Homer's Odyssey - 23/01/09

[willie reynolds]

SUPER RACE SEASON FOR BALLYMENA & DIST

Like last year the Ballymena & District HPS annual dinner and prize presentation was held just after the end of year holiday rush, for the second year on the trot the members and friends returned to the local Adair Arms Hotel. After another fantastic meal served in the upstairs Kells Room the Secretary Willie Reynolds welcomed the members, friends and guests including Mid Antrim Combine Secretary George McDowell, Keith Kernohan from Ballymena Pigeon Supplies, Brian Herbinson the President of Cullybackey and Jimmy Letters from Harryville HPS.

Just like many others the club is a lot smaller than from earlier years, in the last season the members enjoyed a lot of top success and that included 5 x 1st Mid Antrim Combine Diplomas. All members play their part in some way from the race marking to clock checking and then the producing the result each week, plus verification of the race winner. The club had just recently completed a very successful show season, again great work with Billy Smyth and Harry Richmond to the fore and the members were looking forward to the new racing season.

Competition is very keen and in the last four seasons to 2007 the club has had a different top prize-winner. A Smyth & Son were the top loft in 2003 and 2004 before the Clearance Sale, following that George Barr in 2005, W & J Smyth in 2006 and the Richmond Bros having pride of place in 2007. I suppose 2008 would be regarded as a two horse race, W & J Smyth won most races and returned to the top of the list followed by the top winners from the season previous Richmond Bros, and the up and coming Martin Graham.

The Ballymena prize structure has been in place for a number of seasons, members compete in every single race flown by both the NIPA and Irish National Flying Club; six prizes are paid out with just two positions allowed in the NIPA Inland racing, not including the Nationals. The payout totalled £643, almost the same as the previous year and the leading lofts were: W & J Smyth, Richmond Bros, Martin Graham, Blair & Rankin, Brian ORawe, Joe Devlin, George Barr, Jim Harris, Smyth Bros, and Cecil Quaite. Brian Herbinson presented the cash awards and race diplomas, Keith Kernohan the cups and trophies, and finally George McDowell the Mid Antrim Combine awards.

The club members topped the Mid Antrim Combine five times starting at the Talbenny (1) and a great result for Vice Chairman Joe Devlin who had a very early bird to take 1st Sect B & 86th Open NIPA with 13,774 birds competing on velocity 1230. W & J Smyth topped Mid Antrim Combine in both the Sennen Cove and the duplicate Old Bird Classic for the second season on the trot. In the main race they finished 1st Sect B & 6th Open NIPA 856/8,740 and a super result in the OB Classic with 1st Sect B & 5th Open NIPA 484/3,216 plus £560. To win this race two seasons on the trot is an outstanding performance indeed. The club again the next week posted another fantastic result, this time in the Premier OB National from St Malo in France. Martin Graham had an early arrival and finished 2nd Combine & Sect and a fantastic 4th Open NIPA 527/1,668, if that was not enough he timed a second bird before going to the Cullybackey Centre and it was placed 4th Comb & Sect and 30th Open NIPA the two birds lifted a grand total of £640. George Barr had the only other arrival, the previous year George had just pipped Martin in a photo finish from Lamballe when only two birds were recorded in the club. George has scored at the distance for many years but Martin is starting to establish his loft and looks forward to the long distance events, just a few years back in fact it was 2003, he had 1st Club from Lamballe, 1st Combine, 1st Sect & 2nd Open NIPA just behind Malcolm Robinson from Bondhill.

In the young bird season we waited until Fermoy and the duplicate Fermoy 5 Bird Classic to strike again with another top result for Martin Graham who timed two of his Willy Jacobs imports to take 1st Combine and 7th Sect in the ordinary race and then in the 5 Bird Classic 1st Comb, 5th Sect & 69th Open NIPA followed by W & J Smyth £73 and Brian ORawe £20. Martins second bird finished 7th Sect & 76th Open, total winnings were £200. W & J Smyth remained very consistent and unfortunately the Talbenny Nat birds were brought back to Mullingar due to severe weather conditions in South Wales, the loft won the YB Average in Mid Antrim, a super prize for the Highest Prize-winners.

Racing with the Irish Nat FC the opening race from Skibbereen North was won by Richmond Bros and this was followed by the Yearling Nat flown from Sennen Cove. The best club bird was timed by W & J Smyth to finish 34th North Sect & 46th Open plus £300, doing velocity 876 and just over 4,000 birds competing. Other arrivals were recorded by Jim Harris, Smyth Bros, Martin Graham, George Barr and Richmond Bros. We missed out on the Kings Cup, for the second season on the trot the race was cancelled due to poor weather. Sennen Cove for the YB Nat was another difficult race Martin Graham timed two birds to finish 158th & 182nd Open plus £60, the first bird was doing velocity 671. The Old Hens Nat was flown at the same time and Richmond Bros had the early bird here, the only club arrival recording velocity 831 and finishing 23rd Open INFC. Martin Graham completed the season with an early arrival in the Skibbereen North YB Nat on a fast day doing velocity 1544 he finished a good 34th Open INFC and collected £200, he also lifts the INFC Points Cup in Ballymena.

Next weekend a large number of the local fancy will head to Blackpool for the BHW Show of the Year, I wish them all an enjoyable trip. I will be there myself this year again with the Irelands Own Pigeon Auctions team, Adie will be auctioning pigeons on Friday night at the Blackpool Football Club and was due to Auction there once again on Saturday but due to the game between Blackpool FC and Birmingham FC being called off last weekend and now that both teams are out of the F.A. Cup that league match has now been re-scheduled for that particular Saturday in the Football Club. So please take note and pass the word around that all of the Saturday Auctions for the Irelands Own Team will now be held at the Cliffs Hotel on the Queens Promenade.

Martin Graham (Ballymena & District) will have young birds for sale for the first time, his birds are the best of Norman Thompson (Walkingshaw), Jackie Waring (Lisburn) and his own Frans Van Wildemeersch (Fletcher & Son). These birds are tested through to France, his recent results include 1st Sect & 2nd Open NIPA Lamballe OB Nat 2003 and 2nd Sect & 4th Open NIPA St Malo OB Nat 2008. Young Birds £45 each or Kits of 6 for £250. First round available from the stock birds and race team. Tel: (028) 25 637929, Mobile: 07835 099155.

Joe & Mark Brown from Dollingstown will offer a team of first class youngsters, prices on the pen as last year. Venue Glenavy on Saturday 14th February starting at 2.30pm, watch for advert in the British Homing World. Satisfaction Assured! Tel: Joe Brown (028) 38 328293, Mobile: 07709 077266.

Despite a publicity embargo some of the top winners have been listed on the web in recent days, it includes congratulations to the Bondhill Ace flyer Ron Williamson who has won the overall GB Award in the Short Distance and the Best all round performance. It is worth noting that the winning performance was only established at the Irish Region after an objection and the work of Secretary Robert Reid in sorting out the problem was invaluable. What a record of achievement Ron Williamson has, among the many awards he wins the Selby Thomas Memorial Trophy for Adult Short Distance for the 4th time and the Tony Cornwell Trophy for Best all round performance for the 3rd time. All this and other results will be confirmed in Blackpool.

A meeting of the Irish Region Appeals Committee was held in the Coast Road Hotel in Carrickfergus on Saturday 22nd November, it was the first time this venue was used and the members were impressed. President Lyndon Boyle was in the chair, with Vice Presidents Sammy Thompson and Alan Darragh also in attendance. Other members present included: R McCracken, D Carson, C OHare, G Delaney, J Burrows, W Knowles, A C McGrugan, W Seaton, T Dowie, A McCormick, J Serplus and W Reynolds. Minutes of the last meeting a few weeks earlier were read and passed. Suspension was lifted on Paul Swindell. Three appeals were down for consideration and decisions were: D Parr v A Beattie, the meeting found in favour of D Parr under Rule 117 RPRA. The penalty imposed was 5 years suspension. K Wilkinson v W Reynolds and A McCormick, the unanimous decision of the committee was that K Wilkinson had a reason for complaint, but that W Reynolds and A McCormick had made an innocent mistake. No other action was to be taken. A Beattie v D Parr, legal action was pending and this case was deferred. The usual 21 days were set for any appeal to the decisions. Both new clubs on the agenda were accepted Beach Park HPS and South Belfast HPS, a late application for Ballynahinch HPS was also agreed pending no objections to the advert for new clubs. All new clubs must furnish rules and conditions as part of membership.

The AGM of the Irish Region will be held in the Dromore Leisure Centre, Lurgan Road, Dromore on Saturday 7th February 2009 at 1.30pm. If any members wish to be on the INFC Committee they should attend the RPRA (Irish Region) Annual General Meeting to be nominated. Agenda: 1. Minutes of previous AGM. 2. Matters arising. 3. Statement of accounts for 2008. 4. Any other business 2008. 5. Election of Officers for 2009. 6. New Clubs.

Following the AGM meeting a Region Delegates meeting will be held.

Following the Delegates Meeting there will be a General & Appeals Committee Meeting at 2.45pm. The Secretary has requested that if any club member who is using an ETS Clock to let him have the number of the clock, the name and address, the IR Number and make of the clock before the 2009 season starts. Note: If this does not happen the clock will not be used.

Agenda: 1. Minutes of last meeting. 2. Matters arising 2008. 3. Correspondence. 4. Suspensions/Removals - R Mills, T Booth, S Beattie and D Beattie. 5. Appeals - W Neill v NIPA. 6. Any other business.

Secretary Robert Reid has also asked for the names of all members that have resigned from Club, and all members who have had a Clearance Sale.

Rasharkin and District H.P.S held their annual dinner and presentation in The Anglers Rest. A total of 116 attended, in what is becoming a very popular night.

Compere for the night, Chairman Harold Cubitt had the crowd in stitches at his jokes and wise cracks before presenting the cups and prizes. First to the table and highest prize-winners for the season were Milliken and Barkley. This partnership had a terrific season winning 12 first prizes. The highlight being 1st and 2nd Mid Antrim Combine Tullamore, 2nd Mid Antrim Combine Fermoy and 1st and 2nd Combine Mullingar. Also winning; Old Bird Inland Average, Young Bird League, Young Bird Average, Best Average 2 Young Bird Nationals and the Maime Simpson Memorial Cup for highest prize-winners.

Young Christopher Tweed had another great season winning; 2nd Mid Antrim Combine Rosscarberry Old Bird National N.I.P.A Old Bird National St Malo, Old Bird League, Old Bird Channel Average, Old Bird Nom, Old Bird of the Year, and The Young Bird Sprint cup, a new cup donated to the club by William McFetridge and family in memory of his father James McFetridge a past club member.

Steele and McNeill won; Mallow 5 Bird Championship, Young Bird Knockout, Young Bird of the Year.

Leonard Davidson won; Sennen Cove Classic, Rosscarberry Young Bird National N.I.P.A and .I.N.C.F.

Harold Cubitt won; Old Bird Knockout and Rosscarberry Yearling Hens National N.I.P.A.

10 years old, Lucas McNeill, in his first season won; Fermoy 5 Bird Championship, Young Birds Novice, Average, Novice Cup, N.I.P.A National and a Bricon ETS System for Nom in N.I.P.A National Young Birds.

A great night was had by all and looking forward to racing in 2009.

NO STOPPING THE SCOTT FAMILY

The lavish Five Corners Public House on the outskirts of Ballyclare in County 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 Northern 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.

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.

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 arent 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.

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 Cross Channel 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.

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.

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.

The Juvenile 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.

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 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. 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 Campbells photo along with Graham for Campbell just didnt win the Section in this event back in 1996 but went on to win the Open, 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 and earning herself on this occasion of actually winning the race a Bronze Medal awarded to a pigeon for twice Dinard in the Open Result, she was bred down from Campbells old distance family when mated into lines sourced from Geordie Horner. In 1995 in another hard race from Dinard when the winner B McNeice & Sons from Lurgan Social were doing velocity 1001, McGrugan finished 18th Sect C & 114th Open NIPA. The next year the same bird won 1st Sect & 1st Open NIPA, the Bronze Diploma and the RPRA (Irish Region) award Over 451 Miles. 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 Maben, but Campbell wasnt 100% sure what year it was.

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 wasnt far wrong as David had prior to this raced in partnership as a school boy with a lad with the surname of Maben but with both lads graduating to the Agricultural College the pigeons had to go.

David was smitten by the pigeon bug and it wasnt 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 didnt 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 Davids 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.

See the Discussion Forum for the detailed reports and photo list for Rasharkin & Dist, Springvale Social and Ballymena & District HPS.