Pigeon Network

Please call back for Race Report including Champions League Update. HOMER.

The arrangements for Cullybackey Centre are slightly changed this year, for Rosscarbery the Cullybackey HPS will be open on Thursday evening between 8.30pm and 9.30pm to collect the club cheque etc and then the race marking will be Friday 18th May between 2.00pm and 4.00pm, this is earlier than before. Birds for the Roscrea Comeback must be in Cullybackey, as early as possible, the transporter will leave the site at 6.00pm and NOT 7.00pm as published previously. Clocks will be set after that on Friday.

Mid Antrim Combine Fermoy (1) 116/2896 – A Darragh Cullybackey 1517, J Smyth & Son Ahoghill 1508, Scott & Clements Kells 1504, W & J Smyth Ballymena 1502, A Darragh 1502, M Graham Ballymena 1502, A Darragh 1500, A Darragh 1500, A Darragh 1500, Scott & Clements 1498, J Rock Harryville 1496, T & M Morrow Kells 1496, H & R McCloy Cullybackey 1494, Mrs M Smyth Kells 1489, Scott & Clements 1489, Surgenor Bros Kells 1487, M Graham 1486, H Boyd Kells 1485, Surgenor Bros 1484, A Darragh 1483, R H Clements Harryville 1483, T R Alexander & Son Ballymena 1483, L Mullan Harryville 1483, A Darragh 1481, T & M Morrow 1480, J & M Milliken Rasharkin 1479, McFall & McManus New Antrim 1479, J Rock 1478, MDC Magill New Antrim 1476, J Millar Randalstown 1475,

H Boyd Kells 1475, A Purvis Broughshane 1475, McFarlane & Agnew Kells 1474, S Millar Randalstown 1474, G Price Harryville 1473, D Jackson & Son New Antrim 1473, Surgenor Bros 1473, H Boyd Kells 1472, A Purvis 1472, Mrs M Smyth Kells 1471, Surgenor Bros 1470, D Dixon Rasharkin 1470, G & A Eagleson Ballymena 1469, M/M Robinson Ahoghill 1468, H Boyd Kells 1468, J Millar & Son Harryville 1467, J & N Simpson Broughshane 1466, K & K Kernohan Harryville 1465, Steele & McNeill Rasharkin 1465, Steele & McNeill 1465,

Houston Bros Randalstown 1463, R Service & Son Harryville 1463, D Dixon 1462, R H Clements 1462, Mrs M Smyth 1462, J Rock 1461, M/M Robinson 1461, S Millar 1461, J & N Simpson 1460, Reid Bros & McCloy Cullybackey 1460.

Mid Antrim Combine Clubs –

Cullybackey HPS 18/567 – A Darragh 1517, 1502, H & R McCloy 1494, Reid Bros & McCloy 1460, C McDowell 1445, S Steele 1444, 1442, Reid Bros & McCloy 1441, C McDowell 1439, B Herbinson 1424. Race fees for Rosscarbery Nat collected Thursday between 7.30pm and 8.00pm.

Ahoghill Flying Club 12/337 – J Smyth & Son 1508, M/M Robinson 1468, 1461, D Stevenson 1457, J Balmer 1451, M/M Robinson 1450, J Smyth & Son 1450, M/M Robinson 1446, J Smyth & Son 1446, 1445.

Kells & District 14/274 - Scott & Clements 1504, 1498, T & M Morrow 1496, Mrs M Smyth 1489, Scott & Clements 1489, Surgenor Bros 1487, H Boyd 1485, Surgenor Bros 1484, T & M Morrow 1480, H Boyd 1475. Well done Davy Scott, good 1st & 2nd. Sizzlers 2 Bird Club – Scott & Clements 1504, 1489. The winner was a Grizzle yearling hen racing on Roundabout.

Ballymena & District 14/345 – W & J Smyth 1502, M Graham 1502, W & J Smyth 1500, M Graham 1486, T R Alexander & Son 1483, G & A Eagleson 1469, T R Alexander & Son 1458, G Bell 1451, G & A Eagleson 1447, Blair & Rankin 1443. Race fees for Rosscarbery Nat collected Thursday between 7.30pm and 8.00pm.

Ballykeel Inv – K & K Kernohan 1465, 1453, 1434, M/M M Sempey 1412, 1367.

Harryville HPS 16/410 – J Rock 1496, R H Clements 1483, L Mullan 1483, J Rock 1478, G Price 1473, J Millar & Son 1467, K & K Kernohan 1465, R Service & Son 1463, R H Clements 1462, J Rock 1461. Jimmy wins with a Jacob (Oroory Hill) x Jan Aarden (Ian Axe).

Rasharkin & District 11/222 – J & M Milliken 1479, Steele & McNeill 1465, 1465, H Cubitt 1442, A C & T Tweed 1433, Milliken & Barkley 1418, J Robinson & Son 1414, A C & T Tweed 1412. Second win of the season goes to J & M Milliken from Steele & McNeill in second and third. John and Mark’s winner is a nest-mate to his winner of the first race. Nom: Steele & McNeill. Danny Dixon: 1470.906, 1462.985.
Race sponsored by Noel Twaddle Contracts (Ballymoney).

New Antrim Amalgamated 8/216 – McFall & McManus 1479, MDC Magill 1476, D Jackson & Son 1473, K Wilkinson & Son 1455, R McFall & Son 1453, K Wilkinson & Son 1452, McFall & McManus 1450, MDC Magill 1448, K Wilkinson & Son 1437, C Moore 1437. Well done to Charlie McManus on another win this season. New Antrim Amal is a very competitive club and Charlie can certainly hold his own with a very small number of pigeons in his loft, but the quality is high being reared from his son Paddy’s best bloodlines. The Magill team are early again.

Broughshane & District 10/236 – A Purvis 1475, 1472, J & N Simpson 1466, 1460, G Connolly 1459, J McNaghten & Son 1455, G Connolly 1454, D Houston & Son 1450.

Randalstown HPS 13/289 – J Millar 1475, S Millar 1474, Houston Bros 1463, S Millar 1461, 1458, Houston Bros 1458, S Millar 1458, 1456. John Millar wins the club with a bird purchased from Cherryfield Lofts in Moira.

Champions League Update –

The fourth race for the Mid Antrim Champions League was from Fermoy last Saturday, the leaders at the present time are Alan Darragh Cullybackey 106 Points, Harry Boyd Kells 78 Points, Martin Graham Ballymena 72 Points, and Scott & Clements Kells 69 Points. The Points Score after Week (4): Sect (1) A – A Darragh 106 Points, Scott & Clements 69 Points, W & J Smyth 61 Points, Stewart Bros 23 Points, A McBride 16 Points. Sect (2) B – Harry Boyd 78 Points, J Smyth & Son 47 Points, J Rock 17 Points, J & M Milliken 2 Points. Sect (3) C – M Graham 72 Points, Surgenor Bros 47 Points, MDC Magill 41 Points, G Connolly 14 Points, L Mullan 5 Points. Sect (4) D - D Dixon 48 Points, Young McManus & Sons 46 Points, McFall & McManus 28 Points, G & A Eagleson 22 Points, Houston Bros 19 Points, R H Clements 15 Points, J & N Simpson 13 Points, G McDowell 6 Points.

Clubs interested in getting a copy of the Champions League each week should kindly supply an e-mail address to the Admin James Harris max.harris@talktalk.net

Darragh is the one to Beat!

The birds at the weekend had moved on to Fermoy in Co Cork, the fifth race in the old bird inland programme. Liberation was at 9.00am into a West to NW wind and in perfect conditions a fast race was expected. We had some gaps in arrivals but other that that most birds are home again and the season has had an excellent start. In Mid Antrim all lofts are chasing the high flying Alan Darragh of Cullybackey, he had another big race card and had the top five places in the local club. His winning Blue 2year old cock was timed at 12.52hrs to be followed by the previous weeks Mid Antrim Combine winner. This week his winning velocity is 1517ypm, good enough to give him his third winner in MAC which is a very good start even by his standards. Jimmy Smyth from Ahoghill was next best on 1508 winning his second race and then Scott & Clements 1st Kells & Dist (1504). It was a photo finish in Ballymena & Dist with Billy & Joe Smyth winning for the second time just ahead of the 3 times winner Martin Graham who timed his same yearling Mealy cock, winning velocity for the best bird in Ballymena was 1502. Alan Darragh had 7 birds in the MAC Top 30, the Swallowbrae Loft at Galgorm is the one to beat!