Farming Life - Wednesday 09/04/14

[willie reynolds]

Ahoghill Prize Night –

Ahoghill Flying Club presented the prizes for the 2013 racing season at a function held in their own clubrooms on Friday 28th March, a good number of members were present, and plenty of food and minerals for all concerned. I have attended many functions for the club going back a long time, all over in a flash. I had recently come across a front page article I had penned for the BHW in 1988, the Ahoghill Dinner for that year was held in the Leighinmohr Hotel in Ballymena, a full house with guests including Mr & Mrs Tom McCarroll and Ballymena Mayor Alderman Sandy Spence with Mrs Spence. All have now sadly passed away including Mrs Spence who had died earlier in the week.

Highest prize-winner was Geoff Bell who raced to Gracehill at that time, winning eight races over the entire season, and he could show a bit as well. Geoff is back in the sport living and racing in the big Ballymena & Dist sending a few young birds last year and enjoying the sport as always, I did hear he was at Blackpool. Looking back to 1988 the leading lofts were G Bell, Balmer T Young & Sons, A Young still Secretary, D Mark (top prize-winner in 1987), C Young and V Bell. My old friend Jimmy Martin was still winning the odd race into Gracehill, he wrote a column for the BHW under the pen name “Provincial”. Many a good night I had in his company. This was all five years before the arrival of the local milkman Paddy McManus lifting Highest prize-winner for the first time, and racing as Young McManus & Sons they have lifted the title 21 seasons on the trot bringing us right up to date.

Chairman Tom Young welcomed those present and was assisted in the presentation by brother Albert the hard working Secretary who had the paperwork complete. As I had said earlier Young McManus & Sons were Highest prize-winner collecting a fantastic 17 x 1sts, 14 x 2nds and 11 x 3rds plus numerous other positions in the Top 6, followed by Jimmy Smyth & Son, A & N Young, Charlie Young, Mr & Mrs Robinson, Balmer T Young & Son, J Orr & Son, Davy Lowry, David Stevenson, John Balmer and Chris Moore.

Young McManus & Sons won most cups and trophies including – Points Cup, 6th O/B Race, Best Ave first two Y/B Races, Brooke Supply Cup, OB Average, 6th Y/B Race, YB Average, Y/B Skibbereen, Bude Cup, 5th O/B Race, Yearling Cock Nat, Yearling Hen Nat, 9th O/B Race, 1st O/B Race, 3rd O/B Race, 8th Y/B Race, Old Bird Inland Ave, Combined Ave, 7th Y/B Race, 5th Y/B Race, 7th O/B Race, 3rd Y/B Race, 2nd O/B Race, Love Trophy, Cross Channel Average.
J Smyth & Son won – St Malo O/B Nat Cup, Best Ave Talbenny & Rosscarbery Y/B Nat, Talbenny Y/B National. C Moore won - Kings Cup St Allouestre, Show Trophy. D Lowry won – 4th Y/B Race, A & N Young won – 8th O/B Race, C Young won – 4th O/B Race.

Some of the major highlights in the old birds were at the distance, J Smyth & Son had the best bird in Portland after the birds were returned from France and Chris Moore who is setting himself up for distance racing had the best local bird in the Kings Cup. Paddy McManus had a good 1st, 2nd & 3rd Sect B in the NIPA Comeback Roscrea flown in May and then took 1st Combine & Sect in the Yearling Hens National from Rosscarbery. Another good year in Ahoghill and the members have not long to wait for the start of a new racing season.

INFC: The agreed race programme for 2014 is as follows: Tuesday 27th May Skibbereen North, Wednesday 11th June Yearling Sennen Cove, Friday 4th July Grand Nat Kings Cup St Allouestre, Friday 11th July Friendship OB Nat Quimper, Wednesday 3rd September YB Grand Nat Penzance, Saturday 20th September YB Skibbereen North. The closing date for membership is 28TH April 2014, no applications will be considered after this date. For history and results have a look at www.irishnationalflyingclub.com

NIPA: Race season starts this weekend with a race from Tullamore in Co Offaly Saturday 12th April weather permitting, please return results ASAP following the race my website www.pigeonnetwork.com has a Result Board for all Clubs in Ireland. Space for a photo of the weekend winner and a short report, I can recover details from there. All clubs who use the ETS must on marking night put the Basketing Sheet in the NIPA Envelope and give to the lorry driver. The Knock-off list/arrival on race days to be put in the NIPA Envelope with the Official Result and returned to the NIPA Office. Failure by any club to carry out the above will be disqualified from that race. All clubs must Fax or E-mail results to the NIPA on the day of liberation, deadline 10.00pm for inland and 11.00pm for cross channel. For those with a computer ask Fred Russell to send you a Result Form, this can be filled in and returner via e-mail for each race, it’s the way I will be going. Fax Number for Results is (028) 92 693913, E-mail for NIPA Secretary is nipapigeons@hotmail.co.uk

NIPA: Old Birds - April 12th Tullamore, April 19th Roscrea, April 26th Roscrea, May 3rd Clonmel, May 10th Mallow, May 17th Rosscarbery Inland Nat, May 24th Talbenny, May 31st Bude, May 31st Rosscarbery Yearling Cock/Hen Nat, June 7th Truro, June 7th Mallow 5 Bird Championship, June 14th Mallow, June 14th Penzance Classic, June 21st Penzance, June 21st Roscrea Comeback, June 27th St Malo (France) National.

NIPA: Young Birds - July 19th Area Liberations, July 26th Area Liberations, August 2nd Mass Liberation, August 9th Roscrea, August 16th Clonmel, August 23rd Fermoy, August 30th Talbenny National, August 30th Comeback Race, September 6th Fermoy, September 6th Fermoy 5 Bird Championship, September 13th Rosscarbery Inland National.

Training 2014 – Homer started the season on Monday 7th April covering the same route as last season going to Oxford Island. Probably each Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday when racing starts weather permitting of course. Calling with Danny Dixon in Dunloy, Cullybackey, and at Ahoghill Clubrooms. Tel or Text Homer: 07538 238364, sorry I lost my phone contact numbers late last year. Also training in Ballymena, Tom McAlonan Tel: 07561 417232 and Harry Richmond Tel: 07796 304926.
Ballymoney HPS - The club have a few rings left over available at 28p each. Contact Secretary Derek McMullan Tel: (028) 20 741284.

RUSSELL Martin – It is with sadness I report the passing of Martin Russell, Dromore. He had been ill over the last number of months but was still getting about and making arrangements for the new racing season. Racing with brother Fred, M & F Russell were ace racers in the Dromore area for as long as I can remember winning numerous races including 1st Open NIPA and Sect D Fancier of the Year on numerous occasions. Fred has been Secretary of the NIPA for a long time, and I first came across Martin during his time as Secretary of the Irish Nat FC when I would be looking for results and other info. Until it closed a few years back it was Martin Russell who supplied the results for the Ireland’s Saturday Night, a not miss paper at the time. He passed away peacefully at home on Friday April 4th, the funeral service was held on Tuesday 8th April in the First Presbyterian Church Non Subscribing, Dromore followed by interment in the ajoining burying ground. Family flowers only, donations if desired for Macmillan Nursing Care and Marie Curie, c/o R J Poots & Co Funeral Directors, 6 Circular Road, Dromore BT25 1AL. On behalf of the local fancy sincere condolences to the family circle including daughter Amanda, son Mark, brother Fred and sister Jennifer.

Photo Captions

22.21.50 - Paddy McManus with Chairman Tom Young (l) and on the (r) Secretary Albert Young.

22.23.53 - Jimmy Smyth won the Old Bird Nat from Portland.