The racing season continued with the third race from Gowran Park in County Kilkenny. Due to a poor weather forecast for the weekend it was decided to race mark on the Thursday evening for a Friday Liberation. Friday 29th April turned out a beautiful day and the NIPA liberated at 10.30am in light easterly winds. The Rasharkin club had the early birds taking the top four positions in the Mid Antrim Combine 64/1761. Trevor Whyte fresh from his 1st Open NIPA Tullamore result a fortnight ago was again best in the Combine again doing 1572. His winning yearling grizzle Lambrecht hen timed at 13.28pm was flying 159 miles to the lofts just outside Portglenone. Trevor's hen was racing on the natural system and finishes 34th Open NIPA. In the opening race of the season from Tullamore she won 2nd club (blm), 6th MA Combine and 30th Open NIPA and last year as a young bird 1st club and 8th MA Combine from Gowran Park. This top racing hen is full sister to his Tullamore NIPA Open winner. Combine runner up was John & Mark Milliken on 1569 followed by Freddie Barkley on 1567 with the same bird that won 11th Combine in the opening race of the season and Trevor Whyte was in again for 4th Combine on 1563. Next best on 1562 were Young McManus & Sons who had the top five positions in Ahoghill. Paddy & William's 3-year-old blue chequer cock was 2nd club & 5th MA Combine last week and has now 4 x 1st clubs. Sire is their No.1 Karel Laenen cock and the dam a Lambrecht hen. Other winners included Chris & Robin McIntyre in Cullybackey on 1550, last week’s Combine winner Sam Crawford again best in his club doing 1546, Surgenor Bros the winners in Kells for the second week in a row on 1534, Johnston Eagleson & Sons with the top six in Ballymena & Dist on 1530, the Randalstown winners Stewart Bros 1519 and Marcus Morrow winner in Broughshane on 1501, winner for the third time. Mervyn Eagleson PO.
Mid Antrim Combine Gowran Park 64/1761- Trevor Whyte Rasharkin 1572, J & M Milliken Rasharkin 1569, F Barkley Rasharkin 1567, Trevor Whyte Rasharkin 1563, Young McManus & Sons Ahoghill 1562, Young McManus & Sons Ahoghill 1554, C & R McIntyre Cullybackey 1550, J & M Milliken Rasharkin 1550, S Crawford Associate 1546, D Dixon Rasharkin 1541, D Dixon Rasharkin 1541, J & M Milliken Rasharkin 1540, T Whyte Rasharkin 1540, Young McManus & Sons Ahoghill 1539, S Crawford Associate 1538, Young McManus & Sons Ahoghill 1536, W McFetridge Rasharkin 1536, Young McManus & Sons Ahoghill 1536, C Moore Ahoghill 1536, Surgenor Bros Kells 1534, T Whyte Rasharkin 1534, S Murphy Kells 1532, R H Clements Associate 1532, A McBride Associate 1531, Young McManus & Sons Ahoghill 1530, Surgenor Bros Kells 1530, J Eagleson & Sons Ballymena 1530, S Crawford Associate 1529, J Eagleson & Sons Ballymena 1529, J Eagleson & Sons Ballymena 1529, J Eagleson & Sons Ballymena 1528, H Boyd Kells 1527, A Darragh Cullybackey 1526, J Eagleson & Sons Ballymena 1526, H Boyd Kells 1526, J Eagleson & Sons Ballymena 1525, A Darragh Cullybackey 1524, S Crawford Associate 1524, McFarlane & Agnew Kells 1523, Surgenor Bros Kells 1523
Mid Antrim Combine Clubs Gowran Park
Rasharkin & District 9/236 – T Whyte 1572, J & M Milliken 1569, F Barkley 1567, T Whyte 1563, J & M Milliken 1550, W McFetridge 1538.
Ahoghill Flying Club 11/381 – Young McManus & Sons 1562, 1554, 1539, 1536, 1536, Chris Moore 1636, Young McManus & Sons 1530, J Smyth & Son 1522, M/M Robinson 1521, Chris Moore 1512. Brooke Supplies 2 Bird – M/M Robinson 1499, Chris Moore 1457.
Cullybackey HPS 10/265 – C & R McIntyre 1550, A Darragh 1526, 1522, 1519, 1518, J & J Greer 1517, C & R McIntyre 1517, A Darragh 1508, 1505, 1499. Well done to Chris and Robin McIntyre in today's win, with a velocity of 1550.509. Well done lads, great result.
Harryville HPS 10/317 – S Crawford 1546, L Mullan 1541, S Crawford 1538, K & K Kernohan 1533, R H Clements 1532, A McBride 1531, S Crawford 1529, D Magill 1528, K & K Kernohan 1526, 1524. Well done Sam two in row, winning pigeon bred by Paddy and William McManus of Ahoghill Lambrecht x Van den Brande.
Kells & District 9/248 – Surgenor Bros 1534, S Murphy 1532, Surgenor Bros 1530, H Boyd 1527, 1526, 1524, McFarlane & Agnew 1523, Surgenor Bros 1523. Sizzlers 2 Bird Club – McFarlane & Agnew 1523, Surgenor Bros 1519, H Turkington 1485, B Swann & Son 1479, A Barkley & Son 1474.
Ballymena & District HPS 8/219 – J Eagleson & Sons 1530, 1529, 1529, 1528, 1526, 1525, Blair & Rankin 1522, J Eagleson & Sons 1520, 1520, 1520. Johnston Eagleson & Sons take the top six positions in the club here. Their winning blue chequer hen was in a kit of 6 from Jackie Steele of Rasharkin. Breeding is the best of Jackie's Lambrecht family the "38 Cock" and famous "02 Hen". Johnston's winning hen bred last year’s young bird section winner from Gowran Park.
Randalstown HPS 8/172 – Stewart Bros 1519, 1496, 1467, Houston Bros 1464, 1462, 1448, J Millar 1434, J McNeill & Son 1429. Stewart Bros won their second race of the season with a 2-year-old chequer hen. This Louis Thijs hen won the club from Talbenny last season.
Broughshane & District HPS – T & M Morrow 1501, 1501, D Houston & Son 1499, 1492, 1473, A Purvis 1456, 1447, 1441. Well done Marcus on your hat trick of wins - The loft is on form.
Champions League Group Stage - Points gathered in the top 20 of the MA Combine in the first six old bird races.
Top 2 in each group go through to last 16 - Gowran Park Week 3 of 6
Group (1) J Smyth & Son Ahoghill 19, A Purvis Broughshane 0, J McNeill & Son Randalstown 0, D Craig Associate 0
Group (2) J Eagleson & Son Ballymena 37, Surgenor Bros Kells 23, C Moore Ahoghill 2, C Kennedy Broughshane
Group (3) F Barkley Rasharkin 42, Mr & Mrs Robinson Ahoghill 8, D Houston & Son Broughshane 0, R Service & Son Ballymena 0
Group (4) J & M Milliken Rasharkin 44, A Darragh Cullybackey 40, A Shiels Ahoghill 0, T & M Morrow Broughshane 0
Group (5) T Whyte Rasharkin 80, R H Clements Associate 0, J Miller Randalstown 0, H Turkington Kells 0
Group (6) S Murphy Kells 59, G Gibson Cullybackey 20, J Rock Associate 9, N Percy & Son Randalstown 0
Group (7) Blair & Rankin Ballymena 9, J & J Greer Cullybackey 4, Stewart Bros Randalstown 0, H Boyd Kells 0
Group (8) S Crawford Associate 51, D Dixon Rasharkin 43, C & R McIntyre Cullybackey 14, R Alexander Ballymena 0
Mid Antrim Combine OB Points Fancier of the Year - Week 3 Gowran Park Top 10
Young McManus & Sons Ahoghill 94, T Whyte Rasharkin 80, S Murphy Kells 59, S Crawford Associate 51, J & M Milliken Rasharkin 44, D Dixon Rasharkin 43, F Barkley Rasharkin 42, A Darragh Cullybackey 40, J Eagleson & Sons Ballymena 37, Surgenor Bros Kells 23.
Trevor Whyte holding his Mid Antrim Combine winner from Gowran Park.