Tom Young Tops Mid Antrim Combine from NIPA St Malo OB National and Tweed Family of Rasharkin wins Silver Diploma with "Tommy's Dream".
The final old bird race of the NIPA season was the OB National from St Malo in France. The birds were liberated on Thursday the 22nd June at 6.30am in light northerly winds and like the previous two season a very tough race followed with only 85 birds recorded over the three days of race time. The first bird timed in the Mid Antrim Combine was to Balmer, Tom Young & Son of Ahoghill at 10.11am on the second morning to win 1st MA Combine, 2nd Section B & 29th Open NIPA 353/1309. Tom timed a 4yo blue cock Willy Jacobs x Grondelear, both parents from Gerard Delaney of O'Roory Hill Stud in Dromore. The cock's a full brother to his RPRA Irish Region award winner and also winner of Queen Elizabeth 65th Jubilee Gold Cup for 1st Combine, 1st Section and 8th Open NIPA Sennen Cove 2018. Runner up in the Combine were Anne, Christopher and Tommy Tweed of Rasharkin who also timed on the second morning at 11.01am to win 2nd Combine, 3rd Section & 30th Open NIPA. The family timed their good 4yo dark w/f hen for the third year in a row to win a highly sought after Silver Award. Last season the hen was placed 7th Section & 71st Open NIPA winning the partnership the Bronze Diploma and in 2021 she won 5th Section & 43rd Open NIPA. She was sitting 16 days at basketing and was slipped a newly hatched chick and was half up her first flight. Fed the best red skin peanuts and sunflower hearts with iron tonic in water 2 days a week. The hen only got 3 inland races this season and was then tossed with Sam Murphy and Homer. Dam is from Joe Murphy and contains top Scottish distance lines and the sire from Rudi Gage of Windsor Social is Fred Simpson x Robin Duddy best bloodlines. In Christopher's own word's - name of the wee hen is “Tommy's Dream” dedicated to my dad and all the hard work he puts in 7 days a week, 365 days a year in the loft and the dream we had as a family to obtain a Silver Award and hopefully a Gold next year. Thanks to Joe Murphy for the dam and Rudi Gage for the sire. Laurence & Heather Robinson were best in Cullybackey with a 2yo blue cock timed at 12.08pm on the second afternoon to win 3rd Combine, 5th Section & 40th Open NIPA. The cock sent sitting 10 days on eggs was a late bred and only a few tosses as a young bird, one race as a yearling and three inland races this year plus 1st Talbenny. His sire is a pure White cock gifted to them by their good friend the late Robbie Elliot of Ballymoney and his dam flew France for them a couple of years back and is down off a Grattan Bros pigeon gifted to them by Tommy Grattan. In the Mid Antrim Combine the partnership win both the old bird average and cross channel averages. Seven times National winner Alan Darragh of Cullybackey timed a 5yo chequer pied hen to win 4th Combine, 7th Section & 72nd Open NIPA. The hen is down from the van Wildermeersch pigeons when paired to the lines of Sir George a pigeon that won 2nd Section from an old bird national. Mervyn Eagleson PO.
Mid Antrim Combine St Malo OB National - Balmer Tom Young & Sons Ahoghill 627, A & C & T Tweed Rasharkin 625, Mr & Mrs Robinson Cullybackey 575, Alan Darragh Cullybackey 372.
Mid Antrim Combine OB Points Total 2023 - Danny Dixon Rasharkin 408, Young & McManus & Sons Ahoghill 384, Harold Cubitt Rasharkin 272, A Darragh Cullybackey 270, J Eagleson & Sons Ballymena 234, Blair & Rankin Ballymena 213
Trevor Whyte Ahoghill 190, Mr & Mrs Robinson Cullybackey 187, Gary Gibson Cullybackey 181, J Smyth & Son Ahoghill 136.
RPRA (Irish Region) Awards for 2023 - Claims for the Old Bird season to be in writing with the Irish Region Secretary by the 22n July 2023, contact Noel Higginson, 8 Abercorn Square, Ballyclare, Co Antrim, BT39 9FJ. Tel 07518 748717 or e-mail noelhigginson@hotmail.com - Nothing after this date will be considered, please note its earlier than usual. Individual birds in each NIPA Section for the Meritorious Awards, single bird performance over two cross channel races from 2nd Talbenny and Penzance.
Ballymoney Centre St Malo – W Blair Ballymoney 723, A C & T Tweed Rasharkin & Dist 625, J McConaghie Ballymoney 507.
Cullybackey Centre St Malo – Bamber T Young & Sons Ahoghill 627, Mr & Mrs Robinson Cullybackey 575, A Darragh Cullybackey 372.
NIPA Sect B St Malo 51/179 – W Blair Ballymoney 723, Balmer T Young & Sons Ahoghill 627, A C & T Twed Rasharkin & Dist 625, Scott & Ryan Hope Crumlin & Dist 611, Mr & Mrs Robinson Cullybackey 575, R Gage Windsor Soc 375, A Darragh Cullybackey 372.
NIPA Sect B Clubs
Ahoghill Flying Club – Bamber Tom Young & Sons 627. Super result with best bird in the Cullybackey Centre, trained special for the big one.
Ballymoney HPS 16/77 – W Blair 723, J McConaghie 507. Despits advancing years Willie Blair can still record a good one, top rascer over many years and a Former MI Fancier of the Year.
Cullybackey HPS – Mr & Mrs Robinson 575, A Darragh 372. Two of the best distance lofts in Mid Antrim, Mr & Mrs Robinson previously Ahoghill win their first France race in their new club ahead of the clubs best racer over many seasons Alan Darragh.
Crumlin & District – S & R Hope 611, best in the Muckamore Centre. Scott and Ryan would like to thank Kyle Johnston for gifting us the bird they timed from St Malo, 1st Club 32nd Open and 4th Section B. Also like to thank Sammy Maginty for the hen we timed out of Penzance on Thursday, 3rd club 193rd Open and 29th section. She was also the hen we timed Talbenny YB Derby last season. Appreciated lads, we'll be back next season for another couple lol. Photo of bird
Rasharkin &District HPS – A C & T Tweed 625. Another bird trained special wins a Merit Award in the NIPA.
Tom Young of Ahoghill Flying Club, 1st MAC in St Malo OB National
NIPA Merit Award for A C & T Tweed of Rasharkin & District