The final young bird race of the Nipa racing season was flown on Saturday 16th September from Skibbereen in County Cork. The young bird National birds were released at 10.15am in gruelling north easterly winds and a seriously tough race followed with many birds spending the night on the tiles and some loft's failing to time. Ballymena & District known as the "Top Club" had the best two arrivals in the local area with Keith Kernohan & Sons just pipping Bertie Blair for 1st place. These two loft's were only separated by a few seconds for the best bird in the Town.
The Kernohan partnership of Keith, Ken, Callum and Lewis timed their cheq hen at 17.35pm for the 260 mile fly to the Ballykeel loft's to record a velocity of 1039.81. The hen wins 1st Ballymena & District, 1st Mid Antrim Combine, 2nd Section B and an excellent 12th Open Nipa 266/2633. She was one from a kit of youngsters purchased from Oroory Hill Stud and breeding is Willy Jacobs. Keith's had a top young bird season in Ballymena & Dist winning 4 x 1st club with a further 3 x 1st in the Mid Antrim Combine and 1st Section B from the Fermoy 5 Bird Championship.
Bertie Blair who's also had a top season was runner up on decimal points in both the Ballymena club and the Mid Antrim Combine and finished 3rd Section B and 13th Open velocity 1039.56. Bertie's blue cheq Heremans-Ceuster hen sitting on chipping eggs won the club from 2nd Kilbeggan on week two. The sire was purchased from the late Lexie Mullan at his dispersal sale. Bertie's young birds raced well being runner up in the Combine on three occasions and each time beaten by the Kernohan loft's. Danny Dixon of Dunloy had the next best three bird's in the Combine and put eight birds in the Open result 5th, 6th, 8th, 11th, 21st & 22nd Section B & 37th, 46th, 56th, 65th, 139th, 140th, 171st & 173rd Open. Danny's first bird is bred from the Alphabet Hen that he acquired from Pat Shields and the sire is the nestmate of his Open winner which is a son of his good mealy Sticker Donckers cock.
Gary Gibson had the top two birds in Cullybackey on 974 & 969 and placed 10th & 12th Section and 60th, 70th & 146th Open. Gary's first bird was a dark w/f hen, the sire is an inbred Heartbreaker cock and the dam's from a son of the 2nd Open cock paired to Gary's 1st Section Talbenny young bird National hen. Freddie Barkley was best in Rasharkin on 948 with a blue chequer Lambrecht cross hen that won 2nd club & 19th Section B last weekend from Fermoy. This week she wins 13th Section & 87th Open.
Jimmy Smyth & Son continued their fine form with another win in Ahoghill on 936 for 102nd Open. Jimmy's dark cheq hen was one from a kit from Mark Milliken of Rasharkin and won 4th club Kilbeggan, and 2nd club & 97th Open in the Dale young bird national a fortnight ago. Anthony McNeill was best in Randalstown with a Sticker Donckers cheq hen on 933 and placed 109th Open. The sire from Geoff Dickey and the dam down from Gary Gibson's Golden Couple. Jonathan Barkley and Laura Surgenor had the best two birds in Kells & Dist on 823 & 825. Their winning youngster is bred from a Staf Van Reet x Sticker Doncker x Van den Brande cock from Jonny Simpson paired to a hen from Robert Alexander. Mervyn Eagleson PO.
Skibbereen YB National 28/241 - K & K Kernohan & Sons Ballymena 1039.81, Blair & Rankin Ballymena 1039.56, D Dixon Rasharkin 1009, D Dixon Rasharkin 1001, D Dixon Rasharkin 980, G Gibson Cullybackey 974, D Dixon Rasharkin 971, G Gibson Cullybackey 969, F Barkley Rasharkin 948, Blair & Rankin Ballymena 939, J Smyth & Son Ahoghill 936, J McNeill & Son Randalstown 933, A Darragh Cullybackey 933, G & A Eagleson Ballymena 932, Steele & McNeill Rasharkin 931, A Darragh Cullybackey 914, D Dixon Rasharkin 910, D Dixon Rasharkin 910, G Gibson Cullybackey 906, A Darragh Cullybackey 894, D Dixon Rasharkin 893, D Dixon Rasharkin 892, A Darragh Cullybackey 887, J Eagleson & Sons Ballymena 832, Martin Graham Ballymena 832, A Darragh Cullybackey 832, K & K Kernohan & Sons Ballymena 823, A Barkley & Son Kells 823, D Dixon Rasharkin 815, A Barkley & Son Kells 805, T Whyte Ahoghill 800, J Miller Randalstown 772.
NIPA Sect B Skibbereen 41/389 – S & N Maginty Muckamore 1045, K & K Kernohan & Sons Ballymena 1039, Blair & Rankin Ballymena 1039, S & N Maginty 1029, D Dixon Ballymoney 1009, D Dixon 1001, T & J McDonald Coleraine Prem 991, D Dixon 979, D & H Stuart Ballymoney 977, G Gibson Cullybackey 974.
NIPA Sect B Clubs
Ahoghill Flying Club – J Smyth & Son 936, Trevor Whyte 800.
Ballymoney HPS 6/85 – D Dixon 1009, 1001, 980, D & H Stuart 977, D Dixon 971, D & Stuart 919. This is the result of the Ballymoney H.P.S race from the Skibbereen National. My winner today is of the Alphabet hen which l got of Pat Shields, the sire is the nest mate of my 1st Open winner who is a son of my good Mealey Sticker Donckers Cock. Well done Danny, top result.
Ballymena & District HPS 7/77 – K & K Kernohan & Son 1039, Blair & Rankin 1039, 939, G & A Eagleson 932, J Eagleson & Sons 832, M Graham 832. Well done to Keith Kernohan and Sons winning the club in a tough Skibbereen young bird National and also 1st Mid Antrim Combine for the third time in young birds. Hard luck to Bertie Blair for a close runner up in both Ballymena and the Combine. In the Combine Keith wins YB Ave and Young Bird of the Year.
Cullybackey HPS – Gary Gibson 974, 969, Alan Darragh 933, 914, Gary Gibson 906, Alan Darragh 894.
Crumlin & District – Sefton Thompson 838,787.
Dervock RPS 5/65 – D & H Stuart 972, 919, S Laverty 861.
Kells & District HPS – A Barkley & Son 823, 805,
Muckamore HPS 4/55 – S & N Maginty 1045, 1029, 874, S & J Bones and T Yates 732.
Randalstown HPS 3/26 – J McNeill & Son 933, J Millar 772, J Millar 475, J McNeill & Son 435, J Millar 433, Stewart Bros 392.
Rasharkin &District HPS 6/49 – F Barkley 948, Steele & McNeill 931, W McFetridge 656, Steele & McNeill 535, W McFetridge 461.
Keith Kernoham with son Lewis and grandson Ross and their Skibbereen National Combine winner.