Ballymena & Dist Dinner in Adair Arms Hotel -

[willie reynolds]

Ballymena Prize Night - W & J Smyth Tops Again

Ballymena & Dist delayed the annual presentation until the New Year, for the last few years the event has been held in the local Adair Arms Hotel just a short distance from the clubrooms at Fountain Place. Most of the winning lofts were represented and the visitors and guests from other clubs included Danny Dixon who had another great season racing into Dunloy, Brian Herbinson from Cullybackey and Monty Magill. The W & J Smyth team who race to the Carniny Road took the Highest Prize-winner for the second season on the trot under strong pressure this time from the emerging star Martin Graham who had a best ever season racing with a team of birds that includes the very best from the Oroory Hill Stud of Gerald Delaney.

The two top lofts featured in the results of the main organizations, each had a 1st Mid Antrim Combine Diploma, with Martin Graham adding the Mid Antrim Young Bird Average while W & J Smyth took the Old Bird Average and the Bird of the Year. At the recent NIPA Ladies Night W & J Smyth won the RPRA Award for Sect B, best individual bird performance in two cross channel races Talbenny (2) & Penzance. Martin Graham was to win the Brendan Fox Trophy for the OB Nat having the best position of any Official or Delegate and he added the Dickson Cup for Best Ave Bude OB and Fermoy YB. Back in Mid Antrim the Champions League has been a great introduction giving fantastic competition in the member clubs, all nine nominate their top four racing lofts working a bit like the football with a league competition at the start and then moving on to the knock-out stage. W & J Smyth got knocked in a tight semi-final by Hugh Boyd of Randalstown who contested the final with the overall winner Danny Dixon who had knocked out J & N Simpson in the semi-final from Bude. The Champions League Final was flown from Penzance, one of the best races of the season.

I should also mention a new venture by Ballymena & Dist in the last season a Ring Nomination Race which was flown from Fermoy, it was open to all lofts in the Mid Antrim Combine and Danny Dixon was to take 1st & 2nd with two birds almost together winning over £300. This new venture like the Champions League was the brain child of James Harris and the Ballymena Ass Secretary also does all the admin, a fantastic member is Jim. The total payout by the club was raised to just over £1,000, something to be very proud of.

The leading lofts were – W & J Smyth, M Graham, J Devlin, Blair & Rankin, Richmond Bros, G Barr, B O’Rawe, McAlonan Bros, J Harris, Smyth Bros, Sempey & McGowan. The cups and trophies were presented as follows:-

Martin Graham won - G Barr Perpetual Challenge Cup (NIPA Old Bird France Nat), S J McDowell Challenge Cup (St Malo OB Nat), Kings Cup Trophy, William McIlhagga Memorial Cup (Best Ave INFC Kings Cup & YB Nat), O’Rourke Cup (NIPA France & Kings Cup Ave), Vintage Cup (Talbenny YB Nat), Ruddle Cup (YB Nat), YB Inland National, Skibbereen YB Nat, YB Inland Average, Best Individual Young Bird, Victory Cup (YB Ave), Best Ave NIPA Talbenny & Rosscarbery YB, Maternaghan Challenge Cup Best Ave NIPA OB Nat (France) & YB Nat (Cross Channel), Flamingo Cup (Best Ave YB Derbies), Law Family Memorial Cup (INFC Points Ave).

W & J Smyth won – Harper Cup (Highest Prize-winner), OB Inland Ave Shield, Yearling Cocks Inland Nat, Talbenny (2), Simon McCrory Cup (Best Ave OB 2nd, 4th, Talbenny & Penzance), Old Bird Knock-Out, Bill Carney Rose Bowl (Lowest Winning Vel Old Bird), Mooney Cup (Best Individual Old Bird).

Blair & Rankin won – Yearling Hens Inland Nat, Bobby Law Memorial (1st Yearling Penzance), Carnvale Cup (Penzance), Best Ave Bude & Penzance, Roger King Memorial (6th YB Race), Smyth Bros Perpetual Trophy (Ave OB Classic & YB Nat).

McAlonan Bros won – A S Hughes Cup (Cross Channel Ave), Best Ave Kings Cup & 2nd Talbenny, Joe Devlin won – Rosscarbery OB Inl Nat, Mallow 5 Bird, Richmond Bros won – Carnvale Cup (INFC Yearling Nat), Livingstone Cup (2 Bird Ave Yearling Nat), James Harris won – Talbenny (1), Sempey & McGowan – Novice Cup.

When the rings for 2009 arrived last year with the Ballymena & Dist there were some concerns that they were the Letter K and not the usual Letter B, some thought they should have been returned. I said at the time maybe, just maybe we would have something big to report with the young bird racing, thinking Penzance National where the club have a long record of success. News was in fact made but not in the most expected place, Martin Graham was asked to breed two youngsters for entry in the Galway One Loft Race and the rest in now history and will be talked about for years to come. One of the pair now named “Cool Lass” bred from his Gerald Delaney family won the final Galway Plate flown from the Giants Causeway and a cool 50,000 Euro top prize shared between Adie McCormick and Martin Graham. I collected the birds from the loft and Adie and myself delivered them to Galway. A full report on the Galway Race is available at www.pigeonnetwork.com

Secretary Willie Reynolds congratulated all the seasons top winners, a season of great success on many fronts, and 2010 might be even better. He also thanked all those involved in the week to week running of the club, all the members had a role to play and that included the show season which just recently finished with Bertie Blair winning the Show Cup for the first time and Brian Herbinson collecting the Visitors Trophy. The help received from Assist Secretary James Harris was invaluable and also Treasurer Brian O’Rawe. The club AGM will be held in the local Clubrooms at Fountain Place on Monday 15th February at 8.00pm, Resolutions in writing must be with the Secretary Willie Reynolds no later than Saturday 30th January.

Call back later for photos

[willie reynolds]

Ballymena Prize Night - W & J Smyth Tops Again

Ballymena & Dist delayed the annual presentation until the New Year, for the last few years the event has been held in the local Adair Arms Hotel just a short distance from the clubrooms at Fountain Place. Most of the winning lofts were represented and the visitors and guests from other clubs included Danny Dixon who had another great season racing into Dunloy, Brian Herbinson from Cullybackey and Monty Magill. The W & J Smyth team who race to the Carniny Road took the Highest Prize-winner for the second season on the trot under strong pressure this time from the emerging star Martin Graham who had a best ever season racing with a team of birds that includes the very best from the Oroory Hill Stud of Gerald Delaney.

The two top lofts featured in the results of the main organizations, each had a 1st Mid Antrim Combine Diploma, with Martin Graham adding the Mid Antrim Young Bird Average while W & J Smyth took the Old Bird Average and the Bird of the Year. At the recent NIPA Ladies Night W & J Smyth won the RPRA Award for Sect B, best individual bird performance in two cross channel races Talbenny (2) & Penzance. Martin Graham was to win the Brendan Fox Trophy for the OB Nat having the best position of any Official or Delegate and he added the Dickson Cup for Best Ave Bude OB and Fermoy YB. Back in Mid Antrim the Champions League has been a great introduction giving fantastic competition in the member clubs, all nine nominate their top four racing lofts working a bit like the football with a league competition at the start and then moving on to the knock-out stage. W & J Smyth got knocked in a tight semi-final by Hugh Boyd of Randalstown who contested the final with the overall winner Danny Dixon who had knocked out J & N Simpson in the semi-final from Bude. The Champions League Final was flown from Penzance, one of the best races of the season.

I should also mention a new venture by Ballymena & Dist in the last season a Ring Nomination Race which was flown from Fermoy, it was open to all lofts in the Mid Antrim Combine and Danny Dixon was to take 1st & 2nd with two birds almost together winning over £300. This new venture like the Champions League was the brain child of James Harris and the Ballymena Ass Secretary also does all the admin, a fantastic member is Jim. The total payout by the club was raised to just over £1,000, something to be very proud of.

The leading lofts were – W & J Smyth, M Graham, J Devlin, Blair & Rankin, Richmond Bros, G Barr, B O’Rawe, McAlonan Bros, J Harris, Smyth Bros, Sempey & McGowan. The cups and trophies were presented as follows:-

Martin Graham won - G Barr Perpetual Challenge Cup (NIPA Old Bird France Nat), S J McDowell Challenge Cup (St Malo OB Nat), Kings Cup Trophy, William McIlhagga Memorial Cup (Best Ave INFC Kings Cup & YB Nat), O’Rourke Cup (NIPA France & Kings Cup Ave), Vintage Cup (Talbenny YB Nat), Ruddle Cup (YB Nat), YB Inland National, Skibbereen YB Nat, YB Inland Average, Best Individual Young Bird, Victory Cup (YB Ave), Best Ave NIPA Talbenny & Rosscarbery YB, Maternaghan Challenge Cup Best Ave NIPA OB Nat (France) & YB Nat (Cross Channel), Flamingo Cup (Best Ave YB Derbies), Law Family Memorial Cup (INFC Points Ave).

W & J Smyth won – Harper Cup (Highest Prize-winner), OB Inland Ave Shield, Yearling Cocks Inland Nat, Talbenny (2), Simon McCrory Cup (Best Ave OB 2nd, 4th, Talbenny & Penzance), Old Bird Knock-Out, Bill Carney Rose Bowl (Lowest Winning Vel Old Bird), Mooney Cup (Best Individual Old Bird).

Blair & Rankin won – Yearling Hens Inland Nat, Bobby Law Memorial (1st Yearling Penzance), Carnvale Cup (Penzance), Best Ave Bude & Penzance, Roger King Memorial (6th YB Race), Smyth Bros Perpetual Trophy (Ave OB Classic & YB Nat).

McAlonan Bros won – A S Hughes Cup (Cross Channel Ave), Best Ave Kings Cup & 2nd Talbenny, Joe Devlin won – Rosscarbery OB Inl Nat, Mallow 5 Bird, Richmond Bros won – Carnvale Cup (INFC Yearling Nat), Livingstone Cup (2 Bird Ave Yearling Nat), James Harris won – Talbenny (1), Sempey & McGowan – Novice Cup.

When the rings for 2009 arrived last year with the Ballymena & Dist there were some concerns that they were the Letter K and not the usual Letter B, some thought they should have been returned. I said at the time maybe, just maybe we would have something big to report with the young bird racing, thinking Penzance National where the club have a long record of success. News was in fact made but not in the most expected place, Martin Graham was asked to breed two youngsters for entry in the Galway One Loft Race and the rest in now history and will be talked about for years to come. One of the pair now named “Cool Lass” bred from his Gerald Delaney family won the final Galway Plate flown from the Giants Causeway and a cool 50,000 Euro top prize shared between Adie McCormick and Martin Graham. I collected the birds from the loft and Adie and myself delivered them to Galway. A full report on the Galway Race is available at www.pigeonnetwork.com

Secretary Willie Reynolds congratulated all the seasons top winners, a season of great success on many fronts, and 2010 might be even better. He also thanked all those involved in the week to week running of the club, all the members had a role to play and that included the show season which just recently finished with Bertie Blair winning the Show Cup for the first time and Brian Herbinson collecting the Visitors Trophy. The help received from Assist Secretary James Harris was invaluable and also Treasurer Brian O’Rawe. The club AGM will be held in the local Clubrooms at Fountain Place on Monday 15th February at 8.00pm, Resolutions in writing must be with the Secretary Willie Reynolds no later than Saturday 30th January.

Call back later for photos

[willie reynolds]