The Nipa Dale young bird National was held on Saturday 2nd September. The birds were liberated in Wales at 11.00am in light winds and a very good race was enjoyed by most lofts. Cullybackey fancier Gary Gibson timed the best bird in the local area at 15.51pm to top the Mid Antrim Combine and finish 3rd Section & 28th Open Nipa 2897 birds. Gary's winner a blue wf hen is the same bird that won Fermoy last weekend. She's from his Donckers family. The sire won 1st Club, 1st Harryville Centre, 2nd Combine and 4th Section from the Fermoy 5 Bird young bird race last season and the dam was 2nd club beaten by loft mate and 4th Combine Roscrea 1445 birds. She's from a son of Fly Mo the nestmate to Danny Dixon's good 2nd Open cock and she's a granddaughter of the Golden Couple.
Runner up in the Combine was Dunloy's Danny Dixon on 1356. Danny's blue cock finished 5th Section B and 33rd Open. The sire is a son of Super Sonic Mike when paired to a daughter of Better Than Bolt. Anne, Chris & Tommy Tweed were best in Rasharkin on 1355 and placed 3rd Combine, 6th Section & 36th Open with a blue hen bred from Jeff Greenway lines. Harold Cubitt of Rasharkin was 7th Section & 42nd Open on 1351 and Alan Darragh of Cullybackey was placed 8th Section & 44th Open on 1350. Other club winners include Trevor Johnston & Son who won Ballymena & Dist for the first time since joining on 1327 for 16th Section & 94th Open. Trevor timed a blue hen bred from the top lines of vermeerbergen/wilms. Both parents gifted by good friend & clubmate Keith Kernohan. Jimmy Smyth & Son had the top 4 birds in Ahoghill the first two of his birds clocked were bred by Mark Milliken of Rasharkin. John Miller had the top two in Randalstown his winning cheq hen Lambrecht x Herman Ceuster flying to perch. S Crawford was best in Harryville and Henry Turkington had the winner in Kells on 1290 with a youngster bred by good friend Bertie Blair. This one's a grandchild of Bertie's 1st Open Talbenny National winner and Glen McNeilly's 2nd Open Yearling National. Mervyn Eagleson PO.
Mid Antrim Combine Dale YB Nat - G Gibson Cullybackey 1358, D Dixon Rasharkin 1356, A & C & T Tweed Rasharkin 1355, H Cubitt Rasharkin 1351, A Darragh Cullybackey 1350, D Dixon Rasharkin 1344, G Gibson Cullybackey 1339, D Dixon Rasharkin 1330, T Johnston & Son Ballymena 1327, K & K Kernohan & Sons Ballymena 1326, J Smyth & Son Ahoghill 1325, A Darragh Cullybackey 1323, F Barkley Rasharkin 1322, M Graham Ballymena 1322, J Smyth & Son Ahoghill 1321, J Miller Randalstown 1319, D Dixon Rasharkin 1318, A Darragh Cullybackey 1318, D Dixon Rasharkin 1317, Blair & Rankin Ballymena 1317, D Dixon Rasharkin 1315, W McFetridge Rasharkin 1306, K & K Kernohan & Sons Ballymena 1306, S Crawford Harryville 1299, S Crawford Harryville 1299, S Crawford Harryville 1299, D Dixon Rasharkin 1297, Blair & Rankin Ballymena 1295, J Smyth & Son Ahoghill 1294, J Miller Randalstown 1293, J & J Greer Cullybackey 1292, Stewart Bros Randalstown 1291, A Darragh Cullybackey 1291, T Johnston & Son Ballymena 1290, H Turkington Kells 1290, Steele & McNeill Rasharkin 1290, G Gibson Cullybackey 1286, M Graham Ballymena 1282, Surgenor Bros Kells 1271.
Ballymoney Centre Dale – J Connolly Ballymoney 1377, D & H Stuart Ballymoney 1366, J Connolly 1356, A C & T Tweed Rasharkin 1355, H Cubitt Rasharkin 1351, D Dixon Ballymoney 1344, D & H Stuart 1335, D Dixon 1330, J Connolly 1328, F Barkley Rasharkin 1322.
Cullybackey Centre Dale – G Gibson Cullybackey 1358, A Darragh Cullybackey 1350, G Gibson 1339, T Johnston & Son Ballymena 1327, K & K Kernohan & Sons Ballymena 1326, J Smyth & Son Ahoghill 1325, A Darragh 1323, M Graham Ballymena 1322, J Smyth & Son 1321, J Millar Randalstown 1319.
NIPA Sect B Dale 47/348 – D & H Stuart Ballymoney 1366, T & J McDonald Coleraine Prem 1359, Gary Gibson Cullybackey 1358, S & J Bones and T Yates Muckamore 1358, D Dixon Ballymoney 1356, A C & T Tweed Rasharkin & Dist 1355, H Cubitt Rasharkin & Dist 1351, A Darragh Cullybackey 1350, S & J Bones and T Yates 1346, D Dixon 1344.
NIPA Sect B Clubs
Ahoghill Flying Club – J Smyth & Son 1325, 1321, 1294.
Ballymoney HPS – John Connolly 1377, D & H Stuart 1366, John Connolly 1356, D Dixon 1356, 1344, D & H Stuart 1335.
Ballymena & District HPS – T Johnston & Son 1327, K & K Kernohan & Sons 1326, Martin Graham 1322, Blair & Rankin 1317, K & K Kernohan & Sons 1306, Blair & Rankin 1295.
Cullybackey HPS – Gary Gibson 1358, Alan Darragh 1350, Gary Gibson 1339, Alan Darragh 1323, 1318, J & J Greer 1292.
Crumlin & District – Fleming Bros 1305.
Dervock RPS - D & H Stuart 1366, D & H Stuart 1335.
Harryville HPS – Sam Crawford 1299, 1299, 1299.
Kells & District HPS – Henry Turkington 1290, Surgenor Bros 1271.
Muckamore HPS – S & J Bones and T Yates 1358, 1346,1341, 1337, S Murphy 1321, S & N Maginty 1318.
Randalstown HPS – John Millar 1319, 1293, Stewart Bros 1291.
Rasharkin &District HPS – A C & T Tweed 1355, H Cubitt 1351, F Barkley 1322, W McFetridge 1306, Steele & McNeill 1290.
Gary Gibson of Cullybackey with his Dale Mid Antrim Combine winner.