Vannes Kings Cup Race - 2008 Cancelled

[willie reynolds]

The INFC had a massive entry of 2,585 birds competing for the Kings Cup, the best entry for a number of years, the 745 members from across Ireland were racing for pools and prizes exceeding £37,000 plus a Bricon ETS Timing system. The prizes list has been extended to 250 positions, lets hope they are needed and the total prize fund stands at £10,000 plus an additional £1,200 in the Kings Cup Challenge competition. Due to heavy and persistent rain over parts of the route the birds were held over yesterday (Friday July 4) in Vannes, France.

Unfortunately I had to miss the INFC Kings Cup ring marking the first one I have missed this year as I only returned from Belgium on Tuesday evening after a super weekend to which I must thank the Gibb & Byrne partnership for their generosity during my weekend away. My father and I have been in discussions for a number of weeks now with Andrea Kilpatrick and her colleague Neil from Tern TV who are putting together a documentary on the sport of pigeon racing with the hope that it will be commissioned by the BBC for viewing, so for anybody who was at the Kings Cup ring marking and noticed all the camera activity this is what it was all about. We are also hoping to have further discussions over the next few weeks and no doubt will maybe be calling to see a few fanciers at their lofts. As mentioned above I had a class weekend away and called at many Champion Lofts and handled scores of class pigeons with a few exceptional loft profiles to follow, also had some lunch with Henk De Weerd and tidied up all the details concerning this years www.pigeonnetwork.com Quiz Nights of the Year as Henk is the main guest at both events in Ballyclare Comrades Football Club on Friday 24th of October and also at The Sarsfield RPC, Ballyfermot, Dublin on Monday 27th of October. The De Weerd team are already looking forward to meeting up with the fanciers in Ireland and hope to answer as many questions as possible concerning the ever growing subject of sickness, and more importantly the future of pigeon health. It is already promising to be once again another super weekend and I will keep the fancy informed closer to the time with all the details concerning both events, you can be sure tickets will be at a premium. Once again we will also have an impressive array of gift birds to be auctioned at the events both North and South and we will also be issuing a Balance Sheet shortly just to keep you the fancy informed on all that has been achieved since taking over the non-profit making website, all of which wouldnt be possible without the help of both you the fancier, and our many supporters, especially across Ireland.


The INFC Management Committee met in Lisburn on Sunday 6th of July and decided to bring the Kings Cup pigeons back to Ireland at the earliest possible opportunity. The convoy will be liberated in Rosslare, County Wexford area, weather permitting ASAP after their return, possibly Tuesday. This decision was based on the report from the Convoyer Jim McCrory who has a vast amount of experience and the problems with the weather over the route. The birds were race marked last Tuesday and Friday 4th July was the planned day for release. Poor weather conditions over the race route caused a delay and over the next two days weather at the home end was a problem as well. It was also the decision, by the overwhelming majority of Committee Members present, that in the interests of the Kings Cup race, that they should work towards facilitating a substitute Kings Cup race from St Malo towards the end of July, start of August 2008. As with regards this weeks impending ring marking for the Quimper Friendship National (Tuesday), it was also agreed that Lib Line would be updated daily with information as to when a liberation in France would be possible, and the subsequent ring marking taking place. Keep in touch Tel: INFC Lib Line (09063) 656701 or (0901) 9960111 and at www.pigeonnetwork.com

The INFC had a massive entry of 2,585 birds for the Kings Cup the best entry for a number of years and for the second year on the trot the birds have been returned from France, last time it was the Bird Flu problems. Now we have weather problems to add to everything else and we are in the summer time. The loss of this particular race is a major disappointment after the effort in getting so many of the previous years entries set up once again for the greatest test in Irish pigeon racing circles. The committee were left in a hopeless no win position and made the safe decision. Should the substitute Kings Cup race take place we will be moving into new ground with a distance race from France at this time of the year, if it was a success it could well change the programme in future years and we might just see an over-lap of the longest old bird races and the start of the young bird season. Plans are being made to have the race flown from St Malo on Thursday 31st July.


Kings Cup St Malo on Wednesday 30th July

** The substitute Kings Cup Race will be flown from St Malo on Wednesday 30th July, the birds will be race marked in Lisburn between 8.00am and 11.30am on Monday 28th July. Clocks will be set the same night between 7.30pm and 8.30pm at Banbridge, Muckamore and Hillfoot. There will be 200 Open Prizes with £5,450 guaranteed, 1st £500, 2nd £350, 3rd £200, 4th £100, 5th £100, 6th £100, 7th £75, 8th £75, 9th £50 and 10th £50. Then 30 @ £35, 40 @ £25, 40 @ £20, 40 @ £15 and 40 @ £10. It is the condition of entry that the amendments are accepted, all other info as per the race entry booklet Kings Cup Vannes.**