Homer's Odyssey/BHW PLus - 25/12/09

[willie reynolds]

Ballymena & District HPS completed another successful show season and many thanks to Billy Smyth and Harry Richmond who again set things up and attended faithfully at each show night. The monies raised are very helpful and it keeps the club in the public eye with results and photos published over two months. Many thanks as well to all the judges who made a visit this term and all those who donated prizes including the final Eye-sign Show with prizes for all cards. Secretary Harry Smyth from Broughshane and John Getty placed the cards for the final event. Class winners were Brian Herbinson who retained the Visitors Show Trophy and James Harris who collected another Red Card for the home club and the Special. Jack Balmer won the raffle. What about the Club Show Shield? Ace racer Blair & Rankin had a fantastic show season both here and at a number of other local clubs and he wins the Most Points at Ballymena & District. The new season looks like it will have top competition, at least two new members, the recently retired Bertie Blair, a new loft for the ETS and another race loft being re-furbished. Try and keep up with all that, the last season was one of top success for the local club and the list of awards will be covered in the annual dinner report.

Results: Old Bird Eye-sign 1st, Reserve & VHC B Herbinson, 2nd & Commended Richmond Bros, 3rd Blair & Rankin, 4th J Harris, HC J & C Balmer. Young Bird Eye-sign 1st & Special J Harris, 2nd, 4th, Reserve & HC B Herbinson, VHC J Letters, Commended Blair & Rankin.

For Sale Nearly New (9 months old) T3S Clock Blue Face with Data Printer, Battery Pack, Kwik Start, Thimbles and Carry Case. Just £200, cost over £400 new. Tel: (028) 25637929, Mobile 07835 099155.

Kells & District HPS - Will host the usual Mid Antrim Boxing Day Show in their own clubrooms, the usual 3 in 1 for old bird and young bird with prizes for all cards and Specials including BIS & BOS, Saturday 26th December. Penning is from 11.00am until 2.00pm, bird are £1.

Horseshoe HPS Based in Larne, will be holding the annual Open Show and the Breeder/Buyer Sale which paid out £900 and the pot will increase for 2010 when they intend to include 2 x Hot Spot Races prior to the big event.

Kingswood HPS New members in the NIPA, are based in East Belfast at 172 Albertbridge Road. They will be hosting an OPEN to all Boxing Day Show on Saturday 26th December with penning 12 to 2.00pm. The three classes - Any Age Cock, Any Age Hen and Eye-sign and cost shall be £1 per bird. Among other prizes BIS £50 and a small sale of 2010 youngsters.

Lisburn & District The club would like to thank Gordon Parker and Natalie for doing the show at short notice (especially Natalie who done a great job in the colour class, Thanks.) All club members are welcome for the New Year show on 02/01/10 with Penning from 12 1.00pm. Would members please remember to supply some prizes for the ballot on the day of the show. Class winners were McKibben & Magee, Spence Bros and J McKernan & Son. Young Cocks 1st McKibben & Magee, 2nd & 4th Spence Bros, 3rd & HC M Laffin, Reserve S McAllister & Son, VHC W Joss, Commended J McKernan & Son. Young Hens 1st Spence Bros, 2nd & 4th F Hanna, 3rd M Laffin, Reserve R Topping & Son, VHC S McAllister & Son, HC W English, Commended W Joss. Colour Class 1st J McKernan & Son, 2nd J McCready, 3rd F Hanna, 4th McKibben & Magee, Reserve R Topping & Son, WVH W English, HC W Joss, Commended M Laffin.

Millisle HPS John Hollinger is working hard on a new fund raiser for club funds, a raffle with top prize a weekend trip to Belgium to include loft visits and Lier Market, Nat Breeding Stud and more. Its the weekend of the Houten Spring Exchange 5-8th March 2010, only 100 Tickets being sold at £5 each. John might have a few spaces available on both this trip and Blackpool. Tel: 91 863536.

Blackpool Show The annual bus trip is being arranged at the present time, the usual two in East Antrim still have some seats available. Tel Robin Duddy (028) 93 340603 or Owen Donnelly for Larne & Dist (028) 93 260425.

Birds for Sale: John Lowry from Crumlin & Dist has a number of birds available at reasonable prices, the birds are listed on www.pigeonnetwork.com see Public Auction News. Further details Tel: 07710 447262. The officials and members of Crumlin & Dist send congratulations to Fleming Bros on winning a record number of 1sts in 2009 and also the NIPA Sect B Fancier of the Year in both 08 & 09 seasons. A young fancier in the Banbridge area had planned to start racing and had purchased some stock including Lindelaufs and Staf Van Reet from Louella. Racing is not now possible and he has a small number of birds for sale Tel: 07746 092104. Martin Graham from Ballymena & Dist has had a best ever racing season and he bred the winner of the Galway Plate for Adie McCormick a bird now named Cool Lass for those with a bad memory. Martin himself had a top class young bird season and in the old birds he scored through to France. He has some surplus stock available for sale, now is the time to make a purchase. Tel: (028) 25 637929. Peter McClarence of Crumlin has a number of unraced youngsters and needs to make space, bloodlines are Janssen, Hofken and Soontjen. Tel Peter (028) 94 453541. I hear Will Patterson of Dromore must get rid of the birds due to ill health, I hope to have more info soon. P & J Boal from Dromore have a few surplus hens for sale, the very top bloodlines mostly Van Herck Tel: 07989 596577.

Wesley Sawyers will auction the birds of Will Patterson & Son in the Banbridge British Legion Hall on Thursday 7th January 2010 at 8.00pm, birds on view from 7.00pm. Top stock including distance Busschaerts obtained from the late Tommy Beckett, Donnelly Bros Newry City, Kilpatrick from T & N Boyd Dunfries, Gordon Kirkpatrick Lisburn, Andrew Lockhart from Larnarkshire, plus some Delbar and Janssen. Worth a visit, some fantastic bloodlines here and a good opportunity to purchase stock prior to Blackpool.

The Derry City Open Show will be held beside the Brandywell Football Grounds on Sunday 27th December, I look forward to giving the event some coverage. I had a bit of bother downloading the poster, the joys of this computer age.

Without doubt the major club in East Antrim is Larne & District, birdage can be over 1,000 and in the past season a number of top results were achieved by a good spread of the members. Many thanks to Adrian Beggs and Stephen Gray who kept the news and photos flowing for the whole season, a big job looking after the publicity in a big club. I will feature a lot of the big winners over the next few weeks.

Old Bird Races: Tullamore (Ferguson Mem Cup) won by J Bell, Tullamore (Arklow Cup) won by A S BMcNaghten, Roscrea (Rainey Mem Cup) won by A S McNaghten, Clonmel (Joe Goodall Mem Cup) won by Marshall & Wilson, Clonmel (Girvin Mem Cup) won by W J Agnew, Tullamore extra race won by B McMurray, Rosscarbery Inl Nat (Minnis Armstrong Mem Cup) won by B McCammon, Fermoy (Charity Cup) won by W J Agnew, Talbenny (McCluggage Cup) won by Witherspoon & Rossborough, Fermoy Comeback (Whiteside Trophy) won by Marshall & Wilson, Talbenny (Magill Trophy) won by R Mills & Son, Bude (D Donnelly Mem Cup) won by A S McNaghten, Fermoy 5 Bird Championship (AVG Trophy) won by G K & I Moxham, Penzance (Penzance Cup) won by Baxter & Holden, 1st OAP Penzance (Fishermans Shield) won by W J Agnew, Rosscarbery Yearling Cock Nat (Reihill McKeown Cup) won by J & D McWhirter, Rosscarbery Yearling Hen Nat (Dillon Bass) won by A S McNaghten, St Malo Nat (OB Derby Cup & Isa Robinson Trophy) won by W J Agnew, Best 2 Bird Ave (McCluggage France Cup) won by Beggs & Hall, Best Single Bird Ave Talbenny (2) & Penzance (Snoddy Shield) won by A McCormick, Best Ave Talbenny (1), (2) & Bude (Ferguson Mem Cup) won by R Mills & Son, Best Ave Talbenny (2) & St Malo (Baxter Mem Cup) won by W J Agnew, Best Ave OB Cross Channel Races NIPA (Channel Ave Cup) won by W J Agnew, Best Ave all OB Races (Old Bird Ave Cup) won by W J Agnew.

Young Bird Races: Navan (J Lennon Sen Mem Cup) won by Steele & McLaughlin, Navan (McLaughlin Cup) won by B McCammon, Tullamore (Presidents Cup) won by R Mills & Son, Roscrea (Dempsey Cup) won by G K & I Moxham, Clonmel (Town Hall Cup) won by B McCammon, Fermoy (Gibson Shield) wson by McCormick & McCurdy, Talbenny Nat (YB Derby Cup) won by Marshall & Wilson, Best 2B Ave Talbenny (J Lennon Jun Mem Cup) won by Marshall & Wilson, Tullamore Comeback (Surgenor Cup) won by B McCammon, Fermoy (McCluggage YB Cup) won by S & W Gray, Fermoy 5 Bird (YB 5B Trophy) won by Geggs & Hall, Rosscarbery Nat (Highways Trophy) won by Baxter & Holden, Best 2B Ave Rosscarbery (McLaughlin Mem Cup) won by Baxter & Holden, Best Ave all YB Races (YB Average Cup) won by Marshall & Wilson, Best Ave YB Derby Races Talb & Ross (B McWilliams Mem Cup) won by L & S ONeill & Sons.

Old & Young Bird Races: Best Ave All Derby Races NIPA (John Morris Mem Cup) won by Baxter & Holden, Best Ave all Inland Races NIPA (Comb Inl Ave Cup) won by B McCammon, Best Ave all OB & YB Races NIPA (Combined Ave Cup) won by Baxter & Holden, Best Ave OB & YB Derby Races Rosscarbery (Longmore Cup) won by Baxter & Holden, Best Ave OB Inland Races (Royal Tara School of Dancing) won by Beggs & Hall, Best Points all OB & YB Races NIPA (Holden Mem Cup) won by B McCammon, Champion OB Channel Single Bird Points (Civic Week Cup) won by R Mills & Son, Champion OB Inland Single Bird Points (John Lee Mem Cup) won by Beggs & Hall and W J Agnew, Champion YB Best Single Bird Points Total (Robert Mills Mem Cup) won by B McCammon, Old Bird Knock-Out won by R Mills & Son, Young Bird Knock-Out won by L & S ONeill & Sons, Winter Shows 2008 (Show Trophy) won by A S McNaghten.

Irish Nat Flying Club Races: Skibbereen North OB Inl Nat (Nancy Donnelly Cup) won by R Mills & Son, Sennen Cove Yearling Nat (Bobby Rainey Mem Cup) won by R & J Baxter, Kings Cup Plaudren/Vannes (Margaret Mehaffey Mem Cup) won by R Mills & Son, Friendship Nat (Atkinson Cup) not won, Old Hens Penzance not won, Penzance YB Nat (Bamber Shield) not won, Skibbereen North YB Inl Nat (McCammon Trophy) won by Baxter & Holden.

As I complete this final column of the year I can reflect again on the season previous and how things have changed over recent times, almost 40 years at this job and nothing like what it was like from my early days up to recent months and something when I get more time I will cover in full detail. When I started out it was all hand writing and post, the move to full electronic delivery has not only seen a big change in speed but a massive increase in the amount of items being processed. I still enjoy it immensely, the challenge is still something to look forward to and although I may not please everyone all the time, I usually do my very best. Learning the new tricks of the trade in the computer age is something else, and I have still a long way to go. It is hard to keep tract of what has been done there is just so much from local newspapers, the pigeon books and now the websites. I am still here and I have no intention of going anywhere, some time off would be nice but I can never imagine having nothing to do. My diary of jobs to do is always overflowing and it make little difference with either an early start or a late finish, there is only seven days in the one week. My very best wishes to all the fancy, have a very Merry Christmas and a very successful New Year, I will be getting even closer to the pension.


HOMER
Tel/Fax: (028) 256 44683
Mobile: 07939 684876
E-mail: reynoldshomer@aol.com
www.pigeonnetwork.com
www.niparacingpigeons.co.uk