Carrick/Larne/Ballyclare - 28/11/13

[willie reynolds]

Horseshoe HPS: The local Larne club held their first show last Saturday, the judges from Carrickfergus were George Robinson and Eddie Gilliland. Old Hens T/W – 1st & 3rd S & S O’Toole Sons & Daughters, 2nd C Campbell, 4th S McGarel & Sons, VHC, HC & Reserve K & F Hagans, Commended Hamilton & Clements. Old Hens Handled – 1st C Campbell, 2nd & 4th K & D Hagans, 3rd, VHC & Reserve Rea & Magill, HC & Commended S & S O’Toole Sons & Daughters. Old Cocks T/W – 1st & HC C Campbell, 2nd S Burns, 3rd, VHC & Reserve K & F Hagans, 4th S McGarel & Sons, Commended Hamilton & Clements. Old Cocks Handled – 1st Rea & Magill, 2nd, 3rd & HC K & F Hagans, 4th, Commended & Reserve S McGarel & Sons, VHC S Burns.

Larne & District HPS – The local club held its 1st weekly show last Saturday 16th November and a fantastic 570 birds were penned, a great turn-out of both members and birds. The members of Larne & District HPS would like to thank all the judges for an excellent job they done with such a large turnout of birds. The judges were A & N Lewis, Syd Collins, Bob McMeekin who still has a good eye for the birds, Arnie Thompson, R Wilson and Chris Lowry, all from the Doagh and surrounding area, many thanks again.

Results: Old Cocks T/W - 1st W McWhirter, 2nd S & W Gray, 3rd McCormick & McCurdy, 4th & Commended G K & I Moxham VHC A S McNaghten, HC W McWhirter.
Old Hens T/W - 1st Beggs & Hall, 2nd A McCormick, 3rd A.S McNaghten, 4th Crawford & Robinson, VHC D & P Harvey, HC W McWhirter, C R Glass.
Old Cocks Handled - 1st W McWhirter, 2nd G K & I Moxham, 3rd N Ferguson & Son, 4th S & W Gray, VHC Beggs & Hall, HC M Witherspoon, Commended A S McNaghten.
Old Hens Handled - 1st & Commended A S McNaghten, 2nd J & D McWhirter, 3rd McCormick & McCurdy, 4th W McWhirter, VHC A McCormick, HC Beggs & Hall.
Eye Sign - 1st & 2nd McCormick & McCurdy, 3rd, 4th & VHC W McWhirter, HC D & P Harvey, Commended W Ferguson & Partners.
Best in Show was won by A.S.McNaghten and Best Opposite Sex by Willie McWhirter.

Larne & District HPS – The Annual Monster Show will take place in the clubrooms at Old Glenarm Road, Larne, Co Antrim on Saturday 30th November 2013. Penning 10am – 1pm, Judging 2pm – 5pm, Prize Distribution 5.30pm. Entry Fee £1 per bird - Judges from Top Lofts.

Six Classes: Old Cocks, Old Hens, Young Cocks, Young Hens, Old & Young Bird Eye-sign (may be duplicated). Best In Show £100 and Best Opposite Sex £50.
Prizes For All Classes: 1st, 2nd, and 3rd – Bag Of Feeding , 4th Feeding Trough, VHC Hormoform, HC Grit & Mineral, C Tin of Roses.

There will be a Monster Show Auction – On offer a select draft of youngsters donated by local fanciers - £1,000 Prize-money to be raced for from Rosscarbery National or equivalent race and open to all NIPA Members. Mr Ryan Barr (Pigeon Diagnostics) will be in attendance to carry out any throat swabs and dropping testing, Robert Kirkwood (Lisburn), and Gerald Delaney from Oroory Hill Stud. Local clubs should let me have details of the show series and prize night details for publication.

Some items coming out of the last NIPA meeting for the membership to be aware of.

No organisation can liberate pigeons within 50K of the East Coast of Southern Ireland, South of Dublin. The NIPA is planning to introduce a ban on releasing pigeons within 20K of Dublin Airport.
Any member found to be breaking this rule will obviously have to deal with the Garda, and if found to be guilty will be banned from racing for a period of 5 years.
Any NIPA member who sends pigeons for training purposes with Southern Clubs or transporters to have them released near the East Coast, if found guilty will also receive a 5 year ban.
it is important to see these rules are carried out if any of our members pigeons are found to be involved in a strike with an aircraft and have broken or bent these rules all of us are in deep trouble with the relevant authorities.
It is up to you to keep the sky as clear of pigeons around Dublin Airport as possible. I am in no doubt these measures will spread to other airports throughout the UK and IRELAND.
In the UK the RPRA Rules state "The liberation of pigeons within an 8 mile radius of the following aerodromes is forbidden. That list included Belfast International and City and they have also listed Dublin and Cork.

Something else new coming up, a new procedure for operating the ETS at race marking to be published and made available for use by all clubs, and will be listed in the Rules. Nothing has been updated in writing since the introduction of ETS, it appears there is no consistency in the operation of the various clubs in membership. I am hoping as well when the decision is taken it includes race marking using Race Sheets, either that or the rule on Race Sheets is taken out. The next meeting of the NIPA is this week, lots of items under discussion prior to the AGM in the New Year.

Photo Captions

151837 - Robert Rea with judges Eddie Gilliland and George Robinson from Carrick Social.

Sharon O'Toole won Old Hen T/W at Horseshoe show in Larne.

Colin Campbell won Old Cock T/W at the Horseshoe show last Saturday.