Nenagh (2) - 02/05/09

[willie reynolds]

Murray & Son top Fed and Section from Nenagh

The East Down Combine pigeons were back in Nenagh for their fourth race of the season on Saturday 2 May. Weather conditions were perfect with the birds liberated in a west-southwesterly wind at 11.30am. This is probably the most favourable wind for South Down fanciers and this is borne out by the number of Open and section positions taken by Federation members. While the East Down Combine Open was won by Crossgar’s S & K Duke Federation members had nine birds in the top twenty of the Open result and fourteen in the East section result.

The winners of the South Down Fed, A Murray & Son Dundrum had a superb race this week when they took the top six positions in their club, with the winning pigeon also taking 1st South Down Fed, 1st East section and 2nd Open East Down Combine. This was a great race for Archie and Paddy who had been getting closer every week. I’m sure that Archie and Paddy will be proud to bring the Eric Carlisle trophy back to Dundrum. Eric presented the trophy to the South Down Fed for the winner of the fourth Old Bird race.

The winning pigeon is a two-year-old Maurice Corriens blue cock. The sire and dam of the cock are brother and sister, with both being first prize winners in the club. Two half sisters of these 2 birds have both won 2nd Open East Down Combine for the Murrays in the past, an amazing feat for these three birds to finish 2nd Open. The sire of the blue cock is also the sire of a blue hen that was 2nd Section 10th Open EDC young bird Marybank 2004, while the dam of this week’s winner is the mother of '66', who has 10 x 1st clubs, 3 x 1st SDF and 1 x 1st Section as well as numerous other positions. She is the dam of over 6 different first prizewinners for the former King’s Cup winners.

Tyrella’s S Halpin & Sons are definitely a loft on form taking second and third South Down Fed this week. Their first bird is also 2nd East section and 3rd Open East Down Combine, while their second bird is 3rd east section, 5th Open East Down Combine. They have another two birds outside the Fed result that take 13th and 19th section, so all in all a good day’s racing.

Their first pigeon is a Busschaert/Vandenabeele yearling cock, with the Busschaert lines coming from F Black & Sons Downpatrick. The sire was a first Open Talbenny winner for the Blacks. The Vandenabeele lines come from Yates of Tamworth.

Their second pigeon is a Yearling Soontjens cock from John Abernethy, Ballynahinch and won the Harmony Lofts Hot Spot prize.

Noel Maguire Annsborough is the proverbial small team fancier with only a dozen pigeons racing, and he takes 4th Fed, 6th East section, 12th Open here. Noel’s pigeon is a yearling Van Rijn hen from Bob McMeekin, Kingsmoss. This is a terrific achievement for Noel competing against so many big teams.

Annsborough’s Paddy McCartan, in his first year racing is 5th Fed, 7th East section, and 13th Open East Down Combine. Paddy also has another bird outside the Fed result that takes 15th section. Taking these results with his 10th Fed from Tullamore it’s a magnificent start to his racing career. The pigeon timed is a yearling Soontjens cock from McKinstry Bros Dromara, who have been a great help in getting Paddy started in the sport and he has obviously taken everything on board that they have told him. This was this cock’s second race having been unraced as a young bird. When I was talking to Paddy he was also full of praise for the members of Annsborough club for all they help and support they have given him.

K Rooney & Son Annalong, are another loft who had a super race here with four birds in the Fed result at 6th, 7th, 9th and 10th. These birds also take 8th, 9th, 11th and 12th East section, and 15th, 16th, 20th and 21st Open East Down Combine, with only 2 seconds separating the four pigeons. Kevin continues to be as dedicated as ever but with long working hours at the moment relies more on young Kristopher for the day to day preparation of the pigeons and Kristopher has certainly risen to the task.

Their first pigeon is a three-year-old Soontjens cock that has had two previous wins together with many other positions at club and Fed level.

The pigeon at 7th Fed is a Lindelauf/Janssen yearling hen, while their third pigeon is a Janssen x Bastien Bros yearling cock. Their fourth pigeon is a four year old Soontjens which is a multiple prizewinner right through to Penzance.
The result is completed by Tyrella’s S Milligan & Dtr who are 8th Fed, 10th section and 19th Open East Down Combine. This is another good result for Sean and Jennifer who are beginning to show signs of getting back to their best. The pigeon timed here is a yearling hen from their Adire Van Der Rhee stock. This pigeon was in her first race of the season.

Full Result: 1, A Murray & Son Dundrum 1864; 2, 3, S Halpin & Sons Tyrella 1863, 1861; 4, N Maguire Annsborough 1857; 5, P McCartan Annsborough 1856; 6, 7, K Rooney & Son Annalong 1855, 1855; 8, S Milligan & Dtr Tyrella 1854.85; 9, 10, K Rooney & Son 1854.19, 1854.19; P McCartan 1851 ABCD £31; M Croskery & Son Annsborough 1820 ABCD £20.40; M Croskery Annsborough 1810 ABCD £13.60; D McNabb & Sons Tyrella 1807 Nom £8.50:

• The Skibbereen Classic this week carries a £2 Nom. One bird per loft winner takes all.
• There is no DTW this week but resumes from 2nd Mallow
• The loft KO also resumes from 2nd Mallow with some interesting ties.

Brendan McLoughlin PO