Homer's Odyssey/BHW PLus - 12/03/10

[willie reynolds]

The NIPA held a final Committee Meeting prior to racing, stationary and Diplomas have been distributed to each member club. Randox from Crumlin attended to show the proper procedure required to take drug tests involving feather and crop swab samples and the relevant paper work. They will supply a working list of banned substances and Randox will be leading the way with this new technology that is also raising interest not only with the RPRA but also the German and Dutch Federations. Help will be supplied to clubs to enable them to submit an official copy of the Race Result by Fax over Saturday & Sunday which will hopefully enable a result to be made available on the Sunday evening to be used in the pigeon publicity over the next week. An important part of all this is that clubs use the new Transporter Envelope to be handed to the driver on the Friday night collection. A properly signed cheque enclosed and filled out on the front of the envelope giving entry details, crates, members and birds competing etc. All information will be logged and cheques got ready for the bank early Saturday and everything in place waiting for club results on a Saturday evening. The Transporter Envelope is not to be mixed up with anything else, it alone with cheque and all information filled out handed to the driver during collection. No Envelope or cheque supplied to the driver, no collection the following week.

The wages which were frozen last year are to be raised this year as per the rate of inflation, the unwritten rule regarding tape recordings of meetings is to be introduced and brought forward to the AGM. Past Presidents have always in the past been kept involved when leaving office and Owen Donnelly from Larne has been included to the Vice President list. At the March Meeting of the RPRA we are to clarify rules in relation to the drivers and time working, voting procedures for Vice Presidents and the big subject at present the Trapping System re ETS. The first race of the season will be from Tullamore on Saturday11th April.

The Fanciers Combine based in the Portadown Area will hold 4 Open Races during 2010, 2 for Old Birds and 2 for Young Birds. Each race will be open to members of all organisations, full details of dates and marking arrangements will be published later, watch press.

The AGM for Mid Antrim Combine will be held in the Harryville HPS on Wednesday 17th March at 8.00pm. Two Delegates from each club to vote on proposals.

Resolution No 1 – Submitted by Harryville HPS

The Mid Antrim Combine remains as it is now with no more clubs being accepted.

Resolution No 2 – Submitted by Harryville HPS

All birds competing in the Mid Antrim Combine must be race marked through which clubs the owners fees are paid to the Mid Antrim Combine. NIPA Classic & National races where the birds are marked in Centres. Birds competing in Mid Antrim Combine must be paid through clubs where the owners fees are paid.

Kells & District HPS will have a club meeting this Thursday 11th March at 8.00pm to decide on the resolutions.

Banbridge Social annual Breeder & Buyer Sale will be held in the local Royal British Legion on Friday 12th March, last season £1,700 was paid out over four prizes. The race will be flown from Skibbereen in conjunction with the Irish Nat FC. Contact Gary Tel: (028) 40 669825, Terence Tel: 07711 409295, or Davy Robinson Tel: 07851 312046. Found Dead: In Larne area IHU09N 14492. Lost: In Lurgan Area Smokey Cheq hen 07C 43521, Tel: 028(38) 882032.

Breeder/Buyer Sale for Drumnavaddy Invitation will take place on Thursday 18th March in Banbridge British Legion .Race to be flown from Fermoy. Birds donated from many top lofts. More info will be available in the next few weeks. Contact - Davy Tel: 07593 666757, Brendan Tel: 07547 802590, or Kenny Tel: 07737 521355.

Members should note the deadline for the INFC Single Bird Challenge, including NIPA members.

BHW/INFC Single Bird Challenge entry form should be completed and returned to D Black by 17th March along with the £5 entry fee. Also included in the envelope is the Robin Duddy Trophy entry form, to win this trophy a member nominates three birds on their Yearling National entry sheet, it is the first of these three birds which counts, ~they also nominate three birds on their Penzance Young Bird National sheet and again the first bird home counts towards the two race average, the total cost of entry is £10. The closing date for entries is the race marking night of the Yearling National, Monday 7th June. If any member wants to send both entries together they can do so. Any potential new members or any member with any questions should contact David Black on Tel: 07876 157706 on details of how to enter.

Randalstown HPS continue to lift top prizes sitting half way between Antrim and Ballymena for the past number of seasons they have competed in the Mid Antrim Combine now with nine clubs and getting as big as a few Federations. Tom McMillan was a top competitor in the Chimney Corner where he won numerous 1sts up to 1st NIPA Section B. He was the leading loft in 2009 and I can remember before that A & S Bell, Mr & Mrs Magill and Tom Cotter to just mention a few that have reached the top. The Magill Family won Nationals with the INFC and had some Golden Years, and of course the great “Champion Sean” won a Hall of Fame and the Kings Cup for the late Arthur Simpson. Other great gentlemen who are long remembered include Bob Bell the long time secretary, long time chairman John Kyle was a past President NIPA and there were many others. Randalstown is a place I know quite well having stayed during many school holidays and probably spoiled by Granny Wallace in Daisy Hill. How the whole place has changed since those days when the Old Bleach was the place of work for most residents and they had a train station. For this year once again the NIPA have appointed myself alone as Press Officer to look after and cover the publicity, as far as possible, for all member clubs. The job does cover some small reward, having been done on a voluntary basis for well over 30 years. It is not the case now nor never has been the more you pay the better you get covered, that’s just idle chat. A number of clubs have a news contact, many do a fantastic job full of total dedication. I would say to my regular contacts, keep the news coming and for the rest. Remember what I mentioned before, if you are not getting covered I am not getting either the news or the result.

Now some quick racing performances in the old bird Tullamore T McMillan had two birds together to win 6th & 7th Combine and 9th & 10th Sect B, a fast day with his winner doing velocity 1872. Stewart Bros were best in Roscrea (1) 7th Comb, 24th Sect & 115th Open NIPA 1223/27,770, again over a mile a minute. In Tullamore (3) secretary John Millar had two birds together to win 11th & 12th Comb and 14th & 15th Sect, the winner doing velocity 1891. From Clonmel (1) Tom McMillen was a good 2nd Comb, 5th Sect 183/4945 on 1746 and Stewart Bros were best in Clonmel (2) finishing 9th Comb, 10th Sect & 149th Open NIPA 1164/26,870. Stewart Bros were best again in the Rosscarbery Inl Nat on another fast day doing velocity 1878 they finished 1st Sect & 27th Open NIPA 907/7,602 and were beat for the MAC by Jimmy Smyth of Ahoghill. They had the winner again from Fermoy doing vel 1948 the loft finished 5th Comb, 9th Sect & 74th Open NIPA 848/17,067. David Logan had a super result from Talbenny (1) taking 1st Comb, 1st Sect & 7th Open NIPA with almost 20,000 birds competing in the first cross channel race. He had the top three birds the next week in the comeback Fermoy all three well placed in Comb & Sect. At Talbenny the second time it was top success for the consistent Houston Bros finishing 4th Comb, 4th Sect & 81st Open NIPA 1038/14,664. David Logan continued the good form and was best again from Bude, three more early arrivals 6th, 8th & 10th Comb, 7th, 10th & 12th Sect and 42nd, 52nd & 64th Open NIPA 771/7060, his winner doing velocity 1612. The members had a great race from Penzance, the most difficult of the season to date. Stewart Bros doing velocity 941 finished 10th Comb, 14th Sect & 145th Open NIPA 866/9054. Also well placed were Houston Bros, D Logan (2 birds) and Tom McMillen. Stewart Bros were best in the duplicate OB Classic finishing 11th Sect & 96th Open NIPA 501/3,491. Houston Bros had the early arrival from St Malo in France, doing velocity 1161 the loft finished 3rd Comb, 4th Sect & 20th Open NIPA 575/1,904, others with day arrivals included Hugh Boyd and Campbell Shaw.

Moving to young birds John Millar on 1546 was a yard ahead of Stewart Bros in the Area Liberation from Tullamore, Tom McMillan had 1st Roscrea. Simon Millar was the winner at Clonmel doing velocity 1619 he finished 8th Comb, 20th Sect B 156/3,353. In the Talbenny YB Nat the best bird was timed by W & W Gilbert, doing 1135 the loft finished 5th Comb, 10th Sect & 65th Open NIPA 624/4,183. The loft is getting back to the show scene at the INFC Belfast Show in December had BOS, Best YB and Most Points. Simon Millar had all the early birds from Fermoy, a good card presented won 19th, 24th, 31st, 33rd and 36th Sect B 117/1730. One week later in the Rosscarbery YB Nat Simon Millar had the early birds again 4th & 5th Comb, 11th & 12th Sect and two other birds well placed.

Racing with the Irish Nat Flying Club Tom McMillan was best in the Yearling Nat flown from Sennen Cove, on vel 1111 and flying 323 Miles the loft finished 51st North Sect & 92nd Open INFC 786/4,134 plus £200. Campbell Shaw finished 79th North Sect & 130th Open INFC and the consistent J McNeill & Son also made the result. The Kings Cup was flown for the first time in three seasons and Hugh Boyd was best placed finishing 63rd North Sect & 73rd Open doing vel 1288 flying 505 Miles. J McNeill & Son were next best followed by Houston Bros and Stewart Bros who just got in to qualify for the highly prized Hall of Fame Diploma. Three times in the Kings Cup result with the same bird, 54th Open Messac in 2004, 64th Open Vannes in 2006 and 246th Open Plaudren in 2009. In a very unique position the Stewart Bros win a second diploma with birds the same way bred, a first for that. John Millar had the only bird from Penzance, his old hen finished 2nd Comb, 24th North Sect & 30th Open INFC flying 321 Miles doing velocity 599, real hard going.

1. T McMillan: Kyle Cup Av 2 Tullamore races OB, Millar Trophy Ave Roscrea & Clonmel OB, Mr & Mrs Magill Cup Most Points Old Birds, Old Bleach Cup 1st bird INFC Yearling National.

2. Stewart Bros: Marrion Cup Lowest Velocity OB, Inland Ave Cup, Bell, Kyle, Simpson Cup Penzance, Gribben Cup Penzance OB Classic, BOCM Cup Rosscarbery OB Nat NIPA, McKay Cup Ave 1st & 2nd YB Races, McComb Trophy Fermoy, Houston Trophy Best Old Bird 2009.

3. Simon Millar: W J Bell Cup Rosscarbery YB Nat NIPA, Mr & Mrs Magill Shield Most Points YB, Davis Trophy Best Young Bird 2009.

4. John Millar: Young Bird Average Cup. David Logan: Kissick Cup Ave Bude & Penzance, Millar Cup Bude (1st Mid Antrim Combine), Shaw Cup 1st Talbenny. Houston Bros: J Boyd Cup Ave 2 Talbenny, Bude & Penzance, Clanmore Cup St Malo OB Nat NIPA, Castledawson Trophy 2nd Talbenny. Hugh Boyd: Simpson Shield Ave OB & YB NIPA, D Bell Cup OB Nat INFC Kings Cup Plaudren. W & W Gilbert: R Adair Shield Ave Talbenny & Rosscarbery YB Nat NIPA, J McKeown Cup Talbenny YB Nat NIPA, S McCausland Trophy Lowest Vel YB Races. Campbell Shaw: Old Bird Average Cup 2009. S Murphy: Simpson Trophy Best Novice 2009.

Congratulations goes to Simon Millar on winning in the racing pigeon classes at the BHW Show of the Year in Blackpool. He also won the Show Series in the Club Shows 2009 and I hear he has filled the position of Secretary for 2010.

Willie Reynolds
NIPA Press Officer
Tel/Fax: (028) 256 44683
Email: reynoldshomer@aol.com
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