Pigeon Network

The Annual General Meeting of Mid Antrim Combine was held on Wednesday 14th March 2018 in the Ballymena & District HPS Clubrooms at Fountain Place, Ballymena. Two Delegates from each member club were able to vote on the business. Agenda was with each club prior to the meeting.

Chairman Jackie Steele opened the meeting and Secretary Willie Reynolds read the minutes of the previous AGM. All member clubs were represented and we had apologies from K Wilkinson who was on NIPA Business and R Alexander. The Accounts were passed and the club funds are now with Slemish n’ tha Braid Credit Union in Harryville. At the end of the season we had £324 lodged, fees for 2018 will be as last year Clubs £3.00 and Associate Members £5.00. For the election of officers Jackie Steele was returned as Chairman and Willie Reynolds as Secretary, James Harris will look after the result each week and the various competitions. Main sponsor Danny Dixon was thanked for all his support over the last two seasons and he was installed as President. The annual presentation will rotate among the member clubs and Rasharkin & Dist will host the event in 2018.

Mid Antrim Combine – Rules to apply from 2017

1. Majority vote in each club to secure MAC Club Membership, before application in writing to MAC Secretary.
2. Management Committee MAC – 2 Delegates from each member club.
3. Associate Members welcome from eligible clubs that were former members in the MAC.
4. Fees for 2017 – Clubs £3.00, Associate Members £5.00. Fees set at each AGM.
5. AGM – The Annual Meeting to take place in middle of March each year.
6. Officials to be elected annually, to include Chairman, Secretary & RPRA Delegates.
7. Accounts to be approved at each AGM.
8. Diplomas to be issued for winner of each race INFC & NIPA (Only 1 Diploma per loft).
9. The published result will be Member Club x 3.
10. Best results each year to be submitted to RPRA (Irish Region) for their consideration.
11. INFC Trophy to be calculated on Points.
12. Cup & Trophies for competition by Clubs & Membership.

Old Bird Inland Average, Cross Channel Average, Old Bird Average, McIlhagga Memorial Cup for 1st MAC in NIPA Old Bird Nat, B Eagleson Memorial Cup best average Talbenny (1) & (2), Bude & Penzance, Tommy Shanks Memorial Cup Old Bird of the Year, Les Mairs Old Bird Fancier of the Year, Herbison Young Bird Average, New North Cup best Average Bude OB & Talbenny YB, Parker Cup Combined Average, INFC Cup and Young Bird of the Year.

Club Points Shield for Old Birds & Young Birds, Champions League, and Old Birrd & Young Bird Individual Loft Knock-Out. We finally got a set of Rules as had been passed at a previous AGM and they explain the terms of membership and list all the various awards to be raced for. Clubs that had left would have been able to re-join in 2017 under the old terms and conditions, in the future lofts only with a Ballymena Address will be eligible for membership. We are still a bit short on total membership but it should rise up again this season, already confirmed from Harryville we have Allen McBride and J Millar & Son adding to the Associate Members from last season G Gibson, D Houston & Son, T & M Morrow and A Purvis, and all members should enjoy the competition. Member clubs will need to supply the list of lofts racing old birds so they can all be included in the Knock-Out competition. The draw for this and the Champions League will be made in Ballymena over the weekend of the first race.

Mid Antrim Combine update – Big Season ahead

The end of this month is the deadline for the return of clocks, vaccination forms and race sheets to local clubs, those not using Race Sheets must have Allocation Lists done a fortnight before racing. For the start of the Old Bird racing, first race is planned for Saturday 14th April when the NIPA birds will be in Mullingar. Members and clubs need to make application to MAC prior to the first race to be included in the competitions.

Over the years James Harris from Ballymena has given a good hand in the running of the MAC, always looking at ways to introduce new competition for all lofts in the local area. One of the most successful was the Champions League where each member club nominate 4 lofts to represent them in the competition operating like the Football Competition. League Tables in the early Group Matches and then going to Knock-Out with the final usually flown from Penzance.

Previous winners were - 2008 Harryville (R H Clements), 2009 Rasharkin & Dist (D Dixon), 2010 Ballymena & Dist (M Graham), 2011 Randalstown ( S Millar), 2012 Cullybackey (Reid Bros & McCloy), 2013 Cullybackey (A Darragh), 2014 Rasharkin & Dist (Steele & McNeill), 2015 Rasharkin & Dist (D Dixon), 2016 Rasharkin & Dist (J & M Milliken), 2017 Rasharkin & District (D Dixon).

Last season’s Champions League was won by Rasharkin & Dist with Danny Dixon taking the honours, in fact the 2 finalists D Dixon v J & M Milliken ended up 1st & 2nd Combine. Both of the lofts are former winner’s, J & M Milliken won the award the previous season and Rasharkin have now won four in a row! Three wins for Danny Dixon is the record, and Rasharkin & District have 5 wins in total.

Lofts already confirmed for the Champions League. Ballymena & District - J Eagleson & Sons, Billy & Joe Smyth, McFall & McManus, Blair & Rankin. Rasharkin & District - Steele & McNeill, J & M Milliken, W & J McLean, D Dixon. Randalstown HPS – F & G & J Dickey, Stewart Brothers, N Percy & Son, Hugh Boyd. We are still a bit short on total membership but it should rise up again this season, already confirmed from Harryville we have Allen McBride and J Millar & Son adding to the Associate Members from last season G Gibson, D Houston & Son, and T & M Morrow, and all members should enjoy the competition in a local promotion of the sport. Member clubs will need to supply the list of lofts racing old birds so they can all be included in the Knock-Out competition. The draw for this and the Champions League will be made in Ballymena over the weekend of the first race.

A Knock-Out competition was added in 2017 for every single loft that were paid up members. The first ever Old Bird knock out competition was won by an associate member Gibson & O`Neill. On route to winning they knocked out George Bell, Houston Bros, J Eagleson & Sons and W & J Smyth then defeated Young McManus & Son in final at Penzance. Young Bird Knock-Out won by D Dixon.

Fees have been kept to a minimum, member clubs are £3.00 for the year which covers all members, from other clubs Associate or Individual Members are £5.00. Only the clubs can compete in the Champions League, all racing lofts compete in the Knock-out competition.

MAC Update –

First race is planned for Saturday 14th April when the NIPA birds will be in Mullingar, the NIPA need a copy of the result by fax on day of liberation, 9.30pm is the deadline for an advance result.
Last season’s MAC Champions League was won by Rasharkin & Dist with Danny Dixon taking the honours, in fact the 2 finalists D Dixon v J & M Milliken ended up 1st & 2nd Combine. Both of the lofts are former winners, J & M Milliken won the award the previous season and Rasharkin have now won four in a row! Three wins for Danny Dixon is the record, and Rasharkin & District have 5 wins in total.

Lofts already confirmed for the Champions League. Ahoghill Flying Club – Young McManus & Sons, J Smyth & Son, Mr & Mrs Robinson and Chris Moore. Ballymena & District - J Eagleson & Sons, Billy & Joe Smyth, McFall & McManus, and Blair & Rankin. Rasharkin & District - Steele & McNeill, J & M Milliken, W & J McLean, and Danny Dixon. Randalstown HPS – F & G & J Dickey, Stewart Brothers, N Percy & Son, and Hugh Boyd. We are still a bit short on total membership but it should rise up again this season, already confirmed we have Allen McBride, J Millar & Son, R Service & Son, Jimmy Rock, Wesley Jackson and Wray & McFadden adding to the Associate Members from last season Gary Gibson, D Houston & Son, and T & M Morrow, and all members should enjoy the competition in a local promotion of the sport. Member clubs will need to supply the list of lofts racing old birds so they can all be included in the Knock-Out competition. The draw for this and the Champions League will be made in Ballymena over the weekend of the first race.

A Knock-Out competition was added in 2017 for every single loft that were paid up members. The first ever Old Bird knock out competition was won by an associate member Gibson & O`Neill. On route to winning they knocked out George Bell, Houston Bros, J Eagleson & Sons and W & J Smyth then defeated Young McManus & Son in final at Penzance. Young Bird Knock-Out won by D Dixon.

The club lofts competing in the old birds Knock-Out are: Ahoghill - J Orr and Son, W Livingstone, T and G Balmer, John Balmer, J and C Letter's, J Smyth and Son, Mr and Mrs Robinson, C Moore, Young MC Manus and sons, Balmer T Young and Son, and A Shiels. Ballymena – G & A Eagleson, W & J Smyth, G Gilmour, D Mitchell, R Alexander, W & N Gilbert, G Bell, Blair & Rankin, B Ramsey, Reynolds & McCormick, M Graham, B O’Rawe, McFall & McManus, J Harris and J Eagleson & Sons. Rasharkin - Steele & McNeill, Paul McDonald, J & M Milliken, Harold Cubitt , A C & T Tweed, W & J McLean, W McFetridge, W J & R J Reid , N Bradley, C Donnelly, D Mairs, D Dixon, F Barkley, and T Whyte. Randalstown and Individual Members to follow.

Fees have been kept to a minimum, member clubs are £3.00 for the year which covers all members, from other clubs Associate or Individual Members are £5.00. Only the clubs can compete in the Champions League, all racing lofts compete in the Knock-out competition. Don’t miss out!

NIPA Racing was put back one week - Start Tullamore this Saturday 21st April. This decision was taken by the Race/Liberation Committee based on the welfare of the birds with little training days available due to the prolonged period of very poor weather conditions. The race programme will follow as already agreed, without change from Tullamore on 21st April. The additional week will give all lofts the opportunity to complete their training and give extra time to make application to MAC, just added were Robert Service & Son Robin, Jimmy Rock and Wray & McFadden. All being well when this race season is complete I intend to write to each local club that have yet to join MAC giving an update of changes made and a copy of the new rules. It would also be my intention, at some stage, to have the MAC consider that where a club vote to re-join there would be an opt-out arrangement for those who wish to remain outside membership. Because of the current arrangements for sponsorship it is not necessary for club members to pay fee’s, we just collect a club fee which stands at a nominal £3.00. Members should remember to have all their race birds wing stamped, or a phone number ring, or an ETS phone sticker on you birds - Nipa rules lads.