Farming Life - Wednesday 16/07/14

[willie reynolds]

Kings Cup – Saint Allouestre

2014 has proved to be a very difficult year for pigeon racing with many losses reported throughout the season and especially since the start of the channel racing. It was surprising then that the entry for this year’s King’s Cup was the best since 1996, with 774 members sending 2807 birds. The race was originally scheduled for Friday 4th July but due to bad weather over the weekend basketing only took place on Saturday 5th July for a possible race on Tuesday. The weather in the week of the race remained unsettled and the race controllers were left with a choice of either liberating on the Tuesday with a forecast of showers and less wind or a drier day on Wednesday with stronger winds. It was decided to go for the Tuesday when the birds were fresher. Unfortunately more showers than were forecast bubbled up on the day. However the winds on the Wednesday were even stronger than forecast, so holding another day might not have made any difference.

The birds were liberated at 6.20am on Tuesday 8th July in a light north-westerly wind, and were competing for pools and prize-money of £29, 880. Unfortunately the race followed the pattern that we had become familiar with over the previous weekends and was much more difficult than we had hoped for. By nightfall only three pigeons were recorded on the first day, one being to the eventual winner B & P McEvoy, Castlebellingham/Boyne Valley and the other two pigeons to Jimmy Cullen of Bray Invitation. Tuesday night was an nervous night for the McEvoys as they knew that a pigeon timed early the next morning further north could beat them and it was mid morning on the second day before Philip and Blaine knew that they had won the most coveted race in Irish pigeon racing. When the race was closed there were only 40 birds timed with Hall of Fame awards going to J Cullen and W English of Lisburn, for pigeons three times in the prizes from the King’s Cup. Jimmy Cullen went on to time four birds in the result and Gerry O’Reilly Malahide had three in what was a very difficult race. Of the 40 birds timed 8 of them were Single Bird Challenge entrants. The race was sponsored by Frazer Animal Feeds and we are very grateful to them for their sponsorship.

Cullybackey lofts feature in the Kings Cup -

The Blue Riband of pigeon racing the INFC Grand Nat Kings Cup was flown from St Allouestre in France on Tuesday 8th July. 744 members entered 2807 pigeons competing for £37,480.00 pools and prize-money, the birds were released at 06:20 in a light west wind which was to turn north westerly on route. Just three gallant birds made home lofts on the day of liberation, overall winner was the first bird timed at 21.10hrs to the loft of P & B McEvoy in Castlebellingham. The two other day arrivals were timed by Jimmy Cullen of Bray Inv, a former winner of the race who all told had four birds home including one to win the Hall of Fame Diploma. Just 40 birds were recorded in the three days of the race. Those early on the second day included Wendell Scott of Cullybackey at 7.51am recording velocity 768 for the 506 miles taking 1st Club, 1st Mid Antrim Combine, 2nd North Sect & 4th Open INFC all pooled for a massive total of £4,521. Heather’s Delight now named after his daughter who gives a hand with the birds was a yearling Blue Cheq cock bred off very good distance bloodlines. The dam is out of stock obtained from John Downey & Sons of Laurelvale which has the best of McDowell Bros twice winners of the Kings Cup and Bob Harkness. The sire is a son of Paddy McManus good Jan Aarden cock the best lines of Invinsible Spirit. This cock has produced a whole line of winners. As a young bird Heather’s Delight raced the programme including Talbenny Nat finishing 11th Sect & 137th Open NIPA vel 1138 plus £325 and then two days later sent to the Blue Riband YB Nat to score 123rd North Sect & 129th Open INFC vel 1289 plus £290. Before the Kings Cup this year the bird had two inland races, Talbenny and the INFC Yearling Nat from Sennen Cove, 9th bird home. In the Mid Antrim area the Cullybackey HPS have a fantastic record at the distance, in the Kings Cup former winner Alan Darragh had a bird early on the second day and H & R McCloy also timed. All three lofts also recorded arrivals in the NIPA St Malo, another very difficult race with just over 100 birds home, Wendell Scott timed another yearling Blue Ch cock on the third day, this bird has been named Lorna’s Boy after his other daughter and finished 11th Sect & 90th Open NIPA St Malo.

Mid Antrim Combine St Allouestre Kings Cup – W Scott Cullybackey 768, A Darragh Cullybackey 609, H & R McCloy Cullybackey 415.

INFC Grand Nat Kings Cup Saint Allouestre 744/2807 – P & B McEvoy Castlebellingham 854 £1283, R Bell & Sons Edgarstown 798 £793, J Cullen Bray Inv 781 £582, W Scott Cullybackey 768 £4521, W Corrigan Loughgall 737 £2961, J Cullen Bray Inv 719 £353, R Williamson Bondhill 687 £293, R Kirkwood Lisburn & Dist 623 £1495, Cooley Bros & Son Newtown Kilpeddar 620 £1574, N Black & Son Dromara 610 £1240, A Darragh Cullybackey 609 £119, P Dunlop Edgarstown 606 £644, G O’Reilly Malahide & Dist 599 £440, G O’Reilly Malahide & Dist 589 £393, T McClean Annaghmore 584 £1036, R Williamson Bondhill 541 £119, H Gilligan Sallynoggin 538 £1408, Dando & Bennett Beechpark 488 £332, A Thompson Ballyclare 482 £949, G O’Reilly Malahide & Dist 477 £319, M/M D Suitters Doagh & Dist 471 £893, J Cullen Bray Inv 456 £122, E Murtagh & Sons Ind North 453 £881, J Robinson Edgarstown 442 £122, J Cullen Bray Inv 421 £122, J Fitzgerald Rathnew 419 £110, H Walsh & Son Millvale 417 £250, H & R McCloy Cullybackey 415 £113, W Catherwood & Sons Balltnahinch 414 £818, F Moran Malahide & Dist 407 £1093, K Byrne & Sons Newry & Dist 398 £287, R Matthews Sallynoggin 392 £450, W English Lisburn & Dist 389 £778, A Galloway Ind North 338 £454, T Marshall & Son Newtownbreda 323 £287, P & C Swindell Newry City 310 £108, Mulcahy Bros Cork Fed 301 £281, McGimpsey Bros Ards 297 £778, T Speers Malahide & Dist 284 £304, P Murtagh & Son Ballyholland 264 £363. Hall of Fame Diplomas – W English 2011 99th Open, 2013 156th Open, 2014 33rd Open. J Cullen 2012 63rd Open, 2013 210th Open, 2014 22nd Open.

Irish Clubs INFC Kings Cup
Boyne Valley RPC 13/41 – P & B McEvoy 854.
Edgarstown – R Bell & Sons 789, P Dunlop 606, J Robinson 442.
Cullybackey HPS – W Scott 768, A Darragh 609, H & R McCloy 415.

INFC Quimper Friendship Nat 263/994 – M/M D Suitters Doagh & Dist 600 £1050, C & L Woodside Ballyclare 597 £1347, B McAvoy Banbridge 520 £449, P & C Swindell Newry City 484 £60, J Doheny Malahide & Dist 460 £830, S Milligan & Daughter Tyrella 432 £324, J Cullen Bray Inv 400 £89, J Greenaway Bondhill 337 £114, J Cullen Bray Inv 331 £89, W Corrigan Loughgall 328 £217, Wall Bros Cork Fed 259 £202.

Photo caption

Wendell Scott and daughter Heather at Railway Lofts with the Kings Cup bird Heather’s Delight and St Malo bird.

Allen Kelly (r) and Jim Whiteside Omagh & District.

Home Alone 46 winner of 1st Open NIPA St Malo for Hector Cordner.

Alan Barkley from Kells & Dist, Silver Diploma winner.

Winner of 16th & 20th Open NIPA St Malo for Reid Bros & McCloy.

Speirs & Campbell from Cookstown, won third Silver Diploma from St Malo.

Annaghmore trio of NIPA Nat winners from (l) W G Neill, H Cordner and G Buckley.

EDC winners from St Malo both Annalong, Robert McDowell (r) Millar Gold Cup winner and Jim Cleland.