With strict collection times in place at the NIPA Centres on Thursday for the first of the National events for the Mighty NIPA, a race was very much on the cards for the following morning from one of the furthest possible race points in the South of Ireland namely Rosscarbery, hence the stringent collection times. The NIPA Centre Officials and workers deserve great levels of credit for there continued hard work in ensuring all went according to plan. Saturday was very much as predicted a wash out. I along with my wife Charlene attended a wedding on Friday so missed all the buzz of the news of the early arrivals around the country. News was of course filtering through on my return home on Saturday that the likely winners where around the Lurgan area with a close finish between the partnership of Higginson & Johnston and the Former Kings Cup Winner Geoffery Douglas with the former coming out on top by a yard. Indeed an exact 4 yards separates the first four in the National Result with the National winning pigeon recording a velocity of 1239ypm. The Convoy of 6,212 pigeons sent by 672 competing lofts racing for a prize & pool fund of £19,355 where liberated in a North Easterly Wind at 9.15 on Friday morning with the leading pigeons taking in and around the 5 & ½ hour mark for the 230/240 mile mark into Dromore and Lisburn. Looking back on last year around 40 members less sending this year with the birdage just increased on last year by 37. Many congratulations to the National Winning partnership of Higginson & Johnston who will lift the Bertie Fletcher & Son Cup at the NIPA Ladies Night in November and indeed well done also to the close runner-ups.
In my own area of Lisburn City and Around which includes many of the Section D Clubs and this was my idea on starting this column some years ago with the BHW, to look after and give an added level of publicity to that said area. So anybody with news or would like covered simply forward any detail or photos you have to my email address by no later than 8pm on a Sunday evening and I will do my extreme best as always to have your info submitted.
Top honours this week go to the Ivan Rollins & Son (Clyde) team flying with the Hills & Maze HPS recording a fantastic velocity of 1236 just three yards behind the National winning partnership in Lurgan the loft will finish 1st Section D and 4th National this now the third week on the trot that the Section D winner has finished 4th in the Over-all result. The Rollins loft timed a favoured one and collect just short of £500 in pools and prize money. The Yearling Hen was sent sitting 17 days previously from Tullamore in the first of the O/Bird races of 2013 she finished 1st Club, 4th Section D and 48th Open. She was one of his later Y/birds and was only given a couple of races. Coming down from a Van Rijn of Bob McMeekins when paired to a Ron Williamson Busschaert sourced from Roy Kennedy of Cherryfield Lofts.
Next we have the Ace Partnership of Philip and Joe Boal of Dromore who simply can do no wrong this season flying to their newly built loft. The loft had a smashing race from Rosscarbery finishing 1st Club, 1st Dromore Centre and 2nd Section D on a velocity of 1230ypm to record 9th Open in the National the winner a Cheq Yearling Hen was timed at 2.43pm flying 230 miles. You would have to say she has the winning blood in her genes, Sire is of course Van Herck the Boal loft is simply the home to this strain probably just not in Ireland but the UK he is a multiple winner “Young Bobby“ winner of no less than 4 x 1st Club also 3 x 1st Section D winning an RPRA Award. Dam is a Frans Van Tilbourg and yet again another Champion racer for the Boal loft ’Baard’ winner again of 4 x 1st Club, 2 x 1st Section D and 3 x RPRA Awards. What a pairing !! Now as well as this, the Boal loft also finished 4th, 9th, 11th, 32nd, 40th and 42nd Section D and will finish over-all 9th, 16th, 27th, 36th, 184th, 217th and 228th National. Simply a National day to remember for the Brothers. Next in the result we have Joe Kelly & Son another consistent loft flying into Dromore. Joe can time a good pigeon especially in the big events and finishes 2nd Club, 3rd Section D and 14th Open on a velocity of 1225. An improved performance on last year when the loft recorded a 4th Section D and 28th Open in this same race. The Section winner last year funny enough was fellow club mate Joey Vage who topped the Section last week from Fermoy. With P & J Boal taking 4th Section it was back into Lisburn to the Big Club for 5th Section and 20th National for yet another partnership racing very consistently that being A T & J Houston on a velocity of 1223ypm they lift a tidy sum of £364 in pools and prize money, following an impressive 1st Club Lisburn & District last week with some 777 pigeons competing the loft recorded 2nd Section D and 5th Open NIPA from Fermoy finish with 24,375 pigeons competing.
My next visit in the area is to yet another outstanding loft who have claimed all the red cards to date flying with the strong and competitive Glenavy HPS, that being Ian Gibb & Sons this partnership also have been putting up some outstanding performances over recent weeks including taking the first ten two weeks on the trot. From Rosscarbery they timed a widowhood yearling hen of Marijke Vink/Van Dyck Bloodlines this hen was timed at 3.00pm flying 239 miles finishing 1st Club, 7th Section D and 25th National. It was the loft of John Gregory and Sons of the Colin HPS who where next to feature in the result from my respective area. Again one of the leading lofts for some time in the area and there respective Club winner from Rosscarbery on a Velocity of 1222ypm will finish 8th Section D and 26th National.
P & J Boal lifted 9th Section and in 10th Section we have O & M Monaghan of the Colin HPS who topped the Club last week from Fermoy, this latest prize winner for the father & son team will finish 28th National. The Boal Brothers are there yet again in 11th Section and completing the top 12 we have the loft of Russell Bros of Dromara ust starting to warm up for the cross channel events to which they excel. There Club winner from Rosscarbery will finish a very respectable 38th in the National result.
NEIGHBOURS LEAD THE WAY HOME FROM ROSCREA
As well as the NIPA hosting its first National race of the O/Bird Campaign they also hosted on the same day the first come back event this one from Roscrea a distance of 130 miles into Lisburn. Birds where up at the same time 9.15am in a North Westerly wind. Members competing was down 44 and birdage down some 1200 on the same race last year, a race dominated last year by the further flying lofts with the Open won by Pat McLaughlin in the Maiden city Club in Londonderry flying in a South East Wind doing 1649ypm. Different story this year with a North Easterly Wind. Firstly well done to Donnelly Bros of Newry who take the first three in the Open with 554 competing lofts sending 12,343 pigeons still an excellent turn-out all the same. The Donnelly loft have no less than 14 in the first 30 of the NIPA Open.
In my area of scribing it was the loft of Doonan & McGuinness of Dromore who where to top the Section D honours list also finishing 2nd Section with a third pigeon arriving all at the same time to new neighbours Philip and Joe Boal, between them they take the first three in the Section D result finishing 5th, 6th and 9th Open respectively. The father and son team of Doonan & McGuinness have been knocking on the door the last number of weeks and no surprise that they rise to the top of the charts this week with another taking 5th Section finishing 22nd Open. The Boal brothers who had a stormer of a race from the National also have a further two in the top ten of the Section Result finishing 7th & 9th with a 24th and 36th Open NIPA to add respectively to those winners. They are the loft on fire as over-all from Roscrea they finished 3rd, 7th, 9th, 12th, 14th, 22nd, 23rd, 34th, 37th and 41st Section D 1,517 pigeons and 9th, 34th, 36th, 70th, 92nd, 166th Open. Once again another Hen to the top of the pile this one a Blue Hen of Van Heuval breeding through M Haslem & Son better known as the “Cotton Wool Boys” timed at 11.53am flying 122miles. In all the first 9 in the Section are Dromore members having covered the first three next is the current Section D Fancier of the Year Jeff Greenaway in 4th and who also had another arrival finish 8th Section both finishing 16th and 35th Open NIPA respectively. Joe Kelly & Son finish 6th Section having also timed a good arrival from the Rosscarbery National his Roscrea arrival finished 32nd Open on a velocity of 1335ypm. O & M Monaghan of the Colin Club complete the Section Top Ten. Well done to all.
Looking around the Clubs in my area with results made available I see Ian Rollins & Son of the Hills & Maze make it a double having topped the Club and Section finishing 4th Open in the National, what a day to remember for this fancier. The loft of Sydney Grainger & Son where close behind with the next three arrivals. In the Dromara Club the National winning partnership if Cromie & Magee & Son stole the show taking the first three on 1290, 1285 and 1282. Dunedin seen the partnership of Cowan & McCartney come out on top once again ahead of the ever consistent Mark Foulis who took 2nd and 3rd velocities 1276, 1272 and 1271 respectively. The Colin HPS seen the O & M Monaghan partnership come to the fore finishing 10th Section D followed by Joe Neeson in 2nd on 1297ypm with Owen Monaghan completing the top three. Glenavy and yet again for the 6th time this year six from six it’s the loft of Ian Gibb & Sons who timed a Soontjen Widowhood Cock at 12.13pm flying 131 miles.
Well that’s it for another week, many thanks to all who have helped and supplied info for this weeks column and many thanks for the nice comments. Until next week, good luck.
GOOD FERMOY RACE FOR DROMORE LOFTS
The NIPA for the fourth race of the O/Bird campaign where in Fermoy, a distance of some 185 miles into Lisburn. It was somewhat a hit and miss if a liberation was going to take place due to persistent blustery showers but up they went at 12.15.The wind was yet again Westerly and the winning pigeons recorded velocities in the high 1500's with the First three positions in the NIPA Open filled by lofts from the Newry Area and a very well done to Owen Markey on topping the Open some 30 yards in front recording a winning velocity of 1631ypm.
It was once again an excellent race for Lisburn area members with honours going to the hard working NIPA Centre Official Joey Vage he took top honours in the Dromore HPS followed by lifting 1st Section D and for the second week on the trot the NIPA Section D winning Loft finishes 4th Open NIPA with some 998 competing lofts sending 24,375 pigeons. Well done Joey. Finishing runner up in the Section was the Lisburn & District loft of ATJ Houston recording a velocity of 1575 just four yards behind the Section D topper or it would have been a double the Lisburn Club with Spence Bros topping the Section last week. Lisburn & District kept its known name as the BIG Club with the highest birdage in the Section with 28 members sending 777 pigeons. Dromara HPS where the next club to feature in the Section result with McKinstry Bros coming out on top this week ahead of the National winning partnership of Cromie & Magee, the Dromara Club also had a good showing with 15 members sending 481 pigeons. We go back to Dromore for the next Section positions and what a result this Club had, the current Section D Y/Bird fancier of the year was next yes Jeff Greenaway who has had a smashing start to the season. What a result this week from Fermoy the loft finished 4th, 5th, 7th, 9th, section with 3160 pigeons competing with the four finishing 16th, 19th, 23rd and 41st Open NIPA. First pigeon timed was a Leo Hermans and how appropriate with a massive auction currently on PIPA for that said fancier next into the clock for Jeff was a Marcel Sangers Hen followed by a Sangers Cock this a g/son of the Super Breeders the first pigeons Jeff seen was a batch of eight to which the aforementioned three arrivals broke from.
Next up we have the excellent and ultra consistent loft of Philip and Joe Boal and what a season this loft is also having they finish 4th club 370 birds, 6th, 22nd and 24th section "D" 3160 birds 21st, 87th and 90th NIPA Open 24,375 birds. First pigeon into the clock was a gift pigeon, from Mrs Ann Smith, Ashbourne
England, bred from her best lines of the Outlaw and Drum . Philip has a lot of faith in this ladies pigeons, the next two were of course Willy Van Herck pigeons....
The next result has a familiarity about it with Ricky McCullough of the Derriaghy HPS, he takes the first five in the club that's four out of four for Ricky. In the Colin Club it was the turn of the ever competitive O & M Monaghan to take the red card 3 yards ahead of the the ever consistent John Gregory and sons who put no less than 5 in the Club result.
In the Dunedin Club one that takes some winning Mark Foulis is tops this week ahead of Colin Coates and sons with Mark in with yet another arrival to complete the top three. South Belfast it was the turn of Rab Fear to put the show on taking the first four in the Club. A couple of early arrivals sealed success in the Kingswood HPS for the partnership of Burton & Glover with them finishing 46th and 108th Open respectively.
With 315 pigeons competing in the Hills & Maze HPS it was the inform father and son team which I reported on last week coming out on tops once again that being Robert & Ashley Gore further more big double for the loft for they also took the top three in the Lagan Valley RPC flying with the Ulster Federation.
Rounding up my report this week I called with Ian Gibb and Sons who are having a marvellous start in there attempt to retain the NIPA Section D O/B fancier of the year Crown. Yet again they are the leading loft in the Glenavy & District HPS taking top honours once again making it four out of four, further more with a few O/Birds not even started yet, I envisage more success. This week the loft timed at 3.46pm flying 186 miles, the cheq widowhood cock is of Leo Hermans breeding coming down from there impressive Stock Sire being 'Leo' this a son of the 'New Dream Pair' when paired to 'Powder' this a daughter of 'De Power' this yearling cheq cock has already scored finishing 28th Section 1392 pigeons finishing 30th Open 9167 pigeons from Tullamore; 35th Section 3546 pigeons finishing 145th Open 26883 pigeons from Clonmel and also 128th Open Rosscarbery. This week you can add 15th Section 3160 pigeons and 65th Open Fermoy 24375 pigeons to this ones CV. Was looking forward to calling at the Gibb lofts for have heard a lot of outstanding comments about the new family at the Gibb & Byrne Stud that being the the world renowned Hardy Kruger's of Germany Ian and Henry have made at least a couple of calls at Hardy's Loft and with many elite pigeons coming from this mans excellent family to the Gibb & Byrne Stud. I am expecting big things these where some of the best pigeons I have handled in some time including a young cock this a direct son of the World Famous 'Black Power' what a stunner. Will elaborate further on this family in another report.
Adie McCormick
Email celestiallofts@aol.com
Tel. 07921883997
http://www.pigeonnetwork.com
Clyde Rollins of the Hills & Maze Club holding 1st Club, 1st Section and 4th National Roscarbery
Baard multiple RPRA Award Winner and Dam of P & J Boals Roscarbery Winning Pigeon
Philip Boal had the National Race of the Weekend pictured here with his latest winner.
Young Bobby Sire of P & J Boals Winner from the Roscarbery OB National at the weekend.
Ian Gibb & Son Peter have won every race to date so far in the Glenavy HPS including first ten two weeks on the trot.
Higginson & Johnston from Lurgan, 1st Open NIPA Rosscarbery OB Nat.