St Malo Friendship - 08/07/10

[willie reynolds]

Brendan McLoughlin - Around South Down

Another National triumph for D Croskery & Son

The final race of the old bird programme took place on Thursday 8th July, with the pigeons liberated in St Malo in France. The race was originally scheduled for the Friday, but the forecast for Friday and also for Saturday being completely unsuitable for racing. Therefore the race committee had to make a decision on whether to release the birds on the Thursday, and take a chance with a few scattered showers along the east coast of England or to hold until Sunday.

Liberation took place at 8.45am in a light southeast wind that was to south southwesterly en route and strengthening. 14 birds were recorded on the day with the winner of the South Down Federation being recorded at 9am on the second day by D Croskery & Son Annsborough.

This is another great performance by the Journeys End lofts who picked up a Hall of Fame win last week in the King’s Cup. The pigeon timed this week is a yearling hen that takes 32nd North section, 39th Open Irish National Flying Club.

The sire was a daughter of the original ‘Joe 90’, a very good racing cock that was 2nd Open East Down Combine from the Joe Ringland Skibbereen Classic in 2008 when they were 1st and 2nd Open. The dam is a daughter of the hen that day and is from their Rodney & Jason Walker stock on the dam side and John Jobey De Klak on the sire side.

Gallagher Bros Annsborough are second fed, timing around noon to take 47th North section, 55th Open. The Gallaghers have had a wonderful two weeks having clocked three birds in the Fed result from last week’s King’s Cup and now with another bird in the Open result here. The pigeon timed here is a three-year-old cock that was sent sitting 12 to 13 days on eggs. This bird was in the St Malo Derby last year with the East Down Combine but his nest condition this time was more suitable for this week’s race.The breeding is again from their own bloodlines and this one is a grand son of ‘Home alone’.

Full Result: 1, D Croskery & Son Annsborough 669; 2, Gallagher Bros Annsborough 580:

The South Down Federation had their annual race for their members from Navan on Tuesday 13th July. 14 members sent 595 birds and they were liberated at noon in a fresh northeasterly wind. As expected with the easterly wind the Annsborough members dominated the result with P Brown & son taking the top three.

1, 2, 3, P Brown & Son Annsborough 1053 £20, 1047 £15, 1038 £10; 4, M Croskery Annsborough 1038 £7; 5, P Brown & Son 1037.72 £6; 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, M Croskery 1037.65 £6, 1037.44 £6, 1037.23 £6, 1036.40 £6, 1036.20; M Croskery 1036.20 ABCD £21.60; D Croskery & Son 1025 ABCDNom £18.40:

* Pool race this week for Navan

* Anyone sending this week for their first young bird race can still join the DTW but have to pay the pound for last week’s race.