Not so long ago the local Mid Antrim area had a club show every single night of the week, in fact on the Friday shows were held by both Ahoghill and Randalstown Clubs. I can well remember when we started in the birds we showed every year and it was not unsual to have birds at both Ahoghill and Randalstown on the Friday, arriving back home in the early hours. Those were the days indeed and at that time the big Open Shows were attracting entries exceeding 500 and 600 birds. For this year just four local clubs are running a series with Ballymena & Dist HPS on Monday, Kells & Dist on Wednesday, Ahoghill on Friday and Cullybackey on Saturday.
Ballymena & District HPS: The annual show series commenced on October 29th the usual Monday date with classes for Young Cocks & Young Hens Through Wires. We had a good turn-out on a dark night, the pens almost full for the judges who had travelled in from Broughshane, top racers George Connolly and Alistair Purvis. It was a night of success for visiting lofts with D & R Turkington from (Doagh & Dist) 1st in the Young Cocks while Brian Herbison from Cullybackey penned a new import to lift the Red Card in Young Hens & BIS Special. The raffle was won by “Homer”. Results: Young Cocks T/W (52 Birds) – 1st D & R Turkington, 2nd, 3rd & Reserve W & J Smyth, 4th & Commended B Herbison, VHC & HC R Alexander & Son. Young Hens T/W (46 Birds) – 1st & Special B Herbison, 2nd M D C Magill, 3rd McAlonan Bros, 4th W & J Smyth, Reserve R Alexander & Son, VHC D & R Turkington, HC W & N Gilbert, Commended J & B Balmer.
Ballymena & District HPS: All pens were filled on Monday night for the two old bird classes, judged through the wires by Tom and Albert Young from Ahoghill. It was another god night for visiting lofts with Jimmy Letters from Harryville winning the Old Cocks plus Special for BIS. W & J Smyth won the Old Hens class for the home club. Results: Old Cocks T/W (67 Birds) – 1st & Special J Letters, 2nd & 3rd W & N Gilbert, 4th W & J Smyth, Reserve B Herbison, VHC J & B Balmer, HC G & A Eagleson, Commended McAlonan Bros. Old Hens T/W (62 Birds) – 1st & 3rd W & J Smyth, 2nd MDC Magill, 4th D & R Turkington, Reserve J Letters, VHC B Herbison, VHC M/M M Sempey, Commrnded W & N Gilbert.
Ballymena & District HPS: For the third week it was the young birds judged in the hand, many thanks to the judges who had travelled in from Cullybackey, ace racers Harry McCloy and Sammy Steele. We had two different winners again with the Magill family team from Ballee lifting the Red Card in Young Hens while Harry Richmond for the home club had 1st Young Cocks & Special for Best in Show. The raffle was won by Robert Turkington (Doagh & Dist). Results: Young Cocks Handled (57 Birds) – 1st & Special Richmond Bros, 2nd D & R Turkington, 3rd B Herbison, 4th & Commended J Letters, Reserve R Alexander & Son, VHC W & N Gilbert, HC McAlonan Bros. Young Hens Handled (48 Birds) – 1st & Reserve MDC Magill, 2nd & VHC W & J Smyth, 3rd G & A Eagleson, 4th B Herbison, HC J Letters, Commended W & N Gilbert. Many thanks to Sammy Steele for the Racing Special. The latest show was Monday evening, the old birds judged in the hand and many thanks to the judges who had travelled from Rasharkin & District, ace racers Jackie Steele and Danny Dixon. Harry Richmond won the Red Card in the Old Cocks and for the second week the Special for Best in Show, this Blue cock had won 1st Club in the Yearling Nat. Brian Herbison from Cullybackey was the winner of Old Hens. Results: Old Cocks Handled (61 Birds) – 1st & VHC Richmond Bros, 2nd & HC MDC Magill, 3rd & Commended W & J Smyth, 4th B Herbison, Reserve D & R Turkington. Old Hens Handled (55 Birds) – 1st B Herbison, 2nd Richmond Bros, 3rd & Reserve W & J Smyth, 4th MDC Magill, VHC R Alexander & Son, HC W & N Gilbert, Commended M/M M Sempey. The raffle was won by D & R Turkington. The annual Open Show for Mid Antrim lofts will take place in Cullybackey on New Year’s Day, Tuesday 1st January 2013.
Kells & District HPS: Young Cocks T/W (64 Birds) – 1st A Barkley & Son, 2nd, Reserve & VHC T Shanks & Son, 3rd & HC Scott & Clements, 4th Surgenor Bros, Commrnded B Swann & Son. Judges: Mr & Mrs Sempey and Tom McAlonan (Ballymena & District). The annual Open Show will be held as usual on Boxing Day, this year that falls on Wednesday 26th December Kells & District HPS: Young Hens Through Wires (113 Birds) – 1st & VHC T Shanks & Son, 2nd & Commended A Barkley & Son, 3rd & Reserve B Swann & Son, 4th Surgenor Bros, HC H Boyd. Judges – Jackie & Sammy Graham (Kingsmoss).
Ahoghill Flying Club: The first week for Ahoghill was Young Cocks & Young Hens judged through the wires by David Young from Muckamore. J & B Balmer from Ballymena & Dist had 1st & 2nd in the Young Cocks and A & N Young the Red Card in Young Hens. Results: Young Cocks T/W (41 Birds) – 1st & 2nd J & B Balmer, 3rd, 4th, VHC, HC & Commended M/M Robinson, Reserve W & N Gilbert. Young Hens T/W (39 Birds) – 1st, 3rd & HC A & N Young, 2nd J & B Balmer, 4th M/M Robinson, Reserve & Commended W Livingstone, VHC T & G Balmer. Old Cocks T/W (45 Birds) – 1st D Young, 2nd D Stevenson, 3rd, 4th & VHC T & G Balmer, Reserve & HC Young McManus & Sons, Commended M/M Robinson. Judge M Sempey, Ballymena & Dist. Old Hens T/W (39 Birds) – 1st & Commended Balmer Young & Sons, 2nd & 3rd T & G Balmer, 4th D Stevenson, Reserve J Orr & Son, VHC D Young, HC M/M Robinson. Judge Mrs E Sempey, Ballymena & Dist.
Ahoghill Flying Club: Young Cocks Handled (43 Birds) – 1st M/M Robinson, 2nd, 3rd & VHC T & G Balmer, 4th R McFall & Son, Reserve Balmer Young & Sons, HC J & B Balmer, Commended A & N Young. Young Hens Handled (38 Birds) – 1st J & B Balmer, 2nd T & G Balmer, 3rd & VHC W Livingstone, 4th & Reserve M/M Robinson, HC J Orr & Son, Commended D Stevenson. Judges – Noel Percy & Sam Murphy (Randalstown).
Cullybackey HPS: Show season started last Saturday evening with classes for Young Birds Through Wires, it was a night of good success for local lofts with J & J Greer winning 1st in Young Cocks and Russell Bros 1st in Young Hens.
Cullybackey HPS: Old Hens T/W – 1st Russell Bros, 2nd & Reserve R & D Turkington, 3rd & HC J & J Greer, 4th E Davidson, VHC & Commended Reid Bros & McCloy. Old Cock T/W – 1st, 4th & HC Reid Bros & McCloy, 2nd, 3rd & Reserve B Herbison, VHC J & B Balmer, Commended Russell Bros. Old Pairs T/W (82 birds) – 1st & VHC Reid Bros & McCloy, 2nd & HC J & J Greer, 3rd N & S Anderson, 4th & Reserve Russell Bros, Commended B Herbison. Young Pairs T/W (66 birds) – 1st B Herbison, 2nd, 3rd & VHC W & N Gilbert, 4th Russell Bros, Reserve J & B Balmer, HC E Davidson, Commended Reid Bros & McCloy. Judges: Roy Balmer and George Price.
Cullybackey HPS: Young Hens Handled – 1st W & N Gilbert, 2nd, 4th & Commended Russell Bros, 3rd N & S Anderson, Reserve B Herbison, VHC & HC J & J Greer.
Young Cocks Handled – 1st Cochrane Bros, 2nd & Commended J & J Greer, 3rd & 4th Russell Bros, Reserve N & S Anderson, VHC & HC Reid Bros & McCloy. Judges Tom McAlonan and M/M M Sempey Ballymena & District.
Cullybackey Open Show: The Annual Open Show will take place in the local Cullybackey HPS Clubroomas at Fenaghy Road on Saturday 15th December, penning from 11.00am until 1.30pm. The judging will be done between 2.00pm and 5.00pm and the Prize Presentation will be at 5.30pm. It’s the Usual 3 in 1 for Old Birds and Young Birds judged Through Wires, Handled & Eye-sign, plus a class for Fancy Through Wires. Special for Best Young Bird, Best Opposite Sex and Best in Show. Entry fee is £1 per bird, prizes galore. For more details please contact Secretary Edrick Davidson Tel: (028) 25881012.
First night winners at Cullybackey HPS, Len Russell (l) 1st Young Hens and J & J Greer 1st Young Cocks.
At Cullybackey Harry McCloy (l) 1st Old Cocks and Len Russell 1st Old Hens.
Alan Barkley was the Kells & Dist winner in the first show Young Cocks T/W with judges M/M Sempey.
Ballymena & Dist first night winners with judges, from (l) A Purvis, B Herbison, R Turkington and G Connolly.
OC and OH winners at Ballymena with judges, from (l) J Letters, A Young, B Smyth and T Young.
Ahoghill FC winner of Old Hen T/W Tom Young with Elke Sempey who judged the class.
Martin Sempey (r) with the Old Cock T/W winner in Ahoghill, David Young of Muckamore.
Week 3 in Cullybackey winners and judges from (l) G Price, H McCloy, R Balmer and B Herbison.
Ballymena judges with Cullybackey winner Willie Gilbert, from (l) T McAlonan, W Gilbert, and M/M Sempey.
Ballymena winners and judges from (l) H McCloy, H Richmond BIS, C Magill from New Antrim and S Steele.
Ballymena winners and judges at the most recent show, from (l) B Herbison, D Dixon, H Richmond BIS, and J Steele.