Mid Antrim & Mid Ulster Show Scene -
Ballymena & District HPS – Show season continued on Monday evening, classes T/W for Yearling Cock and Yearling Hen. The judges travelled in from Kells & District, big winners at NIPA Ladies Night Geoff Surgenor who won the Talbenny Nat and Davy Jackson 1st Open in the second Area YB Lib from Mullingar. It was a night of success for home based lofts with Darren Swann winning Red Card in the Yearling Hen while R Service & Son won Yearling Cock and Best in Show. Yearling Hen (54 Birds) – 1st D Swann, 2nd, VHC & HC W & N Gilbert, 3rd & Reserve B Herbison, 4th D & G McMullan, Commended T McFall. Yearling Cock (83 Birds) – 1st, VHC & Commended R Service & Son, 2nd & 3rd Blair & Rankin, 4th D & G McMullan, Reserve B Herbison, HC W & N Gilbert. Remaining show classes are 19th November Old Pairs & Young Pieds, 26th November Young Pairs & Old Pieds, 3rd December, Red, Mealy & Grizzle OB & YB, 10th December Old Bird & Young Bird Eye-sign. Darren Swann won the raffle. Show info contact Willy Gilbert Tel: 07761 323459. Please note the Annual Open Show for Ballymena & Dist on New Years Day is just Open to Section B members due only to pressure on space.
Broughshane & District HPS – Harryville judges George Price and Allen McBride carried out the duties on the first night at Broughshane, classes were for Old & Young Cocks judged Through Wires. Darren Swann from Ballymena had the Red Card in the Old Cocks while R & S Swann penned the winner in Young Cocks. Old Cock T/W (55 Birds) – 1st & HC D Swann, 2nd & Reserve J & J Greer, 3rd & VHC W & N Gilbert, 4th & Commended J Getty. Young Cock T/W (55 Birds) – 1st & VHC R & S Swann, 2nd & 4th J & J Greer, 3rd W & N Gilbert, Reserve D Houston, HC N & S Anderson, Commended M Neilly. Congratulations to the Swann Family winner 2 x 1sts. Remaining show series dates are as follows, usual Tuesday evening. 13th November - O/H & Y/H T.W. 20th November - Old Bird eye sign / young bird mated pairs. 27th November - Old bird mated pairs and fancy class. 4th December - O/C & Y/C Handled. 11th December - O/H & Y/H Handled. 18th December - Card Winners. Everyone welcome to club show series. Show Cup winner will receive a prize for 2 persons for afternoon tea at a local hotel.
Kells & District – Show season started Wednesday 7th November with a class for Old Cocks judged Through the Wires by Lexie Mullan from Harryville and Bertie Blair from Ballymena. Ace racer and the seasons Highest Prize-winner Geoff Surgenor took the Red Card. Old Cocks – 1st Surgenor Bros, 2nd, 3rd, 4th & HC A Barkley & Son, Reserve & Commended B Swann & Son, VHC Gregg Bros. Kells & District HPS shows will continue with - 14th November old hens, 21st November young cocks, 8th November young hens, 5th December mated pairs, 12th December eye-sign and pieds. All classes are through wires. Boxing Day show will be usual 3 in 1. More details later.
It was a long time coming and I can hardly remember the last time the Muckamore HPS conducted a show season, in those days Muckamore was the big centre of activity for Derby & National events and all the big sales were held there as well. At that time Muckamore was a big club and won numerous big events including the Kings Cup for Goudy Bros, the late Chairman of the club Officer Gorman a top racer himself, was a former President of the NIPA.
Muckamore HPS – Good to see the local club going back to the traditional show series in the winter months, hope it gets plenty of support. It will be the first series held in over 30 years and penning in the local clubrooms will be Thursday evening. This will include 5 weekly shows and finish with a 3 in 1 Open Show at a date yet to be decided. Diary Dates: 15th November - Young hens, 22nd November - Young Cocks, 29th November - Old hens, 06th December - Old cocks, 13th December Pairs and fancy.
Ahoghill Flying Club – The 2nd show for Ahoghill was old cocks and hens through wires, W Gilbert won old cocks, Victor Montgomery won the hens, judges were Harry Boyd and Brian Swann from Kells. The Prince has now won 14 x 1sts, needs entered at Dublin and Blackpool. Raffle won by Rebecca. Old Cocks T/W – 1st, 4th & Reserve W & N Gilbert, 2nd D & R Turkington, 3rd & HC V Montgomery, VHC B Herbison, Commended T & G Balmer. Old Hens T/W – 1st, 3rd & Reserve V Montgomery, 2nd & VHC W & N Gilbert, 4th HC & Commended B Herbison. Coming up - Friday 16/11/18 Young Cocks and Hens Handled, Friday 23/11/18 Old Cocks and Hens Handled, Friday 30/11/18 Young Pairs and Fancy, Friday 7/12/18 Old Pairs and Late-breds, Friday 14/12/18 Old Bird and Young Bird Eye-sign. Tea and refreshments will be served during judging, visitors are very welcome, penning in clubrooms from 7.00pm.
Cullybackey HPS – Latest classes on Saturday evening were pairs judged Through Wires by Robert McCartney of Harryville, Old Pairs T/W – 1st & Reserve, 2nd & Commended D Swann, 3rd, 4th & HC W & N Gilbert, Reserve B Herbison, VHC J & J Greer. Young Pairs T/W – 1st, 4th & Reserve McAlonan Bros, 2nd, 3rd & VHC W & N Gilbert, HC J & J Greer, Commended D Swann. Best in Show was won by Brian Herbison while McAlonan Bros made it a Red Card double for the local club in Young Pairs. Next week 17th November Young Cocks & Young Hens Handled, 24th November Old Cocks & Late Breds Handled, 1st December Old Hens Handled & Fancy T/W, 8th December OB & YB Eye-sign. Keep Saturday 15th December free for the Annual 3 in 1 Open Show.
Rasharkin & District – The Old Bird 3 in 1 Show will take place on Saturday 24th November penning from 11.00am until 12 Noon, all welcome. The Rasharkin & Dist dinner and prize night will be held in the Glasgow Rangers Club in Clough on Saturday 17th November tickets can be ordered from Jackie Steele at £16 each Tel: 07771 967460.
Edgarstown HPS - shows start this Friday night everyone welcome class is for any age cock are hen and specials are for best cheq and blue pied. Edgarstown HPS - 1st show 9/11/18 JTW - 1st S & E Buckley, 2nd G & C Simmons, 3rd R Bell & Sons, 4th R Bell & Dons, VHC M Hughes, HC G & C Simmons, Commended G & C Simmons. Best blue pied S & E Buckley, Best chequer J Robinson. Thanks go to Darren Thompson and Debbie Lunn for judging. The next show will be Friday 16/11/18 with G & C Simmons, J Robinson, and Paul Dunlop in charge specials for best chequer Pied and Mealy! - Everyone welcome penning starts 7.00pm.
Portadown & Drumcree will begin their show season on Monday Nov 12th, penning from 7-8pm. Old hens and cocks JTW with a special for best blue pied. 50p per bird. All welcome.
NI Show Racers - Well done to Ann Mary Wigan on winning best in show today at club John Edgar Res best in show best, old bird & best colour Ann Mary Wigan best young bird John Edgar & best racer W&N Nicola Gilbert Class winners Ann MWiggins, John Edgar, Tommy Rouke, D & G McMullan & W&N Gilbert, thank you to Stephen Gage & Robert McCook for judging the show today.
Lurgan Social – Monday 12/11/18 – 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, Reserve & Commended K Wright, VHC K Douglas, HC S Anderson. Best YB K Wright. Three wins in a row for young Keelie, well done.
Entire Clearance Sale re Alan Hall – Ronnie Johnston has been instructed to sell the stock of the late Alan Hall of Omagh, a record breaker in the North West of Ireland exceeding 100 x 1st Sect in the NIPA and at least 5 x 1st Open NIPA. Alan was highly respected and the sales will no doubt include bloodlines sourced through good friend John Wheatcroft, and has long distance bloodlines through Jackie Waring and Leslie Woodside. Both sales will be in Glenavy, kicking off with a Monday Night Spectacular, on 19th November at 7.30pm and final sale Saturday 24th November at 3.00pm. More details contact Ronnie Johnston Tel: (028) 90 9048 3625.
Clearance Sale G F Lindsay – Another big loss to the local area with the news that Forbes Lindsay of Crumlin & District must give up his beloved sport of pigeon racing due to ill health. A fearless buyer of nothing but the very best this will be a fantastic opportunity for the fancy to purchase top present day winning bloodlines, mostly long distance. On offer the very best direct stock, plus sons and daughters obtained from the following top long distance fanciers. N Black & Son, Paul Swindell, Willie Neill, John Halstead, Gary Benson and others. Also a selection of quality bloodlines on offer including - Van den Bulck, Soontjen, Van Herk, Van Rijn etc. The Entire Clearance Sale will be held in the Chimney Football Club in Antrim on a date to be confirmed. Any info required contact Tel: 07737 275820.
Ronnie Johnston has supplied me with details of the sale of birds etc for the late Davy Chew of Newtownbreda HPS, a small team of 24 pigeons. They will be presented for sale in the Newtownbreda Clubrooms on Monday 26th November at 7.30pm, price on the pen plus Baskets and Nest Bowls. ETS Benzing for sale, first £150 secures, a real bargain! Phone Ronnie Johnston Tel: (028) 90 483625.
The Rasharkin & Dist dinner and prize night will be held in the Glasgow Rangers Club in Clough on Saturday 17th November tickets can be ordered from Jackie Steele at £16 each Tel: 07771 967460. They will also host the The Rasharkin & Dist dinner and prize night will be held in the Glasgow Rangers Club in Clough on Saturday MAC presentation for the first time, tickets for this should be ordered from Homer Tel: 07538 238364.
2018 INFC Charity Show – The 41st Annual Charity Show will be held in the Lisburn Leisure Complex on Saturday 1st December 2018 opening at 9.00am. Once again there will be classes for Racing Pigeons along with the Variety Pigeons and Show Racers. Classes are 3 in 1 Old Birds and 3 in 1 Young Birds. Penning of the birds is from 9.00am until 11.30am, please note the show is open to all lofts. Anyone entering Show Racers at the INFC show in Lagan Valley Leisure Complex Lisburn on Saturday please get your entries to John Edgar by Wednesday prior. The Sale of Birds will start at 4.00pm in Studio 1 & 2, next to the main trade stand hall. As usual there will be many outstanding birds from the elite of lofts in Ireland. Helen Marshall will be looking after the raffle as usual, books have been sent to most clubs. Top prize will be a Kit of 2018 youngsters from the Ace loft of Gordon Bros & Sons, Portaferry in County Down. The Centre has a top class restaurant with good menu and keen prices to suit everyone, car parking at the Leisure Centre is free. Check out the Irish National flying club website for their charity sale birds at the show, nearer the time. The best of stock for the future, many top breeders have been purchased here. For further information and details contact Samuel Briggs the Show Administrator Tel: 07730 308402.
Dublin Charity Show – The annual one day Charity Show will take place on Saturday 17th November, doors open at 9.00am. Venue as usual the Irish Kennel Club Exhibition Centre beside Dublin Airport off the Roundabout at Coachman’s Pub, plenty of good food there. No doubt another big attendance from Northern Ireland with Trade Stands and Show Birds as well. Results will follow.
Ballymena winners and judges D Swann, G Surgenor, D Jackson and R Service.
Kells & Dist winner Geoff Surgenor with judges from Harryville Lexi Mullan (l) and Bertie Blair.
Ahoghill winner of Old Cocks Willy Gilbert (l) with judge Harry Boyd.
Ahoghill winner of Old Hens Victor Montgomery with judge Brian Swann.
Visitors at Ahoghill included Thomas McFall, Ballymena (r) and Trevor Whyte, Rasharkin.
Brian Herbison (r) BIS at Cullybackey with Rab McCartney.
Tom McAlonan had the Red Card in Young Pairs at Cullybackey.