Mallow - 22/08/09

[willie reynolds]

Mickey is the Master from Mallow

The East Down Combine moved on to Mallow in Co Cork for their sixth race of the young bird programme. As in previous weeks the weekend forecast wasn’t great but Sunday was to be worse than Saturday which was to start off good and turn bad in the late afternoon. All organisations went for a Saturday race and were able to get an early start with the East Down Combine liberating at 9.30am in a southerly wind.

The South Down Federation members didn’t expect to secure many if any Combine positions this week and this was borne out by an Open result with Ballylesson, Dundonald and Newtownbreda dominating the Open result with Joe McGreevy Crossgar the only other fancier to make the top 40. Likewise the South Down Fed result was pretty much dictated by the southerly wind with Annsborough club members taking the top ten.

Mickey Croskery Annsborough is back on top in the Fed again with six birds in the Fed result at 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 8th and 9th. Mickey’s birds got off to a slow start to the young bird season but he will have been delighted to see his birds hit form the week before the Derbies.

Mickey’s first pigeon is 11th section, and is a blue cock. Its sire was 1st Open EDC from Sennen Cove Classic in 2008. The Sennen Cove winner is from the number one De Klak hen from Jobey and Gordon, Dunston. This hen is a full sister of the father of the pigeon that was 1st Open Up North Combine from Clermont for Jobey & Gordon. The sire is son of the dam, when paired to the old Soontjens cock that is the father of the loft. The dam of this week’s winner was 1st Open EDC from Thurles this year. The dam of the Thurles winner is a Janus & Fox through John Jobey, from the Up North Combine. The sire is the pigeon known as the ‘Pool’ cock.

Mickey’s second pigeon is 2nd Fed, 12th section, is out of the ‘Bolden’ hen when paired to a de Richt cock.
The pigeon at 3rd Fed, 13th section is a nest mate of this week’s winner. That’s a great pair in any loft.
The fourth pigeon takes 4th Fed, 14th section and is from the De Klak pigeons that have done so well over the years.
Mickey’s fifth pigeon is 8th club, 8th Fed and is another bred in the racing loft being a De Klak x Wily Thas, while the pigeon at 9th Fed is a off a de Richt hen when paired to a Wily Thas cock.

D Croskery & Son Annsborough have two birds in the Fed result this week at 5th and 10th with the first of these taking 19th section. After a bit of early season misfortune Dolen and Dominic are getting things back together again.
Their first bird here is from one of their best stock pairs. The sire was 3rd Portsmouth National while the dam was 6th in the Lamballe Derby two years ago.

Their second pigeon is one obtained from Colin Gibson Corcreaney. It’s always good to see new blood do well so quickly.
N Maguire is 6th Fed to be the only non-Croskery in the Fed result. Noel’s pigeon is a Van Rijn from Robert McMeekin, Kingsmoss, a great racer in his own right. Noel is a very small team man but does very well with what he has.

The result is completed by M Croskery & Son at 7th Fed. The dam of their pigeon is from Mr & Mrs Girvan, Newry while the sire is the Broken Wing cock obtained from D Croskery & Son.

Full result: 1, 2, 3, 4, M Croskery Annsborough 1617.3, 1617.2, 1615, 1608; 5, D Croskery & Son Annsborough 1605; 6, N Maguire Annsborough 1602.2; 7, M Croskery & Son 1602.1; 8, 9, M Croskery 1598.6, 1598.2; 10, D Croskery & Son 1598.2; P McCartan & Son Annsborough 1592 ABCDNom; J Maguire & Ptrs Dundrum 1583 ABCD; J Maguire & Ptrs 1564 ABCD:

• Final of the Young Bird Loft Knock Out takes place this week between M Croskery Annsborough and S Milligan & Dtr Tyrella. Will the wind play a factor id deciding the winner?
• Pool Race this week from Mallow
• Provisional Date for the Annual Dinner and Prize Distribution Friday 9th October in the Dundrum Inn.

Brendan McLoughlin PO