A big Open Day at the lofts based at Unit 5, Croftburn Farm, 2 Ballylinney Road in Ballyclare will be held on Saturday 26th March which will fit in nicely with those visitors attending the Spring Fayre being held on the same day at the Six Mile Leisure Centre in Ballyclare. If you have never been to the loft it is something to see, John might even be able to persuade you to enter a bird in the International One Loft race regarded by many as the best in the UK & Ireland. John was able to tell me last week that the entries for this year are filling up fast and birds were due from a number of countries this week including Germany, Belgium and Holland. John has good contacts in many parts of the world, including recently Poland.
It's that time of year again for entering your birds into the Emerald Classic International One Loft Race. This year we have the option of getting birds collected and transported to Ballyclare from various parts of Southern Ireland. If you wish to avail of this option, arrangements can be made by contacting Ger Roche, Templemore, County Tipperary on 087-6829699 or Maurice O'Donnell, Dungarvan, County Waterford on 087-6973861.
Maurice entered 12 pigeons last year and was 1st in Hotspot 4 and 6th & 8th in Hotspot 5. He had 11 pigeons entering the final race, 7 of which returned with great results, such as 25th Open and 10th Overall Ace pigeon. On speaking with Maurice recently he has said he will be re-entering the race again this year as he was very impressed with the conditions that the pigeons were kept in.
I would like to congratulate Maurice O' Donnell on finishing 116th and 392nd in the Sun City Million Dollar One-Loft Race, South Africa.
Loft is filling up fast with entries already in from England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, Belgium, Germany, Poland, Saudi, Canada & Holland. Further entries are booked from Romania, Moldova, Malta & Spain. NB: Loft closes on the 2nd week of May full details available on http://www.emeraldclassic.co.uk
We would like to take this opportunity to congratulate our good friends Mark & Naomie Kitchenbrand on winning this years Million Dollar Pigeon Race with their pigeon "Victor" bred by Alfons Klaas from Germany in what turned out to be a very erratic Final race due to the heavy rain encountered by the pigeon on their return journey to Sun City, with only 14 birds in the first hour and 50 birds making it home on the day from the 2575 birds basketed.
Mark & Naomie pictured, who made a visit to the Emerald Classic International Lofts are renowned for purchasing "BIRDY" the winner of 10th Open, 1st Knockout, 1st Grand Averages, 1st Hotspot Averages in the 2008 Million Dollar Race for a staggering £54,000, (€108,000). A big congratulation also goes to M & D Evans who finished 3rd, Darren Peters who finished 5th and Rune Rasmussen our representative for Denmark, Norway & Sweden who finished 6th. Darren Peters has also recently won a car in the Derby Arona One-Loft race when his bird was some 44 minutes clear of 2nd Open, 2nd UK bird for Team Lemon Power. The final race is still to come!
FINAL RACE REPORT
It seems like only yesterday since we opened the loft to accept the first arrivals for this year’s Emerald Classic, now regarded by many as the best International One Loft Race in the UK & Ireland. Again for the 3rd year in succession our percentages have been unequalled - 589 birds were raced marked for HS1 and after five hotspot races up to a distance of 280km / 175mls and numerous daily training flights, we were able to basket 75% (441) of these birds for the final race. With 354 birds recorded we had an 81% return from what many regard to be the toughest route in the One Loft calendar.
For the 3rd year in a row and despite the financial crisis, we received numerous entries from around Europe, the biggest coming from Team Germany, a professional syndicate comprising some of the country’s best fanciers. We had Teams from Romania, and Malta who flew birds in for the event, along with entries from Harrie & Johan Van Boxmeer, Ype Hemstra, Jos De Ridder, Erik Reijnen, Bert & Marco Brasspenning, De Scheemeacker Bros, to name but a few.
Closer to home, we had support from some of the top lofts in the UK and Ireland for example Mr & Mrs Bill Lewis winners of a UK One Loft Race, Alistair Hogg winner of a OL race in Germany, Peter Robinson winner of the RPRA OLR 2009, and Peter Fox of the world renowned Syndicate Lofts partnership Colijn/Gannus/Fox who have won numerous OL races around the world. W Gray & Son winners of last year’s Emerald Classic, Richard Owen & Ken Hogarth winners of this year’s RPRA OLR, Hennie & Anette Kallmeyer who have won numerous races both in Ireland and South Africa, Jeff Greenaway whose record is second to none, and Maurice (Prince ABU) O’Donnell a big supporter of OL races around the world.
As soon as the 5th and final hotspot was over we had a 2 week period to prepare the birds for this year’s grand final. Having had a testing final HS which saw the winners taking 4 hrs to cover the 280km a number of daily training flights were sufficient to maintain the fitness of the birds, they received their final training flight on Thursday morning from 56km.
As race day approached the birds were race marked on Friday morning under the supervision of our normal team and some of our overseas visitors who had already starting flying in for the weekend. As soon as they were all marked the birds were returned to the loft and the loft was securely locked. I am deeply indebted to Gerard & Colin who looked after the security of the birds during the Friday night.
Saturday morning dawned just as expected, having conversed with our race controller Alan Darragh several times during the previous week, he reckoned we were going to get the best weekend of the year and he was absolute right, brilliant sunshine and clear blue skies.The birds received an early morning feed and drink and at 2.00pm with the help of a number of overseas visitors the birds were basketed and loaded onto the transporter which left for Ross Carberry at 3pm, under the supervision of Billy Bissett for the 3rd year in a row.
It was then time to relax and entertain our guests from Wales, England, Scotland and Germany the general topic of discussion over a beer was how well the birds were looking, some commenting that they had never seen birds in any one loft race look so well and they had attended many!
After dining with Prince ABU and his “bodyguards” Ger & Purdy, we enjoyed a pleasant evening socialising with our many overnight guests in the comfortable surroundings of Corrs Corner Hotel, the attentiveness of the staff and high standard of accommodation was commented on by all. Sunday morning arrived and unlike the previous dawn there was not just as much early morning mist as expected, a quick phone call to Billy confirmed the birds had been on site for several hours, had been watered and were enjoying the early morning sun in Ross Carberry. The next call was to Alan Darragh who confirmed there was no mist about and the road home was clear, the wind at the race point was NW turning W/NW up Ireland. With a few Dublin organisations due to liberate in the same vicinity, it was agreed that the birds would be liberated at 9.00 am.
Just after 9.00am I received the call I had been waiting for from Billy who confirmed the birds had been liberated and had cleared without even a half turn, just as they had been doing all year, the next call was from Alan who felt if the wind stayed the way it was we would have birds home in around 5 hours.
By 12.30pm the atmosphere at the loft was buzzing, with the brisk west wind it was slightly cooler than previous years, but still we had clear blue skies and strong sunshine. With a mixture of different accents around the tables on the patio area you could have been enjoying lunch in any typical European city! Temperatures were raised even further with a menu of Irish stew, chilli and baked potatoes washed down with a wide selection of beverages including the traditional Guinness.
As the arrival time approached everyone started to take up their positions for a ring side seat. At approximately 14.10 just over the 5 hours, a shout went up as a single bird was spotted approaching the loft. At first it looked like a returnee from an earlier race by the way it circled the loft several times, obviously spooked from the sight of so many people which hadn’t been there the day before. Eventually it landed showing evidence of nerves - just then it was joined by a further 4 birds and all proceeded to trap. The name of Henni & Anette Kallmeyer popped up on the computer screen linked to the Mega timing system as the Winner of this year’s Emerald Classic International One Loft Race.
I knew Hennie & Anette unfortunately had not been able to join us for the final, as Hennie had phoned me first thing that morning to wish me luck and let me know his own club having, held over on Saturday, had liberated in Skibereen at 8.00am. The next time we spoke was whenever I phoned him to congratulate him on their victory, after realising I was not joking he agreed to make 2 ½ hour trip to join us for the gala dinner. Arriving at the loft before 5.30 he was welcomed by numerous handshakes and congratulations all round.
Next up on the screen was the name of Steven Bright from Newport in South Wales, closely followed in 3rd by Lakeside Lofts 27 a pigeon bred and entered by Derek Parr from Portadown the nest mate of which finished 11th and between them won the 2 bird average - a super performance with further birds in 8th & 16th position. In 4th place we had White Heather, bred by George Gauld & Elizabeth Morrison, who having made the trip from Crieff in Scotland, were on hand to celebrate with us, even in his spritely 80’s, I think I saw George doing a jig in the field.
There were a number of lofts who put up fantastic results having more than one bird in the prizes, to name but a few - Team Thomas 5th & 9th bred by the newly formed partnership of Jackson, Andrews & Kirby, Limerick Flyers 6th & 20th bred by Eugene Fitzgerald Limerick City, Fenwick & Howard 14th 22nd & 24th with three birds bred for the syndicate by B & J Wilson Dagenham Essex, Goodview Lofts 17th & 35th bred by Bill Buxton Warrington Cheshire, Team Germany 18th 29th 33rd 36th 42nd and 1st Ace Pigeon in 36th place bred by Toni Deigner, congratulations to all the prize winners.
The Gala Dinner took place later that night and following an excellent 4 course meal in the Mulberry Suite, of Corrs Corner Hotel, the presentation of prizes by our guest of honour, Pauline Cadwell from Bamfords Top Flight Grains, took place (see attached list). With the presentation over dancing continued into the early hours to a wide selection of music provided by Eddie Arthurs, the “Chris Evans” of Ballycarry. Although the music ended at 1.00am, the party continued until well after that unfortunately Hennie had to make the long journey home and couldn’t join us but we were kept entertained thanks to Ian Gray, Brian Shackelton, Prince ABU, Derek & Jason Doyle I don’t think Valerie and Pauline laughed as much, it seemed like a good idea at the time but having to entertain numerous visitors at the loft on Monday morning - it certainly wasn’t!
A big thank you goes to the following people who have helped make the Emerald Classic the resounding International success it has become in such a short space of time.
Our very generous sponsors: Mr & Mrs Brian Wall of Gem Supplements, Alan Bamford of Top Flight Pigeon Corn, Frederic Basch & Leslie Madden of Mega Systems, Dr O J Botha of Avio Med, Simon Carr of Carr’s, Derek Parr of Lakeside Lofts for the Beautiful 2 Bird Trophy, Jeff Greenaway Universal Pigeon Products and Billy Reynolds for his press coverage over the weekend and coming months.
Race Controller: Alan Darragh
Convoyer: Billy Bissett
Race Marking: Alistair, Leslie, Audrey, Fred, David, and Eddie
Training: William Clugsten
Race Day: The Caterers, The Bar Staff, Waitresses and everyone else who helped
The management and staff of Corrs Corner Hotel who provided an excellent meal, accommodation and made all our guests most welcome and to Valerie for co-ordinating everything and ferrying everyone around before, during and after race day.
Finally a “Big Thank You” to everyone who has supported us and have helped to make us the Number 1 “INTERNATIONAL ONE LOFT RACE” in the UK & Ireland and hopefully next year “Europe”.
I hope you will all join us again next year where the 1st Prize will again be £20000. Unfortunately we will not be joining the buy one get 5 free brigade to inflate our numbers as at the end of the day they have to be paid, we will continue with what we know best and that is running a professional one loft race, keeping our clients informed and getting as many of our entries to that all important final race.
A big congratulation goes to ALL this year’s prize winners.
JOHN H BOYD
RACE DIRECTOR
Mark & Naomie Ketchenbrand and Anette Kallmeyer with Race Director John Boyd.
Winner of the Emerald Classic in 2010, Hennie Kallymeyer holding the Boyd Memorial Cup.
The big winners Ian Gray (l) 1st in 2009 and Hennie Kallymeyer 1st in 2010.
The Emerald Classic loft based at Croftburn Farm, Ballyclare in Northern Ireland.
International visitors to the Emerald Classic One Loft Race.
Maurice O'Donnell (l) with Ger Roche.
