For the second race of the old bird season the local Mid Antrim birds and the NIPA released in Roscrea County Tipperary at 9.30am on Saturday 27th April in a Lt Northeast wind. Just short of 20,000 birds were liberated at Mount St Joseph Abbey in Roscrea and for the second week on the trot Owen Markey from the Ballyholland HPS in Newry City has topped the Mighty NIPA on velocity 1469ypm. Locally J Eagleson & Sons had a fantastic Card in Ballymna & District and took 1st & 2nd MAC and 1st & 2nd in the NIPA Section B. Despite some heavy showers over the route returns seem to have been pretty good and birds are well set for Roscrea again next week.
Due to ill health, Houston Bros from Randalstown have had to call time on their racing career. An entire clearance of birds and equipment over 2 sales will is due in coming weeks conducted by Sawyers Pigeon Auctions. 1st sale will be in Glenavy Hall on Monday 6th May with viewing 7-8pm. 2nd sale details to follow in due course.
NIPA Sect B Clubs 1st Roscrea
Ballymena & District (7 sent 203) – 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, J Eagleson & Sons 1424, 1424, 1419, 1418, 1415, 4 S Johnston & Son 1419.
Cullybackey HPS (11 sent 399) – 1, 2, 3, 6, A Darragh 1423, 1417, 1413, 1396, 4, 5, G Gibson 1407, 1402.
Ahoghill Flying Club (7 sent 182) – 1, 4, 6 T Whyte 1422, 1400, 1392, 3 J Smth & Son 1403, 2, 5 Young McManus & Sons 1407, 1398.
Harryville HPS (7 sent 117) – 1, 2, 3, 5, 1421, 1410, 1409, 1383, 4, 6, S Crawford 1389, 1345.
Rasharkin & District HPS (8 sent 159) – 1, 5, Steele & McNeill 1419, 1410, 2, 4, F Barkley 1415, 1413, 3, 6, H Cubitt 1414, 1405.
Randalstown HPS (6 sent 159) – 1, 2, 3, Stewart Bros 1414, 1358, 1351, 4, 5, 6, J Millar 1309, 1286, 1280.
Ballymoney HPS (18 sent 604) -1, 2, 3, 4, D & H Stuart 1411, 1410, 1403, 1403, 5, 6, D Dixon 1400, 1399.
Muckamore HPS (8 sent 305) – 1, 2, 5, 6 S & J Bones and T Yates 1403, 1403, 1391, 1389, 3, 4, S & N Maginty 1400, 1397.
Crumlin & District (9 sent 238) – 1, 2, 3, Fleming Bros 1391, 1361, 1359, 4 McConville Bros 1355, 5, 6, R & S Hope 1352, 1349.
Kells & District (5 sent 124) – 1, 4, 6, Surgenor Bros 1369, 1326, 1325, 2, 3, B Swann & Son 1358, 1358, 5 A Barkley & Son 1326.
Broughshane & District (5 sent 84) – 1, 2, 5, A Purvis 1338, 1323, 1309, 3, 6, M Neilly 1319, 1272, 4 T & M Morrow 1313.
NIPA Section B 1st Roscrea 92/2796 – J Eagleson & Sons Ballymena 1424, J Eagleson & Sons 1424, A Darragh Cullybackey 1423, T Whyte Ahoghill 1422, D Magill Harryville 1421, J Eagleson & Sons 1419, Steele & McNeill Rasharkin 1419, S Johnston & Son Ballymena 1419, J Eagleson & Sons 1418, A Darragh 1417, J Eagleson & Sons 1415, F Barkley Rasharkin 1415, Stewart Bros Randalstown 1414, H Cubitt Rasharkin 1414, F Barkley 1413, A Darragh 1413, Blair & Rankin Ballymena 1412, D & H Stuart Ballymoney 1411, Steele & McNeill 1410, D Magill 1410.
Combine & Section honours for Eagleson & Sons
The second race of the season was from Roscrea in County Tipperary on Saturday 27th April. Liberation took place at 9.30am in excellent conditions with light northerly winds. Taking 1st and 2nd positions in the Mid Antrim Combine this week were Johnston Eagleson & Sons of Ballymena & District with two birds timed at 12.31pm doing 1424ypm. The first hen to time was a two-year-old blue hen sitting eggs and was bred from stock acquired from top racing and breeding lofts of Paddy & William McManus of Ahoghill. The sire is Van Den Brande and is half-brother to Martin Graham's 1st Open Infc Penzance young bird National winner "Sammy's Girl" having the same dam. The second bird timed a two-year-old blue Van Den Bulck hen has won twice before including 3rd Section and 25th Open Fermoy as a youngster. The dam was from Jackie Steele and is down from "Pussy Cat" The Eagleson loft had a great team performance from their birds winning 1st, 2nd, 6th, 9th & 11th Section B and 40th, 43rd, 60th, 67th & 75th Open Nipa with 19,875 birds competing. Alan Darragh was next best in the Combine and placed 3rd Section B on 1423. His winning blue pied yearling hen is bred from a good racing cock that won the section twice on the channel and was also placed from St Malo. Alan also took the top three positions in the Cullybackey club. Next best was the Ahoghill winner Trevor Whyte on 1422 with a yearling red Alex Docx cock bred by Paddy & William McManus. This cock won as a youngster for Trevor last season. Daniel Magill completed the top five in the Combine with his Harryville winner on 1421. Other club winners included Jackie Steele in Rasharkin on 1419 and 7th Combine with a yearling black cock from the best of his Lambrecht family, Stewart Bros were best in Randalstown for the second week running on 1414 with a two-year-old blue cock Donckers x Vandenabeele from Peter Martin lines. Geoff Surgenor had the winner in Kells for the second week on 1369 with a yearling blue w/f hen that won good prizes as a young bird and is down from birds of David Currell's and Alastair Purvis won Broughshane with the same 3yo chequer hen that won the previous week. Sire Willie Jacobs from Gerard Delaney and dam Lambrecht from the late Frank Clarke. Mervyn Eagleson Mid Antrim PO.
Mid Antrim Combine – 1st Roscrea 57/1497 - J Eagleson & Sons Ballymena 1424, J Eagleson & Sons Ballymena 1424, A Darragh Cullybackey 1423, T Whyte Ahoghill 1422, D Magill Harryville 1421, J Eagleson & Sons Ballymena 1419, Steele & McNeill Rasharkin 1419, S Johnston & Son Ballymena 1419, J Eagleson & Sons Ballymena 1418, A Darragh Cullybackey 1417, J Eagleson & Sons Ballymena 1415, F Barkley Rasharkin 1415, Stewart Bros Randalstown 1414, H Cubitt Rasharkin 1414, F Barkley Rasharkin 1413, A Darragh Cullybackey 1413, Blair & Rankin Ballymena 1412, Steele & McNeill Rasharkin 1410, D Magill Harryville 1410, S Johnston & Son Ballymena 1409, D Magill Harryville 1409, S Johnston & Son Ballymena 1408, G Gibson Cullybackey 1407, Young & McManus & Sons Ahoghill 1407, H Cubitt Rasharkin 1405, J & M Milliken Rasharkin 1405, J Smyth & Son Ahoghill 1403, G Gibson Cullybackey 1402, F Barkley Rasharkin 1402, Blair & Rankin Ballymena 1402, D Dixon Rasharkin 1400, T Whyte Ahoghill 1400, D Dixon Rasharkin 1399, H Cubitt Rasharkin 1399, H Cubitt Rasharkin 1399, D Dixon Rasharkin 1399, H Cubitt Rasharkin 1398, Young & McManus & Sons Ahoghill 1398, D Dixon Rasharkin 1397, A Darragh Cullybackey 1396
Mid Antrim Combine Les Mairs OB Points Cup -
J Eagleson & Sons Ballymena 146, A Darragh Cullybackey 72, D Dixon Rasharkin 55, H Cubitt Rasharkin 46, Blair & Rankin Ballymena 43.
Champion’s League Group Stages - Top 2 in each group go through to last 16 Knock-Out competition. Knock-Out starts at 1st Talbenny
Group (1) - D Dixon Rasharkin 55, G Gibson Cullybackey 25, S Crawford Harryville 0, H Turkington Kells 0
Group (2) - J Eagleson & Sons Ballymena 146, D Magill Harryville 30, Mr & Mrs Robinson Cullybackey 21, A Barkley & Son Kells 0,
Group (3) - H Cubitt Rasharkin 46, Surgenor Bros Kells 0, A Purvis Broughshane 0, J & J Greer Cullybackey 0
Group (4) - Blair & Rankin Ballymena 43, Rock & Moore Harryville 0, A & C & T Tweed Rasharkin 0, W & W Gilbert Randalstown 0
Group (5) - Young & McManus & Sons Ahoghill 28, S Johnston & Son Ballymena 26, Steele & McNeill Rasharkin 25, R H Clements Harryville 0,
Group (6) - J Miller Randalstown 0, J Smyth & Son Ahoghill 0, H Boyd Kells 0, M Neilly Broughshane 0
Group (7) - T Whyte Ahoghill 21, W McFetridge Rasharkin 17, Stewart Bros Randalstown 12, T & M Morrow Broughshane 0,
Group (8) - A Darragh Cullybackey 72, D Houston & Son Broughshane 0, K & K Kernohan & Sons Ballymena 0, J Balmer Ahoghill 0
Johnston Eagleson 1st & 2nd Combine and Section from 1st Roscrea