W & J McLean break Novice Status –
Very interesting last weekend, firstly the race changed from Pilmore Beach to Fermoy and then with the birds en-route diverted to Clonmel because of a weather report for County Cork. We had an early liberation as well with the strings cut at 8.00am and with a helping Lt Southerly wind the leading birds took around 3 hours for the 180 mile flight to Mid Antrim. Alistair Purvis wins for the fifth time in the Broughshane & Dist recording velocity he takes 1st Mid Antrim Combine over 2,200 birds competing and will be well placed again in the East Antrim Sect C. Next best were lofts in Rasharkin & Dist, W & J McLean broke Novice Status followed by Steele & McNeill who had a good card with a small team. The McLean loft race in Sect B, their widowhood cock was timed at 11.06am flying 189 miles, they look set for Sect honours. Roy Clements was best in Ballymena taking 1st Harryville HPS (1781) while Paddy McManus had the Card of the Day again for the second week, 1st, 2nd, 3rd & 4th in Ahoghill with the winner doing velocity 1747.
Cullybackey Centre: Arrangements for the NIPA Yearling Cock & Hen National are as follows. Entry fee’s, and club cheques to be paid in Cullybackey on Thursday 6th June between 8.30pm and 9.00pm. Individual cheque required for each race, one cock and one hen. Birds to be race marked in Cullybackey on Friday 7th June between 2.00pm and 4.30pm, clocks ready after transporter leaves the site.
Mid Antrim Combine Clonmel (2) 99/2,256 – A Purvis Broughshane 1797, W & J McLean Rasharkin 1789, Steele & McNeill Rasharkin 1784, R H Clements Harryville 1781, Young McManus & Sons Ahoghill 1778, Young McManus & Sons 1776, Steele & McNeill 1774, Steele & McNeill 1772, Young McManus & Sons 1772, D Dixon Rasharkin 1763, A Purvis 1763, D Dixon 1762, A Darragh Cullybackey 1761, H Cubitt Rasharkin 1760, Scott & Clements Kells 1757, J Rock Harryville 1756, G Gilmour Ballymena 1755, Scott & Clements 1755, B Swann & Son Kells 1753, G & A Eagleson Ballymena 1751, H Boyd Kells 1751, Young McManus & Sons 1747, A & N Young Ahoghill 1745, McFall & McManus Ballymena 1744.
Mid Antrim Combine Clubs Clonmel (2) –
Broughshane 6/147 – A Purvis 1797, 1763, J & N Simpson 1741, 1739, C Kennedy 1720, D Houston & Son 1672, T & E Service 1661, C Kennedy 1651, J Getty 1628, T & E Service 1614. Fifth win on the trot for the Aughafatten Lofts of A Purvis, his Lambretch hen has already won 1st Club, 2nd Sect C & 5th Open NIPA from Tullamore as a young bird.
Rasharkin & District 9/158 – W & J McLean 1789, Steele & McNeill 1784, 1774, H Cubitt 1760, W McFetridge 1744, H Cubitt 1741, W McFetridge 1730, Milliken & Barkley 1723, A C & T Tweed 1714, 1714. W & J McLean break novice status to win, Willie and Jean win with a widowhood cock timed at 11.06am for the 189 mile fly from Clonmel. Danny Dixon: 1763.524, 1762.132. Race sponsored by Finvoy Tyre Services.
Harryville HPS 16/400 – R H Clements 1781, J Rock 1756, 1734, R H Clements 1733, 1732, G Connolly 1729, J Millar & Son 1728, K & K Kernohan 1725, A McBride 1718, J Millar & Son 1714. Roy timed his yearling Blue hen at 10.59am flying 181 miles to Old Antrim Road. Bloodlines were his old Van Hee lines and the Vermeergergen lines raced very successfully by Keith Kernohan.
Ahoghill Flying Club 11/303 – Young McManus & Sons 1778, 1776, 1772, 1747, A & N Young 1745, M/M Robinson 1731, Young McManus & Sons 1729, D Stevenson 1726, J Smyth & Son 1721, M/M Robinson 1720.
Cullybackey HPS 14/409 – A Darragh 1761, Reid Bros & McCloy 1728, A Darragh 1721, Reid Bros & McCloy 1709, H & R McCloy 1706, 1705, Russell Bros 1689, 1688, D Robinson 1687, S Steele 1675.
Kells & District 15/337 – Scott & Clements 1757, 1755, B Swann & Son 1753, H Boyd 1751, Scott & Clements 1746, G McDowell 1741, 1740, Scott & Clements 1739. Sizzlers 2 Bird Club – Mrs M Smyth 1712, G McDowell 1671, McFarlane & Agnew 1672, 1670, A Barkley & Son 1659. Scott & Clements win the OB Knock Out, beat George McDowell in Final.
Ballymena & Dist HPS 18/312 – G Gilmour 1755, G & A Eagleson 1751, McFall & McManus 1744, M/M Sempey 1739, MDC Magill 1733, G & A Eagleson 1730, M Graham 1727, R McFall & Son 1726, W & J Smyth 1724, McFall & McManus 1724.
Ballymena 2 Bird Club – 1st & 2nd G & A Eagleson, G Gilmour ABCD & Nom, W & J Smyth ABCD. A great win today for big Geoff Gilmour. Racing only a handful of pigeons every week and seldom out of the prizes, he finally gets the Red Card. Geoff races the birds on widowhood and the breeding of the cock is Soontjen with the parents coming from club-mate Jim Harris. Congratulations on your first ever win in the club, I hope there are many more to follow.
Ballykeel Inv – M/M M Sempey 1739, K & K Kernohan 1725, M/M M Sempey 1714, 1697, 1696, K & K Kernohan 1690.
Randalstown HPS 10/190 – Stewart Bros 1731, 1729, 1720, J Millar 1714, F J & G Dickey 1713, D Logan & Son 1704, J Millar 1703, Stewart Bros 1691, J Millar 1678, Houston Bros 1671.