Farming Life - BHW - RP - 04/12/20

[willie reynolds]

Christmas comes early for Ollie and Charlie -

In a sport that attracts few young people it is great to see such dedicated and enthusiastic fanciers as Ollie (8) and Charlie (10) Myers from Monaghan. The boys recently received a surprise when one of Ireland’s top fanciers, Hector Cordner from the Annaghmore club in Portadown presented the boys with a cracking blue check pied cock from his winning Ian Axe Delbars.

Hector must have the best record in Ireland from St. Malo in France and again this year won a top honour when his Delbar blue w/f cock was awarded a Bronze Diploma award by the NIPA when only 4 were won. His latest champion was 7th Open in 2018 (vel 688) when only 48 birds timed and this year was 79th (vel 1525). A blue Delbar hen won a Silver Diploma award in 2018 having been 36th Open, 111th Open and 190th Open in three St. Malo OB National races.

Hector’s performance in the last 7 years has been truly remarkable taking into account he lives some 3 miles from his loft. In 2013 he won the Young Bird INFC National from Penzance, was 5th Open Penzance Classic, 27th Open Sennen Cove when he had 5 birds in the open result. He followed this up the following year by taking 1st Open NIPA St. Malo being the only bird on the day in the organisation. “Home Alone” was awarded a RPRA Medal for over 450 miles. Most of these national prize winners were Busschaert/Jan Thelan/Janssen.

In 2015 he again topped the NIPA Section E and was 4th Open St. Malo and in 2016 was 2nd Section E & 5th Open and took 4 open positions when only 139 birds home in race time.

The Myers boys are eagerly looking forward to breeding the check pied cock and they wish to place on record their sincere thanks to Hector Cordner for his kindness. I am sure all fanciers will wish Ollie and Charlie every success in the future.

Loft Feature on C & D Jackson of Kells & District HPS -

This week we feature a top winning loft racing in the Mid Antrim Hot-bed of Kells & Connor an area that has always featured at the highest level of Mid Antrim competition winning the Old Bird Derby in the NIPA for T Shanks & Son and then Secretary Roy McFarlane coming so close with a 2nd Open INFC finish in the Blue Riband Kings Cup. The late Billy McClure was also 2nd Open in the Kings Cup and more recently he had won two Hall of Fame Diplomas. The late Les Mairs was many times Fancier of the Year and several seasons as Top Prize-winner. The George McDowell loft won the NI Fancier of the Year award in a season of big results from France.

In the latest census (2011) Kells & Connor had a population of 2,053 people (808 households). An old stone bridge crosses the Kells Water, separating Kells from Connor. There is a gate community around Kells due to past history. Kells and Connor was the location where the 1859 Ulster revival started. On transport Kells was formerly served by the Ballymena and Larne Railway, a narrow gauge railway. Kells railway station opened on 24 August 1878, closed for passenger traffic on 31 January 1933 and finally closed altogether on 3 June 1940. This old railway line passed through Harryville in Ballymena at the rear of Brooke Park, just a little bit before my time.

My loft feature is on one of the most improved lofts racing locally, Davy Jackson has achieved in a short time Highest Prize-winner in Kells & District HPS for the first time, and probably even more to follow.

Q1. When started racing, what club and was any family involved? Why did you start in the pigeons and what birds did you start with?

Davy - First started racing in the early eighties with my dad Harry in Cullybackey Flying Club. My first birds were Davy McNeilly Delbars, a super bloodline at thet time and Davy McNeilly had the best. They gave me my first win in the New North race from Haverfordwest Raced on and off until 2001/2 then left the sport and started again in 2016.

Q2. What organizations do you fly with currently?

Davy - I now fly in Kells and District HPS, the local Mid Antrim Combine and Section B of the NIPA.

Q3. Your Loft, Structure, length and how many?

Davy - I have Three 16 by 6 lofts, Young Bird, Old Bird and Stock loft

Q4. Racing/training methods for old birds and young birds. Do you put YB’s on Darkness System, and what about Old Birds – Widowhood, Roundabout or just Natural?

Davy - Old birds are raced on natural paired up on second week of February trained well before racing starts and then loft flown except ones that haven’t been to the race previous weekend. YB up until this year raced natural but this year was racing on darkness. Training all done before racing starts then loft flown.

Q5. Feeding and systems etc over the season?

Davy - My feeding is all Versela laga and Beyers and plenty of it.

Q6. Treatments, what and when used? Do you use Vitamins, if so what?

Davy - Birds get treated before breeding and racing for worms (moxidectin), canker (trico 40), respiratory (soludox), and during racing every 3 weeks for canker and respiratory. I also use Gerdon 1 on return from race, Apple Cider every other day and vitamin B12 before basketing

Q7. Breeding info when done etc.? - now that the rings are available before Christmas.

Davy - Stock paired near end of January as I don’t like early Young Birds.

Q8. Birds at stock, strains kept and families etc.?

Davy - Main family’s kept are Soontjens and Lambrechts from my good friend Derek Parr (Lakeside Lofts), Portadown.

Q9. Racing results over the years – Club, Sect & Combine and best Open positions with NIPA & INFC?

Davy - My biggest result in the INFC was 6th Open Yearling National with a Blue cock from Alan Darragh stock vel 1116 from memory. In the NIPA 3rd Open Penzance Classic, 5th Open Penzance winning both occasions 1st Section. 5th Open & 1st Section Talbenny OB. 1st Area Lib Open, same pigeon as OB 1st MAC Castletown Yearling National.

Q10. Outstanding racers and stock birds since starting the sport?

Davy - Enclosed are photos of my best racers, I also gave Geoffrey Surgenor the parents of his YB Talbenny National winner Christine, named after my wife.

Q11. What about cross channel racing both old bird and young bird?

Davy - Channel is what I’m after, both YB and OB are aimed at the channel.

Q12. Any positions held past or present? – Any work covered at the club?

Davy - I do all the ETS clocks in the club and always there to clean crates and load transporter.

Q13. Special mention of anyone who helped , or influenced you in the sport? Any views for the future?

Davy - I’d like to say that without my wife Christine these results would not be possible as I work long hours leaving her to do a lot of the work. Also to Derek Parr as all my best birds have come from him and we have become good friends which is important to me. Must mention Paul MacAloney for his advice on feeding my birds, I’ve never looked back.

Q14. Last, but not least your best result, and what was biggest disappointment in the sport?

Davy - Best result has to be “Nee Nee” my RPRA Section B winner Meritorious Award, double section winner. But I’d class “Mr Perfect” my best bird at least 15 times in club Top 5, won Bude and that year flew every race to Penzance just missing the second race. My biggest disappointment is that my dad didn’t live to see my birds winning as he died in 1999 aged just 57, miss him every day.

Q15. Anything I missed you would like to mention?

Davy - The sport needs to change its attitude and help new starters, and also those fanciers who are racing but only get a few prizes. If we don’t help these people win more they will leave the sport and there will be no pigeon racing at all. A mentor programme could be set up quite easily, I was lucky to get good advice and pigeons but was also given poor advice from so called top men, this needs to change.

Randalstown HPS Season – Stewart Bros on Top!

Secretary John Millar has as usual supplied a list of the 2020 season winners, top prize-winners Stewart Bros had a big old bird season while the Dickey Family dominated in the young birds. The two big results in the old birds involved two long time members, Houston Bros were the winners of Fermoy when the Penzance birds were returned to Ireland due to weather problems and then the very next week J McNeill & Son had the best bird in the St Malo OB National which turned out one of the best races from France for several years. We all remember last year 2019 when the result of the year was achieved by Chairman Hugh Boyd who timed his winner now named “Bleachgreen Dawn” early on the second morning from St Malo in France and now the sad news due to advancing years has decided to leave the sport and dispose of the stock birds and racers.

Old Bird winners: 07/06 Tullamore Stewart Bros vel 1406 (10th MAC), 13/06 Gowran Park 9/287 Stewart Bros 1-2 vel 1251 (10th MAC), 20/06 Corrin (1) 9/246 Stewart Bros vel 1845, 02/07 Corrin (2) 9/246 J Millar 1-3 vel 1355 (14th MAC), 11/07 Talbenny J Millar 1-2 vel 1291 (7th & 15th MAC), 19/07 Bude 9/117 J Millar 1-2 vel 1065 (4th & 11th MAC), H Boyd vel 1009 (14th MAC), W & W Gilbert vel 1009 (15th MAC), 25/07 Fermoy for Penzance Houston Bros vel 1527 (1st MAC), Stewart Bros vel 1476 (12th MAC), St Malo Old Bird National 5/30 J McNeill & Son vel 1485 (5th MAC), J Millar vel 1427 (10th & 16th MAC).

Penzance in Cornwall was to be the race point for the third channel race of the season. Because of poor weather on the day of liberation and the following day it was decided to bring the birds back to Ireland for a race from Fermoy in County Cork. The birds were liberated on Saturday 25th July at 08.00am in a westerly wind. Best bird in the Mid Antrim Combine this race were Randalstown old hands 85 year old Bobby and 79 year old Allen who make up the Houston Bros partnership. They timed their 2 year old widowhood cock at 11.45am for the 195 mile fly to their lofts situated off the Antrim line close to the Ramble Inn. Breeding is their old distance lines with a touch of Verheye. A good win for the brothers who have previously won 1st and 2nd Open NIPA Tramore, a number of years ago.

The next week the Premier OB Nat was flown from St Malo in France, early birds in Northern Ireland were being timed from the early afternoon and although conditions at the home end were not perfect a large number of birds came through and all the major positions were filled on the day of liberation. Race marking as usual took place early on Tuesday and with restricted travel arrangements, and our usual route not available the birds ended up being transported direct to France. The convoy were one day earlier on site and a Thursday was available for liberation, the forecast had it as the best day and some 4,000 birds were released on Thursday 30th July at 6.30am in a helping South East wind.

Result for Randalstown HPS 5/30 – J McNeill & Son 1485, J Millar 1427, 1343, H Boyd 1297, 1274, Stewart Bros 1218, 1177, W & W Gilbert 1084.

Ahoghill Centre St Malo – Alan Darragh Cullybackey 1518, J McNeill & Son Randalstown 1485, J Smyth & Son Ahoghill 1451, John Millar Randalstown 1427, M/M Robinson Ahoghill 1387, J Eagleson & Sons Ballymena 1362, A Darragh 1346, M/M Robinson 1344, John Millar 1343, Martin Graham Ballymena 1307.

Speaking to Anthony McNeill he said only a small team is kept and raced, they have been members in Randalstown for over 30 years and in that time have lifted a number of awards, the highlight of which was winning 1st Open NIPA in the Millennium season of 2000. He said they enjoy competing in the various races and especially at the distance, if you record an arrival well and good and if you fail to time in there is always another day. At the end of the day its just a bit of fun. The St Malo race was the big event of the year and J McNeill & Son were among the early arrivals at the Ahoghill Centre finishing just behind the best in the Centre Alan Darragh of Cullybackey who was doing velocity 1518. The Randalstown winner recorded vel 1485 for the 400 plus miles, 5th MAC, 12th Sect B and 126th Open NIPA 479/2714. The bird was from Ian Donaghy of Lisburn, a former Old Bird Derby winner with a good distance record, bloodlines the tried and tested Kenyon family a line that has produced numerous winners locally over many years. The 2 year old hen was not raced as a youngster, and very lightly as a yearling. In the 2020 year she had just the one race and before France was trained to the border weekly with Sam Murphy.

Young Birds: 08/08 Area Lib Mullingar (1) 6/203 Stewart Bros 1-3 vel 1281 (17th MAC 48/1615), 15/08 Area Lib Mullingar (2) 8/211 Stewart Bros vel 1270 (11th MAC 52/1521), J McNeill & Son vel 1246 (21st MAC), 23/08 Roscrea 6/125 F & J & G Dickey vel 1667 (10th MAC 49/1453), 29/08 Gowran Park 6/173 F & J & G Dickey vel 1158 (21st MAC 51/1375), 01/09 Fermoy 5/133 F & J & G Dickey 1-3 vel 1247 (12th MAC 42/1008), 12/09 Talbenny YB nat 5/31 F & J & G Dickey vel 1304 (8th MAC 38/201), J Millar vel 1299 (9th MAC), 19/09 Fermoy 3/38 F & J & G Dickey 1-3 vel 1108 (19th MAC 32/418), 19/09 Fermoy 5 Bird Championship F & J & G Dickey vel 1097 (11th MAC).

Let me look at the top race of the young bird season in the NIPA, best in the Ahoghill Centre from Talbenny in South Wales was Adrian Shiels who had a best ever season in Ahoghill followed by Jackie Steele and then the top two in Randalstown HPS. The Dickey Family doing velocity 1304 were just ahead of Secretary John Millar who was Highest Prize-winner in 2019.

Ahoghill Centre Talbenny – A Shiels Ahoghill 1309, Steele & McNeill Rasharkin 1308, F & J & G Dickey Randalstown 1304, J Millar Randalstown 1299, Blair & Rankin 1297, A Darragh Cullybackey 1281, W & J Smyth Ballymena 1279, Blair & Rankin 1270, C & R McIntyre Cullybackey 1265, A Darragh 1252.

Result in Randalstown HPS 5/31 – F & G & J Dickey 1304, J Millar 1299, F & G & J Dickey 1176, 1152, J McNeill & Son 940, Stewart Bros 860. 4th win on the trot Geoff and Frank pleased with today’s winners from Tullamore and Talbenny, both birds bred at Farmview Lofts the best of Stickers Donckers.

Club members featured in the closing stages of the Mid Antrim Combine Y/B Knock-out, at the quarter final stage we had W & J Smyth 1104 v Dickey Family 1158, and J Smyth & Son 1145 v Stewart Bros. From Fermoy the Dickey Family doing velocity 1243 knocked out the high flying R Service & Son but in the final despite winning 1st Club lost out to the loft of the year Danny Dixon who also won 1st Club on velocity 1360. In the O/B Knock-out Stewart Bros made the Quarter Final to be knocked out by the eventual winner Allen McBride. John Millar made the Top 10 of the O/B Fancier of the Year after a very consistent season.

The cups and trophies were won as follows: -

Stewart Bros won – Tommy Cotter Trophy Highest Prize-winner, John Kyle Cup Best Ave first two old bird races, Combine Ave OB & YB, Bernard McKay Cup Best Ave first two young bird races, Inland Ave Old Birds 172 Points, BOCM Cup Old Bird Skibbereen.

John Millar won – Old Bird Average, Simpson Shield Best Ave St Malo and Talbenny YB Nat, J Millar Shield Best Ave third and fourth old bird races, J Shaw Cup Talbenny Old Birds, S Millar Cup 1st Bude, J Boyd Cup Cross Channel OB Average, P Marrion Cup Lowest winning velocity cross channel, Champion Old bird (03959), Cross Channel Average all races, Roy Magill Shield Most Points Old Bird 167 Points.

F & J & G Dickey won – Young Bird Average, Most Points Young Bird, G Lynch Cup Best Ave fifth and sixth young bird races, J McKeown Cup Talbenny Young Bird, S McComb Cup Fermoy Young Bird, Champion Young Bird. 128 Points.

Houston Bros won – Fermoy race in place of Penzance. J McNeill & Son won – Clanmore Cup winner of Saint Malo Old Bird National.



HOMER. Willie Reynolds

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