The second young bird race of the season was again from Kilbeggan in County Westmeath. Liberation took place on Friday 28th July at 9.30am in helping southerly winds and the birds romping home with the winning birds doing well over a mile a minute. Best bird in the local area this week was timed by Ahoghill fanciers Jimmy Smyth & Son at 11.08am to record 1991ypm and top the Mid Antrim Combine and finish 1st Section B & 3rd Open NIPA 414/14072. Jimmy's winner was a De Zot Lambrecht cross cheq hen from Mark Milliken of Rasharkin. Jimmy has had another top season having won 1st Combine, 1st Section B and 21st Open NIPA Bude and 2nd Section & 7th Open NIPA Penzance. Runner up in the Combine, and also 4th was Danny Dixon of Rasharkin on 1974 & 1964 and placed 4th and 6th Section & 9th & 12th Open NIPA. Danny's first bird was a Gert Heylen blue hen being half-sister to Red Lightning. 3rd Combine were the Ahoghill runners up Young & McManus & Sons who had a very good card placed 3rd, 8th, 9th & 12th MA Combine with their winner 5th Section & 11th Open NIPA. Paddy & William timed a grizzle hen from the best of their Van den Brande pigeons. Harold Cubitt had his 10th Rasharkin win of the season with a Fred Simpson x Harry Richmond grizzle hen, Stewart Brothers topped Randalstown for the second week running with the same blue Lambrecht cock and Jimmy & Jamie Greer had a clear 5-minute winner in Cullybackey with a cheq cock bred from the best of Keith Kernohan's Vermeerbergen-Wilms stock. The sire is full brother to 4th Section Gowran Park 2021 and the dam full sister to 9th Cullybackey Centre Skibbereen yb National 2021. Last week’s Combine runner up Bertie Blair was best in Ballymena & District and the Town with blue cheq Heremans-Ceuster hen. The sire purchased from the late Lexie Mullan and Gregg Bros had the winner in Kells & District timing a chequer Lambrecht cock gifted to the brothers by Bertie Blair. Their winning cock is down from Johnston Eagleson's Channel Queen.
The last 32 of the Mid Antrim Combine young bird Knock-out will commence next week at Tullamore with the final at Talbenny YB National. Any member with a velocity of 1661.59 or above qualifies for the last 32 draw. Draw will be made in the Ballymena & District clubrooms on race marking night. Mervyn Eagleson PO.
Mid Antrim Combine 2nd Kilbeggan 44/1,341 - Jimmy Smyth & Son Ahoghill 1991, D Dixon Rasharkin 1974, Young & McManus & Sons Ahoghill 1967, D Dixon Rasharkin 1964, H Cubitt Rasharkin 1901, Stewart Bros Randalstown 1900, Stewart Bros Randalstown 1898, Young & McManus & Sons Ahoghill 1883, Young & McManus & Sons Ahoghill 1881, W McFetridge Rasharkin 1859, W McFetridge Rasharkin 1858, Young & McManus & Sons Ahoghill 1854, F Barkley Rasharkin 1854, F Barkley Rasharkin 1854, J & J Greer Ahoghill 1849, Blair & Rankin Ballymena 1831, K & K Kernohan & Sons Ballymena 1829, K & K Kernohan & Sons Ballymena 1817, Blair & Rankin Ballymena 1810, Blair & Rankin Ballymena 1809, Martin Graham Ballymena 1804, Martin Graham Ballymena 1804, Gregg Bros Kells 1797, J Smyth & Son Ahoghill 1796, Surgenor Bros Kells 1796, Stewart Bros 1792, K & K Kernohan & Sons Ballymena 1792, D Magill Harryville 1791, K & K Kernohan & Sons Ballymena 1790, A Barkley & Son Kells 1789, K & K Kernohan & Sons Ballymena 1788, K & K Kernohan & Sons Ballymena 1788, K & K Kernohan & Sons Ballymena 1785, Blair & Rankin Ballymena 1783, J Eagleson & Sons Ballymena 1780, G Gibson Cullybackey 1777, K & K Kernohan & Sons Ballymena 1775, Blair & Rankin Ballymena 1775, K & K Kernohan & Sons Ballymena 1775, J McNeill & Son Randalstown 1772.
NIPA 2nd Kilbeggan Section B 76/2603 – J Smyth & Son Ahoghill 1991, T & J McDonald Coleraine Prem 1982, 1979, D Dixon Ballymoney 1974, Young McManus & Sons Ahoghill 1967, D Dixon 1964, T & J McDonald 1963, M & J Howard & Son Coleraine Prem 1959, 1957, 1950.
NIPA Sect B Clubs
Ahoghill Flying Club 5/161 – J Smyth & Son 1991, Young McManus & Sons 1967, 1883, 1881, 185, J Smyth & Son 1796.
Ballymoney HPS 14/489 – D Dixon 1974, 1964, C McCook 1900, J Connolly 1891, 1890, Young & Gibson 1873. Club winner today for Danny, is a pure Gert Heylen half-sister to (Red Lightning).
Ballymena & District HPS 7/237 – Blair & Rankin 1831, K & K Kernohan & Sons 1829, 1817, Blair & Rankin 1810, 189, M Graham 1804.
Cullybackey HPS 9/274 – J & J Greer 1849, G Gibson 1777, A Darragh 1770, 1752, 1726, 1726. Today's Cullybackey Hps winners where J & J Greer. Timing their cheq cock at 11:16:53. Today's winner is off the best of the Veermeerburgen-wilms from good friend Kenneth Kernohan. The sire is a full brother to 4th Section Gowran Park 2021 and full brother to 1st Club Fermoy Yearling National 2023. The dam is full sister to 3rd Club, 9th Centre Skibbereen YB Nat 2022. Well done to all in the result.
Crumlin & District 6/187 – R & S Hope 1889, Fleming Bros 1873, S Thompson 1839, R & S Hope 1838, Fleming Bros 1830, D Hamilton 1809.
Dervock RPS – C McCook 1900, D & H Stuart 1869, 1863, D Devenney 1840, 1839, C McCook 1827.
Harryville HPS 4/128 – D Magill 1791, 1770, 1759, J Rock 1749, 1748, 1747.
Kells & District HPS 6/169 – Gregg Bros 1797, Surgenor Bros 1796, A Barkley & Son 1789, Gregg Bros 1762, A Barkley & Son 1761, Surgenor Bros 1743. Sizzlers 2 Bird Club - 1. A.Barkley & Son 1789, 2. A.Barkley & Son 1738, 3. Gregg Bros 1566, 4. Surgenor Bros 1276. Well done to Gregg Bros taking the top spot for Kells this week from 2nd Kilbeggan! Well done to everyone on the sheet.
Muckamore HPS 9/332 – S & N Maginty 1872, 1871, 1871, 1869, 1869, 1868.
Randalstown HPS 7/181 – Stewart Bros 1900, 1898, 1792, J McNeill & Son 1772, J Millar 1765, 1694.
Rasharkin &District HPS 5/99 – Harold Cubitt 1901, W McFetridge 1859, 1858, F Barkley 1854, 1854, W McFetridge 1751. Congratulations to Harold Cubitt taking top spot from today’s race from Kilbeggan.
Jimmy Smyth with his 1st Mid Antrim Combine, 1st Section B
and 3rd Open NIPA Kilbeggan winner.