel 1101; 43rd W Gibson, Ballynahinch Vel 1101; 44th Kelly Bros, Ballywalter Vel 1100 and 45th Lemon & Moody, Dundonald Vel 1099.