The lavish Five Corners Public House on the outskirts of Ballyclare, Co.Antrim was the venue on Friday 16th of January for the prize distribution for what is one of the longest established pigeon racing clubs currently within the very competitive Section C of the NIPA that being the Springvale Social HPS. Like many Clubs just not in N.Ireland but all around the U.K and Ireland as a whole numbers are starting to dwindle, for the fourth coming seasons the Springvale club will have a racing membership of ten. Which is a credit to all involved as like once again many areas regardless of were you go, even though we have dwindling numbers of fanciers within the sport we seems to be increasing in the mount of Clubs, and with the Springvale currently using a Clubroom that was built in 1945 with the Club itself being formed some years before that, it is excellent to see all that tradition and history being preserved and continued by a wonderful bunch of fanciers. Something I witnessed when attending their annual prize distribution was a great togetherness among all the members in attendance, it was also very pleasing to see a great emphasis put into acknowledging the young members within the Club which inevitably is the future of the sport and a true credit to all involved.
Opening the proceedings was the former Chairman and highly respected William Drennan who in his very experienced manner welcomed everybody in attendance before highlighting some of the members’ achievements during the course of 2008. William went on to address the hard work that all the members put into ensuring that the Club run smoothly during the 2008 racing seasons and picked out Secretary Campbell McGrugan for a special thanks for all his continual hard work over the last number of years without ever a gasp of complaint. On finishing extended appreciation on behalf of all the members was directed at the sponsors and supporters of the Club some of which have shown fabulous levels of loyalty over a great number of years and fitting that it was William Drennan invited one of their main sponsors who was in attendance to present the awards that being George McComb who owns a local Landscaping Company in the area.
An excellent photo of the top prize winning Scott family pictured are Robert, Jordan and Melisa collecting awards from George McComb, they certainly have proved the loft to catch over recent years.
For the seventh year on the trot it was the loft of Robert Scott and son Jordan who are the top prize winners flying their wonderful team of Busschaert and Soontjen based pigeons. These having been sourced from Davy McCullough of Kells and Rab Mills of Larne respectively. In total Robert son Jordan and assisted by daughter Melisa lifted a total of ten awards these included the W H Topping Memorial Shield, The North End Cup, The W Cahoon Memorial Trophy, The W Cahoon Memorial Cup, The Combined Average Cup, The A Topping Memorial Y/Bird Points Cup, The McConnell Cup, The Cook Cup, The Bingham Family Cup and the Scott Trophy for what turned out once again an exceptional year for the loft. Looking through some of the Section C results the highlights included from Talbenny in the O/Birds the loft finished 24th and 26th Section with 253 members sending 3,070 pigeons; from Tullamore in the Y/Birds the loft finished 10th Section C and 141st Open NIPA with 1024 members sending 26,833 birds; then from Roscrea also in the Y/Birds the loft finished 29th Section with 223 members sending 5,594 pigeons; from Mullingar this was the pigeons that were brought back from Talbenny the loft finished 44th Section C and a 152nd Open with some 4,000 + pigeons competing and another top performance I did come across for the Scott loft was 32nd Section C and 160th Open from the Rosscarbery Y./Bird National.
Louis & Trevor Davidson (R Davidson & Son) had yet another year to remember in the O/Bird campaign and collected four cups on the night for their achievements.
Next up it was the turn of the very consistent Trevor and Louis Davidson two brothers racing under and keeping the family name of R Davidson & Sons. These boys can certainly race a pigeon and aren’t afraid of buying a good one when seeing one at open auction. Trevor and Louis had yet another exceptional O/Bird season which seen them lift the Inland O/Bird Average and the over-all O/Bird Average Award within the Springvale Club, on top of these two they also lifted the Moss Road Cup and The E Rutherford Memorial Cup. Some of the highlights within Section C of the NIPA in the O/Birds that I have picked out include 42nd Section from Pilmore Beach with 276 members sending 5,887 pigeons; then once again the following week from the same race point the brother were to finish 37th Section with 258 members on this occasion sending 4194 pigeons. Then for the first cross channel event from Talbenny in South Wales the loft finished an impressive 3rd, 7th and 12th Section with over 3,000 pigeons in competition. The cross channel events proved successful for the brothers for they sent to Bude and finished 17th Section C and 149th Open NIPA with 828 members sending 8,634 pigeons, then from Sennen Cove Trevor & Louis topped the Club once again finishing 40th Section and 151st Open with 8,740 pigeons in competition from this one. Excellent racing gentlemen and with a similar season in the O/Birds next season with a few Y/Bird performances you could be pushing the Scott team to the wire for the Top Prize winning crown.
Young Robert Turkington continues to raise the bar every year and 2008 was no exception lifting four awards and a cheque for £127.
On the subject of brothers next up in third place we have the loft of Turkington Bros with the loft managed now by young Robert who is doing a very commendable job and full praise to a young man who is more than dedicated, and proven to be a born winner. The Turkington Bros loft also scored well during the O/Bird programme with performances such as 42nd Section C from Pilmore Beach with over 4,000 pigeons competing. From Talbenny in South Wales they had an awesome result winning just not the Club but also the NIPA Section C with over 3,000 pigeons competing they loft also timed a second arrival in the section result that day finishing 32nd Section C. From Bude yet another outstanding performance finishing 1st Club, 3rd Section C with 2,891 pigeons competing and went onto finish 58th Open against a convoy of 8,634 pigeons. Young Robert picked up a cool sum of £127 in prize money as well as lifting the Vale Cup, The C. C. Average Cup, The Cairnview Trophy and the Blair Cup. Very well done to Robert on an outstanding achievement and I have no doubt this could very well be one of the stars of the future.
The hard working Financial Secretary A C McGrugan knows how to race a pigeon and is never to far down the over-all prize list lifting 3 awards in total for his achievements during 2008.
Next we have the main man so to speak that being the hard working Secretary A C McGrugan. Campbell is always knocking on the door and can never be dismissed any week. For his racing achievements in 2008 he won the Irvine Cup, The Moore Cup and the Bernard Montgomery Memorial Cup, when checking through the results one of the top achievements during the year I noticed for Campbell was finishing 17th Section C and 47th Open in the NIPA Yearling Hens National.
Victor Montgomery & David Kirk collect the A & E Bell Winter Show Shield from George McComb during the prize distribution at the Five Corners Public House.
Montgomery & Kirk were next to the prize table picking up the A & E Bell Winter Show Shield Victor & David always keep their pigeons in tip top form right through the year, had a check for them also through the result and discovered that they topped the Club from Pilmore Beach in he O/Bird season finishing 33rd Section C against 5,887 pigeons that particular day.
Ian Horner topped the Club from Tullamore during the Y/Bird season finishing 77th Open in the NIPA with some 10,000 + pigeons competing.
The Juvinile Cup went to Ian Horner who also was in attendance to receive his award Ian had a super arrival from the Tullamore in the Y/Bird campaign finishing 1st Club, 26th Section C and finishing 77th Open in the over-all NIPA Open result with well over 10,000 pigeons competing.
Graham Andrew continued with tradition in the Springvale Social and clocked the Section Winner from the NIPA O/B National flown from St.Malo finishing 6th Open (see text below).
One of the top results of the year achieved by a Springvale member was that of Graham Andrew from St Malo. Graham timed a good Yearling Blue Cock at 6.45pm on the day recording a velocity of 1132ypm he was to finish 1st Club, 1st Section C and 6th Open NIPA O/Bird National.
Graham Andrew was snapped following his Section success from St Malo with his good Yearling Blue Cock that finished 6th Open NIPA O/B National.
The pigeon in question had put some miles on the clock in 2008 flying the whole programme including Bude and Sennen Cove, finishing 3rd Club from the latter event just a few days before being basketed for the St Malo event. Graham lifted the Loon Burn O/Bird French Cup for his achievements at Club level on Friday evening but prior to this Graham attended the Annual Dinner & Prize Distribution for the NIPA in Templepatrick back in November when he had the honour of collecting the J Campbell Memorial Trophy for winning 1st Section C from the O/B National, also that evening he collected an RPRA Irish Region Mileage Award for the category of 451 miles and over.
Graham Andrew winner of 1st Club, 1st Section C and 6th Open NIPA O/B National St Malo 2008 pictured with A C McGrugan winner of 1st Club, 1st Section C and 1st Open NIPA O/Bird National Dinard 1996 (see text)
A year to remember for Graham and just yet another bit of the NIPA O/B French National history to add to the Springvale Social portfolio. I set about doing some research after having a chat with Campbell McGrugan at the prize distribution, I had already had a plan within my head to get Campbell’s photo along with Graham for Campbell just didn’t win the Section in this event back in 1996 but went on to win the Open and won just what Graham won this year also the RPRA 451 miles and over Irish Region RPRA Award, on that particular occasion the race point was Dinard. Campbell timed a 3 year old Red Hen that year in what was a very tough race and she recorded a winning velocity of 739ypm she herself was an exceptional pigeon having made the Open result from the same race point the year previous finishing 18th Section C and 114th Open and earning herself on this occasion of actually winning the race a Bronze Medal awarded to a pigeon for twice the O/Bird National in the Open Result, she was bred down from Campbell’s old distance family when mated into lines sourced from Geordie Horner. Campbell then went on to tell me that the NIPA O/B Derby/National had also been won into the Springvale Club before him, going on to enlighten me with the partnership name of Bates and Mayben but Campbell wasn’t 100% sure what year it was.
Yet another bit of old history brought out from the archives the 1996 NIPA Dinner Card with Campbell McGrugan’s NIPA O/B Derby Winner on the front cover.
So home work was the order of the day or night I should say, because upon arriving at “Homers” house just after mid-night I posed the question to the mind of information that my father is, and it is only on these occasions that you start to appreciate why he takes the time every week to collate all the writings to do with pigeon racing in Ireland and file them away some 35 years of weekly work (God help the removal men should he ever move house). Away he went and brought back a bit of material. So here goes the year in fact was 1974 and on this occasion it was 24 year old David Bates of Springvale who won 1st Open NIPA O/B Derby (as they were known then) Dinard winning £650 remembering that of course was considerable money in 1974. Upon then checking up the result I discovered that 1426 members had sent 3,808 pigeons competing for a staggering £13,170 in pools and prize money. (Those were the days) Campbell McGrugan wasn’t far wrong as David had prior to this raced in partnership as a school boy with a lad with the surname of Mayben but with both lads graduating to the Agricultural College the pigeons had to go. David was smitten by the pigeon bug and it wasn’t until he was assisting the legendary Brian McNeilly from Ballyclare in erecting a new loft, that David decided that he would yet again start the pigeon game and put a new loft up himself also. With age comes wisdom they say and David reckoned that his lack of success when racing as a school boy was a lot down to the fact that the particular pigeons that they were flying then were just not sourced closely enough to the winning tree. So with a new loft erected David decided to look closer to home and had a chat with the inspirational Davy McNeilly who at that stage already had a feared reputation for distance events with his resounding family of winning Delbars. Young David at an age of 21 purchased 5 late breds from Davy and a few weeks after this Davy was to lend young David a Pencil Blue Delbar Hen that was bred in the purple but was a bugger to catch one of those ones you have just to make eye contact and its away all around the loft perch to perch. Well undeterred David mated this hen to one of his favoured late breds purchased earlier from Davy a Strawberry Mealy Cock. One nest of youngsters was reared from the pairing and they turned out to be both hens, one a Mealy and the other a Pencil Blue.
With youth comes experimenting David decided to race one of the nest pair as a youngster and only train the other up, so it was the Mealy that drew the short straw and the Pencil Blue was held back a year, as yearlings they both were to shine but showed little signs of magic up till Penzance when they continually just plodded along each week, making light, but all the same slow work of any task they were set. Firstly it was the Mealy that hit the headlines sent with over 19,000 other hopefuls to Haverford West feeding a week old youngster she returned in what was a very difficult race to finish 1st Club, 1st Section and 4th Open NIPA. David decided while on a high that both would go to the Derby event from Dinard a distance of 460 miles into Springvale. So following the Haverford West race both were tossed frequently from Dungannon and Banbridge with the Pencil hen getting one extra this being from the Moira direction, just a test of circumstances to see if it were to make a difference. The Pencil hen went sitting on 10 day eggs (perfect) and the Mealy hen only on a few day old eggs due to slow lying, this didn’t initially concern David as both he had noticed were coming back and forward from the open trap late in the evenings on their own attacking the skies around the Ballyclare area. Both were dispatched for Dinard and the rest as we say is history, sadly the Mealy never returned perhaps the slow lying was a sign that maybe she had been pushed maybe just to much, but as for the Pencil Blue she homed in as if she never was away only moving half way up her second flight. Just as a matter of interest yet another Springvale Fancier finished 2nd Open that particular year and that was none other than the great Sandy Mairs who finished just 10 yards behind David’s Pencil Blue Hen on a velocity of 1150ypm. Many will remember Sandy for racing the wonderful pigeon that was ‘Barcelona Blue Bell’ the first pigeon I do believe to fly from Barcelona into Ireland well over 1,000 miles.
Well I hope you enjoyed that little bit of history as much as I enjoyed researching it, certainly seems to be a race that throws a little bit of magic towards the Springvale membership.
The prize money list for 2008 was as follows R Scott & Son £196, A C McGrugan £164, Turkington Bros £127, R Davidson & Sons £79, W Drennan £60, Graham Andrew £49, Ian Horner £33, Montgomery & Kirk £27. During 2008 the Springvale Social also ran a breeder/buyer event which turned out a great success it was won by the partnership of Turkington Bros who won £200 and the breeder of the bird was the formidable Larne partnership of Beggs & Hall who won £150, the Club would like to point out that Adrian Beggs gave the Club back a donation of £30 from his winnings which was a very kind gesture indeed.
For 2009 the Club are running a Gold ring race which has been licensed with the RPRA No IR/02-09 the race is to be flown in conjunction with the NIPA Inland Y/Bird National and will be open to all lofts in the NIPA Sections B & C which will pull in many of the top lofts in the hot bed of Mid and East Antrim. I have been informed that ring sales are going extremely well priced at £20 each these are available from the following members Victor Montgomery on 028 93 340021, Robert Scott on 028 93 322798, Campbell McGrugan on 028 93 340981 or Michael Fasciolo on 07854910228.
This was my first time at a Springvale HPS Prize Distribution and may I take this opportunity in thanking the members for inviting me down and especially the hard working Secretary in Campbell McGrugan who looked after me from the minute I arrived. On completion of this report which was a joy to put together I would like to wish all the members an enjoyable and successful 2009.
Adie McCormick
http://www.pigeonnetwork.com
Robert Scott and son Jordan lifting their Top Prize Winner Award from chief quest George McComb.
A wonderful recognition by the club towards the youth and future of the sport included we have Jordan Scott, Robert Turkington, Ian horner and Melisa Scott.
Former long serving Chairman Willie Drennan topped the Club from the NIPA O/Hens National finishing 12th Section C and 27th Open.
Trevor Davidson picks up the Breeder/Buyer award for the Larne partnership of Beggs & Hall who bred the winning bird, Adrian Beggs presented the Club with a £30 donation from his winnings.
Graham Andrew pictured at the NIPA Ladies Night held at the Templeton Hotel picking up the J Campbell Memorial Cup for winning 1st Section C O/B National St Malo, seen here collecting his award from Sammy Thompson of Bushmills.
What a year it was for Graham as he is pictured here collecting the RPRA Irish Region 451 and over mileage award from Edith Thompson.