It gives me great pleasure to again write about my good friend Martin Graham for the second time this season. The first time was on the 14th June when Martin timed his blue pied hen "Den's Lass" at 14.24pm to win 1st Open in the Irish National Flying Club Penzance Yearling National. This was Martin's third National win having won the same race in 2018 with "Denman" who was in fact the sire of "Dens Lass" and Martin's other National win came back in 2004 when he won 1st Open in the Nipa Skibbereen OB Inland National with "Sunnyhill Lass" Martin's fourth National win arrived on Wednesday 6th September when he timed his blue w/f hen "Sammy's Girl" at 14.24pm to win 1st Open INFC Penzance Young Bird National velo1452 after flying 329 miles to the fabulous lofts on the Old Cullybackey Road in Ballymena. The National winner herself "Sammy's Girl" had all the young bird races including the Dale National being the first bird home 3rd club and 110th Open and in-between races was privately tossed both north and south road with the wind always on her head. She was bought in a kit of young birds from one of Irelands top racers and breeders Paddy & William McManus of Ahoghill. The sire now retired was a fantastic racing cock winning a stack of prizes including 1st Section & 10th Open Nipa Penzance/Classic 2022 velo 1421. He was bred from two of the pigeon's Paddy and William brought in from Louis Thijs (100% Leo Heremans). The National winners dam is a direct Van Den Brande hen. Something of interest, both Martin's National winners this year were timed at 14.24pm how bizarre is that. To win one National in a season is an achievement but to win two is quite incredible and both of them flying the toughest channel route in the UK. It might also be the first time a fancier has ever won two Infc channel Nationals in the same season. Martin Graham is now up there with the best National racers in Ireland and the United Kingdom and I can see him adding more wins to his cv over the coming years.
Martin penned a few words about the run up to his fourth National win. After a 4 year break from racing young birds competitively I decided to have another go at the Penzance YB National, a race I've tried so hard to win for many years. My best efforts over the years got me many Open prizes including my best result's 11th, 13th, 15th & 18th Open with only failing to time once (2007) in 13 years. This season I put 12 youngsters bred off my own stock on the darkness and I made contact with the famous partnership of Paddy & William McManus of Ahoghill to enquire if they would be willing to sell me 12 young birds for a bit of fun up Ireland. My good friend Sammy Steele who has been a great help and encouragement to me and helped train my pigeon's for the nationals this year. Sammy and I bought the 12 young birds from Paddy and William and we had good sport with them timing them in the prizes most weeks. The hen in question that has now been christened "Sammy's Girl " was sent to Dale National the previous weekend and she was my first bird to the loft finishing 3rd club and 110th Open Nipa 222 miles on velocity 1322 flying 4 minutes short of 5 hours. I'd noticed that a pair of young ones in the loft were feeding a small chick and she would have tried to cover the chick and some times she managed to push her way on to the nest and sit beside the other hen but more often the cock chased her away. She was still keen to claim the chick and would sit on a block above the nest and would always be looking down at the chick. On the Sunday after the Dale National which was the day before basketing for the Penzance National I gave the birds a bath and in the evening I noticed a real change in her appearance, she looked very sharp and her feathering was so tight. I made my mind up she was for the Penzance YB National and the rest is now history and I was fortunate to win a second national within a few months. Martin would like to thank everyone who phoned or sent messages to congratulate him on his success and said it means a lot to him and he appreciates every last one of them. In closing I would like to congratulate Martin once again for this season's National performances and wish him all the best for the future Nationals.
6th North Section, 6th Open INFC Penzance Young Bird National 329 Miles velo 1332 Jimmy Smyth & Son Of Ahoghill
Jimmy Smyth & Son are a top racing loft in the village of Ahoghill on the outskirts of Ballymena. Jimmy's no stranger when it comes to timing in the big channel National's regularly winning prizes in the Top 30 and only a few season's ago, won 8th Open in a hard Lamballe Friendship National velo 626.
The bird Jimmy timed in the Penzance National is class blue chequer cock in excellent condition. He was timed at 2.59pm andMervyn Eagleson PO. was flying 7 hours 14 minutes. The cock's nestmate a chequer hen won 1st Section & 3rd Open Nipa Kilbeggan (2) 14072 birds and like the cock was in some order. Sire of the nestmates was from Mark Milliken of Rasharkin and is a De Zot Lambrecht, this cock won the club from Talbenny on two occasions for Jimmy. The dam is Jimmy's old bloodlines and she also has a first club from Talbenny. This pair have bred Jimmy at least six channel winners and a 1st club 1st Ahoghill Centre Talbenny YB National for clubmate at the time Adrian Shiels. Jimmy's had another excellent season with some highlights being 1st Combine, 1st Section B and 21st Open Nipa Bude 5452 birds, 2nd Section B & 7th Open Nipa Penzance 5019 birds, 1st Section B & 3rd Open Nipa Kilbeggan 14072 birds, 97th & 113th Open Dale YB National 2897 birds and now 2nd Combine & 6th Open Infc Penzance YB National 1950 birds. Mervyn Eagleson PO.
Mid Antrim Combine Penzance YB Grand National - Martin Graham Ballymena 1452, J Smyth & Son Ahoghill 1332, A Darragh Cullybackey 1301, A Darragh Cullybackey 1223, D Dixon Rasharkin 1201, D Dixon Rasharkin 1196, D Dixon Rasharkin 1181, J McNeill & Son Randalstown 1142, J McNeill & Son Randalstown 1076, Balmer & T Young & Sons Ahoghill 1065, Blair & Rankin Ballymena 1059, H Turkington Kells 1042, D Dixon Rasharkin 1032, D Dixon Rasharkin 1032, D Dixon Rasharkin 1028, D Dixon Rasharkin 955, J McNeill & Son Randalstown 930, Martin Graham Ballymena 895, Mr & Mrs Robinson Cullybackey 850, D Dixon Rasharkin 838, Martin Graham Ballymena 831, Joey Wright Ballymena 828, Martin Graham Ballymena 793.
INFC Penzance YB Grand Nat Open 284/1950 – Martin Graham Ballymena 1452, B & D Coyle Coleraine Prem 1448, Noel Murtagh Millvale 1399, P Boyd Annaghmore 1396, S & E Buckley Edgarstown 1350, J Smyth & Son Ahoghill 1332, D & H Stuart Ballymoney 1331, S & J Bones and T Yates Muckamore 1330, Mr & Mrs Magill Muckamore 1329, Gary Marsden Hills & Maze 1326, Tomlinson & Wilson Dromore 1321, O & M Monaghan Colin 1317, Robert Shaw Corrigs 1316, J Kelly & Sons Hills & Maze 1315, M McCabe Harmony 1309, Jeff Greenaway Hills & Maze 1302, A Darragh Cullybackey 1301, Sean McLoughlin Crossgar 1294,J Brush Drunavaddy 1291, J Kelly & Sons Hills & Maze 1287.
INFC Penzance YB Grand Nat North Sect 169/1218 – Martin Graham Ballymena 1452, B & D Coyle Coleraine Prem 1448, Noel Murtagh Millvale 1399, P Boyd Annaghmore 1396, S & E Buckley Edgarstown 1350, J Smyth & Son Ahoghill 1332, D & H Stuart Ballymoney 1331, S & J Bones and T Yates Muckamore 1330, Mr & Mrs Magill Muckamore 1329, Gary Marsden Hills & Maze 1326, O & M Monaghan Colin 1317, Robert Shaw Corrigs 1316, J Kelly & Sons Hills & Maze 1315, M McCabe Harmony 1309, Jeff Greenaway Hills & Maze 1302, A Darragh Cullybackey 1301, Sean McLoughlin Crossgar 1294,J Brush Drunavaddy 1291, J Kelly & Sons Hills & Maze 1287, McCullough & Dickson Fortfield 1280.
4 times National winner Martin Graham with "Sammy's Girl".
"Sammy's Girl" 1st Open Penzance YB Grand National 2023.
Fabulous Loft of Martin Graham Ballymena & District HPS.
Jimmy Smyth of Ahoghill Flying Club, 6th North Sect & 6th Open INFC Penzance.