Over the years distance racing was a big feature and a measure of performance, in the old days the story goes no matter how early you were the big question was any early birds in Ballymena? The local area had more than its share of success, not so much now up at the top of the long distance results, although it may return. In my own club Ballymena & District we promote distance racing as best we can, to be fair a lot can’t be bothered travelling to the one marking centre at Lisburn. Over the last few years we have set aside a prize list for the INFC races and at the present time Martin Graham would be our best distance loft. Local area clubs still to the fore in the longer races include Cullybackey where Alan Darragh has a fantastic record in fact Best in Ireland, Ballymoney still a big club and then in East Antrim we have Ballyclare & District and now Doagh & District putting up big results.
I suppose a measure of achievement in the National Champion award in the Irish Nat Flying Club the Erwin Trophy, this is for Best Average in all National Races, the full list of winners is on website http://www.irishnationalflyingclub.com
Local winners in my area of coverage over the years includes 1968 G K Porter of Crumlin, 1969 W Erwin of Ballymena, 1975 Alan McCartney of Crumlin, 1976 Joey Wright of Kells & District, 1989 Russell Bros of Cullybackey, 1984 Alan Darragh of Ahoghill Flying Club, 1988 Mr & Mrs Magill of Randalstown, 1993 W & L McCaw of Ballymoney, 1998 Mr & Mrs Suitters of Doagh & District, 1999 William McClelland of Doagh & District, 2003 C & L Woodside of Ballyclare & District.
The subject of this article is not listed but Robin Duddy would have a long distance record as good as any in Ireland, including up to the present day and the 2016 season was one of his best.
Before moving on let me firstly mention one of the best results put up by the Duddy loft, Blue w/f cock “Cloughan Money Spinner” who in 1990 won the very tough Blue Riband YB National from Penzance. Only 26 birds were timed but none on the first day of this two day race from an entry of 2,700 birds. The cock’s winnings from this race totalled £3,600 plus a Motor Car, TV & Video Recorder. Interestingly this pigeon was bought at a Squeaker Sale run in aid of Muscular Dystrophy and had been presented by the well-known Ballymena fancier George Barr. The sire of “Cloughan Money Spinner” was mainly Delmotte from the late William Hutchinson of Doagh, whilst the dam came from the loft of W B Shaw of Newcastle in County Down, being from his Hall of Fame hen crossed with a cock from Geoff Kirkland.
“Cloughan Money Spinner” has since proved his value in the stock shed being the sire of the “Yearling Hen” and the grand-sire of “Cloughan Smokey”. The “Yearling Hen” finished 4th Open in the INFC Kings Cup from Rennes in 1994 and won the McCloud Cup for the first yearling in the race, another great performance from this loft. The dam of the “Yearling Hen” is a great producer known as the “Wee Hen” which has produced such great winning pigeons for Robin such as 56th Talbenny Derby, 4th YB Nat, 39th Open Yearling Nat, 9th Open Skibbereen etc. As I had mentioned earlier “Cloughan Money Spinner” was the grand-sire of “Cloughan Smokey”. At this time “Cloughan Smokey” had just joined the ranks as a major winner having won 1st North Sect & 7th Open INFC in the 1995 YB Nat Penzance collecting the London North Road Cup. The dam of “Cloughan Smokey” was another bird bred for the job, being the nest-mate of the 49th Open YB Nat winner of 1994 and in the same season 77th Open INFC Yearling National.
Robin Duddy started to race in 1958 and produced a list of creditable performances almost from the word go. In 1959 he scored 1st Open Haverfordwest with 10,306 birds competing with a Blue cock from Harry Turkington of Ballyclare, this bird was broke in and had raced for Harry for 2 seasons.
I don’t think his winning list was ever published have a read at this!
1968 – 2nd Open NIPA St Malo OB Derby some 3,000 birds competing a Cheq Delbar hen.
1977 – 1st Open NIPA Dungarvan 30,217 birds competing with a Cheq Busschaert hen.
1983 – 2nd Open INFC Yearling National around 4,000 birds, a Cheq w/f hen Kirkwood & Delbar.
1990 – 1st Open INFC Penzance YB National 2,700 birds competing and only 26 timed in race time, a Cheq w/f cock Delmotte & W B Shaw of Newcastle.
2001 – 1st Open NIPA Penzance OB Classic with 3,363 birds competing. This bird was a Blue w/f hen Stormin Norman & Parkside Superman bloodlines. In the same year 4th Open NIPA Lamballe OB Derby 1,501 birds with a Blue w/f hen grand-dtr of the 1990 YB Nat winner “Cloughan Money Spinner”.
The best positions won in the Blue Riband INFC Kings Cup over the years were:-
1994 – 4th Open INFC Rennes (2,420 birds) with a Cheq hen direct daughter from “Cloughan Money Spinner”.
2002 – 7th Open INFC Redon (2,234 birds) only 25 birds clocked in race time. This Red hen was from a daughter of “Cloughan Money Spinner” paired to a Walkingshaw.
1985 – 15th Open INFC Lerwick with a Blue cock timed on the second day at 6.00pm in heavy rain a very bad race.
2004 – 17th Open INFC Messac (2,025 birds) with a Dark cock.
Over recent seasons Robin has concentrated on the extreme distance races with the Irish Nat FC namely Yearling National, Kings Cup and Friendship Nat from France and YB Nat Penzance. Since 2000 season the loft have achieved a total of 106 INFC Open positions 16 of those in what is now the OB Grand National Kings Cup.
Strains in the loft at present include N Black & Son (Dromara) from their Gold Medal cock and Billy McCaw (Ballymoney) from his Hall of Fame hens crossed with his own old family and including birds from long-time friends Hugh Boyd (Randalstown) and Arnold Thompson (Ballyclare).
One of his passions regarding the pigeons is the breeding side and nothing pleases him more than someone reporting that a bird bred at the Duddy loft has done well for them. Some that come to mind include James Anderson from Cullybackey his INFC Friendship Nat winner, J Graham from Kingsmoss sire of his Kings Cup pigeons, Ivan Walker of Cloughfern, the bird bred his Kings Cup pigeon, Arnold Thompson from Ballyclare the Ash hen which won a France Diploma was also dam of the lofts 56th Open Kings Cup in 2016. Henry Turkington was in the prizes in the recent Kings Cup and a Blue w/f hen a direct daughter of the 4th Open Lamballe bred a lot of good pigeons for him and D & R Turkington of Doagh, young Robert christened her R D. Raymond Hamilton from Carrick purchased a late bred at a sale held for the loft, the only one and this bird won him a Meritorious Award. Robert Wilson from Doagh broke his Novice Status when winning the Old Bird Derby with a bird bred by Robin Duddy.
As far as management of the birds is concerned he keeps it as simple as possible. The birds are raced on probably what could be called the old Natural System, birds have the Open Hole from mid-March. They are usually trained weekly with Ivan Mawhinney. Old birds are Hopper fed with whole Maize from the Mill, plus half an ounce per bird per day of Protein (Beans or Peas) fed by hand. When going to the longer races they get seeds and groats, plus Pinhead Oatmeal. Medication is minimal but he does use Ropa B some 2 to 3 days per week, this is an excellent natural product. Robin tries to keep the birds as healthy and happy as possible and take full enjoyment from the pigeons, either in the loft or during racing, especially the Long Distance events.
A few years back Robin presented a trophy to the Irish Nat Flying Club, the Robin Duddy Trophy is awarded for the Best Average Velocity Yearling Nat and Channel YB Nat. Entry Forms are in the seasons Race Booklet with an entry fee of £10 and a 1st Prize up to £1,000. It’s a 3 Bird Challenge and members are able to nominate up to 3 birds on the race entry forms for the Yearling Nat Sennen Cove and YB Nat Penzance. Closing date is Monday 5thJune, the race marking day for the Yearling Nat. Robin has very kindly presented a new trophy to the INFC to be raced for starting in 2017, awarded for the furthest flying bird in the Open Result of the Kings Cup.
Robin has a fantastic record and I would be sure he will be going all out to improve on that and who knows, maybe another 1st Open?
Montage featuring the Robin Duddy birds that won positions in 2016.
Friendship Merit Award presented to Robin Duddy of Ballyclare & Dist - 2013 Quimper 15th, 2015 Quimper 85th. Presentation by Wesley Sawyers.
R. Duddy - Ballyclare & District H.P.S. wins Merit Award in Kings Cup. Cloughan Rain Blu Blue Hen GB07B 43740 - Plaudren Vannes King’s Cup 2009 140th Open, Plaudren Vannes King’s Cup 2010 117th Open. Presentation by Chris Gordon.
Robin Duddy (Ballyclare & District H.P.S). Cloughan Sooty Blue Chequer Hen GB09B 42455 - St. Malo Friendship National 2010 24th Open , St. Malo Friendship National 2011 53rd Open. Presentation by Nigel Langstaff.