Penzance - Monday 25/06/12

[willie reynolds]

Classic Cleland as James Cleland wins the East Down Combine Classic

The East Down Combine pigeons were in Penzance in Cornwall for their final race before the French races on the weekend of 23rd/24th June. With the weather causing problems that weekend the birds were only basketed on the Saturday evening for a possible race on the Monday. Monday morning turned out bright and clear with little or no wind and the birds were released at 8.50am.

As with the previous channel races the early birds were very much on their time with the winning pigeon timed at 2.52pm for the 280-mile fly. However there were quite a few empty perches at nightfall and although there were some more home throughout the week it was a disappointing end to the season.

It cant be said that it was a disappointing end for Annsborough’s James Cleland who after having been 2nd Open East Down Combine three times this season he has eventually come out on top, winning both the Penzance race and Penzance Classic. This has been a memorable season for the Newcastle Road fancier with many top ten finishes at both Fed and Combine Level. Penzance must now be one of James’ favourite racepoints as last year he was 1st, 2nd, 6th Fed, 1st, 2nd, 10th section, 2nd, 3rd 12th Open and 1st, 2nd, 9th, 22nd and 24th Classic.

The winning pigeon is out of the ‘01’ cock that was the Fed’s bird of the Year in 2007, a year that saw him take 2nd Open in the inaugural Derek Wishart race from Pilmore Beach and 4th Open Mallow. The ‘01’ cock has also proved to be a prolific breeder and was the sire of the pigeon that was 2nd Open in the Derek Wishart race last year, and the pigeon that was 3rd Fed, 15th Open in the Derek Wishart race this year. The dam is a Peter Von Osche from Maurice Alexander, Ballymena, who has provided James with a lot of good stock pigeons. This hen has bred a host of good pigeons. James picks up prizewinnings of £256 for winning the Classic.
James has a second pigeon in the result taking 6th Fed, 8th section, 13th Open. The dam of this one is the mother of the bird that won the Classic last year from this race and is a Pros Roosen. The sire is from new blood brought in from his good friends Roy and Marion Seaton from Annan in Scotland. Roy and Marion are the winners of three Nationals and were second on four occasions. Roy is originally from Newtownards but it was as a result of a friendship that developed after they had met at the Blackpool Show that pigeons were exchanged. Both fanciers benefited from this exchange as James’ pigeons have won for the Seatons as well.
Annsborough’s J McNally & Son are 2nd Fed, 2nd Open here and just miss out on the Fed’s Knock out by the smallest of margins.

What a dramatic and nail biting finish this was to the final of the knock-out with only seconds separating the finalists. This has been another good season for Jimmy and Brendan and it’s not over yet. The pigeon timed here is a three-year-old cock whose sister was timed on the day from the St Malo Derby last week flying over 15 hours. The breeding is Janssen with the sire coming from John Keywood in London and the dam is down from their own family of Janssens.

Mickey Croskery is 3rd Fed, 3rd section, 3rd Open and 2nd Classic for another good performance. The pigeon timed here is a yearling cock out of ‘Joe 90’, a terrific racer and now a top class stock pigeon. The dam is from the original De Klak lines.
Annsborough’s D Croskery & Son are 4th Fed, 4th section, 4th Open, 3rd Classic, 1st 3 Bird Channel Championship club. The dam of the pigeon timed here was reared for the late Eddie Coulter of Lisburn, but when Eddie gave up the pigeons Dolen got this pigeon back. It is from the De Klaks and its dam was 9th Open from Portland. The sire is from the racing loft and has had two x 1sts racing. The breeding again is from the original De Klaks. The nest mate of the pigeon timed here was 1st South Down Fed, 19th North section, 127th Open.

Dominic and Dolen had another bird in the result taking 9th Fed, 13th section, 25th Open. This one was a latebred, whose sire was one of the new pigeons brought in from John Jobey’s ‘Gladiator’ pigeons. The dam is from Fleming Keery, Newtownbreda.
R McDowell & Son Annsborough are 5th Fed, 7th section, 12th Open in what has been a steady season for them. The pigeon timed is a yearling cock whose sire is a Staf Van Reet from Dean Pallett, while the dam is a daughter of their own ‘French’ hen, from the Fletcher Busschaert lines.

Annalong’s Kevin and Kristopher Rooney are on the crest of a wave at the minute having been 1st and 2nd Open last week from Fermoy. This week they are 7th Fed, 9th section, 15th Open. The sire of this bird is a Janssen from Simon Schofield. The Schofield pigeons have done well for them and for others who got these lines from Kevin and Kristopher. The dam is a Staf Van Reet with an excellent racing record. She has been 2nd Open twice, as well as having a 5th and a 9th Open. She has bred some good pigeons too including 3rd Open from Bude. The pigeon timed is a hen that was unraced as a young bird and this was her first time on the channel.

Jack & Jessica Rogan Newcastle, winners of the East Down Combine’s Young Fancier of the Year award for the past two years take a big step towards retaining that award by taking 8th Fed, 12th section, 22nd Open here. Jack is the son of Eddie Rogan (E & A Rogan) and Jessica is Aidie’s daughter. She is also a granddaughter of Josie O’Callaghan from the Dundrum partnership of J Maguire & Ptrs, so there is lots of knowledge and advice passed on to them. They race to the same garden as their fathers and certainly hold their own with them. They followed this result up by timing early on the second morning from the St Malo Derby.

The result is completed by Annsborough’s Declan Blaney at 10th Fed, 20th section, 37th Open. Declan has been busy preparing for exams lately but hope that his birds are hitting form for the French races. The pigeon timed here is a yearling cock from pigeons obtained from D Croskery & Son. The sire was 6th Open Lamballe and the dam is a full sister of the Croskerys’ Joe Ringland Classic winner.

Full Result: 1, J Cleland Annsborough 1350.484; 2, J McNally & Son Annsborough 1350.301; 3, M Croskery Annsborough 1321; 4, D Croskery & Son 1319; 5, R McDowell & Son Annsborough 1310; 6, J Cleland 1309; 7, K Rooney & Son Annalong 1301; 8, J & J Rogan Newcastle 1291; 9, D Croskery & Son 1277; 10, D Blaney Annsborough 1259;
* Both the King’s Cup and Friendship National races will have a £2 Nom