Tourlaville OB National - Thursday 25/06/26

[willie reynolds]

Mid Antrim Combine - NIPA Tourlaville OB French National 25/06/26

Ahoghill loft wins OB National Tourlaville –

The Nipa were in Tourlaville in north west France on Thursday 25th June for the Old Bird National race. Birds were released at 6.30am in light easterly winds and very hot conditions. Of the 106 birds timed on the day only seven of these were recorded in the Mid Antrim Combine. William Livingstone of Ahoghill Flying Club timed at 16.59pm flying 413 miles to win the William McIlhagga Memorial Cup for 1st Mid Antrim Combine. William's yearling red cock finished 3rd Section and an impressive 15th Open Nipa with 1323 birds competing. Breeding is his old lines which he's had for many years with a touch of the late Willie Greers bloodlines added. The cock flew the full young bird season last year and had most races this year including Dale, Bude and Penzance where he was first bird home winning 6th club and placed in the top 35 of the Combine. When returning from Penzance he had lost his mate and quickly took a shine to another hen and paired up. The cock then took over the entire floor of the section, during this time William would throw another cock into the section every now and again to keep him on his toes. William said 'he was in that good of order he had to go to France'. William sent three birds to the race and timed a second one on Friday afternoon to finish 15th MA Combine. William was also delighted to hear he had won the cross-channel averages in the Mid Antrim Combine.

Runners up in the Combine were the father and daughter partnership of Stephen and Natalie Doherty who race in the Cullybackey club. Stephen timed a 3yo blue pied hen 'Killian's Delight' at 17.40pm to win 2nd Combine, 5th Section and 26th Open. That's the third year in a row that the loft has timed an arrival on the day of liberation having been 2nd Section & 14th Open in 2024 and last season 2nd Section & 39th Open. It's also the third year in a row that the team has finished runner up in the Combine. The sire of their latest French bird is from Davy Black and contains his Rocky lines. He is the sire of 2nd Combine, 96th North Section and 116th Open Yearling National 2025. Her dam is a black hen bought at a sale of R Elliott of Ballymoney. In total Stephen and Natalie timed five birds over the course of the three day race and won 5th & 14th Section and 26th, 110th & 141st Open. Their second bird timed early the next morning was off 'Connelly's Express" winner of 1st MA Combine & 11th Open Infc Friendship National and the dam 'Natalie's Girl' their No.1 stock hen. Their third bird timed just before lunch time the next day was their good hen 'Glencar Queen' and now wins a silver award for three times in the Open prizes from the OB National - 2nd Section & 14th Open Nipa 2025, 8th Section & 86th Open Nipa 2025 and 141st Open in 2026. The sire is a son of Stephen's good Jan Aarden cock from Cedarwood lofts when paired to a direct Davy Black of Dromara hen from their Fiona lines. The dam is from E Murtagh and Sons and is a double granddaughter of 'Dinkey's Delight' 8th Open Kings Cup and also helped win the Harkness Rose Bowl. Also in her breeding is 'Manny's Girl' which has flown the Kings Cup four times and has also won the Hall Of Fame. This top result was following on from their 24th & 67th Open in the Sennen Cove Yearling National a couple of weeks ago.

Martin Graham of Ballymena & District timed at 18.11pm to win 3rd Combine, 6th Section & 33rd Open. (No details of the bird were forwarded). This was followed by Johnston Eagleson & Sons of Ballymena & District who timed at 19.30pm to win 4th Combine, 8th Section & 59th Open. Their 3yo blue hen was having her eighth channel race and among her many prizes has included 11th Section Dale and 21st Section Bude. The parents were from the late Billy Smyth of Ballymena and are mainly Koopman. The sire won 1st Combine & 5th Open NIPA Talbenny for Billy and the dam is the nestmate to Billy's 1st Open Nipa Penzance & 1st Open Nipa Penzance OB Classic winner. The Eagleson Loft won 1st Section B and 7th Open Nipa in this French race last season and are previous overall winners of this event in 1987 and 2001.

Danny Dixon of Dunloy was next best timing at 21.16pm winning 10th Section & 81st Open. The sire of the 2yo Wilf Reid blue cock was a gift from Eamon Quigley of Donegal and the dam is off a son of 'Darkie' Wilf Reid’s number one stock cock sold for £9000 at his clearance sale. Danny timed a brother in the 2022 Kings Cup to win 8th North Section & 12th Open INFC.

Robin Service of Ballymena timed two birds on the night at 21.48pm and 22.25pm. The first bird home was a dark 2yo cheq hen. She is a full sister to 'Wee Cyril' a cock that has raced well for Robin including 36th Open Penzance OB Classic and Ballymena & Dist bird of the year last season. The sire was a Busschaert cock on loan from clubmates Johnston Eagleson & Sons and the dam a Dave Gould Lambrecht Black Widow and Daniella lines. This season the hen had 3 inland races and Bude, then sent to the National feeding a 8 day old youngster. Robin's second bird was a 2yo blue pied hen. She had 4 inland races and Bude winning 9th Section & 70th Open Nipa then sent to the National feeding a 10 day old young one. She was bred by Robert Alexander, off a son of Robin's old soontjen cock mated to a hen of Derek Parr’s. The dam was a hen Robert clocked in Kings Cup a few years ago. Robin also timed a third bird on the second day 'Wee Cyril' to finish 16th Combine. Three birds home from four sent well done Robin.

Mid Antrim Combine Tourlaville OB French National - 1st William Livingstone Ahoghill 1157 16.59pm, 2nd S & N Doherty Cullybackey 1091 17.40pm, 3rd M Graham Ballymena 1033, 4th J Eagleson & Sons Ballymena 928, 5th D Dixon Rasharkin 838, 6th R Service & Son Ballymena 787, 7th R Service & Son Ballymena 756, 8th S & N Doherty Cullybackey 639 2nd Day, 9th M Graham Ballymena 618, 10th S & N Doherty Cullybackey 533, 11th D Dixon Rasharkin 509, 12th A Darragh Cullybackey 497, 13th A Darragh Cullybackey 489, 14th C & R McIntyre Cullybackey 482, 15th W Livingstone Ahoghill 445, 16th R Service & Son Ballymena 444, 17th D Dixon Rasharkin 440, 18th A Darragh Cullybackey 408, 19th A Darragh Cullybackey 403, 20th S & N Doherty Cullybackey 398, 21st J Smyth & Son Ahoghill 392, 22nd Blair & Rankin Ballymena 362, 23rd C & R McIntyre Cullybackey 287 3rd Day, 24th S & N Doherty Cullybackey 273, 25th G Gibson Cullybackey 263, 26th A Darragh Cullybackey 248.

MID ANTRIM COMBINE 2 BIRD TOURLAVILLE OB NATIONAL
1st S & N Doherty Cullybackey 639 GB24C18443, 2nd S & N Doherty Cullybackey 533 GB22A24615.
LES MAIRS MEMORIAL CUP - OB POINTS FANCIER OF THE YEAR (Final Table):- G Gibson Cullybackey 797, J Eagleson & Sons Ballymena 589, A Darragh Cullybackey 382, D Dixon Rasharkin 333, Young & McManus & Sons Ahoghill 267, H Boyd Kells 119, J Smyth & Son Ahoghill 110, Blair & Rankin Ballymena 107, S Johnston & Son Ballymena 79, F Barkley Rasharkin 73, K & K Kernohan & Sons Ballymena 72, J & J Greer Cullybackey 69, R Service & Son Ballymena 68, Surgenor Bros Kells 63, Stewart Bros Randalstown 62.

Old Bird Club Points Shield (Final Table) - Cullybackey 108, Ballymena 90
Ahoghill 78, Rasharkin 73, Kells 51, Randalstown 29, Broughshane 28. Mervyn Eagleson - Press Officer and Race Secretary MAC.

Open & Section results


NIPA Race/Date
Tourlaville OB Nat Friday 25th June 2026 – Liberated at 6.30am in an East wind

NIPA Tourlaville OB Nat Friday 26th June 2026 – Liberated at 6.30am in a Lt East
Wind. 282 members sent 1,323 pigeons – 1 st (1A) J Campbell & Son, Cookstown
1268 £33; 2 nd (1G) Donnelly Bros, Newry City Invitation 1261 £190; 3 rd (1E) Tom
Wilson, Edgarstown 1260 £50; 4 th (2E) P Hatchell, Lurgan Social 1260 £107; 5 th (1B)
D & H Stuart, Ballymoney 1235 £34; 6 th (3E) Gerard Swift, Monaghan HPS 1221
£380; 7 th (4E) Moody Bros, Gilford 1197 £612; 8 th (2B) J Connolly, Ballymoney 1188
£30; 9 th (5E) W Gillis & Sons, Laurelvale 1187 £276; 10 th (2A) J Campbell & Son
1179 £262; 11 th (2G) J McParland, Newry & District 1169 £30; 12 th (6E) D Coulter,
Glenavy 1164 £50; 13 th (1H) Liam Millar, Limavady 1162 £23; 14 th (1C) D McElhone
& Daughter, West End Dromore 1159 £145; 15 th (3B) W Livingstone, Ahoghill 1157
£27; 16 th (3G) W McDowell & Son, Drumnavaddy 1155 £353; 17 th (D) W Ringland &
Son, Derriaghy 1150; 18 th (4G) J Murtagh, Ballyholland 1148; 19 th (1D) Roy Benson,
Derriahgy 1146 £138; 20 th (3A) K Shannon, Armagh 1129 £26; 21 st (7E) Brian Baird,
Laurelvale 1128 £17; 22 nd (8E) T McClean & S Craig, Edgarstown 1127 £110; 23 rd
(4B) S & N Maginty, Muckamore 1123 £101; 24 th (5G) McCracken Bros, Banbridge
1115 £389; 25 th (2H) D & G Cooley Bros, Derry & District HPS 1109 £72; 26 th (5B) S
& N Doherty, Cullybackey 1091 £52; 27 th (2C) Stockman & Robinson, Ligoniel HPS
1079 £296; 28 th (2D) Russell Bros, Dromara 1076 £64; 29 th (3C) Arnold Thompson,
Ballyclare 1075 £349; 30 th (6G) F Simpson, Banbridge 1054 £127; 31 st (4A) Brian
McSloy, Cookstown 1045 £17; 32 nd (5A) J Campbell & Son 1034 £17; 33 rd (6B)
Martin Graham, Ballymena 1033 £20; 34 th (7G) R Carson & Son, Banbridge 1026
£32; 35 th (3D) I Donaghy, Lisburn & District 1018 £28; 36 th (8G) Gary Hughes &
Son, Newry City Inv 1015 £18; 37 th (4C) C & L Woodside, Ballyclare 1015 £104; 38 th
(9E) G Marsden, Hills & Maze 1012 £141; 39 th S & N Lester, Laurelvale 1010 £17;
40 th (11E) G Marsden 997 £112; 41 st (4D) R Benson, Derriaghy 995 £135; 42 nd (5C) C
& L Woodside 993 £76; 43 rd (6C) G McKenna, Doagh & District 993 £82; 44 th (6A) R
Corey, Coalisland 988 £118; 45 th (12E) Mr T Fitzpatrick, Lurgan Social 987 £17; 46 th
(7C) D & J Campbell, Doagh & District 982 £25; 47 th (5D) Russell Bros 979 £23; 48 th
(8C) D McElhone & Daughter 976 £51; 49 th (7A) S McFlynn, Cookstown 972 £315;
50 th (13E) Ronnie Williamson, Bondhill 969 £17.

NIPA Tourlaville O/Bird National Section B Result – 1 st D & H Stuart, Ballymoney
1235 £34; 2 nd J Connolly, Ballymoney 1188 £30; 3 rd W Livingstone, Ahoghill 1157
£27; 4 th S & N Maginity, Muckamore 1123 £101; 5 th S & N Doherty, Cullybackey
1091 £52; 6 th Martin Graham, Ballymena 1033 £20; 7 th S & N Maginity 932 £38; 8 th J
Eagleson & Son, Ballymena 928 £168; 9 th J Connolly 914 £17; 10 th Danny Dixon,
Ballymoney 838 £17.

NUPA Section B Clubs



Ahoghill Flying Club – W Livingstone 1157, 445, J Smyth & Son 392.

Ballymoney HPS – D & H Stuart 1235, J Connolly 1188, 914, D Dixon 838, D & H Stuart 549, Andy Wilson 548, D Dixon 509, G Holmes 479, D Dixon 440, D & H Stuart 429, D Devenney 412, D & H Stuart 411.

Ballymena & District HPS – M Graham 1033, J Eagleson & Sons 028, R Service & Son 787, M Graham 618, R Service & Son 444, Blair & Rankin 362.

Cullybackey HPS – S & N Doherty 1091, 639, 533, A Darragh 497, 489, C & R McIntyre 482, A Darragh 408, 403, S & N Doherty 398, C & R McIntyre 287, Sam Murphy 281, S & N Doherty 273, G Gibson 263, A Darragh 248.

Crumlin & District – P McGarrity 864, Ryan Hope 607, 385.

Muckamore HPS – S & N Maginty 1123, 932, S McConnell 419.

✓
https://photobucket.com/share/82278e50- ... 6ed48e942c
Willian Livingstone from Ahoghill 1st MA Tourlaville