This season saw a close contest for the Randalstown's 2021 top prize-winners with Stewart Brothers taking top spot with 239 points closely followed by Secretary John Miller 221 points and F G & J Dickey 84 points. Highlight of the season was achieved by the Highest prize-winners Stewart Bros from the St Allouestre King's Cup Old Bird Grand National race when they topped the Mid Antrim Combine and had their best-ever King's Cup finish of 13th Open INFC National 501 miles. This loft has, previously won 2 x INFC Hall of Fame Diplomas and have a fantastic record at the distance.
Mid Antrim Combine – Tough Kings Cup
The Irish National Flying Club held their Kings Cup Grand National race from St. Allouestre in France on Thursday 8th July. The birds were released in a light westerly wind at 6.30am. The race turned out a real endurance test with only 42 game birds making it to their lofts over the course of three-day event. Of the 42 arrivals only three of them were recorded in the Mid Antrim Combine and the best of these was timed by Stewart Brothers of Randalstown who clocked at 13.50pm on the second day. Their 3-year-old dark chequer hen sitting on eggs due to hatch, had a 501-mile fly to the lofts situated at The Grange just a few miles outside Randalstown. The winning hen had 4 inland races and 1st Talbenny and was then well tossed before being sent to the Kings Cup. This Lambrecht hen was purchased in a kit of young birds from Jackie Steele of Rasharkin in 2018 and is bred from Jackie's No1 pair. The sire is the "38 Cock" he is sire of 1st Open NIPA Mullingar for Bertie Blair of Ballymena & Dist and is also sire of Jackie's own "Isla" 3 x 1st Section B as a young bird in 2018. A full sister to the "38 Cock" bred 1st Open NIPA Fermoy for J & M Milliken of Rasharkin. The Dam of the Kings Cup hen is "27" and she is also the dam of "Isla" The Stewart Brothers partnership consisting of 69-year-old Ian and his 66-year-old brother Eric have had many top National results over the years including the winning of two Hall of Fames with the INFC in 2006 and 2009 along with 9th & 10th Open Penzance YB National and 10th Open Penzance Old Hens National in 2010. Their best position in the INFC Kings Cup prior to this season was 15th Open in 1999. This seasons 7th North Section and 13th Open INFC result just betters it and I'm sure many more top results will follow for the brothers. Local fanciers will never forget that the late Arthur Simpson brought the famous Kings Cup back to Randalstown in 1974, the last season to fly Nantes. Champion Sean was the first bird to win the Kings Cup and the Hall of Fame Diploma at the same time and a big result for British Enkalon who had a Pigeon Section at that time and where Bertie Goudy was also a member and former Kings Cup winner into Muckamore.
Stewart Bros won 9 races in total (6 of these from channel races), John Miller had 8 wins including the first five young bird races where he made the Top 10 in the Mid Antrim Combine on each occasion including 3rd, 4th & 7th Combine. F G & J Dickey had 4 wins with W & W Gilbert and J McNeill & Son 1 x 1st each.
Result: MAC Kings Cup St Allouestre - Stewart Bros Randalstown 585, Martin Graham Ballymena & District 532, Robert Alexander Ballymena & District 368.
A breakdown of the race winner's in both old and young birds is as follows:
Old Bird winners: 24/04 Tullamore - F G & J Dickey vel 1408 (5th MAC 42/1207), 01/05 Roscrea - Stewart Bros 1st, 2nd & 3rd vel 1482 (16th & 18th MAC 56/1833), 07/05 Gowran Park - F G & J Dickey 1st, 2nd & 3rd vel 1476 (24th MAC 60/1843), 14/05 Fermoy - F G & J Dickey 1st & 2nd vel 1511 (16th & 17th MAC 70/1966), 22/05 Castletown - Stewart Bros vel 1376 (13th MAC 55/1475), 29/05 Skibbereen OB Inland National - F G & J Dickey 1st, 2nd & 3rd vel 1520 (2nd, 3rd & 16th MAC 47/365), 01/06 INFC Skibbereen Inland National - J Miller 1st & 2nd vel 1124 (10th & 11th MAC) 06/06 1st Talbenny - Stewart Bros 1st, 2nd & 3rd vel 1305 (9th MAC 52/961), 12/06 2nd Talbenny - Stewart Bros vel 1281 (19th MAC 46/547), 19/06 Bude - W & W Gilbert vel 1438 (14th MAC 41/367), 01/07 Penzance - Stewart Bros 1st & 2nd vel 1210 (18th & 20th MAC), 01/07 Penzance OB Classic - Stewart Bros 1st & 2nd (16th & 17th MAC) 08/07 St Allouestre Old Bird National Kings Cup Stewart Bros vel 585 (1st MAC).
Young Birds: 17/07 Area Lib (1) Tullamore - J Miller vel 1308 (10th MAC 28/680), 24/07 Area Lib (2) Mullingar - J Miller vel 1280 (4th MAC 25/510), 31/07 Area Lib (3) Tullamore - J Miller 1st, 2nd & 3rd vel 1230 (7th, 10th & 11th MAC 50/1264), 10/08 Roscrea J Miller 1st, 2nd & 3rd vel 1439 (10th MAC 42/885), 16/08 Gowran Park J Miller 1st, 2nd & 3rd vel 1250 (3rd MAC 30/626), 23/08 2nd Gowran Park - Stewart Bros vel 1375 (16th MAC 28/525), 28/08 Fermoy - J Miller 1st & 2nd vel 1363 (20th MAC 37/447) 28/08 Fermoy 5 Bird - J McNeill & Son vel 1320 (16th MAC) 04/09 Talbenny YB National - Stewart Bros vel 1461 (3rd MAC 27/128), 11/09 Skibbereen YB National J Millar 1st & 2nd vel 1111 (15th MAC 22/145).
2021 Cup Winners locally:
Stewart Bros won – Tom Cotter Trophy for Top Prize-winner, J JKyle Cup 1st & 2nd OB races, J Shaw Cup Talbenny (1), Castledawson Cup Talbenny (2), Pat Marron Cup Lowest Vel cross channel, J Boyd Cup Ave 4 channel races, G Kissick Cup Ave Bude & Penzance, Old Bird Points Cup, Gribben Cup Penzance, Penzance Cup, Sean Simpson Penzance Trophy, D Bell Best in Kings Cup, Best Young Bird 30 Points.
John Millar won Bernard McKay Cup 1st & 2nd YB races, G Lynch Trophy 5th & 6th YB races, W J Bell Skibbereen Young Bird, R Adair Best Ave 2 YB Derbies, Young Bird Points, YB Average, McCausland Cup Lowest Vel in YB, Skibbereen Old Bird INFC.
F & J & G Dickey won – Inland Average Old Bird, BOCM Cup Skibbereen Old Bird, J Millar Shield 3rd & 4th OB races, Best Old Bird. W & W Gilbert won – S Millar Cup for Bude. Mervyn Eagleson Mid Antrim PO.
Stewart Bros lifted the top prize-winner Tom Cotter trophy and had the result of the year winning 1st MAC in the Kings Cup Grand Nat from St Allouestre in France, racing 500 miles.
Secretary John Millar was runner-up for top loft in a close finish winning 8 x 1sts over the season and fantastic in young birds.
From a few years back at Muckamore Centre Ian Stewart (l) with Anthony McNeill, The J McNeill & Son team won Fermoy and the 5 Bird in the young birds.
The Dickey Family just raced the old birds and won the Inland Average.
Bude winners were W & W Gilbert, with club chairman Hugh Boyd.
Tough Boy the YB of the Year in Randalstown, 1st Club Talbenny YB Nat for Stewart Bros.
Homeward Bound winner of 13th Open in the INFC Kings Cup for Stewart Bros.