The Old Bird Season in the Club was dominated by Spence Bros who won 8 of the 16 race programme and also finished in the top 4 in 6 of the remaining 8 races. They topped Section D of the NIPA from Fermoy 5 Bird and also St Malo National, other Club wins being from Gowran Park, Fermoy x 3, Skibbereen and Penzance. From a very hard St Malo National they were 1st Club, 1st Section, 2nd Open 1980 birds when no pigeons made home on the day, their 4 year old Dark Cheq. Cock being clocked at 10 20 am the second morning , making a velocity of 772 ypm which tells you how hard a race this was. This Cock was 7th Section 134th Open from St Malo in 2020 so now wins a Bronze Award, and he has been a consistant performer over the years being in the top 5 in the Club 7 times, not to mention quite a few prizes in the Ulster Fed's Lagan Valley club the partnership also races in. Spence Bros have in the past won 1st Open in both the NIPA and Ulster Fed. French Nationals and this latest result is the 5th time they have been 2nd Open in one or other of these organisations. The Dark Cock injured a foot causing him to walk with a limp leading up to the race, but thankfully was ok on basketing night, going on to prove what a class pigeon he is. On looking at his photo you will not be surprised to learn that he has also won in the show pen.
Second Club from St Malo was Adie Hughes & Son who timed a 2 year old Blue Cheq. Cock to finish 3rd Section 69th Open. The breeding of this bird being down off pigeons from C& L Fryers of Dromara. Gary Benson was 3rd with a Cheq Wf Hen off his Hall of Fame winner taking 4th Sect. with Samuel Briggs having the only other Lisburn pigeon timed, this one a 4 year old Blue Hen finishing 9th Sect.
Alan Houston racing as A,T& J Houston had a good season winning 1st Roscrea 644 birds, 2nd Fermoy 596b going on to have a great cross Channel programme taking 3rd Talbenny (1), 1st Talbenny (2), 2nd & 3rd Bude, 2nd Penzance. Great racing from across the water to the Hill Street lofts to win the Channel Average in the Club.
Club Secratary Trevor Topping and Son Robert were very consistant throughout the Season winning from Tullamore and Fermoy YB 5 Bird also 5 times 2nd and 8 times 3rd to finish runner up Inland Old Bird, Cross Channel and Combined old Bird Averages. Being second highest prize winners for the 2021 season.
Gary Smyth won from Castletown OB 444 birds also Fermoy YB 172 birds and Roscrea YB 204 birds.
Billy Joss was 1st from Fermoy OB Come Back race with 429 birds competing.
H MacKin & Son was best from Skibbereen Yearling National.
David Ferguson had a good win from Bude with 257 birds away.
Samuel Briggs took 1st in the Gowran Park (2) YB race 226 birds.
The 2021 Young Bird Season got off to a very bad start with heavy losses in the early races which caused quite a number of fanciers to stop for the season. Lisburn's partnership of Smyth & Adams on the other hand had a YB season to remember with a tremendous set of results, 1st,2nd Tullamore (1)...1st,2nd,3rd Tullamore (2)...1st, 2nd Roscrea (1)...2nd,3rd Roscrea (2)...1st,2nd Gowran Park (1)...3rd Gowran Park (2)...1st, 3rd Talbenny YB Nat...1st Skibbereen Nat. Add to that 1st Talbenny (1)...2nd Gowran Park...3rd Fermoy in the Old Bird races and you are looking at the Lisburn Club's highest prize winners for 2021. Racing to lofts situated at John Smyth's address in Warren Gardens he and Eddie Adams took the YB Average, with Eddie the main manager of the racing team. I had never met John before going to his house to take a few photos ,as he does'nt come to the Club, but found him a very interesting fancier with a great knowledge of the sport.
In INFC races in 2021 Smyth & Adams were best in the Club from Skibbereen OB Nat. wth J Taggart & Son 2nd and 3rd.
The Sennen Cove Yearling Nat saw L Magee & Sons on top with Alan Houston 2nd and Spence Bros 3rd.
Samuel Briggs was best in the Skibbereen YB Nat. followed by Gary Smyth and Billy Joss.
INFC King's Cup turned out one of the hardest for a nunber of years with only one Lisburn pigeon home in race time, that being a 2 year old Cheq. Cock to S & W English of Hill Street. Timed the second day this very good bird finished 17th North Section, 25th Open with 2,511 pigeons competing. He was a prizewinner from NIPA St Malo National 2020 and is a G.Son of the loft's Hall of Fame winner a few years ago.
We are now into 2022 and looking forward to the coming season which I hope will be a successful one for all members of the Club.
Milne Mairs
1375 Dark Ch Cock 2nd Open St Malo National for Spence Bros...
1419 Cheq Cock 25th Open st Allouestre Kings Cup....1450
Alan Houston winner of Cross Channel Average...
1445 Smyth & Adams highest prize winners 2021 Lisburn & District 2021.