News Update - March 2014

[willie reynolds]

Following the AGM the NIPA would normally hold a meeting to sort out arrangements for the racing season and did so on Thursday 27th February with an almost complete attendance. One or two items of interest agreed was £1 increase in the membership fee and the £1 which has been usually added to the prize fund for the Old Bird National from France will now be retained. Race Controller for 2014 will be David Campbell (Eastway), Race Advisors are J Ramsey (Derry & Dist), A Darragh (Cullybackey), K Wilkinson (Antrim), W Seaton (Ligoniel), and K Byrne (Newry & Dist).

If required an advert will be placed for the post of Convoyer and/or Driver, this was not decided at the AGM. They also intend to fit tracker systems to the fleet of six lorries. Drug Testing and Club Visits will be carried out this season and the new ETS Committee is J Ramsey (Derry & Dist), K Kernohan (Harryville), G Magill (Muckamore), J Vage (Dromore) and D Mawhinney (Beechpark Social).

Weather permitting the OB Nat from St Malo (France) will be flown on Friday 27th June. Resignation from Cloughey was accepted, and applications for new clubs will be considered at a future meeting. Some members were cleared to race mark at different Marking Centres as is required by the rules and there was some discussion on club accounts.

There was a complaint in writing from Horseshoe in Larne and after some discussion it was passed for the case to be considered by the Rules and Disciplinary Committee which was later selected from the General Purposes Management Committee as in General Rule 3. This Committee will deal with the case on Wednesday 12th March, those attending will include Sect A - J Hanson (Coleraine Prem), Sect B – K Wilkinson (Antrim), Sect C – W Seaton (Ligoniel), Sect D – J Vage (Dromore), Sect E – K Henderson (Lurgan Soc), Sect F – B Smyth (Kircubbin), Sect G – G Delaney (Ashfield), Sect H – P McLaughlin (Maiden City). Chairman is Ken Wilkinson. The complaint is about the failure of the NIPA Committee to include the Resolution from Horseshoe regarding the Introduction of a 50 Bird limit on to the AGM Agenda.

Because of the amount of outstanding business it has been necessary to arrange 3 further NIPA Committee Meetings which will take place in Dromore on Thursday 6th, 13th and 20th March.

On the subject of publicity it will be as last year Steve McGarry covering Sect C, D, F & G and Homer covering Sect A, B, E & H, there has been some complaints regarding my area of coverage. Firstly I will say if this helps almost the first report I get weekly is from Blackwatertown, I also know for a fact most clubs are covered weekly. How do I know that, well I work from a Master List of all clubs that I fill in for each race. I can easily see if any, or those that are missing. If the result is not delivered to me I have on occasions obtained it from other sites, and as a last resort I check the NIPA Club Results on their site where they publish 4 places. It is a rare occasion we run without a club result, if it would turn up late the editorial copy could already be away. Dead simple I would have thought. Members will have noticed I have been trying to list the Top 10 from each Marking Centre in the big races, not just Ballymena where I usually attend and help. This season I hope to list the early details from all Marking Centres, I will be chasing these up.

Over and above that I would appreciate any news reports or photos, might not be possible to have everything published everywhere but we will do our best. Best results are obtained through a local club Press Officer and more and more are going that way including Ballymena, and it’s not me! It is dead simple with a little bit of effort.

The agreed NIPA race programme for 2014:

Old Birds - April 12th Tullamore, April 19th Roscrea, April 26th Roscrea, May 3rd Clonmel, May 10th Mallow, May 17th Rosscarbery Inland Nat, May 24th Talbenny, May 31st Bude, May 31st Rosscarbery Yearling Cock/Hen Nat, June 7th Truro, June 7th Mallow 5 Bird Championship, June 14th Mallow, June 14th Penzance Classic, June 21st Penzance, June 21st Roscrea Comeback, June 27th St Malo (France) National.
Young Birds - July 19th Area Liberations, July 26th Area Liberations, August 2nd Mass Liberation, August 9th Roscrea, August 16th Clonmel, August 23rd Fermoy, August 30th Talbenny National, August 30th Comeback Race, September 6th Fermoy, September 6th Fermoy 5 Bird Championship, September 13th Rosscarbery Inland National.

The Finance & General Purposes Management Committee was elected under the terms passed at the previous AGM to come into effect in 2014. Sections C, D & F were reduced by one while Sect H had two member’s added. The following were returned.

Sect A – H Boyd (Dungannon), J Hanson (Coleraine Prem). Sect B – K Wilkinson (New Antrim), G Magill (Muckamore), G McDowell (Kells & Dist), K Kernohan (Harryville). Sect C – R Reid (Carrick & Dist), S McGarry (Horseshoe), W McClelland (Doagh & Dist), W Seaton (Ligoniel), G Robinson (Carrick Soc). Sect D – J Vage (Dromore), A Houston (Lisburn & Dist), A Hughes (Lisburn & Dist). Sect E – K Henderson (Lurgan Soc), J Parr (Edgarstown), S Corrigan (Loughgall), D Mawhinney (Beechpark Soc). Sect F – P Murray (Killyleagh), B Smyth (Kircubbin). Sect G – K Byrne (Newry & Dist), G Hughes (Newry & Dist), G Delaney (Ashfield). Sect H – P McLoughlin (Maiden City), D Simpson (Londonderry), J Ramsey (Derry & Dist).

HOMER.