Mallow (2) - 23/05/09

[willie reynolds]

K Rooney & Son top the Combine from Mallow

The East Down Combine were back in Mallow on the 23rd May for their penultimate inland race of the Old Bird season. After a dull and overcast start to the day the weather gradually began to improve and with the forecast for the afternoon showing a marked improvement there was no chance of a liberation before noon. The race controller continued to keep a close eye on the weather up and down Ireland and by 2.15pm he was satisfied that the pigeons would get a good fly home. The pigeons were released in a westerly wind, which was to turn southwesterly on route before finally turning northerly. Throughout the afternoon there was very good visibility and sunshine.

The first pigeon timed at 5.52pm turned out to be the winner of the East Down Combine and of the South Down Federation. This was a great race for Federation members who took the top three positions in the Combine result. Interestingly the three members are from three different clubs.

The winners of the South Down Fed and the East Down Combine this week is Annalong’s K Rooney & Son who have been dominating the club positions this year. Kevin and Kristopher have an excellent record racing in the Combine and have quite a few Open wins behind them. I know they took great pride in winning the Joe Ringland Classic from Skibbereen in 2007.
As young Kristopher has progressed into his early teens Kevin is able to leave some of the day to day work with the pigeons to him and was keen for me to point out the contribution made by Kristopher this year.

The winning pigeon is a yearling Felix Pauwels hen. This bird was second club from the Skibbereen Classic and would have had an Open position that day only they thought they wouldn’t make the result and didn’t go the clock centre. It was also sixth club from the first Mallow. The dam is the last daughter of their 2003 Derby winner from Marybank while the sire is a direct Belgian pigeon from Anton Cluten.

Tyrella’s Sean Milligan & Dtr are second Fed, second section and second Open this week having been 4th Fed, 20th section and 34th Open from the first Mallow. Sean and Jenifer have certainly got the birds going well this year. The bird timed here was bred by clubmates D McNabb & Ptrs for the Tyrella club’s Breeder Exchange last year and the breeding is Lefebre Dhaenens.
Mickey Croskery Annsborough is 3rd Fed, 3rd section, 3rd Open this week and has another bird in the result at 10th Fed, 36th Open. Mickey had a phenomenal year on the channel and is building up to try to repeat that this year again. Mickey’s first pigeon timed this week is a yearling hen out of the old ash hen and the Bolden cock. This was the only bird he was able to get out of this pair last year. His second bird is a two-year-old De Klak cock out of the ‘Provence’ cock.

Annsborough’s D Croskery & Son are 4th and 8th Fed, 8th and 20th section, and 9th and 30th Open. This is another loft in excellent form having been 1st Fed, 6th Open last week and with four in the Fed and Open results.

Their first bird this week is a yearling ash hen that has been in the Fed result once before but has had three club positions. She is a daughter of the good Bolden cock, now at stock. Their second pigeon is a two-year-old hen that was first club, fourth Fed and fifth Open from Mullingar last year and is the same way bred as the pigeon that was third National from Portsmouth two years ago. The sire is an Inbred De Klak cock from a father and daughter mating of their Joby pigeons, while the dam is from their Rodney and Jason Walker pigeons.

S Halpin & Sons Tyrella are another loft going really well this year and they have three in the result this week taking 5th, 6th and 7th Fed, 9th, 11th and 16th section and 10th, 13th and 21st Open.

Their first bird is a yearling Van Wildermeersch hen whose sire was their Talbenny Open winner, while the dam is from Mr & Mrs Eric Corkett & Sons and was bought at the Blackpool show in 2007.

Their second pigeon is a Wily Jacobs yearling hen from Tony Smith Downpatrick. This bird’s nest mate was first club last year as a young bird from Tullamore. The pigeon at 7th Fed is the pigeon that was 2nd Fed, 3rd Open from 2nd Nenagh and 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.

B Chambers Dundrum completes the result at 9th Fed, 31st Open. Brendan’s season is really only taking off now as he was forced to miss the first few races due to domestic responsibilities. Brendan’s bird is a Verheye with the sire coming from Ron McKelvey and the dam from Donnelly Bros, both Newry.

Full Result: 1, K Rooney & Son Annalong 1437; 2, S Milligan & Dtr Tyrella 1432; 3, M Croskery Annsborough 1426; 4, D Croskery & Son Annsborough 1408; 5, 6, 7, S Halpin & Sons Tyrella 1406, 1403, 1394; 8, D Croskery & Son 1386; 9, B Chambers Dundrum 1385; 10 M Croskery 1377; M Croskery 1374 ABCD Nom £48; D Croskery & Son 1344 ABCD £22.80; M Croskery & Son Annsborough 1329 ABCD £15.20

• Semi Final of Loft Knock Out 1, S Halpin & Sons v D McNabb & Ptrs; 2, D Croskery & Son v M Croskery:
• The Derek Wishart Memorial race this weekend from Mallow will have a £2 Nom. One bird per loft.

• There will be a Free Nom from the Penzance Classic race yearlings only. One bird per loft to compete for £50 presented to the Fed by Gary Shaw. There will also be the usual £2 nom for this race.

Brendan McLoughlin PO.