Nicky Hayes, County Waterford

[willie reynolds]

Its always nice to hear good things about a pigeon that someone got from you and today I had a visit from Nicky Hayes who lives near Tramore in County Waterford. Nicky races with the Munster Federation and competes on the hard north road . Now for the benefit of you people who are not familiar with racing here in Ireland ,Waterford is situated in the south of Ireland and the Munster Federation races take place mostly from liberation sites in the north of Ireland .As the prevailing wind in Ireland is west or south west these races from the north of Ireland will never be easy races as the wind will almost always be on the nose .Anyone who races north road will tell you that if you have a pigeon to race every week on the north road you will know that you have a pigeon with a good heart . Nicky purchased a Mark Gerda Janssens pigeon here on LPRP in one of our black Friday sales that we ran a couple of years ago . The pigeon that Nicky purchased was bred by Gibband Byrne lofts in Lisburn from two of their direct Mark Janssen pigeons. The sire was bred from a full brother to 1st national ace pigeoin "King of Sprint" and the dam was a daughter to the super pigeon the "Golden 10" whos sister is also the dam of King of Sprint. Nicky called to me to show me a son from this Mark Janssen cock and what a pigeon he was a real well made pigeon with a very strong eye and well balanced . A very nice pigeon in the hand shall we say .Nicky told me that he had never raced a better pigeon as this cock . He said that his sister was also a super racing hen but this cock was something else . Nicky told me that to watch this cock coming to the loft against strong head winds was a sight to behold and on at least one occasion the cock fell from the sky onto the trap ,such was the drive and determination for him to get back into his loft . Nicky told me that right from the beginning even as a youngster he could see that this cock was something very special . The cock was born in 2018 and in 2019 as a yearling he won 1st Munster federation from Coleraine 206miles 331km, 14th Munster Federation from Cookstown 172 miles 276 km , 7th Munster Federation from Malinhead 221 miles 355km , all these races were into a head wind . These results won for Nicky old bird of the year in the Munster Federation for which is something that Nicky was rightly very proud of but in 2020 this cock wasnt finished and won 1st Munster Federation Monaghan 144 miles 231 km and then 1st Munster Federation Coleraine 206 miles 331 km . Now when I tell you that I certainly do not know of any bird that has topped the Munster federation three times you will begin to understand how good this cock is . This year 2020 I think this cock is again Munster Federation Bird of the year. Nicky told me that he had never owned a pigeon like him although the pigeons sister was also a super hen and was often second to this cock . Champions are made in the race basket and Nicky is sure that if he races this cock again in 2021 he will win again but at the same time this pigeon could leave his mark for many many years in the breeding loft . In Ireland today we have a plague of Peregrine falcons and a bird coming down the north road with the wind on his nose is an easy target for the falcons but Nicky will make his decision and what ever way it goes he wont forget the joy that this cock has given him.Thank you for bringing up the cock for me to see Nicky as it made my day ,he is a real class pigeon and I was delighted to see and handle him. Best of luck Nicky with whatever you decide to do with his race him or breed from him. I have said it already that I have a strong feeling that in the coming years we will be hearing a hell of alot about these Mark Janssen pigeons as in just one year I have got nothing only reports of winners . Bird of the year Munster fed two years running . Bird of the year LPCC two years running winners from the north road ,south road , channel raceing from Penzance and also winner from France this year . How many Mark Janssen pigeons were actually sent ??????? and yet winners . Think about it very very good pigeons. Jimmy Hamolton PO.