Overview 2025 Season by Jonny Baxter PO

[willie reynolds]

East Antrim Amalgamation
Season overview & prize winners
The curtain came down on another ultra successful season for the members of the East Antrim Amal at the 2nd awards night held at St John’s Masonic club in Larne!
A few thank you’s first and foremost
Firstly to our secretary Mr Mark McCormick, Mark takes care of most things including weekly results, pools, meetings, subscriptions etc without him the organisation does not exist!
To our chairman Tom Cairns & the club reps who give up their own time to attend meetings and make decisions in the best interest of its members!
To Alistair McNaughton & the Larne boys for organising the dinner & having us along it’s much appreciated.
To Mrs Magil for handing out our awards
To Jordan Hughes for publishing out reports to the homing world weekly and putting the word out of the class on display up our end of the country!
Over the ob/yb season 77 members raced 20,529 pigeons for in the region of £2000 of pools & prize money.
I have to say I was curious to see if we could have bettered the first season and we did, returning section winners, double section winners, open winners and not one but two national winners! Absolutely outstanding!
Some familiar names taking the silverware
D&J Campbell (Eastway)
O/B Points cup
Combined points cup
Champion old bird
Another super season for Davy, what can you say about a man who’s been at the top for a lifetime & still rattling out top results! Absolutely sensational flying,Well done!
G.McKenna (Eastway)
Y/B points cup
Champion Y/B
With no less than 4 EAA wins this year it’s business as usual for Gary & Reilly flying out of their skin especially with the ybs and is now Y/B points cup winner for the second year running. Two absolute gentlemen who deserve all the success, Well done !
Special medals were awarded to our national winners
A&N Lewis (Doagh) Dale Y/B Nationals winners
A.Thompson (Ballyclare) Plougastel O/B National
The aforementioned are in my own view are two of the best flying outfits on this island, totally consistent & always at the business end of the result especially the nationals.
Dedication brings success & results, massive congratulations to you guys! Well done.
Press officers performance of the year goes to McMullan bros of Glenarm, turning in a double section winner from Penzance & Penzance classic 5th open! A fantastic pigeon!
Well done to all our winners throughout the year!
I think it’s fair to say that Y/B season was without a doubt the most challenging on record,everything is getting harder and more expensive but I would encourage you all to keep going, keep pushing because we are all part of the best sport on the planet!
I mentioned at the dinner the importance of our clubhouses and I’ll mention it again tonight
Your fathers & grandfathers built those clubhouses you have the privilege of attending every Friday night, they belong to you the members and each one has many stories to tell. They have provided the memories that last a life time. Cast your mind back to Covid when the fancy was plunged into free fall at the mere possibility that we might not be able to meet up to racemark our pigeons, absolute disaster, one that we navigated and moved on. “The club” is where you go to race mark your birds talk to your fellow members have the weather discussion and race conditions, how long it will take them etc pay your money including the wee extra side interests you have for the craic! These are all exploits that have upheld for years upon years, and the returning the clocks, even better if you have an early one shaking hands and talking about other results coming in THIS IS THE BREAD AND BUTTER OF PIGEON RACING IN THIS COUNTRY anything other than that and your only a loft number with no foundation!
I would encourage you all to think about what your club means to you and do what you can to maintain it!
I have enclosed the pictures from the prize giving.
I want to thank everyone I spoke to throughout the year it was my privilege and pleasure getting the individual view weekly!
All that leaves me to do is to wish every single one of you a very merry Christmas & a prosperous new year both on the turf and in the air!
Better days are ahead! Keep er Lit
Jonny Baxter EAA press officer.