Kells & District HPS Season 2020 -

This new board will feature all the local club annual dinner and prize presentations. To be listed e-mail all text and photos to homerbhw@gmail.com
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willie reynolds
Posts: 6785
Joined: Sun Nov 09, 2008 4:44 pm

Kells & District HPS Season 2020 -

Post by willie reynolds »

Kells & District HPS were usually November for the annual prize presentation and dinner, I was often a part of the large attendance when the evening was held locally at Country House and before that Ross Lodge Hotel. Many of the big stars at the time have sadly passed-away but the club remains one of the top competitors in the Mid Antrim area. In the previous season the most improved loft was probably C & D Jackson and in 2020 they improved again with a best-ever flying season to take the coveted Top Prize-winner award winning 7 x 1sts. The eve- consistent Harry Boyd was not far behind and won 6 x 1sts and I must mention another loft with a best-ever season just racing young birds Sam Crawford won 3 x 1sts, he might apply the big pressure come 2021. With this report I have included some of the prize presentations from a few years back, and, also from away back, Brian Swann & Son.

Kells & District members were always up at the top of the big National and Derby races over many years, the late Les Mairs winning Fancier of the Year many times in Section B and George McDowell lifting the Northern Ireland Fancier of the Year scoring many top places from France but now more interested in the shorter races. The late Tommy Shanks won the Old Bird Derby and the late Billy McClure almost won the Kings Cup, as did the former Secretary the late Roy McFarlane.

I have just had the news from the club Secretary Mervyn Gregg that Old Hand Davy McCullagh had just passed-away, long time members of Kells & District and Highest Prize-winner on several occasions. At that time D McCullough & Son were ever present and the loft to beat. The officers and members extend their sympathy to the family circle and also to his brother in-law Geoff Surgenor who still competes at the highest-level racing as Surgenor Bros.

The leading lofts in 2020 season were – C & D Jackson, Surgenor Bros, Harry Boyd, Sam Crawford, Henry Turkington, Alan Barkley & Son, McFarlane & Agnew, Brian Swann & Son, and Gregg Bros.

Cups and trophies were distributed as follows:
C & D Jackson won – Highest Prize-winner trophy, M Smyth Cup for Ave 1st & 2nd OB Races, Campbell Cup 1st Talbenny, Bude Cup, C Duncan Cup Lowest winning velocity, R Service Cup for 1st two OB & YB Races, Young Bird Ave, Young Bird Points Cup, Sizzlers Cup 2 Bird Club, J Logan Cup ave 2nd two YB Races.

Surgenor Bros won – H Smyth Cup 2nd two OB Races, Young Bird K/O, Young Bird National Talbenny, Boddy & Ridewood cup for Young Bird of the Year.
Harry Boyd won – Old Bird K/O Cup, OB Inland Nat Skibbereen, G Herron Memorial Cup St Malo, T Shanks Memorial Cup Old Bird of the Year, McKitterick Cup Fermoy Old Bird. Sam Crawford won – N McFarlane Salver Fermoy Young Bird. A Barkley & Son won – Old Bird Average, Old Bird Inland Ave, Cross Channel Average.

Season for Old Birds
07/06/20 Tullamore C & D Jackson vel 1404 12th MA Combine, 13/06/20 Gowran Park H Boyd vel 1301 1st MA Combine 1st Section B. The Mid Antrim Combine winner from Gowran Park was clocked in the village of Kells. Harry Boyd clocked his two year old blue chequer Van Den Bulck widowhood hen at 15.59pm after the 155 mile fly to his lofts. The hen wins Kells & Dist by a clear 10 minutes and also wins 1st MA Combine, 1st Section B and a good 28th Open NIPA with 24,972 birds competing. The loft won 1st & 2nd Section B last season from Gowran Park, and again with a Van Den Bulck. 20/06/20 Corrin (1) H Boyd vel 1839, 02/07/20 Corrin (2) Surgenor Bros vel 1369 7th MA Combine, 06/07/20 Skibbereen Inland National H Boyd vel 1325 7th MA Combine, 11/07/20 Talbenny C & D Jackson 1st & 2nd vel 1273 19th MA Combine, 15/07/20 Skibbereen Yearling National H Boyd 1st, 2nd & 3rd vel 1324 1st MA Combine. The second major race of the season was the Yearling National from Skibbereen. Birds were liberated on Wednesday 15th July at 10.30am in a light westerly wind. Best bird in the area and winning the Mid Antrim Combine was Kells fancier Harry Boyd. He timed his blue chequer widowhood cock at 16.12pm for the 257 miles fly to the village. The bird was from R & J Baxter of Ballycarry, and he also wins 2nd Section B and 148th Open National 2980 birds. This was Harry's second combine win of the season having topped both Combine and Section from Gowran Park in the second week of the season. 19/07/20 Bude C & D Jackson vel 1058 5th MA Combine, 25/07/20 Fermoy Comeback H Boyd vel 1514 4th MA Combine, 30/07/20 St Malo OB French National H Boyd vel 1509 3rd MA Combine

Season for Young Birds
08/08/20 Mullingar Area Lib (1) Surgenor Bros 1st, 2nd & 3rd vel 1239, 15/08/20 Mullingar Area Lib (2) C & D Jackson 1st, 2nd, 3rd & 4th Vel 1247 19th & 20th MA Combine 52/1521 The winner for Davy was bred by clubmate Geoff Surgenor, super card for C & D Jackson. 23/08/20 Roscrea C & D Jackson vel 1705 1st MA Combine 49/1453 Winner of the Mid Antrim Combine this week are the Kells & District fanciers C & D Jackson. Davy who has the young birds in top form at present timed his chequer cock at 13.13pm flying 143 miles to the village. The winner is Stickers Donckers and is bred by Derek Parr. The Jackson lofts have had great success with the birds from Derek Parr having won 4 x 1st Combines last season with his birds, including 1st Section B Talbenny, 1st Section B Penzance and Penzance Classic and 1st Combine Castletown Yearling National. 29/08/20 Gowran Park C & D Jackson 1st, 2nd & 3rd vel 1197 6th, 9th & 10th MA Combine 51/1375, 06/09/20 Fermoy (1) C & D Jackson 1st, 3rd & 5th vel 1291 3rd, 7th & 11th MA Combine 42/1008 The winner was bred by Derek Parr, C Lambrechts best. 12/09/20 Talbenny YB National Surgenor Bros vel 1384 1st MA Combine 1st Section B. The first classic race of the young bird season was the Talbenny YB National from Wales. The birds were liberated in a light westerly wind on Saturday 12th September at 8.00am. Surgenor Brothers of Kells & District who won 1st Open NIPA in this event only two years ago in 2018 again clocked the best bird in the Mid Antrim Combine and also 1st Section B and 9th Open NIPA 2616 birds. Geoff timed his blue hen at 12.36pm for the 217 miles fly to the lofts at Moorfields. The hen which had been flying to her perch began showing to a cock during the week before basketing. Breeding is Derek Parr's Van Loons through clubmate and good friend Davy Jackson. 12/09/20 Tullamore Comeback S Crawford 1st & 3rd vel 1960 3rd & 6th MA Combine 31/502, 19/09/20 Fermoy 5 Bird S Crawford 1st & 2nd vel 1179 1st MA Combine The young bird 5 Bird Classic event was flown in duplicate from Fermoy in Co. Cork. Best bird in the Mid Antrim Combine was timed by Kells fancier Sam Crawford with a velocity of 1179. Sam is only back into the pigeons this season having been out of the sport for 28 years. His young bird have hit form in the past few weeks winning many club and Combine positions in the Top 10. His winner a blue pied cock flying to the perch was timed at 14.30pm after the 201mile fly to the lofts in Moorfields. The nestmate won 1st Club and 3rd Combine from Tullamore last weekend. Both birds are from a kit of youngsters from Gerard Delaney of O'Rorry Hill stud, the breeding being Gustaaf Emil Dillen. Thanks to PO Mervyn Eagleson for results.

Just as I write this report, I have put my hands on the dinner report for 1996, attended by Adie he encountered hazardous conditions with snow on the ground as he travelled out to the Country House Hotel. This year the club had achieved remarkable success racing with Mid Antrim Combine and NIPA, the members lifted 3 x 1st Sect B Diplomas and 8 x 1sts in the Mid Antrim Combine, a very-good season indeed. This year it was the turn of the newly elected Chairman Mr W Purdy to satart the proceedings this he did by welcoming the members, visitors and guests. He hoped everyone would enjoy the night ahead, and called on Treasurer Mr W McClure to say grace. After the meal the Chairman the Chairman was to elaborate on the seasons top results and then invited Mrs Graham to present cups and trophies. Brian Swann & Son were up at the top followed by George Herron & Son, Davy McCullough & Son, McFarland & Agnew, Ian Gill and Steven Lee.

I will take a quick look at some of the top positions won on what was a very successful year. Brian Swann & Son had a delightful season recording some of the best results seen in the Mid Antrim Combine. In Arklow (1) the loft finished 26th Sect & 77th Open with 15,500 birds competing. From Wexford (1) he did the treble 1st Club, 1st MAC, 1st Sect and finished a good 3rd Open NIPA with 26,500 birds competing. He scored well in Wexford (3) and (4) and then finished with a good performance from Penzance three birds finishing 37th, 38th and 118th Open NIPA. In the young birds they had to wait until Tramore finishing 5th Sect & 30th Opern. In the Rosscarbery YB Derby the loft finished 1st Club, 2nd Sect & 29th Open collecting £205. They scored again in the Blue Riband Penzance Nat finishing 1st MAC, 7th Sect, and 12th Open NIPA collecting £380. A fantastic season indeed that earned them the MAC Old Bird Inl Ave and MAC Young Bird of the Year awards. The well-deserved runner-up spot went to George Herron & Son getting real close in two big races. In the old bird Bude they finished 4th Club, 4th Sect & 13th Open NIPA and their result of the year came in the Talbenny YB Derby. The loft finished 1st Club, 1st MAC, 1st Sect B and ended a very-close 2nd Open NIPA collecting £1,100.

Finishing 3rd in the list was the all-round supremos Davy McCullough & Son they again had excellent success this particular year. At Arklow they had v1st Club and 10th Sect B and then in the cross channel Talbenny (2) had 5th MAC and Sect finishing 54th Open NIPA with 15,892 birds competing. The next week from Bude they won 8th Comb & Sect plus 18th Open NIPA and then as usual 1st Club out of Dinard (France) finishing 9th Comb & Sect and 43rd Open NIPA plus £85. With performances such as 1st MAC, 2nd Sect & 78th Open NIPA Talbenny, 21st Sect & 92nd Open Penzance, 1st Club, 13th MAC, 15th Sect & 67th Open Penzance Classic plus £140 – Then in the young birds 38th Open Malahide, 21st Sect & 63rd Open Talbenny YB Derby collecting £106 was enough to earn McFarlane & Agnew 4th place in the prize list. Ian Gill finished 5th with good-recorded results from Talbenny (2) 3rd Comb & Sect and 44th Open then from Wexford 2nd Comb, 3rd Sect & 31st Open NIPA. The man who could strike at any time finished 6th best overall Steven Lee had a fantastic result in the Wexford (2) for young birds finishing 1st & 6th Comb & Sect plus 41st and 176th Open NIPA. He also scored the week previous from Wexford (1) 17th Sect & 136th Open NIPA 32,114 birds competing.

To finish this round-up I would like to cover some of the top achievements by other Kells & Dist lofts with the first one at hand being William McClure who I see won some £400, From the Kings Cup Rennes the ever-formidable Don Parker finished 1st Club, 1st Mid Antrim Combine, and 40th Open, Mrs Smyth finished 116th Open INFC. Brown Bros finished 40th Sect after winning the club from Arklow (2) having the week before from the same point took 1st MAC and 3rd Sect B. A & R Kenny finished 4th MAC and 7th Sect B in the Rosscarbery Old Bird Derby.

In this end of season note can I wish a very merry Christmas to fanciers everywhere and their families, 2020 was a season to remember so please keep safe and adhere to the regulations.
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