Ballymena, Northern Ireland
Jimmy Rock began racing pigeons around 1977 just after he left school. He raced to the family home at Albert Place in the center of the Ballymena Town and still races to the same address to this day. Jimmy joined the Harryville HPS club and has been a club member ever since. Like most new starts his first birds were a gather up of pigeons from many local fancier's with the majority of them acquired from John Dunlop of Ballykeel. Jimmy's first club win was from a hard Fortwilliam YB Derby on the Scottish route in 1984 finishing around 30th Open Nipa. Jimmy has raced consistently over the season's topping the Nipa Open on three occasions which is no mean feat when racing into the Ballymena area.
Some of Jimmy's top results.
From the 1997 Nipa Dinard old bird Derby, 2504 birds were liberated on a Sunday morning at 7.15am in light north easterly winds. Jimmy timed at 12.02pm on the second day to record velocity 590 and win 1st Section B and 7th Open plus £1,000. Jimmy's game 3 year old chequer hen containing Verheye x Janssen bloodlines was one of only 37 birds recorded in race time.
Five years later in 2002 the Nipa liberated 1314 birds from the Fougeres Old bird Derby at 6.15am in north westerly winds. Another tough race followed with only 14 birds timed in the three day race. Jimmy clocked at 8.08am on the second morning to record 720ypm and again win 1st Section B and this time finished 3rd Open Nipa winning £2,500. Jimmy's winner a 4 year old blue hen was placed 152nd Open in the Nipa Sartilly OB derby two years previous in 2000 and won a Bronze Diploma for twice in the Open prizes in the Nipa OB Derby. The Grondelaer parents were gifted by the late Stephen McGarry of Waveney Loft's in Ballymena.
2010 St Malo 535/1695 Lib 9.15am wind Variable
4th & 5th MA Combine, 5th & 6th Section B 90/260, 29th & 52nd Open NIPA velo 1159 & 1069.
2011 St Malo 504/1597 Lib 9.30am wind south easterly
2nd & 11th MA Combine, 2nd & 15th Section B 77/222, 29th & 124th Open NIPA velo 1555 & 1300.
2012 St Malo 464/1408 Lib 6.30am wind south westerly
7th & 8th MA Combine, 8th & 9th Section B 79/208, 42nd & 57th Open NIPA velo 1278 & 1220.
In the season of 2012 Jimmy won his second Nipa Bronze Award with a blue cock bred by good friend Jimmy Smyth of Ahoghill. The cock was placed 2nd Section B & 29th Open Nipa St Malo OB National 2011 and 9th Section B & 57th Open Nipa St Malo OB National 2012.
In 2014 Jimmy won his first major race when he scored 1st Open Nipa Talbenny YB National with just over 3000 birds competing. The winning blue cock "Rocky's Boy" was bred from a cock that won 1st Mid Antrim Combine & 2nd Section from Bude in 2012 and was a son of his good "806" Jacobs cock that won 6 x 1st and was sire of winners with five different hens. The dam was Pros Rossen breeding from late clubmate Matt Wray. "Rocky's Boy" bred Jimmy 5 x 1st prize-winners and was grandsire of many more including 1st Mid Antrim Combine Tullamore YB 2023.
The following season in 2015 Jimmy won his best Irish National Flying Club position to date when he finished 4th Muckamore Centre, 8th North Section & 11th Open INFC Sennen Cove Yearling National on velo 975 winning £353. This chequer cock went on to win five prizes in five channel races including 2nd club form both Bude and the Talbenny YB National were he was beaten by "Rocky's Boy" Jimmy's 1st Open Talbenny YB National winner. The dam was from Ian Gill of Kells and was bred from two Jos Thone birds from Ian Stafford of England and the sire was Hagen from R Strain & Son of Ballyclare. Jimmy purchased both parents at the Kings Hall charity sales. Jimmy gifted clubmate Allen McBride a son of the chequer cock and he bred Allen 10 x 1st prize-winners including Jimmy's 1st Section & 3rd Open Nipa Talbenny bird of 2018. Allen raced the nestmate of Jimmy's 3rd Open Talbenny bird and it won 15th Open Nipa Talbenny and 33rd Open in the Infc Sennen Cove Yearling National.
Two years later in 2017 Jimmy was again at the top of the Nipa when he won 1st Open Nipa Penzance 6235 birds & 1st Open Nipa Penzance OB Classic 2803 birds with "Elizabeth" a two year old chequer w/f hen named after Jimmy's wife. The sire was Jacobs from the Delaney O'Roory Hill Stud x Jan Aarden from Ian Axe down from "Martina's Choice". This cock was sire of winners with five different hens and while racing won 3 x 1st. The dam of the classic winner again had Delaney's Jacobs on one side, the sire being down from "Rough Diamond" while the dam of the dam was Wildermeersch from A Cousins & Son. "Elizabeth" would also become a top stock hen being dam and granddam of many winners including dam of 5th MA Combine 52nd Open INFC St Malo Friendship National 2023 and granddam of 1st Mid Antrim Combine Tullamore 2023
Some of Jimmy's best performances to hand
21st Open Infc Sennen Cove Yearling National 4705 birds 1995
1st Section & 7th Open Nipa Dinard OB Derby 2504 birds, £1,000 1997
1st Section & 3rd Open Nipa Fougeres OB Derby 1314 birds, £2500 2002
43rd & 53rd Open Infc Sennen Cove Yearling National 4173 birds £550 2008
8th Section & 42nd Open Nipa St Malo OB National 1408 birds. 2012
Nipa Bronze Diploma winner 08A08782 - 2nd Section B & 29th Open Nipa St Malo OB National 2011 and 9th Section B & 57th Open Nipa St Malo OB National 2012 (bred by good friend Jimmy Smyth of Ahoghill)
1st Section B & 1st Open Nipa Talbenny YB National, 3002 birds, velo 1449. "Rocky's Boy" 2014
1st Section B 1st Open Nipa Penzance, 6235 birds, velo 1449 "Elizabeth" 2017
1st Section B 1st Open Nipa Penzance OB Classic, 2803 birds, velo 1449 "Elizabeth" 2017
1st Section B & 3rd Open Nipa Talbenny 11,411 birds. 2018
52nd & 83rd North Section & 58th & 92nd Open Infc St Malo Friendship National 2023
Some other Nipa French Open prizes - 41st, 56th, 58th, 86th & 106th Open
Other top birds
Chequer cock "19" a winner of 4 x 1st club plus 1st Mid Antrim Combine Tullamore. The sire was Jimmy's good Mandelartz cock a winner of 3 x 1st and the dam, the 1st Section & 3rd Open Nipa Talbenny hen.
Jacobs x Jan Aarden chequer pied cock - A winner of 3 x 1st and sire of "Elizabeth" 1st Open Nipa Penzance and 1st Open Nipa Penzance Classic 2017. The cock is also the sire of 3rd Open Nipa Talbenny YB National for D & J Armstrong & Sons of Carrick in 2017
"Mandelartz Cock" winner of 3 x 1st and sire of "19" 1st Mid Antrim Combine Tullamore 2020.
Blue cock "806" Willie Jacobs
Winner of 6 x 1st and sire of winners with 5 different hens. Grandsire of "Rocky's Boy" 1st Open Nipa Talbenny YB National 2014
Jimmy has won the Top Prize winner / Top points award in Harryville in 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2021 & 2023. Joint winner in 2017.
Present day stock mainly consists of birds from the late Allen McBride, Matt Wray and Lexie Mullan who all raced in Harryville, Danny Dixon of Ballymoney, Gary Gibson and Alan Darragh of Cullybackey, good friend Jimmy Smyth of Ahoghill and of course the Jacobs from Gerard Delaney of O'Roory Hill Stud which have played a massive part in Jimmy's recent success.
Jimmy pairs his stock birds around Christmas after they've been treated for canker, cocci and respiratory. He starts tossing the old birds three weeks before the opening race and when racing commences he usually gives them one toss per week. They race roundabout and are fed mainly Beatties Champion Supreme.
Mervyn Eagleson Mid Antrim PO.
