The young bird racing season continued with the sixth race from Fermoy in County Cork along with the duplicated 5 Bird event. Birds were liberated on Friday 19th August at 8.00am in west southwest winds. Best bird in the Mid Antrim Combine was again timed by Geoff Surgenor of Kells & District at 11.00am. This was Geoff's third Combine win in six young bird races with two of them also winning 1st Section B. Geoff's winner was bred from a Hartog hen purchased at a Colin McBride of Harryville sale when paired to a good racing Van Rijn cock of Geoff's that won 3 x 1st. Geoff won 1st Open NIPA Talbenny YB National in 2018 and he'll be looking forward to another crack at it next week with his birds in top condition. Danny Dixon of Dunloy was nest best with two birds timed at 11.07am for 2nd & 3rd Combine. First bird a red chequer cock is from a daughter of Gert Heylen's Jackpot when paired to a brother of Heartbreaker. Danny's second bird a dark chequer hen is a daughter of Red Lightning 3 x 1st Combine when paired to a son of Heartbreaker. Next best was Johnston Eagleson & Sons who had the best three birds in both Ballymena & Dist and the town. Their winning chequer w/f cock timed at 11.02am was bred off a Hermans Ceuster x Van den Bulck hen when paired to a gift cock from Paddy & William McManus of Ahoghill, the dam being a daughter of Danny Dixon's "Heartbreaker" and the sire the best of their Van den Brande stock. Paddy & William McManus of Ahoghill had the top five in Ahoghill winner on 1937. Their winning hen is a granddaughter of their No1 Karel Laenen cock. This cock is now nine year's old and is sire and g/sire to multiple 1st prize-winner’s for themselves and many others. Other winners included William & Jean McLean the Rasharkin winners on 1926, Keith Kernohan the Harryville winner on 1895 with a Vermeerbergen x Wilms hen. This hen is half-sister to last year’s 1st Club and best in the Harryville Centre from Skibbereen YB National, Gary Gibson was best in Cullybackey on 1890 and John Miller was best in Randalstown with a Blue Willy Jacobs cock flying to the perch on 1864. Mervyn Eagleson PO.
Mid Antrim Combine Fermoy 42/1172 - Surgenor Bros Kells 1961, D Dixon Rasharkin 1953, D Dixon Rasharkin 1951, J Eagleson & Sons Ballymena 1947, Young & McManus & Sons Ahoghill 1937, Gregg Bros Kells 1929, W & J McLean Rasharkin 1926, F Barkley Rasharkin 1925, J Eagleson & Sons Ballymena 1921, Young & McManus & Sons Ahoghill 1917, J Eagleson & Sons Ballymena 1910, F Barkley Rasharkin 1906, Young & McManus & Sons Ahoghill 1893, G Gibson Cullybackey 1890, Young & McManus & Sons Ahoghill 1890, H Cubitt Rasharkin 1889, Blair & Rankin Ballymena 1889, Blair & Rankin Ballymena 1888, A Barkley & Son Kells 1887, D Dixon Rasharkin 1886, D Dixon Rasharkin1886, D Dixon Rasharkin 1886, D Dixon Rasharkin 1884, D Dixon Rasharkin 1884, J Eagleson & Sons Ballymena 1881, A Barkley & Son Kells 1880, A Darragh Cullybackey 1871, Reynolds & McCormick Ballymena 1866, J Miller Randalstown 1864, W & J McLean Rasharkin 1856.
Mid Antrim Combine Clubs –
Ahoghill Flying Club 12/300 –Young McManus & Sons 1937, 1917, 1893, 1890, 1851, T Whyte 1823.
Ballymena & District 5/153- J Eagleson & Sons 1947, 1921, 1910, Blair & Rankin 1889, 1888, J Eagleson & Sons 1881.
Cullybackey HPS 5/103 – G Gibson 1890, A Darragh 1871, 1846, 1839, G Gibson 1835, A Darragh 1831.
Harryville HPS 9/157 – K & K Kernohan 1895, Johnston & Richards 1892, K & K Kernohan 1850, L Mullan 1844, Johnston & Richards 1839, 1838.
Kells & District 6/146 – Surgenor Bros 1961, Gregg Bros 1929, A Barkley & Son 1887, 1880, H Turkington 1855, H Boyd 1854. Sizzlers 2 Bird Club – H Turkington 1855, H Boyd 1854, Surgenor Bros 1822, A Barkley & Son 1549, 1404.
Randalstown 6/151 – J Millar 1864, Stewart Bros 1833, J Millar 1823, W & W Gilbert 1792, F & G & J Dickey 1791, Stewart Bros 1788.
Rasharkin & District 4/102 – W & J McLean 1926, F Barkley 1925, 1906, H Cubitt 1929, W & J McLean 1856, 1854.
NIPA Section A Fermoy 31/677 – P McElhatton Coalisland 1962, 1960, 1959, W & J McLean Rasharkin & Dist 1926, J Hanson Coleraine Premier 1916, S Diamond Coleraine Prem 1895, R McElhatton 1887, B & D Coyle Coleraine Prem 1887, J Hanson 1881, B & D Coyle 1879.
NIPA Section B Fermoy 76/2012 – Surgenor Bros Kells & Dist 1961, S & J Bones and T Yates Muckamore 1958, D Dixon Ballymoney 1953, 1951, S & J Bones and T Yates 1947, J Eagleson & Sons Ballymena 1947, S & J Bones and T Yates 1946, J Connolly Ballymoney 1945, Young McManus & Sons Ahoghill 1937, Gregg Bros Kells & Dist 1929.
Mid Antrim Combine YB Knock Out S/F (winners in Capitals) - SURGENOR BROS 1961 v Young & McManus & Sons 1937, Stewart Bros 1833 v D DIXON 1953. The final between Geoff Surgenor and Danny Dixon will be flown from the Talbenny YB National next week
Mid Antrim Combine Fermoy 5 Bird Championship
William & Jean McLean from Rasharkin topped the Combine in the duplicated 5 Bird event and finished 3rd in Section A. Their winning chequer hen sitting on eggs won 1st Club last week from Gowran Park and was bred by clubmate Mark Milliken. Gary Gibson of Cullybackey was best in the Harryville Centre and also runner up in the Combine with a red chequer Van Vugt x Donckers cock. The sire is bred from a double g/son of KBDP National ace pigeon "Wonderboy" when paired to a hen from the Olympic Boy lines. Both parents are grandchildren of Den Bange winner of 7 x 1st and ace bird Noyon. Other club winners included Harry Boyd of Kells on 1854, Keith Kernohan the Harryville winner and best in the town with blue Vermeerbergen x Wilms cock. This cock is bred from Keith's No 1 pair Luc x The Gift that have now bred 7 x 1st, Johnston Eagleson & Sons the winners in Ballymena with a Mealy cock bred from two Van den Bulck's direct P & D Breeding Stud, and Trevor Whyte with the best bird in Ahoghill.
Fermoy 5 Bird Mid Antrim Combine - W & J McLean Rasharkin 1926, G Gibson Cullybackey 1890, D Dixon Rasharkin 1884, A Darragh Cullybackey 1871, H Boyd Kells 1854, W & J McLean Rasharkin 1854, D Dixon Rasharkin 1852, J Eagleson & Sons Ballymena 1831, F Barkley Rasharkin 1829, R H Clements Associate 1827, A Darragh Cullybackey 1823, Surgenor Bros Kells 1822, S McIlveen Kells 1818, J & J Greer Cullybackey 1814, R H Clements Associate 1813, Blair & Rankin Ballymena 1807, Gregg Bros Kells 1800.
NIPA Section A Fermoy 5 Bird 14/64 – Phillip McElhatton Coalisland 1962, 1960, W & J McLean Rasharkin 1926, S Diamond Coleraine Prem 1895.
NIPA Section B Fermoy 5 Bird 38/180 – T & J McDonald Coleraine Prem 1908, Fleming Bros Crumlin 1906, S Thompson Crumlin 1892, G Gibson Cullybackey 1890, D Dixon Ballymoney 1884, A Darragh Cullybackey 1871, Fleming Bros 1867, J Connolly Ballymoney 1857, H Boyd Kells 1854, D Dixon 1852.
Geoff Surgenor from Kells, 1st Comb & Sect Fermoy
Willie McLean from Rasharkin & Dist 1st MAC Fermoy 5 Bird