Doherty Loft wins 1st Combine & 11th Open INFC National & Chris and Robin McIntyre of Cullybackey win INFC Merit Award
The final old bird race of the season on the Northern Ireland calendar was the INFC St Malo Friendship National. Birds were liberated on Friday 7th July at 06.00am in light south westerly winds increasing to strong winds in Ireland. Best in the Mid Antrim Combine was the father and daughter partnership of Stephen and Natalie Doherty who fly their birds to Portglenone and race in the Cullybackey club. They timed their 2yo cheq cock sitting 10 days on eggs at 2.56pm flying 477 miles to win 10th North Section & 11th Open INFC National. This season the cock had three races from Fermoy and then just trained with Sam Murphy and had two Balbriggans with Tommy Cairns. Their winner is direct from Aaron Murtagh of Armagh. Next best in the local area was Henry Turkington of Kells who timed his yearling cheq hen at 15.22pm to win 25th North Section and 29th Open National. The dam is from Jim and David Braniff of Glen HPS and is a full sister to Henry's 25th Open St Malo National 2017. The sire is half-brother to 44th Open Kings Cup 2016 and the grandsire is from the late Sam Rodney of Ballyclare. Danny Dixon of Dunloy was next best in the Combine and 40th Open with a 2yo blue cock. Sire is his good Belgie Cock and the dam is a daughter of the Unrung Cock that Albert Cousins gave him, being an inbred uncle of Dixie Chic. Chris & Robin McIntyre of Cullybackey timed their 4yo blue cock at 16.22pm to finish 47th North Section & 52nd Open National and win a Merit Award. This pigeon has now been in St Malo three times, 2021 with the NIPA just out of race time, 2022 1st club Cullybackey, 2nd MA Combine & 64th Open INFC Friendship National and this season 2nd club, 4th MA Combine, 47th North Section & 52nd Open INFC Friendship National flying 493 miles. He has also been in the Open and Section result in the last two seasons from Penzance with the NIPA and also in the Section prizes from Talbenny in 2021 and is a full brother to 5 x 1st club winners for the loft. Former NIPA Talbenny National and Penzance Classic winner Jimmy Rock of Harryville was 52nd & 83rd North Section and 58th & 92 Open National. Jimmy's first bird a 2yo late bred hen sitting on 10 days eggs had Talbenny & Penzance this season. Sire from Alan Darragh and dam was Jimmy's Penzance Classic winner. Jimmy's second bird a Jacobs x Grondelear 4yo chequer hen has won 1st club Talbenny and twice in the prizes from Penzance. Mr & Mrs Robinson of Cullybackey finished a top cross Channel season with 82nd North Section & 91st Open INFC National. Laurence and Heather timed a 4yo blue hen racing on roundabout. This hen has raced steady with quite a few good club and section positions from the channel races. Her sire was gifted to them by Tommy Grattan and dam is Vandenbeele from Harry Boyd of Kells. Davy Houston & Son had the best bird in Broughshane on 1204 with a 2yo cheq cock of Rob Rome bloodlines and Jimmy Smyth & Son of Ahoghill timed two birds both yearlings the same way bred on the day and two the next morning. Sire of the first two from Mark Milliken of Rasharkin and dam from Sam Murphy. M Eagleson PO.
Mid Antrim Combine - St Malo Friendship National - S & N Doherty Cullybackey 1566, Henry Turkington Kells 1474, D Dixon Rasharkin 1423, C & R McIntyre Cullybackey 1393, Jimmy Rock Harryville 1358, Mr & Mrs Robinson Cullybackey 1234, Jimmy Rock Harryville 1227, D Houston & Son Broughshane & Dist 1204, J Smyth & Son Ahoghill 1099, J Smyth & Son Ahoghill 1052, J Smyth & Son Ahoghill 630, J Smyth & Son Ahoghill 473.
S & N Doherty of Cullybackey, 1st MAC Friendship Nat St Malo
C & R McIntyre of Cullybackey INFC Merit Award in Friendship Nat