Mullingar - 31/07/10

[willie reynolds]

Around South Down with Brendan McLoughlin

Chambers tops Fed from Mullingar

The East Down Combine pigeons were in Mullingar for their third race of the young bird season. We have been very lucky with the weather this year so far during the young bird programme and another good morning saw the birds released at 10.15am in a west southwest wind. This led to another fast race and the winning pigeons were doing over 60miles per hour. The leading pigeons in the Combine were timed in Cloughey and Downpatrick with these two clubs taking the top 19 positions in the Combine Open result.

The winner of the South Down Federation this week is Dundrum’s B Chambers who takes 38th Open. Brendan had a great race here with another bird in the Fed result taking 3rd Fed. He had five birds in the Dundrum result here. At one stage we didn’t think Brendan would be racing young birds this year due to family commitments but thankfully the birds are still there and going well.

Brendan’s team of pigeons is based on Braspennings and Verheye stock mainly through R McKelvey, Newry. The first pigeon timed here to win the South Down Fed is a cross of these two strains and is closely related to many winners for Brendan.
The pigeon at third Fed is a Braspenning hen.

D Croskery & Son are second Fed this week, just missing out on an Open position. Dominic and Dolen’s birds have been in great form all year and the highlight of their season so far was their Hall of Fame win in the King’s Cup. The pigeon timed here is ¾ De Richt and ¼ De Klak from their stock loft. One of the grandsires of the pigeon timed here bred an Open winner for them last year.

Annsborough’s Benson Bros are showing a lot of early season form and have two birds in the result this week again. Last week they were 3rd and 4th Fed, this week they are 4th and 5th Fed showing a lot of consistency competing against over 1,500 birds. The sire of the first bird timed here was bought after the Emerald Isle One loft race last year and was reared by Derek Parr Portadown, while the dam is a M & D Evans Vandenabeele.

Their second pigeon is a pure Vandenabeele from M & D Evans. While this bird is not directly related to the two pigeons that they timed last week I note that they were both Vandenabeeles as well.

M Croskery Annsborough had another good race here with three birds in the Fed result, at 6th, 9th and 10th. The sire of the first of Mickey’s pigeons is one of the birds that Dolen got from his good friend Eddie Coulter Lisburn, while the dam is one of their own De Klaks.

Mickey’s second pigeon is out of the ash hen that won the East Down Combine Open last year from Thurles on the day they were brought back from Talbenny. The sire won the East Down Combine Classic from Penzance in 2008. This pair bred the pigeon that was 30th Open this year for Mickey in the Skibbereen Old Bird National.

The dam of the third pigeon timed by Mickey taking 10th Fed is a direct De Richt while the sire is a latebred out of the pigeon that was 4th Open Portsmouth National for D Croskery & Son in 2007.

Annsborough’s James Cleland is 7th Fed this week and is enjoying a good start to the young bird season. The pigeon timed here is a Pros Roosen and these birds have been doing exceptionally well for James in recent years.

The result is completed by Patrick Brown Annsborough at 8th Fed. The sire of this pigeon is the cock that was 1st Fed, 3rd Open for Eamon Duggan Annsborough in the Penzance Classic in 2003. The dam is a Louis Cooremans from K Rooney & Son Annalong.

Full Result: 1, B Chambers Dundrum 1773; 2, D Croskery & Son Annsborough 1767; 3, B Chambers 1754; 4, 5, Benson Bros Annsborough 1752.45, 1752.45; 6, M Croskery Annsborough 1748; 7, J Cleland Annsborough 1747; 8, P Brown Annsborough 1746; 9, 10, M Croskery 1736, 1735:

• Draw for 3rd Round of Loft Knock Out to be flown this week from Tyone Mills.

1, J Cleland v D Blaney; 2, G Maginn v S Foster, Connor & Parry; 3, S Halpin & Sons v P McCartan; 4, M Jennings v G Halpin; 5, D Croskery & Son v M Croskery; 6, K Rooney & Son v Benson Bros; 7, P Brown & Son v A Murray & Son; 8, B McConnell v J Maguire & Ptrs: