Johnston Eagleson & Sons Of Ballymena & District Win 1st Section & 4th Open NIPA Penzance and 1st Section & 3rd Open Penzance Classic
The NIPA were in Cornwall on Thursday the 22nd June for their Penzance and Penzance Classic event. Birds were liberated at 7.15am in light westerly winds and another tough race followed. Best local bird timed was to the Ballymena loft's of Johnston Eagleson & Sons at 14.26pm flying 329 miles to the Cullybackey Road. Their winner a 2yo blue chequer pied Lambrecht cock was sitting on a six day old youngster and was in the prizes in both Talbenny races. The cock finishes 1st Mid Antrim Combine, 1st Section B and 4th Open NIPA 5019 birds and in the Penzance Classic event 1st Section B and 3rd Open NIPA velo 1344. The sire was gifted to Johnston by good friends Paddy & William McManus of Ahoghill and is from a daughter of Heartbreaker. Over the years Penzance has been a favourite race point for the Eagleson loft having won 1st Open NIPA in this race back in 1993 with "Double Delight", 1st Open INFC Penzance YB National with "Precious Memories" in 1997, 2nd Open INFC Penzance YB National in 1991 plus a car with "Valda" and 2nd Open INFC Yearling National in 1989 with "Linda Ann". Jimmy Smyth & Son of Ahoghill were runners up in both the Combine and Section on 1340 and finished a very good 7th Open NIPA. Jimmy's winner a blue yearling cock sitting on eggs 8 days was bred by Mark Milliken of Rasharkin. The cock was having it's fourth channel race of the season and was in the prizes from Talbenny. Jimmy's had a good channel season and only two weeks ago won 1st MA Combine, 1st Section and 21st Open NIPA Bude. Laurence & Heather Robinson were the Cullybackey winners on 1303 with a 5yo chequer roundabout hen. She is off a Van Herck cock from P & J Boal of Dromore paired to a Vandenabeele x DeWeerdt hen. She’s been their first pigeon from Penzance since she was a yearling winning club and section prizes each season. This season she wins 3rd Section & 23rd Open Penzance and 2nd Section & 12th Open Penzance Classic. Trevor Whyte of Ahoghill was 4th Combine, 4th Section and 25th Open and 3rd Section & 13th Open Penzance OB Classis on 1302 with the same blue w/f yearling hen that won 7th Combine, 10th Section & 59th Open NIPA Talbenny (1) and 8th Combine, 12th Section & 119th Open Talbenny (2). Four top channel results this season from the yearling hen. She's a granddaughter of Paddy and William McManus's "Bad handler Cock" and bloodlines are Jespers-Van der Wegen. Trevor signed off on this top old bird season by winning the Mid Antrim Combine OB Knock Out, Champions League and the Meritorious award for best single bird performance from Talbenny & Penzance. Completing the top five in the Combine was the Kells winner Geoff Surgenor on 1299 with a 2yo blue hen. Sire is Van Loon and a son of his 1st Open NIPA Talbenny YB National winner and dam a daughter of his good stock hen Marion a Busschaert x Hartog from Colin McBride. The hen wins 5th Section and 26th Open. Marcus Morrow won Broughshane on 1271 and placed 10th Section & 48th Open with a 2yo blue hen racing on roundabout. It was her first time across the channel and breeding is Van Rijn x Jos Thone with both parents coming from Scott and Clements. Former overall winner of this race Jimmy Rock was best in Harryville on 1170 with a yearling blue cock that was in the prizes from Bude. This cock was bred by Jimmy's late friend Allen McBride. Houston Bros had the winner in Randalstown on 1115 and Anne, Chris and Tommy Tweed were best in Rasharkin their winner doing 994. Mervyn Eagleson PO.
Mid Antrim Combine Penzance 47/373 - J Eagleson & Sons Ballymena 1344, J Smyth & Son Ahoghill 1340, Mr & Mrs Robinson Cullybackey 1303, T Whyte Ahoghill 1302, Surgenor Bros Kells 1299, A Darragh 1293, T & M Morrow, Broughshane 1271, Blair & Rankin Ballymena 1265, D Dixon Rasharkin 1237, J Smyth & Son Ahoghill 1231, McAlonan Bros Cullybackey 1216, T Whyte Ahoghill 1208, Blair & Rankin Ballymena 1208, T Whyte Ahoghill 1207, T Whyte Ahoghill 1206, A Darragh Cullybackey 1204, Young & McManus & Sons Ahoghill 1192J Smyth & Son Ahoghill 1190, A Barkley & Son Kells 1, 187, T Whyte Ahoghill 1185, D Dixon Rasharkin 1180, D Dixon Rasharkin 1180, J Rock Harryville 1170, A Darragh Cullybackey 1156, T Whyte Ahoghill 1153, C & R McIntyre 1138, Mr & Mrs Robinson Cullybackey 1134, J Smyth & Son Ahoghill 1120, A Darragh Cullybackey 1120, J Eagleson & Sons Ballymena 1119, Houston Bros Randalstown 1115, Surgenor Bros Kells 1114, W & W Gilbert Randalstown 1104, Houston Bros Randalstown 1100, A Darragh Cullybackey 1097, C & R McIntyre Cullybackey 1081, C Moore Cullybackey 1076, D Dixon Rasharkin 1074, N & S Anderson Cullybackey 1065, W & W Gilbert Randalstown 1051
Mid Antrim Combine Points at Penzance - D Dixon Rasharkin 408, Young & McManus & Sons Ahoghill 384, H Cubitt Rasharkin 272, A Darragh Cullybackey 253, J Eagleson & Sons Ballymena 234, Blair & Rankin Ballymena 213, T Whyte Ahoghill 190, G Gibson Cullybackey 181, Mr & Mrs Robinson Cullybackey 169, J Smyth & Son Ahoghill 136.
Mid Antrim Combine Penzance OB Classic - J Eagleson & Sons Ballymena 1344, Mr & Mrs Robinson Cullybackey 1303, T Whyte Ahoghill 1302, A Darragh Cullybackey 1293, Blair & Rankin Ballymena 1265, D Dixon Rasharkin 1237, Blair & Rankin Ballymena 1208, A Darragh Cullybackey 1204, Young & McManus & Sons Ahoghill 1192, A Barkley & Son Kells 1187, D Dixon Rasharkin 1180, D Dixon Rasharkin 1180, J Rock Harryville 1170, A Darragh Cullybackey 1156, C & R McIntyre Cullybackey 1138, Mr & Mrs Robinson Cullybackey 1134, A Darragh Cullybackey 1120, J Eagleson & Sons Ballymena 1119, A Darragh Cullybackey 1097C & R McIntyre Cullybackey 1081, C Moore Cullybackey 1076, D Dixon Rasharkin 1063, A Darragh Cullybackey 1050, J Eagleson & Sons Ballymena 1042, A Darragh Cullybackey 1033, J & J Greer Cullybackey 1028, D Dixon Rasharkin 1027, J Miller Randalstown 1002, A & C & T Tweed Rasharkin 994, J Rock Harryville 983.
Cullybackey Centre – J Eagleson & Sons Ballymena 1344, Mr & Mrs Robinson Cullybackey 1303, T Whyte Ahoghill 1302, A Darragh Cullybackey 1293, Blair & Rankin Ballymena 1265, Blair & Rankin 1208, A Darragh 1204, Young McManus & Sons Ahoghill 1192, A Barkley & Son Kells 1187, Jimmy Rock Harryville 1170.
NIPA Sect B Penzance 77/733 – J Eagleson & Sons Ballymena 1344, J Smyth & Son Ahoghill 1340, M/M Robinson Cullybackey 1303, T Whyte Ahoghill 1302, Surgenor Bros Kells 1299, D Devenney Ballymoney 1294, A & M Boyle Ballymoney 1293, A Darragh Cullybackey 1293, McConville Bros Crumlin & Dist 1289, T & M Morrow Broughshane 1271.
NIPA Sect B Clubs
Ahoghill Flying Club 5/52 – J Smyth & Son 1340, T Whyte 1302, J Smyth & Son 1231, T Whyte 108, 1207, 1206.
Ballymoney HPS 16/180 – D Devenney 1294, A & M Boyle 1293, D Dixon 1237, D & H Stuart 1231, B & R Watton 1226, D & H Stuart 1195. Classic 8/66 – A & M Boyle 1294, D Dixon 1237, D & H Stuart 1231, B & R Watton 1226, D & H Stuart 1195, D Dixon 1180.
Broughshane & District 1/13 – T & M Morrow 1271.
Ballymena & District HPS 4/37 – J Eagleson & Sons 1344, Blair & Rankin 1265, 1208, J Eagleson & Sons 1119, G & A Eagleson 1049, J Eagleson & Sons 1042.
Cullybackey HPS 11/82 – Mr & Mrs Robinson 1303, A Darragh 1293, McAlonan Bros 1216, A Darragh 1204, 1156, C & R McIntyre 1138.
Crumlin & District 6/60 – McConville Bros 1289, Fleming Bros 1220, R & S Hope 1186, S Thompson 1154, McConville Bros 1154, Fleming Bros 1146.
Dervock RPS 7/71 – D Devenney 1294, A & M Boyle 1293, D & H Stuart 1231, 1195, A & M Boyle 1151, D & G McMullan 1132. Classic 4/40 – A & M Boyle 1293, D & H Stuart 1231, 1195, D & G McMullan 1132, S Laverty 955.
Harryville HPS 10/53 – Jimmy Rock 1170, George Price 1042, Jimmy Rock 1018, George Price 1012, Jimmy Rock 983, George Price 979.
Kells & District HPS 5/59 – Surgenor Bros 1299, A Barkley & Son 1187, B Swann & Son 1132, Surgenor Bros 1114, B Swann & Son 1096, A Barkley & Son 899. Sizzlers 2 Bird Club – A Barkley & Son 1187, B Swann & Son 1132. Classic 3/6 – A Barkley & Son 1187, B Swann & Son 1132.
Muckamore HPS 8/122 – D J Thompson 1229, S & N Maginty 1201, S Murphy 1186, T Patterson & Son 1144, S & N Maginty 1144, S Murphy 1118.
Randalstown HPS 7/45 – Houston Bros 1115, W & W Gilbert 1104, Houston Bros 1100, W & W Gilbert 1051, J Millar 1002, Stewart Bros 961.
Rasharkin &District HPS 3/12 – A C & T Tweed 994, 921, 771.
1st Section B & 4th Open NIPA Penzance, 1st Section & 3rd Open NIPA Penzance OB Classic for Johnston Eagleson & Sons of Ballymena & District.