Talbenny/Skibbereen - 29/08/09

[willie reynolds]

Rooneys in Double Derby Delight

The East Down Combine had two Derby races on Saturday 29 August with pigeons at Skibbereen in Co Cork and in Talbenny in South Wales. The wind in Talbenny was light west northwesterly, which was to freshen as the day went on. From Skibbereen the wind was light south westerly. The Talbenny birds were released at 8am while the Skibbereen birds were released at 9.30am.
While overall returns from Talbenny were poor it seems that South Down Federation members did fairly well with many reporting good returns. The Skibbereen returns were for many a mixed lot with some reporting 100% returns while others had only around 50% returns.

Looking at the Open results for both races South Down Federation members did extremely well again. Pride of place goes to Annalong’s Kevin Rooney & Son who topped the Fed result from both races.

Skibbereen (1) Derby

Kevin and Kristopher had an excellent race from Skibbereen with three birds in the Fed result with all three taking excellent East Down Combine Open positions. The Rooneys have had an exceptional young bird season with many leading Open positions and off course that wonderful race from Tullamore when they took the top ten positions in the Fed. They had total winnings in the combine with these 3 pigeons of £732.

The sire of their first pigeon is a direct Marijke Vink. It is a son of a brother of ‘Reza’, while the dam is also a direct Marijke Vink. This one is a half sister of ‘Tips’. This young bird is 2nd section, 9th Open winning £417.63 and was their fancied pigeon picking up the Nom in the Fed. It has also been 2nd club Mallow and 4th club, 5th Fed, 5th Open Nenagh.

Their second pigeon is 2nd Fed, 3rd section, 10th Open winning £244.83. This is from another pair of direct Marijke Vinks and these birds have certainly made an impact this year. This one is out of a grandson of ‘Farah Diba’ paired to a granddaughter of ‘Branco’. The dam is a half brother of ‘Farah Diba’ paired to a daughter of ‘Super Diba’.

Kevin and Kristopher’s third pigeon is the pigeon that was 8th Open from Nenagh. The sire is a Soontjens cock that bred their Fed Old Bird of the Year. Locally it has bred winners for Gareth Maginn, Annalong and for Annsborough’s P Brown. It has also bred winners in England. The dam is another Staf Van Reet. This hen was one of their best racing hens having won 2nd Open behind a loftmate as well as a 3rd and 5th Open.

Patrick Brown Annsborough continues his good run of form and is 5th and 9th Fed here. The first of these was 13th section, 37th Open. Both birds are from K Rooney & Son and are the same way bred. They are from a pair of Anton Cluten x Felix Pauwells. This pair bred the hen that topped the Combine from Mallow for the Rooneys this year and was one of their best racers.
Mickey Croskery Annsborough is another fancier going well at the moment and he is 5th Fed, 14th section, 42nd Open here. This bird is from their original De Klak pigeons.

Tyrella’s Sean Halpin & Sons are 6th Fed, 15th section, 43rd Open. They are always a loft to be reckoned with especially in a westerly wind. The breeding here is Wily Jacobs x Soontjens. The Wily Jacobs is from Tony Smith, Downpatrick while the Soontjens is a grand daughter of their Kildare Open winner when paired to a Natural Breeding Loft Soontjens. Both sire and dam of this youngster won as young birds.

A Murray & Son Dundrum have two birds in the Fed result at 7th and 10th. The bird at 7th Open is a Soontjens x Corriens. The Corriens is the ‘66’ cock, winner of 10 x 1st clubs, 3 x Feds and an east section in the Combine as well as having been 3rd Open. The Soontjens is down from the Old Soontjens cock and a hen of Joe O’Reillys from Arklow.
The pigeon at tenth Fed is a half sister to the ‘66’ cock, being off the old original Corriens cock and a daughter if the other original Corriens cock.

The Skibbereen result is completed by Michael Jennings Annsborough at 8th Fed. The pigeon timed here is from Annalong’s John McCartan and is Wily Jacobs from Oroory Hill Stud x Ron Williamson.
Full Result: 1, 2, 3, K Rooney & Son Annalong 1697 Nom £40, 1694, 163.79; 4, P Brown Annsborough 1639.0; 5, M Croskery Annsborough 1634; 6, S Halpin & Sons Tyrella 1632; 7, A Murray & Son Dundrum 1624; 8, M Jennings Annsborough 1620; 9, P Brown 1610; 10, A Murray & Son 1608:

Talbenny Derby

Kevin and Kristopher led the way again from Talbenny and have two in the Fed result at 1st and 4th. Their first bird is 1st section, 3rd Open winning £149.63 while their second bird is 5th section, 14th Open. This was a superb days racing for Kevin and Kristopher who had 3 home out of 4 entries.

Their first pigeon is from direct Gus Janssens with the base of these pigeons being Hermans, Ceusters and Dirk & Louis Van Dijk. This family of pigeons have bred a lot of winners and prizewinners since they were purchased.
Their second pigeon is a daughter of one of their good racing cocks, ‘41’, a winner of club, Fed and Open positions, when paired to a Lindelauf hen that has won two firsts and a second plus a few Fed prizes.

Michael Jennings was another fancier to enjoy a good days racing with pigeons in both results. Michael is 2nd Fed, 2nd East section, 4th Open for an excellent result. The pigeon timed here is a daughter of the Van Der Wegan hen that also bred the pigeon that was 1st section Nenagh, while the sire was a gift bird from D Croskery & Son out of D McNabb & Ptrs white hen and the good ‘02’ cock.
Annsborough’s James Cleland is 3rd fed, 3rd section 10th Open and this will be pleasing for James, as channel racing is his preference. The pigeon timed here is from a pair of stock birds obtained from Martin Flynn, Drumaness.
M Croskery Annsborough has two in the result at 5th and 10th Fed. The first of these is 6th section, 18th Open and is out of the hen that won the Penzance Classic this year and was 1st Open Bude last year. This is a super pigeon.

Mickey’s second pigeon is out of a daughter of ‘1215’ one of his best racers from the original De Klak lines.
N Maguire is 6th Fed, 7th section, 19th Open here with a ½ Van Rijn from Robert McMeekin, Kingsmoss and a ½ Pros Roosen from James Cleland.

Annsborough’s D Croskery & son are 7th Fed, 8th section, 20th Open. This bird is out of the cock that was 19th Quimper 2 years ago and 20th Open St Malo this year. The dam is a Wily Thas pigeon that has been a steady racer winning a few prizes. This youngster’s nestmate was 1st club Tullamore.

M Croskery & Son, Annsborough are 8th Fed, 9th section, 23rd Open as they enjoy a good run of form. This bird is out of the good cheq cock that raced well in the old birds being from the pair obtained from Mr & Mrs Girvan Newry.
Pritchard Bros Annsborough complete the result at 9th Fed. They are also 11th section, 28th Open with their only entry in the race. This bird is a De Weerdt.

Full Result: 1, K Rooney & Son Annalong 1127; 2, M Jennings Annsborough 1116 Nom £32; 3, J Cleland Annsborough 1108; 4, K Rooney & Son 1068; 5, M Croskery Annsborough 1045; 6, N Maguire Annsborough 1043; 7, D Croskery & Son Annsborough 1041; 8, M Croskery & Son Annsborough 1022; 9, Pritchard Bros 1003; 10, M Croskery 997:
• Both Skibbereen races will have a £2 Nom.
• The Annual Dinner and Prize Distribution will take place on 9th October in Dundrum Inn.

Brendan McLoughlin PO.