Farming Life - Wednesday 05/02/14

[willie reynolds]

Meetings arranged for Mid Antrim -The Harryville Clubrooms will be the venue for the AGM of Mid Antrim Combine, note the date Wednesday 12th March at 8.00pm. The AGM for Ballymena & District will take place in the local clubrooms at Fountain Place on Monday 10th February at 8.00pm. The AGM for Kells & District will take place in the local clubrooms on Thursday 20th February, the club will have a meeting this Thursday 6th February at 8.00pm to vote on the NIPA Agenda.

February Clearance Sales –
A Complete Clearance Sale has been booked for Mick Purcell, a former winner of the NCC One Loft Race in Coleraine. Chimney Corner Football Club in Antrim is the venue for the sale in two parts, Friday 14th February at 8.00pm with BOV at 7.00pm to be followed by the second part on Saturday 22nd February at 3.00pm, with BOV at 2.00pm. This is not a great time for a sale but due to emigrating to Australia Mick must sell all of his stock. On offer will be the very best of Ype Hemstras, Soontjens, Van Loon, Janssen, Herman Ceusters etc. Tel: 07737 275820.

Due to ill health a Complete Clearance Sale is to be held for Trevor Greenaway of Gilford & District. In two parts the sale will be held in the Banbridge British Legion on Thursday 13th February and Thursday 20th February at 8.00pm, birds on view from 7.00pm. Sale will include stock from a number of top lofts, Soontjen through Frank Sheader and Trevor Ford, Vandenabeele from Harmony Lofts, Willie Tass, Drum lines from Cock Crow Lofts, Terence McCrudden, son and daughter of the famous 147 of John Patterson which has already bred a 1st Open winner. All the above plus 2nd Talbenny YB Nat, 4 x 1st Sect winners etc. Tel: 07831 560399.

For Sale – Young birds from the Ace Cullybackey loft of Reid Bros & McCloy who had a best ever season racing in 2013 with a top result of 1st, 2nd & 3rd in the Mid Antrim Combine Portland. Good deals for larger numbers. Telephone Harry on Mobile: 07784 123056.

Millisle & District Moot – Friday 07/02/14
The annual Pigeon Moot for Millisle & District will be held in the First & Last Inn on Main Street Millisle on Friday 7th February. Admission £5 includes first class supper. The panel will cover all you need to know with Neil Frazer from Frazer Animal Feeds in Banbridge, Sean Diamond from the North Coast Classic One Loft Race based in Coleraine and from the Cullybackey HPS two of the ace racers in Mid Antrim Alan Darragh and Harry McCloy of Reid Bros & McCloy. John Hollinger is the Chairman, any queries contact John Tel: (028) 91 863536.

INFC – The AGM has been set for Lisburn Leisure Centre on Saturday 1st March, the Agenda and Balance Sheet should be with all members this week. Entry Forms will be enclosed for the Single Bird Challenge, a free entry once again and a pay-out of £2,000. A fantastic entry last year with the Joe Doheny Cup won by Billy McCaw (Ballymoney), in the Kings Cup race from St Allouestre.

NIPA – 2014 Secretary’s Report

All member clubs will now have at hand copies of the AGM Resolutions and the Balance Sheet for the 2013 season. The NIPA Annual General Meeting will be held in the Protestant Hall Glenavy on Saturday 15th February at 2.00pm, all member clubs are expected to call a meeting to mandate their Delegates on voting. There is plenty to discuss with 20 Resolutions down for decision and an opportunity to change the Old Bird & Young Bird race programmes.
The Secretary started his report for the year by saying the Balance Sheet is the worst set of figures he has ever presented with a defecit in the No 1 Account of £3,883 and the No 2 Account of £19,115. The General A/C defecit of £3,883 is mainly due to the rise in wages which we could not afford, we also made a presentation to Mr L Boyle our Patron on his 90th Birthday. The NIPA donated £1,000 to the presentation, and we would like to thank the RPRA for donating £2,000, the Irish Region for £1,000 and Stephen McGarry for £500. Mr Boyle was presented with a magnificent chair costing around £3,000 and Sky being installed into his room. This will assist to make his stay in his Nursing Home much more comfortable and enjoyable. His health is reasonably good and he wishes to thank everyone for their kind generosity.We will not have this expense in 2014.

The remainder of the expenditure is under control and is broadly in line with 2012. On the income side members fees have risen by £460. However we did lose 55 members. Pools and prize money was down by £10,224. The committee will do their utmost to hold down any increase to a minimum. The Transporter Account is in some difficulty, Income from birdage down around £18,000 some 40 to 45,000 less birds entered in races. I have never seen such a massive drop in birdage. If the number of birds transported had remained the same the transporter account would have looked respectful.

We reduced expenditure by £7,205. The Committee will have to look at expenditure and see if we can make any more savings. There has been no increase in crate costs for quite a number of years, on these figures an increase looks likely, not welcome news I am sure your committee will hold any increase to a minimum. At the moment we have over capacity with seven transporters collecting pigeons, it would make sense to reduce our transporters to six, however this would mean great inconvenience to members with collection times advancing. I do not have a solution for this problem.

We must do everything possible to increase the number of birds being transported. I will comment on this problem when speaking about certain resolutions.
Pigeon Line income is up I feel this income will fall in the future as more and more members are getting all the information they need on the Web Site. Income from Dept. of Employment is welcome at £1,725. This is money given by the government if you give someone a job who is currently out of work and signing on the bureau.

There was a loss this year on other transport income, convoying charges and National races. The committee have already looked at this problem with the auditors and will take steps in 2014 to try and rectify this problem. This loss would have been much higher if we had not received income from other organisations as we transported their pigeons to a number of races.
The balance sheet is still very strong. Bank interest received of £6,061 helped to reduce the overall value of your organisation by £16,937.61 and some good news a further £2,367 has been received and lodged for transportation costs. This amount will be carried forward to 2014.

Your Organisation is valued at £624,053.39. Some members believe this is a cash balance, it is not it includes all your assets.
We all need to encourage new members into our organisation more members means more birds, and more birds means more revenue and that helps to keep the costs down.
At THIS TIME WE DO NOT NEED TO TURN AWAY REVENUE FOR THE NIPA.

If anyone needs any further clarification on these accounts feel free to phone and ask or call at the NIPA office where you will be made most welcome.
It is good to have such a strong balance sheet as it can stand this loss.
The Resolutions this year number 20. You must ask yourself, are they all in the interests of the NIPA and its members.
I cannot tell you what way to vote that would be wrong of me. I can only ask you to look at them carefully, study them, and ask yourself do we really need that change and be certain in your own mind that it is in the interest of ALL the members of the NIPA and the organisation .

The NIPA committee will issue each club with guide lines as to how birds are being race-marked on the ETS system. These guide lines must be introduced by your club, you can not deviate from them.
They must be followed to the letter and the NIPA will set up teams of members to call unannounced at your club to check on everything. They will make a report and if any club is found to be breaking rules they will be in serious trouble.
DRUG TESTING WILL TAKE PLACE THIS YEAR ANYONE CAN HAVE THEIR BIRDS TESTED.
If we suspect there is something going on your clubs birds will be checked before being allowed to continue to the race point. If ANY MEMBER HAS ANY DOUBTS PLEASE CONTACT ME IN STRICT CONFIDENCE.
The 2013 season is over and a new season is just around the corner.

There are many people I would like to thank for the assistance given to our organisation.
The President, Vice Presidents, Committee members Race Controllers, Transport Manager, Drivers, Secretary`s, Result Secretary`s, who now can send me a result on the day of the race and a full result published by mid-morning the following day what a change. Remember you can now E-mail your result. Met Erin, fanciers on route keeping us informed regarding weather conditions in their area especially those in Wales, England, Channel Islands, and in France. To all of you a sincere, thank you from all the members of the NIPA.

Before I conclude my report I must bring it to your attention how all organisations must work together our sport is on the decline and in not to many distant years the number of pigeon fanciers will fall dramatically.
In Southern Ireland we need all the friends we can get, remember it is where the majority of our racing takes place. There are people not pigeon men trying to do their utmost at trying to ban pigeon racing through-out IRELAND. We must do our utmost to keep Dublin Airport Authorities on our side work with them to try and prevent a serious crash involving racing pigeons. If this should ever happen it would be the end of our sport in an instance. BALLDONNELL MILITARY AIRPORT WHICH IS SITUATED SOUTH WEST OF DUBLIN - DO NOT LIBERATE PIGEONS ANYWHERE NEAR THEIR SITE THEY WANT ALL OF US BANNED.

When we are on the mainland at Talbenny, Bude and Penzance, liberations should be kept to a minimum so as pigeons are not crossing the Airport all day.
What I have told you is serious we are doing our part to cooperate please do you yours.
I hope the weather is kind to us in 2014 and we all enjoy a wonderful season. Fred Russell Sec.

Big Winners at Blackpool -

The recent Blackpool Show was enjoyed by the large number of local fanciers who made the annual trip to the Winter Gardens, lots to see and a number of sales both inside and a large number outside the Winter Gardens. Saturday evening at the Blackpool Tower Ballroom the RPRA have their Gala with Presentation of Awards for 2013. These were normally kept secret until the big night but with the internet now and other media most are aware of the various winners a lot earlier. Northern Ireland were to fare well again with P & J Boal from Dromore winning the Selby Thomas Memorial Trophy for the Sprint Award with their Champion “Bijou” and then young Jack Delaney and Ronan McCambridge from Ashfield were to collect the Young Fancier Guy Barrett Trophy and 1st Young Fancier Short Distance. A great weekend for the County Down, and the entire fancy in Ireland.
“Bijou” 1st RPRA National Sprint Award, Selby Thomas Memorial Trophy, All UK. 1st Irish Region RPRA 0-250mls, 1st Open NIPA, NIPA Champion Old Bird 2013, 1st, 7th,7th 13th, 26th, 36th 154th OPEN & NATIONALS, 3 x 1st Sections, plus winning £3,500.
HOMER. Willie Reynolds
Tel/Fax: (028) 256 44683
Mobile: 07538 238364
Twitter: willie reynolds@homerbhw
Email: reynoldshomer@aol.com www.pigeonnetwork.com


Photos Attached -

“Bijou” 1st RPRA National Sprint Award, Selby Thomas Memorial Trophy, All UK. 1st Irish Region RPRA 0-250mls, 1st Open NIPA, NIPA Champion Old Bird 2013, 1st, 7th,7th 13th, 26th, 36th 154th Open & Nationals, 3 x 1st Sections, plus winning £3,500.

J Whitten & Son, top prizewinner and young bird ave winner in Edgarstown.

S & E Buckley Edgarstown, r/u for top prizewinner and YB Ave.