The final NIPA race of the season was the YB National from Skibbereen in County Cork. The young birds were released at 10.02am in light and variable winds. Danny Dixon of Dunloy had the best two birds in the Mid Antrim Combine timing at 15.44pm & 15.50pm to also win 1st & 2nd Section B and 26th & 47th Open NIPA. His winning blue cock is bred from his good Lambrecht "Aviary cock" that won 2nd Open NIPA Yearling National when paired to his good Joss Cool hen. This pair are responsible for many winners. Danny's second bird is a daughter of his three times Combine winner "Red Lightning" when paired to a son of "Heartbreaker". Nest best winning 3rd Combine, 3rd Section and 51st Open NIPA were Johnston Eagleson & Sons who were winning Ballymena & District and the Town for the sixth time in the young bird season. Their mealy w/f hen sitting tight on a dozen eggs was timed at 15.43pm flying 260 miles. This hen is bred from the best of P & D Racing & Breeding Stud's Van Den Bulcks and has been in the prizes a number of times this season. A full brother has been placed 6th, 8th & 9th Combine in the young bird season. Keith Kernohan again had the winner in Harryville for the fifth time in young birds with a chequer cock bred from his top Vermeerbergen x Wilms stock and Gary Gibson had the winner in Cullybackey with the same dark pied Lambrecht cock that won from Fermoy the week previous. Sire a son of "Heartbreaker" and dam a niece of "Superke". Other winners included Jimmy Smyth & Son of Ahoghill with a blue pied hen from Mark Milliken of Rasharkin and is bred off two Section winners. Geoff Surgenor was best in Kells & District with a youngster bred from his Busschaert x Hartog "Marion Hen" when paired to a Dave Pallet cock gifted to him by Dave Lilleyman of Kells at the time, Freddie Barkley had the Rasharkin winner with a blue chequer Busschaert x Lambrecht and Anthony McNeill was best in Randalstown for the third week on the trot with a blue cock bred by Frank and Geoff Dickey of Randalstown and is bred from the best of their Stickers - Donckers. The cock won 2nd club the previous week from Fermoy beaten by a loftmate, and a full brother won 1st Coleraine Centre and 3rd Section A for Bobby & DannyCoyle of Coleraine Premier at the weekend. Mervyn Eagleson PO.
Mid Antrim Combine Skibbereen YB National - D Dixon Rasharkin 1367, D Dixon Rasharkin 1347, J Eagleson & Sons Ballymena 1341, D Dixon Rasharkin 1324, G Gibson Cullybackey 1323, G Gibson Cullybackey 1316, J Smyth & Son Ahoghill 1311, D Dixon Rasharkin 1309, D Dixon Rasharkin 1293, D Dixon Rasharkin 1292, Surgenor Bros Kells 1275, D Dixon Rasharkin 1270, F Barkley Rasharkin 1267, G Gibson Cullybackey 1266, J & J Greer Cullybackey 1251, D Dixon Rasharkin 1247, J Eagleson & Sons Ballymena 1239, Gregg Bros Kells 1223, Gregg Bros Kells 1218, W McFetridge Rasharkin 1210, Blair & Rankin Ballymena 1209, J Rock Associate 1202, J Rock Associate 1201, J Smyth & Son Ahoghill 1194, Gregg Bros Kells 1191, J & J Greer Cullybackey 1188, A Darragh Cullybackey 1169, F Barkley Rasharkin 1148, A Barkley & Son Kells 1146, J Eagleson & Sons Ballymena 1142, Blair & Rankin Ballymena 1140, J McNeill & Son Randalstown 1139, A C & T Tweed Rasharkin 1138, G Gibson Cullybackey 1136, J Smyth & Son Ahoghill 1134.
Mid Antrim Combine Clubs -
Ahoghill Flying Club – J Smyth & Son 1311, 1194, 1134, A Shiels 1116, T Whyte 1023, C Moore 994.
Ballymena & District – J Eagleson & Sons 1341, 1239, Blair & Rankin 1209, J Eagleson & Sons 1142, Blair & Rankin 1140.
Cullybackey HPS – Gary Gibson 1323, 1316, 1266, J & J Greer 1251, 1188, A Darragh 1169.
Harryville HPS4/41 – K & K Kernohan 1334, 1268, Johnston & Richards 1255, K & K Kernohan 1253, Jimmy Rock 1202, 1201.
Kells & District – Surgenor Bros 1309, 1275, Gregg Bros 1223, 1218, 1191, A Barkley & Son 1146.
Randalstown – J McNeill & Son 1139, 1098, W & W Gilbert 1003, 994, Stewart Bros 894.
Rasharkin & District – Feddie Barkley 1267, William McFetridge 1210, Freddie Barkley 1148, A C & T Tweed 1138.
Danny Dixon from Dunloy, 1st MAC Skibbereen YB Nat,