Gowran Park - 09/05/26

[willie reynolds]

Team Eagleson Loft tops Combine & Section from Gowran Park –

The pigeon racing season continued on Saturday 9th May with a race from Gowran Park in County Kilkenny. The NIPA liberated over 13,000 birds at 11.30am in north north easterly winds and an excellent steady race followed. Johnston Eagleson & Sons of Ballymena & District timed their fancied 3yo cheq cock at 15.11pm to win 1st Mid Antrim Combine, 1st Mid Antrim Combine 2 Bird and 1st Section B on 1261ypm flying 158 miles. This good racing cock topped the Combine from Fermoy in 2024 finishing 2nd Section B on velocity 1096. A full brother of the winner is also a double combine winner have won 1st Combine from Skibbereen Yearling National in 2024 and 1st Combine Cloughmartin 2025 and he also won the Mid Antrim Combine 2 bird in the opening race this season and was the third bird this week finishing 8th Combine. The sire was a gift from Paddy & William McManus of Ahoghill and is their top Van Den Brande lines x a daughter of Danny Dixon's Champion Heartbreaker while the dam is a self bred Hereman Ceuster x Van Den Bulck. Runners up in the Ballymena club and Combine were Keith & Callum Kernohan on 1239. The lads timed a 2yo cheq widowhood cock bought in a kit of young birds from Gerald Delaney's Oroory Hill stud.

Next best was Danny Dixon and 3rd Combine on 1238 with a yearling blue cock, a son of his good Jos Cools hen. Danny was followed by the Cullybackey winner Gary Gibson on 1229. His winner a yearling celibate hen is bred from a son of the Golden Couple when paired to a Stefan Lambrechts hen, a granddaughter of Venus kbdb National Ace Pigeon.

Paddy & William McManus were winning Ahoghill for the third week in a row on 1226 and placed 6th Combine. Their winning chequer hen is a granddaughter of their old Karel Laenen cock which is responsible for many winners for them and others. ohn Millar had the best three birds in Randalstown with the winner doing 1216. John's winner on celibacy also won on Monday past and is Minderhoud x Danny Dixon Dixie Chick lines and Freddy Barkley won Rasharkin for the third race on the trot on 1164.


Mid Antrin Combine Gowran Park 35/972 - J Eagleson & Sons Ballymena 1261, K & K Kernohan & Sons Ballymena 1239, D Dixon Rasharkin 1238, G Gibson Cullybackey 1229, J Eagleson & Sons Ballymena 1227, Young & McManus & Sons Ahoghill 1226, D Craig Cullybackey 1226, J Eagleson & Sons Ballymena 1225, A Darragh Cullybackey 1225, D Craig Cullybackey 1225, A Darragh Cullybackey 1219, K & K Kernohan & Sons Ballymena 1219, A Darragh Cullybackey 1219, A Darragh Cullybackey 1219, Blair & Rankin Ballymena 1219, J Eagleson & Sons Ballymena 1218, D Dixon Rasharkin 1217, J Millar Randalstown 1216, A Darragh Cullybackey 1211, G Gibson Cullybackey 1210, A Darragh Cullybackey 1209, A Darragh Cullybackey 1209, J Eagleson & Sons Ballymena 1209, J Millar Randalstown 1209, Young & McManus & Sons Ahoghill 1208, A Darragh Cullybackey 1207m J Smyth & Son Ahoghill 1206, Young & McManus & Sons Ahoghill 1206, Mr & Mrs Robinson Cullybackey 1203, J Smyth & Son Ahoghill 1202, G Gibson Cullybackey 1202, Rock & Moore Cullybackey 1202, J Eagleson & Sons Ballymena 1202, J Eagleson & Sons Ballymena 1200, K & K Kernohan & Sons Ballymena 1199, G Gibson Cullybackey 1197, K & K Kernohan & Sons Ballymena 1197, G Gibson Cullybackey 1194, G Gibson Cullybackey 1193, Young & McManus & Sons Ahoghill 1192.

MID ANTRIM COMBINE 2 BIRD CLUB GOWRAN PARK

1st J Eagleson & Sons Ballymena 1261 GB23B18209

2nd J Eagleson & Sons Ballymena 1225 GB23B18238

Johnston Eagleson & Sons of Ballymena & District take the top two prizes in the 2 bird with 3yo cheq cocks. The two full brothers are double combine winners and each have also won the Combine 2 bird this season.

OLD BIRD KNOCK OUT

The first 32 fanciers from the fifth old bird race from Grenagh will qualify for the old bird knock out commencing at Bantry OB Inland National.

OLD BIRD CHAMPIONS LEAGUE GROUP STAGE GOWRAN PARK

The top two in each group go through to the last 16 along with the two fanciers with the most points in third place.

In the result of a points tie the highest velocity in the last group match determines who goes through.

The last 16 Knock-Out stage starts at 1st Dale

Group (1) G Gibson Cullybackey 201, H Cubitt Rasharkin 7, J Millar Randalstown 4, R Service & Son Ballymena 0

Group (2) J Eagleson & Sons Ballymena 215, J Smyth & Son Ahoghill 30, Rock & Moore Cullybackey 0, W McFetridge Rasharkin 0

Group (3) Young & McManus & Sons Ahoghill 125, Surgenor Bros Kells 51, Blair & Rankin Ballymena 7, A Purvis Broughshane 0

Group (4) D Dixon Rasharkin 34, H Boyd Kells 21, J Whyte Ahoghill 8, T & M Morrow Broughshane 4

Group (5) F Barkley Rasharkin 39, J & J Greer Cullybackey 7, M Neilly Broughshane 5, W & W Gilbert Randalstown 0,

Group (6) A Darragh Cullybackey 45, Stewart Bros Randalstown 5, T Whyte Ahoghill 0, H Turkington Kells 0

Group (7) K & K Kernohan & Sons Ballymena 33, A Barkley & Son Kells 3, N Percy & Son Randalstown 0, J Getty Broughshane 0



LES MAIRS MEMORIAL CUP - OLD BIRD POINTS FANCIER OF THE YEAR - GOWRAN PARK.

J Eagleson & Sons Ballymena 215, G Gibson Cullybackey 201, Young & McManus & Sons Ahoghill 125, Surgenor Bros Kells 51, A Darragh Cullybackey 45, F Barkley Rasharkin 39, D Dixon Rasharkin 34, K & K Kernohan & Sons Ballymena 33, J Smyth & Son Ahoghill 30, D Craig Cullybackey 28. Mervyn Eagleson Mid Antrim Combine PO.

Sect B and NIPA Clubs Gowran Park

NIPA Section B Gowran Park 53/1477 – J Eagleson & Sons Ballymena 1261, D Hamilton Crunlin 12447, S & N Maginty Muckamore 1241, J K Kernohan & Sons Ballymena 1239, D Dixon Ballymoney 1238, Ryan Hope Crumlin 1236, G Gibson Cullybackey 1229, Ryan Hope 1227, J Eagleson & Sons 1227, Young McManus & Sons Ahoghill 1226, D Craig Cullybackey 1226, J Eagleson & Sons 1225, A Darragh Cullybackey 1225, D Craig 1225, J Harkness Crumlin 1225, D & H Stuart Ballymoney 1222, S & N Maginty 1220, 1220, 1220, A Darragh 1219.

NIPA Sect B Clubs

Ahoghill Flying Club 7/210 – Young McManus & Sons 1226, 1208, J Smyth & Son 1206, Young McManus & Sons 1206, J Smyth & Son 1206, Young McManus & Sons 1192.



Ballymoney HPS 12/427 – D Dixon 1238, D & H Stuart 1222, D Dixon 1217, A & M Boy;e 1213, D & H Stuart 1207, J Connolly 1206.



Ballymena & District HPS6/173 – J Eagleson & Sons 1261, K & K Kernohan & Sons 1239, J Eagleson & Sons 1227, 1225, K & K Kernohan & Sons 1219, Blair & Rankin 1219.



Cullybackey HPS 11/334 – G Gibson 1229, D Craig 1226, A Darragh 1225, D Craig 1225, A Darragh 1219, 1219.



Crumlin & District 8/223 – D Hamilton 1247, Ryan Hope 1236, 1227, J Harkness 1225, S Thompson 1218, Fleming Bros 1214.



Davy Hamilton:

both parents bred by s.brown and son Dundonald from their good maris birds



Muckamore HPS 8/264 – Knocker & Bill 1241, S & N Maginty 1241, 1220, 1220, 1220, Knocker & Bill 1218.



Randalstown HPS 6/117 -J Millar 1216, 1209, 1175, Stewart Bros 1146, 1135, J McNeill & Son 1135.



Rasharkin &District HPS 4/72 – F Barkley 1164, H Cubitt 1146, F Barkley 1140, H Cubitt 1133, W McFetridge 1133, J Millar & Son 1126.


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https://photobucket.com/share/d236c024- ... a7ef39fefe
Johnston & Mervyn Eagleson 1st Mid Antrim Combine & 1st Section B Gowran Park