Farming Life - Wednesday 12/12/12

[willie reynolds]

Ballymena & District will host the Annual Mid Antrim Open Show to be held in the Cullybackey HPS Clubrooms, Fenaghy Road on New Year’s day Tuesday 1st January. Penning is from 12 Noon until 2.00pm a 3 in 1 for Old Bird and Young Bird. All birds from the local Sect B area, will be made welcome, an Open Show for Mid Antrim birds. All the usual Specials including Best in Show, Best Opposite Sex, Most Points and Best YB. All club members should supply prizes and any help would be appreciated. The Annual Dinner & Presentation of prizes will be held in the Tullyglass House Hotel on Friday 11th January. After a very successful racing season a big crowd is expected, if you wish to order tickets contact Martin Graham Tel: (028) 2563 7929 or Mobile: 07835 099155. Homer will be taking bird photos in the Ballymena & Dist Clubrooms on Wednesday 12th December from 7.00pm, deposit required for each bird. Tel: 07538 238364.

Ballymena & District HPS: On Monday evening we had a class entry for the Eye-sign judged by Kells & Dist fanciers Alan Barkley and Alan Shanks. Young Robert Turkington had missed the previous two weeks through illness but returned with a bang taking the top five places in the Young Bird’s, in a good night for visiting lofts Brian Herbison took the Red Card in the Old Birds and Best in Show Special. Happy birthday to Jack Balmer at 80 years young, no winners in this show but the big Open Shows are pending. Old Bird Eye-sign (62 Birds) – 1st , 3rd & 4th B Herbison, 2nd Richmond Bros, Reserve & HC MDC Magill, VHC D & R Turkington, Commended G & A Eagleson. Young Bird Eye-sign (45 Birds) – 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th & Reserve D & R Turkington, VHC & Commended J & B Balmer, HC MDC Magill. Raffle was won by Homer. Next Monday night 17th Dec please note classes are Card Winners plus an extra class for Red’s, Mealy’s & Grizzles. This will be the final club show night.

Ahoghill Flying Club: Young Pairs (46 Birds) – 1st & HC T & G Balmer, 2nd & Reserve A & N Young, 3rd M/M Robinson, 4th & Commended Balmer Young & Sons, VHC W Livingstone. Fancy (27 Birds) – 1st & 3rd D Stevenson, 2nd T McFall, 4th & VHC T & G Balmer, Reserve & HC A & N Young, Commended Balmer Young & Sons. Judges – J Steele and H Cubitt (Rasharkin & Dist). Old Pairs (50 Birds) – 1st & Commended T & G Balmer, 2nd, 3rd & Reserve J Orr & Son, 4th Balmer Young & Sons, VHC & HC D Stevenson. Late Breds (19 Birds) – 1st Thomas McFall, 2nd, 4th, Reserve & Commended T & G Balmer, 3rd Thomas McFall, VHC A & N Young, HC D Stevenson. Judges Roy Balmer & Friends. Friday – OB & YB Eye-sign. Annual Raffle – 1st Nancy Carney Princess Street Ballymena, 2nd Albert Young Ahoghill, 3rd M/M Robinson Ahoghill. Tesco Vouchers for £20, £15 & £10.

Rasharkin & District HPS: The local club made a start to the winter show series with a 3 in 1 Show for Old Birds kindly judged by Hugh Weir, Robin Duddy, and Davy Strain who travelled across from Ballyclare. Results: Old Birds T/W - 1st W & J McLean, 2nd W McFetridge, 3rd P McDonald, 4th A C & T Tweed, Reserve J Robinson & Son, VHC Steele & McNeill, HC A C & T Tweed. Judged by Hugh Weir from Ballyclare. Old Birds Handled, 1st J Robinson & Son, 2nd Steele & McNeill, 3rd J Robinson & Son, 4th A C & T Tweed, Reserve P McDonald, VHC J Robinson & Son, HC A C & T Tweed, Commended J Robinson & Son. Judged by Robin Duddy Ballyclare. Old Bird Eye-sign – 1st Steele & McNeill, 2nd H Cubitt, 3rd Steele & McNeill, 4th A C & T Tweed, Reserve P McDonald, VHC W & J McLean, HC P McDonald, Commended A C & T Tweed. Judged by Davy Strain Ballyclare.

Herbison Feeds at Carniny Road will be closed for holidays from Saturday 22nd December until Monday 7th January 2013. Again this year Brian and his wife have the outside of the house decorated for Christmas, an event worth seeing and all donations again going to Radio Cracker.

Cullybackey HPS: December started with classes for Fancy T/W and Old Hens Handled judged by Cowan Balmer and Albert Young from Ahoghill. It turned out a good night for home lofts with Russell Bros 1st in the Fancy and Brian Herbison lifting the Red Card in the Old Hens. Results: Fancy T/W (42 Birds) – 1st Russell Bros, 2nd W & N Gilbert, 3rd B Herbison, 4th J & B Balmer, Reserve, VHC & HC Reid Bros & McCloy, Commended J & J Greer. Old Hens Handled (61 Birds) – 1st & 4th B Herbison, 2nd N & S Anderson, 3rd & Reserve Russell Bros, VHC W & N Gilbert, HC J & J Greer, Commended Reid Bros & McCloy.

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.

Kells & District HPS: Old Hens T/W (102 Birds) – 1st & VHC Gregg Bros, 2nd & 4th A Barkley & Son, 3rd & Commended Surgenor Bros, Reserve T Shanks & Son, HC B Swann & Son. Judge Gary McLaughlin (Cushendall). Mated Pairs (100 Birds) – 1st, 2nd & 4th A Barkley & Son, 3rd B Swann & Son, Reserve, VHC & HC T Shanks & Son, Commended Surgenor Bros. Judge J & B Balmer (Ballymena). Wednesday OB & YB Eye-sign and Fancy. The Boxing Day Show will take place as usual, more details later.

Ballymena & District HPS: The latest classes were for Young Pairs T/W and Late Breds judged by J & J Greer from Cullybackey. Brian Herbison penned the Red Card winner in the Young Pairs also taking Special for Best in Show. W & J Smyth for the home club had 1st, 2nd & 3rd in the Late Breds. Mrs Sempey won the raffle. Results: Young Pairs (74 Birds) – 1st B Herbison, 2nd & 3rd J Letters, 4th & VHC Richmond Bros, Reserve & HC R Alexander & Son, Commended M/M M Sempey. Late Breds (21 Birds) – 1st, 2nd & 3rd W & J Smyth, 4th & VHC M D C Magill, Reserve W & N Gilbert, HC B Herbison, Commended Richmond Bros.

Ballymoney HPS: The local club started its show series last Friday, judges from Ballymena were George Price and Robert Alexander. D & G McMullan had 1st, 2nd, 3rd & Special in the Young Hen and also won the OB Eyesign, Danny Dixon had the Red Card in Young Cocks T/W. Results: Young Cocks T/W – 1st, 3rd & 4th D Dixon, 2nd Curry & Gilmore, Reserve & VHC D Gage, HC S & C McCook, Commended J Connolly. Old Bird Eye-sign – 1st, 3rd & Commended D & G McMullan, 2nd D Gage, 4th & HC J Connolly, Reserve & VHC D Dixon. Young Hens T/W – 1st & Special D & G McMullan, 2nd, 3rd & VHC D & G McMullan, 4th & HC J Connolly, Reserve & Commended D Dixon.

Ballymoney HPS: Week 2 for the local show series had classes for Old Birds T/W and Young Bird Eye-sign judged by a team from Glenarm & District including Pat & Owen O’Neill and Dwain McMullan. Results: Danny Dixon penned the winner in both Old Cock and Old Hen while D Gage had the Red Card & Special in the YB Eye-sign. Old Cock T/W – 1st, 3rd, 4th & Commended D Dixon, 2nd & VHC D & G McMullan, Reserve Curry & Gilmore, HC Brown & Stewart. Old Hens T/W – 1st, 4th & Commended D Dixon, 2nd, Reserve & VHC D & G McMullan, 3rd D Gage, HC L Neill. Young Bird Eye-sign – 1st & Special D Gage, 2nd J Connolly, 3rd, Reserve, VHC & Commended L Neill, 4th S & C McCook, HC D & G McMullan. Remember the Xmas Raffle is 14/12/12.

Ballymena & District HPS: The latest classes at Ballymena & Dist were Old Pairs and Fancy judged by Derek McMullan and Billy Hutchinson from Ballymoney HPS. J & B Balmer had 1st & 2nd in the Fancy while Harry Richmond won 1st in the Old Pairs and Best in Show Special for the third week on the trot. Richmond Bros also won the raffle. Pairs (60 Birds) – 1st & Special Richmond Bros, 2nd, 4th & Commended M D C Magill, 3rd , Reserve & VHC W & N Gilbert, HC B Herbison. Fancy (52 Birds) – 1st & 2nd J & B Balmer, 3rd & Commended McAlonan Bros, 4th & HC M D C Magill, Reserve & VHC W & N Gilbert. Monday – OB & YB Eye-sign. The annual Open Show for Mid Antrim lofts will take place in Cullybackey on New Year’s Day, Tuesday 1st January 2013. Homer will be taking bird photos in the Ballymena & Dist Clubrooms on Wednesday 5th December from 7.00pm, deposit required for each bird. Tel: 07538 238364.

Horseshoe HPS (Larne) Open Show -

The annual Boxing Day show will take place as usual with penning from 1-3pm and judging from 3-5pm. Usual classes plus, BIS £50 and BOS £30. The young bird sale will take place after judging and this year it is hoped to pay out £200 per race (mass libs) and a minimum of £1,000 in the Fermoy race or equivalant race point flown between the two young bird nationals. Last year we introduced the four for £100 which turned out to be very popular and will be continued this year, the advantages of this are:- 1. As the ring numbers do not have to be in until the day before the first young bird mass liberation you are guaranteed to have all your entrants at the first race - no more losing them in training or at the Area Libs. 2. Open to all members of the NIPA .The usual hospitality will be available with food and refreshments free of charge. Any further information or to enter birds please call Raymond on (028) 28 276448 or Joe on Mobile: 07723313342.

Carrick & District Open Show –

The Carrick & Dist Open Show will be held on New Years Day in their own clubrooms. Penning of birds is from 1pm – 2pm. Usual classes with prizes for all card winners, plus BIS & BOS awards. There will also be a Breeder/Buyer sale with the race to be flown from 2nd Fermoy. For those interested to participate and enter a youngster please contact Mr R Reid Tel: (028) 93 362051. All fanciers very welcome.