Over View of 1972

[Administrator]

IRISH ARCHIVES
By Adie McCormick
http://www.pigeonnetwork.com

1972 was yet another very difficult year for fanciers with regards losses as a consequence of bad weather. Dinard turned out very difficult indeed following what was one of the best races from that race point the year previous. To be fair many thousands of pigeons were lost across the whole of the UK and indeed many French pigeons unfortunately never seen the French coastline.

With some 4,549 pigeons entered by members of the three organisations broke down as follows 3,395 by NIPA members, 607 birds by East Down Combine members and finally 547 hopefuls dispatched by the members of the Ulster Federation. In all only five pigeons were recorded on the day, four in the NIPA and one in the East Down Combine, what makes this more remarkable is the fact that all the gallant pigeons that made it home were clocked after 10.30pm including two after 11pm.

The NIPA O/Bird Derby was won by the very well established Larne partnership of Calwell & Francis who timed their Blue Cheq W/Flight Hen at 11.05pm on a velocity of 849ypm to win £631. She contains the Old Van Custem blood on her Sires side and Putman x Delmotte on the Dam’s side from “Butterfly”, a winner of 15th Open Rennes, also the blood of Billy McClugages “Wee Hen”, four times St Malo. The winner has been named “Lahama Queen” and she just pipped the gallant pigeon who finished 2nd Open by the tightest of margins (1 Decimal) this pigeon was raced by Billy Gabbey of Comber.

The Ulster Federation was decided on the second day, with no pigeons timed on the day of liberation, first out of the traps to record 1st Open was the hard working Boucher Bros of the Sydenham Club. They timed early second morning to win from Mulligan Bros of Ligoniel in 2nd followed by Walter Allen & Son of the strong Lagan Valley RPC. Boucher Bros timed a nice tidy 2 year old Blue Cheq Hen named “Parkside Lady” sent sitting 14 days and had never fed any youngsters prior to being sent to France. She had races from Arklow, Dungraven and Haverford before being jumped to Dinard. Incidentally she flew Dinard as a yearling for their father who then left the sport so she was broken to the loft during the winter. She is bred from a Blue Cheq Pied cock from a pair that the Brothers bought from Kirkwood Bros and the Dam a Blue Cheq of Gits and Moore breeding.

The East Down Combine had one of the hardest Dinards in recent times with only one pigeon home in race time. That pigeon was raced and timed by Benson Bros of Annsborough and an article on their achievement is listed below.

Tommy Cairns of Monkstown won the INFC Kings Cup race from Nantes and drives away in a Brand New Ford Escort after having the winning pigeon nominated in the Car Nom. The INFC had no returns on the day from Nantes with Tommy timing on the 2nd morning to win the race ahead of Major McIntyre and son Duncan of Larne who finished 2nd Open. Once again an article on Tommy’s achievement is listed below with also some detail on the Major pigeon that finished 2nd Open.

The Vaux Usher Race was flown in 1972 from Beauvais following its cancelation in 1971. Winner was the Hall & Parkes partnership from Hillsborough with a blue Cheq Hen that had previously flown Dinard in 1971. As a yearling this class looking article flew through to Penzance and as a Y/Bird to Skibbereen and had always been consistent. It was the partnerships intentions to send her to Nantes this year but first they preferred her to fly Beauvais. However, sent sitting 12 days on eggs she was clocked shortly after 9am the following morning, no birds on the day and she was to beat the second bird by several hours. She contains the blood of “Fechan Lass”, “Warringtons 125”, “Fechan Lad” and “Cinderella”.
Runner-up was former Kings Cup winner Anthony McDonnell of Coleraine, with a beautiful Blue Hen named “Blue Bann”. She is bred in the purple, her dam being from the Blue Stock Hen, four times France twice Dinard and twice in the money from Nantes. The Red Hen was mated to her nephew a Dark Cheq Cock who finished 68th Open Nantes in 1970 which is some achievement as is any pigeon flying up into Coleraine or further, Anthony is the furthest flying INFC member to ever win the Kings Cup (Still to this day 2009). The 2nd Open Beauvais hen is a cracker and really looks the part and in fact won the local Open show during the winter from 134 entries in an Old Hens Class.

Traditionally the Penzance Y/Bird National remains a very difficult race for many and is considered one of the hardest Y/B Nationals in the World. With the vast amount of sea to cross, especially when the wind is in the West, it is a test even for the O/Birds let alone Y/birds only a few months old. However, 1972 seen a record entry of 2,934 pigeons liberated at 7.10am. The game and very keen ones this is their first attempt at a Channel crossing and the Irish Sea can be a treacherous one, only the game and the keenest will prevail what happens to the many hundreds every year that don’t attempt it? who knows? The winning bird in 1972 named “Shane Hill Lass” is bred and raced by Bill Troughton of Portadown on a velocity of 890ypm, this game Blue Cheq Pied Hen wins the McGugan Cup and £358 in prize money. The winning pigeon was timed at the Shane Hill Lofts at 5pm flying just short of 300 miles dispatched noticing an old cock. She is pure Delbar and has magnificent feather. She has odd eyes, one a gravel and the other eye we associate with Pied pigeons, not a bull, but a very dark eye. 2nd Open goes to Henry Beattie of Laurelvale with a black Harkness Cock sent calling a hen to the nest. This young cock called “Black Chief”, is related to Bob Harkness’s “Black Prince” winner of the race in 1971 and like the “Prince” the “Chief” wins a colour TV Set plus £522.

The remarkable thing about the Penzance race is from 1970 all the winners of the TV Sets including 1970, 71 and now 72 have all been Harkness pigeons. 1970 saw Gilmour & Beattie win the race and the TV Set, 1971 was Bob Harkness himself. What a record for one breed of pigeon, and all related to the famous “Dol Hen”. “Black Chief” is from a Black Cheq Cock, a son of Bob Harkness’s 5th Open Dol Winner and a black Hen flown France twice, Dinard 1971 and home on the fourth morning at 6.30am from the hard Nantes race of 1972, so he’s certainly bred in the purple. Henry Beattie is working his way up to the top in Irish National Flying Club Races and in 1970 he was 3rd Open from Beauvais, now he is 2nd Open Penzance so there’s still room for him to take another step up.

Philip Turner of Moira is fast making a name for himself in NIPA Derby races. 1971 seen him win 5th Section, 18th Open Dinard O/Bird Derby and lift £175 in the process with a nice Blue Cheq Hen. She is bred from a Blue Cheq Pied Dark Cock a son of Syd Montgomery’s Krauth Cock, “Paddy II”. His latest triumph is winning 1st South West Section, 1st Open NIPA Haverford Y/Bird Derby with 5,722 pigeons competing winning £800. The winning bird is a Blue Tip Cock send feeding a big 18 day old youngster and calling his hen to the nest once again. He had three flights to go. At first from Dublin he was 4th Club and 1st 2 – Bird Club lifting all the pools. Incidentally his nest mate a Red Pied, won the race. The Blue Tip competed in all the Inland races and Haverford and as well as flying the Open loft he usually had a couple of training flights per week from Newry. His Sire is a red containing, the famous McCarrtney Bros Blood of Moira and Nelson of Gilford. Dam of the Tip is a Blue Cock (W/F) from Billy Beattie of Donacloney and contains the blood of the Tony Mitchell birds of Lurgan. Philip who has been in the sport about 8 years seems to have a few good birds around him and knows how to handle them. One thing that will strike you is the excellent ventilation in the loft. Good for health and only healthy birds can win races.

Well as I do with each year’s achieve I mention a few of the stats making the headlines on the sports front.

Football first of all and 1972 seen Leeds take on Arsenal in the F A Cup final with Leeds Utd coming out on top after Alan Clarke scored a 53rd minute goal to see the Leeds team triumphant, taking the Cup from the previous years winners Arsenal. On the European front Glasgow Rangers were to win the European Cup Winners Cup after defeating Dynamo Moscow 3 – 2 in the final which was played at the Nou Camp in front of 124,701 fans after taking a 3 – 0 lead. What a road they had to the final and more specifically with the happenings in the second round of the competition when they were drawn against Sporting. Rangers played at home first of all and won the match 3 – 2, on the return leg to Sporting they won 3 – 2, so into extra time and with both teams scoring a goal a piece the match finished 6 – 6. The referee for the match incorrectly called a penalty shoot out, which Sporting won 3 – 0. UEFA later ruled that Rangers had won the tie on away goals. The European Championship was also played in 1972 in Belgium the event running every four years. The 1972 winners were West Germany who beat The USSR 3 – 0 in the final in which Muller scored two of the winning goals. Bill Nicholson’s Spurs won the UEFA Cup 3 – 2 on aggregate after defeating Wolves over two legs with Northern Ireland’s Pat Jennings in the goal for Spurs. Ajax for the second year on the trot won the European Cup after defeating Inter Milan 2 – 0 in the final. In the subsequent European Super Cup Ajax defeated Glasgow Rangers 5 – 3 on aggregate after 2 legs.

Golf next and the British Open was won by Le Trevino with Jack Nicklaus lifting the US Open. Just one more worth a noting is on the snooker front Alex ‘Hurricane’ Higgins from Belfast won the World Snooker Championship out shining John Spencer by 37 frames to 32.

Back to pigeons and below you will find a number of short stories based upon these exceptional winners and lofts of 1972 and please should you have any material about you that you would like to see published as mentioned above, please forward it on to the address listed at the bottom of this article.

Adie McCormick
18 Tonagh Gardens
Lisburn, Co.Antrim
N.Ireland. BT28 1BX
Tel 028 92 604778
Email celestiallofts@aol.com