Jimmy and Jamie Greer are best from Roscrea
Due to the poor weather forecast for Saturday the third race of the season was held one day later on Sunday 5th May. The birds were again in County Tipperary for a second race from Roscrea. The convoy liberation at 10.00am in beautiful conditions with light variable winds. Topping the Mid Antrim Combine this week is former 2004 Kings Cup winner Jimmy Greer and his grandson Jamie Greer of Cullybackey who race to their "Tullynahinnion Lofts" just outside Portglenone. The partnership timed their 2yo Mealy cock at 12.52pm to record 1480 and finish 1st Mid Antrim Combine and 3rd Section B. The winning cock was 2nd club as a youngster in 2022 and is bred off birds from clubmate and close neighbour Gary Gibson. The Sticker Donker sire is a grandson of the Golden Pair and the dam from Gary's Van Hercks. This was big Jamie's first ever Combine win and in his own words "I'm still on a high and still don't really believe it. That was one of my goals this year to win a Combine" Jamie is going to race the cock on. Well done lads.
Runners up in the Combine and best in the Town on 1478 were last weeks Combine and Section winners Johnston Eagleson & Sons of Ballymena. Their 2yo blue Van Den Bulck hen has now been placed 2nd, 10th & 11th in the Combine from the opening three races and her nestmate was 2nd Combine and 2nd Section last weekend beaten by a loftmate. The dam is from Jackie Steele and is down from "Pussy Cat".
Shane Johnston was runner up in Ballymena and 3rd Combine on 1476 with a yearling chequer Van Herck hen bred by Gary Gibson of Cullybackey. The nestmate to this one won 1st club and 4th Combine last season.
Jimmy Smyth & Son had the clear winner in Ahoghill on 1473 and placed 4th Combine with a yearling blue hen bred by Philip Boal of Dromore. This hen won 1st club and 5th Combine from Roscrea as a young bird last season.
Around the other clubs and D Magill was best in Harryville on 1470. Stewart Bros won Randalstown for the third race running on 1468. The sire being their Bude cock and the dam their good Louis Thijs hen winner of five firsts. In Rasharkin Harold Cubitt had the winner on 1461 with a 2yo chequer cock bred by good friend Jimmy Smyth of Ahoghill and last weeks winner Jackie Steele took the next two places. Alastair Purvis again had the winner in Broughshane for the third week in a row on 1436 and Harry Boyd in his first race of the season topped Kells on 1429 with a blue pied Van Den Bulck hen racing natural. A full sister topped the Combine and Section from Gowran Park a couple of years back. Geoff Surgenor was runner up this week having won the first two races. Mrtvyn Eagleson Mid Antrim PO.
Mid Antrim Combine 2nd Roscrea 56/1426 - J & J Greer Cullybackey 1480, J Eagleson & Sons Ballymena 1478, S Johnston & Son Ballymena 1476, J Smyth & Son Ahoghill 1473, D Magill Harryville 1470, Stewart Bros Randalstown 1468, Blair & Rankin Ballymena 1465, A Shiels Cullybackey 1462, S Crawford Harryville 1462, H Cubitt Rasharkin 1461, Steele & McNeill Rasharkin 1459, G Gibson Cullybackey 1459, G Gibson Cullybackey 1459, Steele & McNeill Rasharkin 1457, D Dixon Rasharkin 1455, D Dixon Rasharkin 1455, F Barkley Rasharkin 1454, C Moore Cullybackey 1453, D Magill Harryville 1451, J & M Milliken Rasharkin 1451, G Gibson Cullybackey 1450, H Cubitt Rasharkin 1449, Steele & McNeill Rasharkin 1449, T Whyte Ahoghill 1448, J & J Greer Cullybackey 1448, A & C & T Tweed Rasharkin 1447, J Eagleson & Sons Ballymena 1447, Young & McManus & Sons Ahoghill 1446, D Dixon Rasharkin 1443, Young & McManus & Sons Ahoghill 1439, W McFetridge Rasharkin 1438, Blair & Rankin Ballymena 1438, Blair & Rankin Ballymena 1438, Young & McManus & Sons Ahoghill 1438, J & M Milliken Rasharkin 1438.
Mid Antrim Combine Les Mairs OB Points Cup inc (2nd Roscrea) - J Eagleson & Sons Ballymena 169, Danny Dixon Rasharkin 74, Alan Darragh Cullybackey 72, Harold Cubitt Rasharkin 64, Blair & Rankin Ballymena 61, Daniel Magill 56, Gary Gibson Cullybackey 54, Steele & McNeill Rasharkin 52, S Johnston & Son Ballymena 48, Freddie Barkley Rasharkin 35.
The first 32 lofts from 2nd Fermoy qualify for the OB Knock out commencing from Skibbereen OB Inland National.
Champion’s League Group Stages - Top 2 in each group go through to last 16 Knock-Out competition. Any group that can't be decided by points will go to the best velocity's from Skibbereen OB Inland National. Knock-Out starts at 1st Talbenny.
Group (1) - D Dixon Rasharkin 74, G Gibson Cullybackey 54, S Crawford Harryville 16, H Turkington Kells 0.
Group (2) - J Eagleson & Sons Ballymena 169, Mr & Mrs Robinson Cullybackey 21, A Barkley & Son Kells 0, W & D Rodgers Harryville.
Group (3) - H Cubitt Rasharkin 64, J & J Greer Cullybackey 24, Surgenor Bros Kells 0, A Purvis Broughshane 0,
Group (4) - Blair & Rankin Ballymena 61, Rock & Moore Harryville 0, A & C & T Tweed Rasharkin 0, W & W Gilbert Randalstown 0.
Group (5) - Steele & McNeill Rasharkin 52, S Johnston & Son Ballymena 48, Young & McManus & Sons Ahoghill 28, W Jackson Harryville 0.
Group (6) - J Smyth & Son Ahoghill 21, J Miller Randalstown 0, H Boyd Kells 0, M Neilly Broughshane 0.
Group (7) - Stewart Bros Randalstown 31, T Whyte Ahoghill 22, W McFetridge Rasharkin 17, 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.
NIPA Section B 2nd Roscrea 86/2657 – S & N Maginty 1483, S & N Maginty 1481, J & J Greer Cullybackey 1480, J Eagleson & Sons Ballymena & Dist 1478, Fleming Bros Crumlin & Dist 1477, Fleming Bros 1476, S Johnston & Son Ballymena & Dist 1476, McConville Bros Crumlin & Dist 1473, J Smyth & Son Ahoghill 1473, S & N Maginty 1473.
NIPA Sect B Clubs
Ahoghill Flying Club 6/160 – J Smyth & Son 1473, T Whyte 1448, Young McManus & Sons 1446, 1439, 1438, 1435.
Ballymoney HPS 19/765 – M Gamble & Son 1466, D Dixon 1455, 1455, 1443, A & M Boyle 1437, L Neill 1436.
Ballymoney West Combine 7/190 – M Gamble & Son 1466, L Neill 1436, C Henry 1416, Young & Gibson 1403, W Rodgers 1398, S Torrens 1209, A Hill 1208.
Broughshane & District 5/120 – A Purvis 1436, T & M Morrow 1411, A Purvis 1395, T & M Morrow 1376, A Purvis 1375, M Neilly 1354.
Ballymena & District HPS 7/205 – J Eagleson & Sons 1478, S Johnston & Son 1476, Blair & Rankin 1465, J Eagleson & Sons 1447, Blair & Rankin 1438, 1438.
Cullybackey HPS 10/332 – J & J Greer 1480, A Shiels 1462, G Gibson 1459, 1459, C Moore 1453, G Gibon 1450.
Crumlin & District 9/294 – Fleming Bros 1477, 1476, McConville Bros 1473, Fleming Bros 1452, 1451, 1438.
Dervock RPS -
Harryville HPS 7/98 – D Magill 1470, S Crawford 1462, D Magill 1451, 1437, 1425, R H Clements 1422.
Kells & District HPS 6/174 – Sizzlers 2 Bird Club – H Boyd 1402, B Swann & Son 1372, H Turkington 1347, Gregg Bros 1326, Surgenor Bros 1316.
Muckamore HPS 8/284 – S & N Maginty 1483, 1481, 1473, 1469, 1467, S & J Bones and T Yates 1464.
Randalstown HPS 6/141 – Stewart Bros 1468, 1413, J Millar 1395, 1379, Stewart Bros 1363, J McNeill & Son 1354.
Rasharkin &District HPS 8/164 – Harold Cubitt 1461, Steele & McNeill 1459, 1457, F Barkley 1454, J & M Milliken 1451, Harold Cubitt 1449.
Jimmy (r) and Jamie Greer from Cullybackey with their Mid Antrim Combine winner from Roscrea.