IRISH NATIONAL FLYING CLUB – KINGS CUP report by Brendan McLoughlin
The Irish National Flying Club held their blue riband event of he year on 1st July when the pigeons were in Plaudren-Vannes for the King’s Cup. This is the most prestigious race of the season for fanciers throughout Ireland and we couldn’t have asked for a better day, with light winds and clear skies throughout the day.
820 members sent 2,792 birds and were competing for £37061.57 in pools and prizes. This was another great entry for the race, which is the highlight of the season for most fanciers. The pigeons were released at 6am in a light northerly wind that was to turn northwesterly on route and then change to southeast in the evening. This was to prove to be a good honest test for the pigeons with 160 birds timed on the day and with 550 recorded before noon on the second day.
The race produced several Hall Of Fame and Triple Crown winners and a special mention has to be made of Jackie Waring, Lisburn who won a Gold medal for a bird timed four times in the prizes from the Kings Cup. I hope to cover all these birds over the next few weeks.
Dan Campbell from Gilford, Kings Cup winner from Plaudren.
The Kings Cup winner this year is Dan Campbell from Gilford a club that now boasts three Kings Cup winners.
1st North section, 1st Open D Campbell Gilford on 1157 flying 481 miles, winning £2,487 and the King George V Challenge Cup and the McCloud Cup for first Yearling
This has been a wonderful season for Dan who was 5th North section, 19th Open in the Yearling National, winning £1,408 in the process and just when he thought it couldn’t get any better he timed here at 6.12pm to win the King’s Cup and £2,487. Dan has named the winning pigeon ‘Margaret’s Dream’ after his late wife.
The winning pigeon is a yearling hen that this year alone has been timed in Talbenny, the Yearling National and the Penzance Classic before being sent to the King’s Cup. She had seven races altogether this year and came to the fore very much when the birds went on the channel. As a young bird she was in both the young bird Talbenny and the Young Bird National from Penzance, a race from which Dan timed 5 birds out of 5 entries.
Her preparation for the for the channel seemed to take a bit of a setback when she lost her mate in Rosscarbery but he arrived home on the Monday before basketing for the Kings Cup after some 4 weeks out of the loft. This gave her the perfect lift for the big race and the rest as they say is history.
The sire is a Belgian cock purchased by Dan’s nephew Martin from Andre Newlaerts and gifted to his uncle Dan. Raced by Dan this cock was 30th section, 47th Open out of the Skibbereen Old Bird National winning £315. He was also 138th section, 195th Open Yearling National from Sennen Cove.
The dam was bred by G & T Ritchie, Portadown and was timed on the second morning of this race at 9am but just missed out on the result. She was 19th Open in the Yearling National last year.
Training throughout the year is carried out with Ron Williamson and then the birds are flown out in the evenings. Dan is a firm believer in giving the birds plenty to eat when they exercise well as he believes they will burn off the fat and that it sticks by them when they are longer on the wing.
Dan would like to thank all those who have called to congratulate him on his success, with a special thanks to his nephew Martin for the gift of the sire.
Tom Marshall & Son, 2nd Kings Cup for the second time.
2nd North Section, 2nd Open, T Marshall & Son Newtownbreda on 1155, flying 484 miles winning £1,566, the Gilliland Cup and the Eat Down Cup.
I doubt if there is a fancier in the U.K. who has not heard or read of Tom Marshall & Son David of the Newtownbreda club. Their C.V. especially from the French races is outstanding and 2011 has proved no exception with the partnership almost achieving a lifetime ambition to win the King’s Cup. This year saw them in runners up position after in previous years having been 3rd, 4th (twice) and just about every other position you could name. This result comes just 1 week after winning the East Down Combine Old Bird Derby from St. Malo for the third year in succession and now having won this event 5 times.
The partnership make no secret of the fact that these are the races which matter most to them and so they believe in having a good entry, this year they entered 20 for the event and recorded no less than 8 of these in the prizes. For in addition to 2nd Open the Marshalls were 41st, 42nd, 77th, 120th, 161st, 192nd, 249th Open with the bird at 41st being their single bird challenge and winning 5th prize in this.
So now to the pigeon itself and it is a yearling as was this year’s St. Malo winner. A black cheq cock this is a real character of a bird and here is his story - A late youngster in 2010 he was too late to race and was reared in the stock loft which has a large aviary attached. When he was weaned off he refused to stay in the young bird loft and returned to the aviary of the stock loft (outside it, not in it for he refused to go in) and here he stayed for the next few months living free flying as and when he wanted with Tom’s other son Colin feeding him daily or at least Colin was feeding the dog and the black cock now named “Colin’s Friend” ate form the dog’s dish and this he did for the next few months until eventually he did go in and was paired up at the start of this season like any normal bird and settled down ,was trained and raced up to Talbenny and was then sent to the INFC Yearling National and was much fancied being their all pooler and he finished in the Open prizes in this race. After this he was trained extensively as are all the Marshalls prospective French Candidates getting his last toss 1 week before the King’s Cup, this one being from up in the north of the country as Tom believes for these races you work them hard and feed them well. For the King’s cup this cock was sent sitting 7/8 days on eggs. The breeding is the Marshalls own family which is founded on the de Baere and Desmet families, this cock being ¾ Desmet x ¼ de Baere, the sire being a black cock and the dam an Ash Cheq hen.
Katie & Anthony Morgan from Trim, Co Meath. Winner of Single Bird Challenge.
1st South section, 3rd Open, A Morgan Trim, on 1151, flying 437 miles, winning £3,360.14 and the Billy Ingle Trophy
1st South section 3rd Open is Anthony Morgan from Trim, a few miles from Navan. Anthony races with the Trim club and South Road Fed and wins the cup for the first bird in this organisation. Anthony also wins the Single Bird Challenge, to add the £500 first prize for the Challenge to the £3360 in the main race.
Anthony's winning bird is a two year old blue cock called "Katie's Lad", after his daughter Katie. Born and reared in Dromara Anthony started racing in Dromara H.P.S, where he raced very successfully before moving to Trim about 12 years ago after marrying his wife Aine who came from the Trim area. Anthony was instrumental in starting the club in Trim and is a great supporter of the INFC. Being very friendly with the Black family since his days in Dromara, Anthony would like to thank David Black for all his help and advice over the years. Indeed his winner contains some of the Black's bloodlines. The sire which was 34th Open INFC Yearling Nat coming from them, with her sire coming from the late Eric Carlisle, Dundrum. The sire of "Katie's Lad" was 3rd Open ISRF Barley Cove in 06 and his grand-sire was a gift from good friend Colm Reid of Balbriggan and was bred down from Alan Darragh's "Richards Pride". "Katie's Lad" was hatched in April 09 and was raced on natural as a young bird with 4 races up to Rosscarbery, winning 3rd club Mallow. As a yearling he raced on widowhood the full inland programme and was 266th Open Yearling Nat flying 9 1/2 hours. This year again on widowhood he raced all the inland races and finished in the top 20 of the ISRF Sennen Cove Open flying 10 hours. He was then re-paired and sent to the Kings Cup sitting eggs 12 days, he had no training tosses or races after Sennen Cove, but was flown with the young birds around the loft twice per day. Anthony uses Frazers widowhood mixture plus some of Frazers other supplements
3rd North Section, 4th Open A McAlister Glenavy, on 1139, flying 488 miles, winning £2,383
Andrew McAlister of Glenavy is a small team fancier starting the season with 28 old birds and rearing 40 young birds. Andrew timed here at 6.34pm to take 4th Open, after losing a bit of time but not enough to have moved him up the result. Andrew said he was glad that the lost time made no difference, as he would always have been thinking ‘what if’.
The pigeon timed is a two-year-old Soontjens bred by Andy Milliken, Lagan Valley who is a cousin of Andrew’s father. This pigeon has a wonderful race record having been 183rd Open in the King’s Cup last year having already been 60th Open from Rosscarbery. As a young bird it was 2nd club Clonmel, 5th club Talbenny, 4th club Fermoy and 6th club Rosscarbery when it was also in the Open result.
This bird was raced on the natural system all year and was sent to the King’s Cup sitting on eggs for 10 days. In preparation for the race this cock was given the first five inland races, the Skibbereen Old Bird National and Penzance. After the Penzance race he was flown with the young birds for an hour to an hour and a half every night.
Last year Andrew was 15th Open in the Yearling National with another one of Andy Milliken’s pigeons.
When Andrew is working his father Sam gives him a hand around the loft, which Andrew says is a great help to him.
Feeding throughout the racing season is Frazer’s Supreme Champion.
Malcolm Robinson from Bondhill, 5th in Kings Cup.
4th North Section, 5th Open, M Robinson Bondhill on 1135 flying 488 miles winning £1369
Malcolm Robinson of Bondhill is another fancier whose chief goal in pigeon racing is success in the French races. Over the years Malcolm has had many good results from the King’s Cup including winning a car in 1996 and like the Marshalls has come near to winning the cup on a number of occasions and this year finishes in 5th Open, 4th North section with other birds at 27th Open, 124th Open, 168th Open and 246th Open.
Malcolm’s first bird is a two-year-old Dk cheq cock. His sire is from John Lovell of Lincoln crossed with birds from Mike Young and Smyths of Ballymena and this pair was selected for Malcolm by Davy Strain. From this pair Malcolm has bred 11 birds to fly France for him. On the dam’s side the 2011 5th Open bird is Gerard Schlephorst x Martha van Geel making him a half brother to Malcolm’s car winner.
This 5th Open pigeon flew Talbenny before the King’s cup this year and was Malcolm’s first bird home. Two weeks before the King’s cup he had 4 tosses from Balbriggan. Fed on McCausland’s Hi Velocity all year he went to the race on his first pair of eggs and on his return from the race Malcolm noticed he had stopped off for a drink as both feet were covered in mud.
Malcolm’s next bird at 27th Open 24th North section was his single bird challenge pigeon and wins 4th in this. A five-year-old this was it’s 3rd time in this race having been 62nd open last year and is from birds from Malcolm’s great friend Davy Strain of Ballyclare.
It’s difficult enough to get more than one bird in the result in this premier event and as we saw the Marshalls getting 8 in this year’s race. Malcolm Robinson also achieved having 8 in the result in 1999 from Redon when he won 36th, 47th, 79th, 131st, 140th, 142nd, 153rd, and 175th.
J Mount & Son from Milltown in Banbridge, 6th in Kings Cup.
5th North Section, 6th Open J Mount & Son Milltown on 1134.93, flying 480 miles winning £220
For 6th Open we move to the Milltown club, just outside Banbridge in Co Down to the lofts of Jim Mount and Son (also Jim). When I
phoned Jim Snr on Tuesday he was celebrating his 77th birthday and the King’s Cup result provided him with an early birthday present. As well as timing at 6.25 to take 6th Open the two Jims had three more the next day before 1pm and had another reported in Dublin out of an entry of nine.
The pigeon timed here is a yearling blue cheq hen. She didn’t race much as a young bird as she got hurt and had 6 races this year as a yearling, Roscrea, Clonmel, Fermoy, Fermoy, Talbenny and Penzance from where she was 5th club and 4th club in the Classic.
The Mounts loft was in form at this time as they were 1st club, 141st Open NIPA from St Malo the week prior to the Kings Cup.
The pigeon timed in The King’s Cup was bred by Rod Wilson originally from Ashfield near Dromore but now living in East Ayrshire in Scotland. Rod and Jim have exchanged young birds this past three years. The breeding is Louis Verotte x Janssen (019 Merx), and also including a touch of Van Loon. The dam was a 1st Fed winner in 2008 for Rod.
She was raced on the roundabout all year and then let in with the cocks four days before basketing and she was very keen on 3 or 4 cocks.
Feeding is from Henry Beattie & Son Feeding and is their budget racing mix.
The partnership would like to thank Rod Wilson and all their other friends that have given them young birds over the years.
Tommy McClean from Annaghmore 7th in the Kings Cup.
6th North Section, 7th Open T McClean Annaghmore on 1134.63, flying 488 miles winning £1081.
Tommy McClean Annaghmore is 6th North section, 7th Open this year. The Annaghmore club is one of the strongest clubs in the country for National racing with many club members featuring in the result here. When you are the first bird in this club you know you won’t be too far away.
Tommy used to race in Newry in the Niblock & McClean partnership, a partnership that won five Opens in the NIPA including a Young Bird Talbenny. They were also 2nd Open in the Young Bird National from Penzance.
The pigeon timed here is a two-year-old hen that was raced on the roundabout all year. She had every inland race this year and then the three channel races and was in the result from Bude. After Penzance she had three tosses from Clougherhead in preparation for this race.
To motivate the hens for the King’s Cup Tommy paired the cocks to some spare hens about a week before the race and then let the racers back into the cocks just before sending them to the race.
The pigeon timed here is a pure Soontjens from Jim Newell Annalong. Jim and Tommy are very good friends and I know that Jim sends a few pigeons to Tommy’s loft every year. Tommy timed another one of Jim’s pigeons to take 29th North section, 32nd Open. This one was from Jim’s ‘Night Flyers’, bought in Blackpool a couple of years ago.
The high flying N Black & Son team from Dromara in Co Down.
7th and 8th North Section, 8th and 10th Open, N Black & Sons on 1132 and 1129.37, flying 479 miles winning £875 and the Harkness Rose Bowl
8th and 10th Open are N Black & Son of Dromara H.P.S, bringing the loft' s haul of top ten positions in the King’s Cup to 15. Previous winners in 1996 and runners up in 2000 they were 6th last year. They also win the Harkness Rose Bowl for the fourth time. They already held the record number of wins at three - 1993, 1994 and 1996, and all these wins were achieved with two birds in the top ten. The partnership timed five birds on the day, their fourth bird was 6th last year and wins a merit award. They also timed a 6th bird at 6.16am to win a Hall of Fame, having previously won two Hall of Fames in 1995. As most people know the Black family have been cultivating this family of birds for over thirty years. The base of the birds coming from George Casement, South Belfast, Jim Moreland, Dromore and John McMullan, Carnlough.
The first bird timed was a two-year-old blue cock, his sire is a son of the loft's 1st and 2nd Open Kings Cup paired together, while the dam is a half sister to "Annie Mary", a pigeon that was 4th and 8th Open for them from Messac. This cock was raced natural as a young bird and had two races from 120 miles. As a yearling he had three inland races plus Talbenny, then the Yearling National from Sennen Cove where he was 71st Open flown roundabout. This year he was paired in February but not allowed to rear any young-birds sitting two rounds of eggs, he was then separated and raced roundabout for three inland races and Talbenny. He was re-paired on returning from Talbenny and sent to the Kings Cup on a 1-day young bird, his first of the year.
The 10th Open winner is a two-year-old blue cheq cock hatched in June 2009. It was unraced as a young bird but had five or six tosses up to 25 miles. This cock's nest mate was 19th in last year's Open Yearling National and a full sister was 21st Open Penzance young-bird last year. This cock's sire is a half brother to the loft's "Annie Mary". Incidentally "Annie Mary" is the grand dam of D. & J. Caskey's 10th Open Vannes last year and is also the grand dam of B. & M. Gilmore's Gold Award winner which was in turn is the grand sire of their 1st section St Malo this year. The dam of 10th Open cock is a daughter of H. Silcock's good hen "Pine Hill Lass", 27th and 35th Open Kings Cup. This cock had four inland races last year and also went to the Yearling National where he was just out of the prizes. He had the exact same preparation as the 8th Open cock this year and like him was sent on a 1-day young bird. After Talbenny both cocks had plenty of training from 50 miles plus flown night and morning for an hour. The feeding is all Frazers, mainly widowhood plus some Energy mix. All Frazers supplements are used which the Blacks think are a must.
2nd South Section, 9th Open P Rock & Son ECF Skerries on 1129.48 flying 417 miles winning £798 and J Cullen Memorial Cup.
This is another loft with a superb record at National racing, including winning the King’s Cup in 1997. This year was to be no exception with four birds in the Open result at 9th, 83rd, 159th and 166th and had seven in the south section of the result at 2nd, 8th, 22nd, 25th, 45th, 57th and 62nd.
Their first pigeon timed this year is a blue cheq w/f yearling cock racing on widowhood. His preparation for the King’s Cup was six inland races as far as Barleycove 202 miles. He was sent to the INFC Yearling National and was their first bird home winning the club and finishing 116th Open. He was then sent to Penzance and was their eighth bird home getting 6 hours 45mins on the wing. His next race was the King’s Cup when he was first club again but even better he was 2nd South section, 9th Open.
He was raced on widowhood and shown his hen before each race and for the Kings Cup they were together for about 1/2 an hour before basketing. He was fed all year on a mixture of Versele Laga Gerry plus, Superstar plus, Beyers Double U, Vanrobaeys Caseart and when they hit the channel some Vanrobaeys fats were added.
The breeding of this bird is super as he is a son of their Kings Cup winner of 1997, "Champion Jack" when paired to a Jimmy Anderson hen they bought at Jimmy's clearance sale a few years ago. Champion Jack was 16 when he bred him but hasn't filled this year; hopefully he left them with something good.
Thanks to Samuel McCausland Ltd for sponsoring the race. Thanks to all who helped in the preparation of this report especially Clifford Browne and Davy Black, and all those who helped with the photographs. I hope to cover the Silver Medal winner, all the Hall of Fame and Triple Crown winners over the next few weeks.
Brendan McLoughlin
INFC Press Officer
