Farming Life - Wednesday 21/10/15

[willie reynolds]

H Beattie & Son Open Evening –

The Seagoe Hotel in Portadown was the setting once again for the Annual Open Evening when they celebrate the achievements in the sponsored races in the INFC and NIPA during the old bird programme. They have been involved in both races for many years, the Friendship Nat from France was won by the late Henry Beattie and he always had a strong link to this particular race, each year the H Beattie & Son trophy is presented for the 2 Bird Average. Race winner in 2015 in a fast race from Quimper was M Maguire & Son from Millvale recording velocity 1796ypm. B Cahill from Skerries in East Coast Federation finished runner-up and G & C Topley from Laurelvale 3rd. The sponsors prizes were 1st 3 bags mixture, 2nd 2 bags mixture and 3rd 1 bag mixture.

They have sponsored the NIPA in many ways going back a long time, at present the Fermoy 5 Bird for Old Birds is the race choice, they present 2 bags corn for each 1st Sect winner. In 2015 the result was as follows.

NIPA Open Fermoy 5B Championship 421/1883 –
1-1D McKinstry Bros Dromara 1647. 2-2D McKinstry Bros 1644, 3-3D Doonan & McGuinness Dromore 1636, 4-4D Doonan & McGuinness 1630, 5-5D Russell Bros Dromara 1628, 6-6D S G Briggs Lisburn & Dist 1622, 7-1C Bingham & Seaton Derriaghy 1621, 8-7D McKinstry Bros 1617, 9-2C M & T Griffith Eastway 1612, 10-1G S Ogle Drumnavaddy 1609.

Best in each NIPA Section: Sect A 35/170 – J McCormick Cookstown 1537; Sect B 72/311 – B Swann & Son Kells & Dist 1555; Sect C 53/215 – Bingham & Seaton Derriaghy 1621; Sect D 41/190 – McKinstry Bros Dromara 1647; Sect E 101/462 – A Craig Laurelvale 1565; Sect F 26/108 – G & P Brown Corrigs 1576; Sect G 44/211 – S Ogle Drumnavaddy 1609; Sect H 35/141 – R Witherow Limavady 1442.

As well as the winners guests travelled from far and wide including good friend Robert Richardson from Scotland and guests from Dublin including Eugene Fitzgerald the INFC President. On the top table Cyril Beattie welcomed the friends, guests and award winners to the function and introduced son Geoffrey who he said had been working in the company for the past number of months and was now to fill the Manager role, he himself was stepping back to have more time to himself and with the birds. Sammy Briggs was present for the INFC Charity Show which he has been involved in almost from the start, getting near 40 years for the Show Committee and raising close to £400,000. The move to Lisburn from Belfast, took a bit of getting used to and over the last two seasons Sammy and the team have brought back the show pigeons, and stalls booked this time are at an all-time high. Show Date at Lisburn Leisure Centre is Saturday 5th December and raffle tickets out to most local clubs should be returned by that date. Two cheques for £1,000 each were presented to Newry Hospice and NI Meningitis who both replied giving details of their work.

After Light Supper the awards were presented for the INFC and NIPA both long serving Secretaries assisted Trevor Topping for the INFC and serving for as long as I have been involved myself, Fred Russell for the NIPA. Fred replied for the NIPA covering the season and looking forward to the new one, so far one race programme has been submitted and deadline date for this is the end of October. Eugene Fitzgerald replied for the INFC. Another fantastic night of celebration for H Beattie & Son, and very best wishes for the future.

Mid Antrim Show Season Update -

Fountain Place will be the venue each Monday evening for the show series arranged by Ballymena & Dist HPS, always first away the opening class on Monday 26th October will be for Old Cock and Old Hens all the classes this time will be judged Through Wires. Show Specials are paid for each race in the old bird racing season with £50 up for grabs in Rosscarbery and Penzance. For this, one bird to be nominated each night, which must be in the pen, 30p per bird and penning from 7.00pm.

The Annual Mid Antrim Open Show 3 in 1 for Old Bird and Young Bird (Sect B) will be held as usual on New Year’s Day in the clubrooms at Fountain Place, Friday 1st January 2016. For info on the Show Season please contact Willy Gilbert Tel: 07761 323459. The Annual Dinner & Presentation of prizes will be held in the Tullyglass House Hotel on Saturday 9th January.

The Kells & Dist annual Social Evening this year will take place on Thursday 29th Oct 2015 again in the Dunsilly Hotel, Antrim. The line-up at Kells now finalised – (1) Interview with 2015 INFC Champions - Collins & Douglas, (2) Talk by Gerald Delaney on the famous Willy Jacobs strain, (3) Interview with Harry McCloy - Messrs Reid Bros & McCloy, (4) Charity Auction with approx. 15 x 2016 young birds bred from some top class fanciers. Included Alan Darragh, Mr & Mrs B McNeilly, Bertie Blair, Terrence McCrudden, Leonard McCaw, Paddy McManus & Son, A & N Lewis, Willie McCaw, Surgenor Bros, Thompson Bros, James Walker, Brian Swann & Son, John McConnaghy, Mr & Mrs D Suitters, J Millar & Son, T Shanks & Son. Syd Collins again as MC, no entry fee, but as usual Hot Buffet at £10 and Tea/Coffee/Scone etc. at £5 for those who don\'t want a big meal. Raffle as usual, and all proceeds to Chest, Heart & Stroke.

Cullybackey HPS – The Annual dinner and presentation of awards will be held on Friday 30th October in Toast Cullybackey, all cups etc. should be returned. The show series will commence on Saturday 31st October with classes for Young Cock & Young Hen T/W and the Annual Open Show on Saturday 19th December. News from Harryville HPS is they intend to hold two Open Shows for lofts in the NIPA Sect B, the Old Bird 3 in I on Saturday 7th November and the Young Bird 3 in 1 on Saturday 21st November.

Larne & District will hold a Pigeon Moot on Friday 23rd October in ther local clubrooms at Old Glenarm Road, Larne. Top guest for the event is Willem de Bruijn and entrance is by ticket only £7 (inc. supper). MC for the evening will be Chris Moore from Ballymena, there will also be an auction of a select draft of birds kindly gifted to the club plus one from Willem de Bruijn himself. For more details contact Rab Mills Tel: 07763 532325 or Larne & Dist Chairman Mark McCormick Tel: 07540 187478.

Fanciers interested in showing their Fancy Breeds should contact Andy McCook Tel: 07780 888162. Ballymoney Fancy Pigeon Club will have six shows in the Ballymoney HPS Clubrooms with Northern Ireland Show Racer Society.