INFC Update - Ronnie Johnston (Patron)

[willie reynolds]

Irish National Flying Club

I have already started out on recording the leading National winners. In this weeks column I am going to cover the East Down Combine and the Ulster Federation. My records show of no double National winner in the Ulster Fed, am I right?

In my area, County Down, I know of three but only one of these may have been a member of the East Down Combine when recording double National victories. I will explain later in this article. The double National winner in the East Down Combine, the top loft of Tom Marshall & son of Newtownbreda. The Marshalls first National winner came in 1984 when they won the Yearling National from Inverness. Tom did not have long to wait for his second National win as in 1986 he won the Friendship National from Guernsey, since then Tom has won the National Championship and has been three times second National. The Marshall's National CV is up there with the very best and the third victory is in his sights.

The next double National winners are Connor Bros of Dundrum but they may have been members of the NIPA when the National wins were achieved. In 1978 the Connor Bros won 1st Section, 1st Open Kings Cup from Rennes with the blue chequer hen Primarius and then in 1984 the brothers won 1st Section, 1st Open Friendship National from Thurso. This was a brilliant double success but made more remarkable when I tell you the Kings Cup winner Primarius was the dam of the Friendship National winner.

I know of only two fanciers that have won the Kings Cup and the Friendship National. Henry Beattie, Friendship in 1979, Kings Cup in 1994 and Alan Darragh, Friendship in 2003 & 2006, Kings Cup in 1986. The other double National winners in County Down were Walker & Watson of Killyleagh. I am sure they flew with the NIPA when the two National wins were recorded.

The first victory came in 1996 when the partnership won the Yearling National from Sennen Cove with Inca and then in 1998 with Dedication they won the young bird National from Penzance. The partnership won the Yearling National from a record entry of 6,041 birds that still stands to this day. These two National races have proved most difficult to win into this area of County Down and the only other yearling National winner I can remember was Myles & McConnel of Dunedin. Walker & Watson no longer race but I know Jason Walker who for many years was a scribe for the Racing Pigeon still keeps a interest in Irish National flying Club through his close friend Henry McClaughlin of Coalisland.

I know within the NIPA there are a good number of National winners and I will start on them in my next column.

INFC

The National Dinner in the Stormont Hotel is not to far away, Friday 27th November is the date. the treasurer David Mawhinney has requested that dinner tickets that are now being sent out should be paid for before the Dinner, make cheques out to the INFC and not Trevor or Ronnie. I am sure most fanciers will follow David's advice.

The INFC charity committee have held a short meeting and all is set for the National show to be held on Saturday 12th December in the Kings Hall. Ken McConaghie, show chairman, is looking for some help on late Thursday, when he will be setting up stalls and pens. The sale of gift birds will again be the highlight of the day.

The French Diploma and the INFC Diploma for any pigeon twice a prize winner in the Kings Cup or Friendship National will be presented before the sale of the gift birds.

Martin Russell

Martin has been unwell for some time now but the last I heard he was out of hospital and back home. When speaking with his brother Fred the news was that Martin was back in hospital, this time the Royal. I hope he is on the mend and will soon be back home with his pigeons, the pigeon fancy send you their best wishes.

Hutchinson Bros (Ashfield) - Very inpressive CV

I have been involved with the INFC for well over 40 years and during that time have enjoyed reporting on many great pigeons and some great loft performances. Over that period of time I have witnessed some super loft performances when an individual loft hits what one would call a purple patch. The subject of this weeks column has more than hit a purple patch winning three National and a NIPA Nationals over the short period of four years. Hutchinson Bros of Ashfield is the loft in question. I have reported on this outstanding loft many times and Davie Hutchinson has a very impressive CV. After many years of near misses the first National success was achieved in 2006 when a blue Soontjen cock Home Lee Warrior won 1st Section, 1st open INFC Sennen Cove Yearling National on 1286 winning some 1,940 pounds. Davie's National winner was well clear of the 2nd winner Sammy Leitch of Doagh with Tom Nelson of Dublin winning the South Section in 3rd Open.

The National winner is beautifully bred, his sire being 2nd North Section, 18th Open INFC Skibbereen YB National 2003 and his dam was a winner of 2nd Open NIPA Rosscarbery YB Derby. It was in 2008 that Hutchinson Bros claimed their second INFC National victory winning 1st Section, 1st Open Skibbereen Inland OB National with a blue hen Unbelievable winning vel 1324 winning 740 pounds. This outstanding hen had already won 3rd Section, 30th Open NIPA Rosscatbery YB National. Why the name Unbelievable.

The week before Hutchinson Bros won the INFC OB Inland National they won 1st Section, 1st Open NIPA Rosscarbery OB Inland National with the blue hen Annettes Lass. I think you will agree to win two Nationals two weeks in succession is only a dream for the majority of fanciers and will rank with the best performances in Europe during 2008. Annettes Lass is a direct daughter of the yearling National winner Home Lee Warrior. The dam is also a super racing hen having won 2nd Open NIPA Rosscarbery National.

The hat trick of INFC National wins came this season when the loft won 1st Section, 1st Open Skibbereen YB National with the blue cock Leannes Lad who won 1st Club Fermoy before going on to win the National vel 1556 collecting 964 pounds, 3,118 birds competed. The sire of this National winner was a top racer winning 4th Open NIPA Pilmore Beach with over 25,000 birds competing. The dam was bred for the stock loft, her sire having won 8x1sts at club level and 2x1st Sections, the dam equally as good having also won 8x1st Clubs and 2x1st Sections plus 3rd Section, 6th Open INFC Skibbereen OB Inland the first year it was flown and won by Prunty & Larkin, Drumcree.

I made reference to a purple patch when a loft reaches top form, have a look at Hutchinson Bros record before this latest National victory. NIPA 5-Bird Classic Fermoy 7th Open; NIPA Rosscarbery OB Inland National 5th Open. The main strain of pigeons raced are Soontjens that Davie purchased in the early 90's from Tony Mardon. I put Davie in the top bracket as a stock man and his record shows that he has got it right when it comes to breeding top quality racing pigeons.

INFC Harkness Rose Bowl

Let me set the record straight regarding the first South Section member to win the Rose Bowl. The fancier holding this record is Liam McCall of Wicklow who in 2003 won 13th & 16th Open from Messac and for good measure was also 20th Open. this was one of the hardest races in the history of the INFC with only 21 birds recorded home in three days. Liam has also won the best 2-Bird average Cup from north Road National Club in 1990. Now that in itself maybe a record to win both these cups, my congratulations.