martin Graham of Ballymena & Dist holding the Ylr Nat winner.
Mid Antrim Combine won by Martin Graham -
Wednesday 14th June 2023 is another day Martin Graham of Ballymena will remember for a lifetime. After flying the 329 miles to the majestic lofts on the Old Cullybackey Road his classy blue pied hen timed in at 14.24pm to win the INFC Penzance Yearling National and emulate her sire "Champion Denman" who won the same race back in 2018 when flown from Sennen Cove. This is the second time Martin won 1st Open INFC Yearling National and add to that the NIPA Skibbereen OB Inland National win in 2004 making Martin a triple National winner and all achieved in old bird racing. Martin only concentrates on the National races and over the years has amassed many fantastic results namely 1st Section, 1st Open NIPA Skibbereen OB Inland National with "Sunnyhill Lass", 1st Section & 2nd Open NIPA Lamballe OB National with "Champion Siobhan", 2nd Section & 4th Open NIPA St Malo OB National, only bird in Section B and 7th Open NIPA St Malo OB National with "Brenda Anne". The list is endless and is enhanced every season. Martin's winning blue pied hen and was sitting eggs 10 days and has now been named "Den's Lass". The sire as I mentioned earlier is "Champion Denman". A great racing cock for Martin winning the club in 2018 from the NIPA Skibbereen OB National plus 88th Open and a few weeks later 1st Open INFC Sennen Cove Yearling National 332 miles velo 1419. The dam of Martin's latest National winner is a blue hen that won 13th Open in a strong headwind from the INFC Penzance YB National smash of 2015. Sire of the dam is "Lion Eyes" bred from Martin's original No1 stock cock "Sunnyhill Producer" the sire of 10 x 1st including 4th Open Lamballe OB National. The mother of the dam is a daughter of "The Big Hen" responsible for countless National positions for himself and many others. In fact "The Big Hen's" bloodlines run through all six of the birds Martin timed. The dams mother also bred "Wee Fiona" 19th Open INFC Kings Cup in the St Allouestre smash of 2021 when only 42 birds homed in race time. Martin's second bird clocked at 15.30pm to win 13th Open was another blue hen sitting 12 days on eggs. Sire of this one is "Treble One" a son of "The Big Hen" and also the sire of 57th Open Kings Cup smash 2018. Dam is "Rushvale Percilla" Glen McNeilly of Ballyclare's No1 stock hen purchased by Martin at McNeilly's clearance sale. This hen had already bred Glen a 1st Section & 5th Open St Malo National bird in 2021. Breeding is M & D Evans Vandenabeele. Martin timed his third bird sitting 8 day on egg at 15.43pm to win 21st Open. Dam of this hen is the same dam as the first hen and the sire was a cheq cock kindly presented by Malachy Maguire of Newry to the INFC Charity auction in 2020. Sire of the Maguire Cock is Young Sean a winner of 1st Section & 2nd Open NIPA St Malo National 2015. Dam is "No Surprise" 22nd Open INFC St Allouestre Kings Cup and winner of the Harkness Rose Bowl with her half brother Young Oisin in 2018. No Surprise was also 4th Open in the INFC Kings Cup Single Bird Challenge in 2019. Bloodlines of the Maguire cock also includes Home Alone and Portavogie Lass. In total Martin timed 6 of his 9 entries in surely what is one of his best days racing to date. Martin is a hardworking 5 days a week man and everything he's achieves with the pigeons he works extremely hard for and deserves every bit of his success. Well done again Martin, a top champion racer. Mervyn Eagleson PO.
Mid Antrim Combine INFC Penzance Yearling National - Martin Graham Ballymena & Dist 1398, Martin Graham Ballymena & Dist 1206, Martin Graham Ballymena & Dist 1176, A Darragh Cullybackey 1083, J McNeill & Son Randalstown 1074, D Dixon Rasharkin 1067, Mr & Mrs Robinson Cullybackey 1066, J Miller Randalstown 1011, C & R McIntyre Cullybackey 910, D Dixon Rasharkin 889, Martin Graham Ballymena 875, D Dixon Rasharkin 821, G Gibson Cullybackey 808, J Wright Ballymena 804, Houston Bros Randalstown 800, D Dixon Rasharkin 792, Blair & Rankin Ballymena 710, D Dixon Rasharkin 701, J McNeill & Son Randalstown 684, A Darragh Cullybackey 683, A Darragh Cullybackey 669, W Livingstone 662, C & R McIntyre Cullybackey 660.