Bertie Blair lifts Highest Prize-winner for 1st time -
The local Ballymena & District had another good turn-out of members and friends to celebrate the recent racing season, the event taking place once again at the Tullyglass Hotel on the Galgorm Road. For the last number of years this has taken place just prior to the Blackpool Show weekend, this year the date was Saturday 9th January. Guests included Mid Antrim Secretary George McDowell with other visitors from CullybackeyHPS, Ballymoney HPS and Rasharkin & District. Chairman Tom McAlonan welcomed the members and friends and sent best wishes for full recovery to Harry Richmond and Mrs E Smyth who both had a spell in hospital and were now recovering at home. He also mentioned the passing of former member Jack Rodgers earlier in the year, when racing this loft won the INFC Yearling Nat in 1985 from Inverness. Before serving the meal he invited George Eagleson to say grace.
The local club birdage was at its highest level for several seasons and W & J Smyth were to collect 4 cups and trophies in Mid Antrim Combine, Old Bird Inland Ave, Old Bird Ave, Eagleson Memorial Cup (4 cross channel races) and Ken Parker Cup for Combined Average. Five Diplomas were won in MAC, McFall & McManus in Pilmore Beach, W & J Smyth in Sennen Cove Classic and Penzance and Bertie Blair in the Young Bird races from Mullingar and Tullamore. George McDowell presented the awards for MAC, a Diploma for each race winner and Framed Photo of the winning bird. After a very successful race season Blair & Rankin who race to Chichester Park in Harryville lifted Highest Prize-winner and the Harper Cup for the first time since joining the club. Brian O’Rawe had the best bird in St Malo Nat from France, this same bird was placed in the Ylr Nat, it was a best ever season for the O’Rawe loft.
The Mid Antrim top birds were as follows, four won 1st Sect B with W & J Smyth successful in both Sennen Cove Classic and Penzance and Bertie Blair winning 1st Open NIPA from Mullingar:
Blue Pied (c) GB11K-17164 1st MAC, 1st Sect B & 16th Open NIPA Sennen Cove 439/2477 – Vel 1097. Raced by W & J Smyth, Ballymena & District.
Dark Cheq (c) GB13B-06488 1st MAC, 2nd Sect B & 14th Open NIPA Penzance 619/5954 – Vel 1226. Raced by W & J Smyth, Ballymena & District.
Cheq Pied (c) GB15R-18444 1st MAC, 1st Sect B & 1st Open NIPA Mullingar 81/2130 – Vel 1527; 5th Club Tullamore 16th Comb & 17th Sect 4043b; 3rd Club Fermoy; 3rd Club Fermoy 9th Comb & 16th Sect 1729b; 1st Club Fermoy 5B 2nd Comb, 3rd Sect & 94th Open NIPA 287/1348. Bred by Steele & McNeill. Raced by Blair & Rankin, Ballymena & District.
Blue (h) GB15R-18404 1st MAC & 1st Sect B Tullamore 122/4043 – Vel 1957 7th Club Fermoy Bred by Steele & McNeill. Raced by Blair & Rankin, Ballymena & District.
Blue (h) GB13A-33237 “Maureen’s Blue” 1st Club, 1st MAC, & 1st Section B Pilmore Beach 943/26,342 – Vel 1582. Raced by McFall & McManus, Ballymena & District
The club pay-out was a massive £1,000 which included £100 in the Show Special Nomination’s, Elke & Martin Sempey won the £100 for Rosscarbery and Penzance, super performance. The leading lofts to the table were – Blair & Rankin, W & J Smyth, Mr & Mrs Sempey, George Connolly, McFall & McManus, J Eagleson & Sons, McAlonan Bros, George Bell, Martin Graham, G & A Eagleson, R McFall & Son, and Billy Ramsey. The top four lofts will represent Ballymena & District in the 2016 MAC Champions League, the prize money and prize cards were presented by Elke Sempey.
INFC Winners were – Martin Graham, Billy Ramsey, W & J Smyth, W & N Gilbert, Blair & Rankin, Brian O’Rawe and George Bell. For the second year an individual prize list was produced for the INFC 6 race programme, Martin Graham has topped the list for eight seasons on the trot. Skibbereen Old Bird was won by W & N Gilbert, Yearling Nat by Billy Smyth and runner-up Billy Ramsey had Best 2 Bird Ave, Billy also had the only club bird home in the St Allouestre Kings Cup at 7.55am on the second day, and then from Quimper in an unusually fast race Blair & Rankin were winners followed by W & N Gilbert. In the young birds Martin Graham had one of the results of the year in the Panzance Grand Nat, in a hard race with only 126 birds home Martin had the only five birds in the club with two arrivals late on the first day, with two more early on the second morning. Blair & Rankin were back at the top in the final race from Skibbereen. Brian Herbison presented the INFC awards.
Race winners over the season were as follows, Tom McAlonan reviewed the results.
Old Birds – Tullamore McAlonan Bros 1391, Tullamore (2) M/M Sempey 1450, Roscrea W & J Smyth 1398, Corrin M/M Sempey 1696, Pilmore Beach McFall & McManus 1582, Rosscarbery Comeback McAlonan Bros 1652, Rosscarbery Nat W & J Smyth 1525, Talbenny W & J Smyth 1365, Rosscarbery J Eagleson & Sons 1323, Sennen Cove Classic W & J Smyth 1097, New Bude G Connolly 1498, Rosscarbery Ylr Cock Nat McAlonan Bros 1059, Rosscarbery Ylr Hen Nat G Connolly 1076, Fermoy 5 Bird Championship McFall & McManus 1518, Penzance W & J Smyth 1226, St Malo B O’Rawe 1204, Roscrea Blair & Rankin 1865.
Young Birds – Mullingar Blair & Rankin 1527, Tullamore M/M Sempey 1450, Tullamore Blair & Rankin 1957, Roscrea (1) McAlonan Bros 2004, Roscrea (2) Blair & Rankin 1716, Fermoy (1) G Connolly 1562, Talbenny Nat Blair & Rankin 1414, Roscrea Comeback W & J Smyth 1889, Fermoy (2) McFall & McManus 1184, Fermoy 5 Bird Championship Blair & Rankin 1168, Rosscarbery Nat Blair & Rankin 1702.
Irish Nat Flying Club – Skibbereen OB W & N Gilbert 1244, Sennen Cove Ylr Nat W & J Smyth 887, St Allouestre Kings Cup B Ramsey, Quimper Friendship Nat Blair & Rankin, Penzance YB M Graham 931, Skibbereen YB Blair & Rankin 1536.
Cups & Trophies for 2015 were presented by Nicola Gilbert.
Top prize-winners Blair & Rankin won the following – Harper Cup Highest Prize-winner, Best Individual YB (GB15R-18444), Victory Cup YB Average, Flamingo Cup YB Talbenny & Rosscarbery, Vintage Cup Talbenny YB Nat, Ruddle Cup Talbenny YB Nat, Nat Cup YB Rosscarbery, Skibbereen YB Nat, YB Inland Ave, and Quimper Friendship Nat.
W & J Smyth won – Combined Inland Ave, Hughes Cup Cross Channel Ave, Orr Challenge Combined OB & YB Ave, Smyth Bros Trophy OB Classic & YB Nat, McCrory Cup OB Ave, Rosscarbery OB Inl Nat, Sennen Cove Classic, Slemish Cup and Simon McCrory Cup Talbenny, Carnvale Cup Sennen Cove Ylr Nat, Penzance Cup, and OB Inland Ave.
Mr & Mrs Sempey won – Tullamore (1) YB, and Bobby Law Memorial 1st Ylr Penzance. George Connolly won – Roger King Mem 6th YB Race, and Yearling Hen Inland Nat. McFall & McManus won – Fermoy 5 Bird. McAlonan Bros won – Yearling Cock Inland Nat. George Bell won St Malo 2 Bird Average. Martin Graham won Law Family Memorial Cup INFC Points, Maternaghan Challenge Cup OB & YB Channel Nat, INFC Penzance, and Jacqueline Kirkpatrick Memorial Shield Best Ave St Malo OB & Talbenny YB Nationals. Billy Ramsey won – Livingstone Cup 2 Bird Ave Sennen Cove Ylr Nat, and INFC St Allouestre Kings Cup, Brian O’Rawe won – Carney Rose Bowl Best Ind OB Performance, Mooney Cup Best Individual Bird, George Barr Challenge Cup St Malo, and McDowell Challenge OB Nat NIPA. W & N Gilbert won – INFC Skibbereen Old Bird Nat and Show Shield. Brian Herbison Visitors Show Trophy.
In a final few words George Eagleson thanked the Chairman for conducting the affairs of the night, Mr & Mrs Gilbert who looked after both the Show Series and the Dinner presentation and long serving Secretary Willie Reynolds. He also thanked all those who had helped out in the past season James Harris as usual done great work with the ETS and results and all the sponsors over the year. Rosie presented Mrs Gilbert with a Bouquet of flowers on behalf of the club.
The AGM for Ballymena & District will take place in the local clubrooms at Fountain Place on Monday 8th February at 8.00pm. Resolutions for the agenda must be with the Secretary Willie Reynolds by Saturday 30th January, and remember any resignations prior to the AGM. Some rings are still available contact Mrs Nicola Gilbert on Tel: 07724 507621. See the Ballymena & Dist Ace birds in the dinner report in the Forum at http://www.pigeonnetwork.com and on Ballymena page of Facebook.
Ballymena Highest Prize-winner for 1st time Bertie Blair with Chairman Top McAlonan (l) and President Billy Smyth.
Mid Antrim Secretary George McDowell presents the MAC Cups to W & J Smyth.
Mr & Mrs Sempey tops in last two seasons were 3rd in 2016.
Brian Herbison (l) presents INFC Awards to Billy Ramsey.
Nicola Gilbert presents St Malo Nat Cups to Mr & Mrs ORawe.
Mr & Mrs Gilbert Show Season winners in 2015.
George Bell won the 2 Bird Average in Saint Malo National.
McFall & McManus Family won the Fermoy 5 Bird Championship.
Nicola Gilbert presents the new Jacqueline Kirkpatrick Memorial Shield to Chairman Tom McAlonan.
Rosie presents Bouquet of flowers to Mrs Nicola Gilbert.
Mid Antrim Combine awards won in Ballymena & District.
The cups and trophies presented at the Ballymena & Dist prize night.
MAC Diploma winners McFall & McManus, B Blair and W & J Smyth.
Bertie Blair (l) won 1st Open NIPA from Mullingar.
Billy and James Ramsey won Kings Cup and 2B Ave Ylr Nat Cup.
Chairman Tom McAlonan won three races.
Martin & Elke Sempey collect awards from Nicola Gilbert.
The Tommy Harper Perpetual Cup for Highest Prize-winner collected by Bertie Blair.
Len Russell from Cullybackey (l) won Show Specials in Ballymena.
Mrs Sempey presents prizes to W & N Gilbert.
Elke Sempey presents awards to G & A Eagleson.
