INFC Archives - Ronnie Johnston (Patron)
Posted: Tue Oct 13, 2009 2:09 pm
From The Irish National Flying Club Archives
The Irish National Flying Club organise two old bird races to be flown from France and the second one of these has become known as the Friendship National. The trophy for this old bird National race was presented to the INFC by the members of the Up North Combine.
The Beattie family of Portadown have sponsored this race for many years now and have also presented to the club a super trophy for the Best 2-bird Average. The race has been flown from various race points over the years including Beauvais, Sartilly, St Malo, Fourgeres and Falaise and it was from the latter race point that Henry Beattie won 1st Open in 1979 with the blue cock Laurel Prince.
Henry first entered the sport in 1946 and the top National flyers in his area at that time were Billy Clements of Portadown, Everard Nelson of Gilford and Jimmy Thompson of Gilford who as Thompson Brothers won the Kings Cup in 1954 from Redon with Morning Star.
Henry's main aim has always been to fly the Derby and National races from France with the breakthrough coming in the early fifties winning 31st Open Kings Cup Rennes 1950 and 36th Open Kings Cup Rennes 1956. It was just after this that Henry was to meet the late Bob Harkness of Glenavy and his pigeons were to form the basis of his family right up to this very day.
In 1970 Henry won 3rd Open Vaux-Usher International Beauvais (Irish Section) with the mealy hen and this gave him a lot of pleasure as the race winner was Goudy Bros former Kings Cup winners and the famous Smyth Bros of Ballymena were 2nd Open.
In 1972 he came close to winning his first National, being 2nd Open Penzance Young Bird National with a young dark chequer cock. Billy Erwin of Ballymena, another former Kings Cup winner has been a close friend and it was an Erwin cross that bred one of Henry's best ever racing hens, a red chequer that won 26th Open NIPA OB Dinard Derby. During the 70s the Beattie pigeons continued to fly well at the highest level - 1976 49th Open INFC Rennes Kings Cup; 1978 31st & 48th Open INFC Rennes Kings Cup; 1979 1st Open INFC Falaise, 96th Open INFC Rennes Kings Cup, 51st Open NIPA Avranches OB Derby.
During the 80s the quest for the Kings Cup continued but it was not until 1994 that the greatest prize in the sport was landed when the two year old mealy hen Laurel Queen won 1st Section, 1st Open INFC Kings Cup from Rennes, velocity 1309ypm. Henry is now in his 81st year but the French races remain the one's that he plans for all year.
INFC Gold Medal
This most coveted award is won when the same pigeon is four times an Open prize winner from the Kings Cup, yes I know that is difficult and in the 30 years that it has been up for competition only eight have been won.
1995 was to be an amazing year in the history of the INFC with Jackie Patience of Lurgan 1st & 2nd Open from Rennes, six Hall of Fame diplomas won, three times an Open prize winner in the Kings Cup. Mr & Mrs Flanaghan, Downpatrick; Jackie Waring & son, Lisburn; Jimmy Cullen, Dublin; G Killops, Drumcree and N Black & sons, Dromara with two. Can you believe it? Three Gold medals were won by Burns Bros, Comber; Frank Scott & son, Dromore and Gordon Kirkpatrick, Ballymacbrennan who was winning his second Gold Medal to add to his three Hall of Fame diplomas won.
In 2009 two magnificent hens were sent to the Kings Cup by Gary Benson, Lisburn, and Sam Corrigan, Loughgall, both going for the Gold Medal and the good news both hens were clocked but the bad news was they just missed out making the Open Prize result. Gary and Sam may have the 2010 already at the planning stage and I wish them well as it is long overdue for a Gold Medal to be won.
Larry Burns
To win the Kings Cup would be a lifelong dream for most fanciers but to win the cup and have the only bird home on the day of liberation is something close. This is exactly what Larry achieved in 1960 when he won 1st Section, 1st Open Les Sables at 580 miles, velocity 1026ypm.
His two year old blue chequer hen was liberated at 6am and clocked at 10.32pm with darkness just starting to creep in. Larry reported that she was in splendid condition on arrival and his heart nearly burst when she dropped on to the loft and I should think so!
It was with Tom McCann that Larry first visited Berti Brown of Newtownards and obtained pigeons that contained the bloodlines of Charlie Neill, Bangor. Larry was fortunate to obtain birds from the famous long distance flyers Bingham Bros, Dromore, and these pigeons were to form the base pigeons of the loft.
During the early 60s the Burns loft won 1st Open Kings Cup 19th Open Redon, 21st Rennes, 31st Redon and 3rd Open Ulster Federation Landerneau. I have always though that the top fanciers in the 60s and 70s leaned more to the National races and thats how they made their name.
As far back as 1933 E A Robinson of Shawsbridge won from Les Sables and his family owned the Belfast departmental store Robinson & Cleaver now a modern M&S store.
The Irish National Flying Club organise two old bird races to be flown from France and the second one of these has become known as the Friendship National. The trophy for this old bird National race was presented to the INFC by the members of the Up North Combine.
The Beattie family of Portadown have sponsored this race for many years now and have also presented to the club a super trophy for the Best 2-bird Average. The race has been flown from various race points over the years including Beauvais, Sartilly, St Malo, Fourgeres and Falaise and it was from the latter race point that Henry Beattie won 1st Open in 1979 with the blue cock Laurel Prince.
Henry first entered the sport in 1946 and the top National flyers in his area at that time were Billy Clements of Portadown, Everard Nelson of Gilford and Jimmy Thompson of Gilford who as Thompson Brothers won the Kings Cup in 1954 from Redon with Morning Star.
Henry's main aim has always been to fly the Derby and National races from France with the breakthrough coming in the early fifties winning 31st Open Kings Cup Rennes 1950 and 36th Open Kings Cup Rennes 1956. It was just after this that Henry was to meet the late Bob Harkness of Glenavy and his pigeons were to form the basis of his family right up to this very day.
In 1970 Henry won 3rd Open Vaux-Usher International Beauvais (Irish Section) with the mealy hen and this gave him a lot of pleasure as the race winner was Goudy Bros former Kings Cup winners and the famous Smyth Bros of Ballymena were 2nd Open.
In 1972 he came close to winning his first National, being 2nd Open Penzance Young Bird National with a young dark chequer cock. Billy Erwin of Ballymena, another former Kings Cup winner has been a close friend and it was an Erwin cross that bred one of Henry's best ever racing hens, a red chequer that won 26th Open NIPA OB Dinard Derby. During the 70s the Beattie pigeons continued to fly well at the highest level - 1976 49th Open INFC Rennes Kings Cup; 1978 31st & 48th Open INFC Rennes Kings Cup; 1979 1st Open INFC Falaise, 96th Open INFC Rennes Kings Cup, 51st Open NIPA Avranches OB Derby.
During the 80s the quest for the Kings Cup continued but it was not until 1994 that the greatest prize in the sport was landed when the two year old mealy hen Laurel Queen won 1st Section, 1st Open INFC Kings Cup from Rennes, velocity 1309ypm. Henry is now in his 81st year but the French races remain the one's that he plans for all year.
INFC Gold Medal
This most coveted award is won when the same pigeon is four times an Open prize winner from the Kings Cup, yes I know that is difficult and in the 30 years that it has been up for competition only eight have been won.
1995 was to be an amazing year in the history of the INFC with Jackie Patience of Lurgan 1st & 2nd Open from Rennes, six Hall of Fame diplomas won, three times an Open prize winner in the Kings Cup. Mr & Mrs Flanaghan, Downpatrick; Jackie Waring & son, Lisburn; Jimmy Cullen, Dublin; G Killops, Drumcree and N Black & sons, Dromara with two. Can you believe it? Three Gold medals were won by Burns Bros, Comber; Frank Scott & son, Dromore and Gordon Kirkpatrick, Ballymacbrennan who was winning his second Gold Medal to add to his three Hall of Fame diplomas won.
In 2009 two magnificent hens were sent to the Kings Cup by Gary Benson, Lisburn, and Sam Corrigan, Loughgall, both going for the Gold Medal and the good news both hens were clocked but the bad news was they just missed out making the Open Prize result. Gary and Sam may have the 2010 already at the planning stage and I wish them well as it is long overdue for a Gold Medal to be won.
Larry Burns
To win the Kings Cup would be a lifelong dream for most fanciers but to win the cup and have the only bird home on the day of liberation is something close. This is exactly what Larry achieved in 1960 when he won 1st Section, 1st Open Les Sables at 580 miles, velocity 1026ypm.
His two year old blue chequer hen was liberated at 6am and clocked at 10.32pm with darkness just starting to creep in. Larry reported that she was in splendid condition on arrival and his heart nearly burst when she dropped on to the loft and I should think so!
It was with Tom McCann that Larry first visited Berti Brown of Newtownards and obtained pigeons that contained the bloodlines of Charlie Neill, Bangor. Larry was fortunate to obtain birds from the famous long distance flyers Bingham Bros, Dromore, and these pigeons were to form the base pigeons of the loft.
During the early 60s the Burns loft won 1st Open Kings Cup 19th Open Redon, 21st Rennes, 31st Redon and 3rd Open Ulster Federation Landerneau. I have always though that the top fanciers in the 60s and 70s leaned more to the National races and thats how they made their name.
As far back as 1933 E A Robinson of Shawsbridge won from Les Sables and his family owned the Belfast departmental store Robinson & Cleaver now a modern M&S store.