Benamore Comeback - Friday 28/09/26
Posted: Fri Sep 04, 2026 9:47 am
Mid Antrim Combine - NIPA Benamore 28/08/26
The young bird season continued with a Friday race from Benamore on the 28th August. The birds were liberated in County Tipperary at 12.30pm in a west north westerly wind. M Graham of Ahoghill had the best velocity on 1381 timing a blue wf Leideman hen bred by Paddy & William McManus of Ahoghill. Bertie Blair of Ballymena & District submitted the best card of the day winning 1st, 2nd & 3rd club and 2nd, 3rd & 4th Mid Antrim Combine. Bertie's first bird a red Sticker Doncker cock won 1st Mid Antrim Combine last weekend from Corrin and this week wins the Mid Antrim 2 Bird and the DTW in the Ballymena club. The granddam on the sire's side was on loan a couple of seasons ago from Anthony McNeill of Randalstown. The dam was purchased from D C & P McArdle of Armagh and is a full sister to their Nipa Skibbereen young bird National winner of 2021. This hen also bred Bertie a Combine winner from Dunmanway YB National in 2024. Berties second and third birds were the same way bred. The Van Den Bulck sire was a gift from clubmate Johnston Eagleson and the dam a Hereman Ceuster from Keith Allister of Monaghan. Nest best Keith & Callum Kernohan of Ballymena were 5th & 9th Combine, Danny Dixon of Rasharkin 6th & 7th Combine and Trevor Johnston of Ballymena 8th Combine. The Broughshane winner Marc Neilly finished 10th Combine with a blue wf cock. The sire is a Beggs & Hall Van Den Brande bought at E Arthur's sale and dam is a Louis Thijs hen from Johnston & Mervyn Eagleson. Gary Gibson was best in Cullybackey. His winner is from a son of the superace 494 and the dam is the No1 daughter of the 'Golden Couple'. Freddie Barkley won Rasharkin with a dark pied Busschaert.
Mid Antrim Combine Benamore 24/456 - 1st M Graham Ahoghill 1381, 2nd Blair & Rankin Ballymena 1360, 3rd Blair & Rankin Ballymena 1347, 4th Blair & Rankin Ballymena 1340, 5th K & K Kernohan & Sons Ballymena 1332, 6th D Dixon Rasharkin 1331, 7th D Dixon Rasharkin 1331, 8th T Johnston & Son Ballymena 1310, 9th K & K Kernohan & Sons Ballymena 1310, 10th M Neilly Broughshane 1304, 11th D Dixon Rasharkin 1303, 12th M Graham Ahoghill 1302, 13th M Graham Ahoghill 1301, 14th M Graham Ahoghill 1301, 15th G Gibson Cullybackey 1297, 16th D Dixon Rasharkin 1294, 17th D Dixon Rasharkin 1290, 18th D Dixon Rasharkin 1289, 19th Blair & Rankin Ballymena 1289, 20th Blair & Rankin Ballymena 1289, 21st J Whyte Ahoghill 1287, 22nd K & K Kernohan & Sons Ballymena 1286, 23rd D Dixon Rasharkin 1286, 24th D Dixon Rasharkin 1285, 25th D Dixon Rasharkin 1283, 26th K & K Kernohan & Sons Ballymena, 27th D Dixon Rasharkin 1280, 28th Blair & Rankin Ballymena 1280, 29th K & K Kernohan & Sons Ballymena 1276, 30th A Darragh Cullybackey 1276.
MID ANTRIM COMBINE 2 BIRD - Benamore
1st Blair & Rankin Ballymena 1360 GB26B28618
2nd T Johnston & Son Ballymena 1310 GB26B28308.
MID ANTRIM COMBINE YOUNG BIRD POINTS (BENAMORE 28/08/26)
K & K Kernohan & Sons Ballymena 235
T Johnston & Son Ballymena 204
Blair & Rankin Ballymena 181
G Gibson Cullybackey 173.
YOUNG BIRD CLUB POINTS SHIELD (BENAMORE)
Ballymena 50, Cullybackey 38,, Ahoghill 35, Kells 32, Rasharkin 28, Broughshane 27, Randalstown 11
Mervyn Eagleson - MAC Race Secretary and MAC Press Officer.
NIPA Section B Result Benamore (2) Y/Bird 41/814 – 1 st & 2 nd Sefton Thompson, Crumlin & District 1424, 1424; 3 rd Fleming Bros, Crumlin & District 1423; 4 th A Steele, Muckamore 1384; 5 th Fleming Bros 1382; 6 th Martin Graham, Ahoghill 1381; 7 th Sefton Thompson 1364; 8 th Blair & Rankin, Ballymena & District 1360; 9 th McConville Bros, Crumlin & District 1358; 10 th Fleming Bros 1350; Fleming Bros 1348, Blair &Rankin 1347, Ryan Hope Crumli 1341m Blair & Rankin 1340, A Dteele 1338, K & K Kernohan & Sons Ballymena 1332, D Dixon Ballymoney 1331, D Dixon 331, Fleming Bros 1329, A Steele 1328.
NIPA Sect B Clubs
Ahoghill Flying Club – 5/116 1 st , 2 nd , 3 rd & 4 th Martin Graham 1381, 1302, 1301, 1301,
5 th J Whyte 1287, 6 th J Smyth & Son 1245.
Ballymoney HPS – 6/159 1 st , 2 nd , 3 rd , 4 th , 5 th & 6 th Danny Dixon 1331, 1331, 1303,
1294, 1290, 1289.
Broughshane & District – 3/50 1 st , 2 nd , 3 rd & 4 th M Neilly 1304, 1274, 1236, 1219, 5 th T
& M Morrow 1022, 6 th D Houston & Son 996.
Ballymena & District HPS – 4/55 1 st , 2 nd & 3 rd Blair & Rankin 1360, 1347, 1340, 4 th K
& K Kernohan & Sons 1332, 5 th T Johnston & Son 1310, 6 th K & K Kernohan & Sons
1310.
Cullybackey HPS – 5/135 1 st Gary Gibson 1297, 2 nd Alan Darragh 1276, 3 rd , 4 th , 5 th &
6 th Gary Gibson 1261, 1250, 1216, 1212.
Crumlin & District – 5/57 1 st & 2 nd Sefton Thompson 1424, 1424, 3 rd & 4 th Fleming Bros 1423, 1382, 5 th Sefton Thompson 1364, 6 th McConville Bros 1358. Tony’s section winner today same pigeon that won the section last week bred by the late Mick orourke and his partner Craig Baldwin from Leister.
Muckamore HPS – 5/109 1 st , 2 nd , 3 rd , 4 th & 5 th A Steele 1384, 1338, 1328, 1321, 1320,
6 th Knocker & Bill 1309.
Rasharkin & District HPS – 3/58 1 st F Barkley 1211, 2 nd Mr & Miss W & J McClean
1183, 3 rd F Barkley 1181, 4 th & 5 th Mr & Miss W & J McClean 1165, 1124, 6 th W
McFetridge 892.
✓
https://photobucket.com/share/a3219b23- ... 7827587d5f
Bertie Blair Ballymena 1st MAC Benamore (2)
The young bird season continued with a Friday race from Benamore on the 28th August. The birds were liberated in County Tipperary at 12.30pm in a west north westerly wind. M Graham of Ahoghill had the best velocity on 1381 timing a blue wf Leideman hen bred by Paddy & William McManus of Ahoghill. Bertie Blair of Ballymena & District submitted the best card of the day winning 1st, 2nd & 3rd club and 2nd, 3rd & 4th Mid Antrim Combine. Bertie's first bird a red Sticker Doncker cock won 1st Mid Antrim Combine last weekend from Corrin and this week wins the Mid Antrim 2 Bird and the DTW in the Ballymena club. The granddam on the sire's side was on loan a couple of seasons ago from Anthony McNeill of Randalstown. The dam was purchased from D C & P McArdle of Armagh and is a full sister to their Nipa Skibbereen young bird National winner of 2021. This hen also bred Bertie a Combine winner from Dunmanway YB National in 2024. Berties second and third birds were the same way bred. The Van Den Bulck sire was a gift from clubmate Johnston Eagleson and the dam a Hereman Ceuster from Keith Allister of Monaghan. Nest best Keith & Callum Kernohan of Ballymena were 5th & 9th Combine, Danny Dixon of Rasharkin 6th & 7th Combine and Trevor Johnston of Ballymena 8th Combine. The Broughshane winner Marc Neilly finished 10th Combine with a blue wf cock. The sire is a Beggs & Hall Van Den Brande bought at E Arthur's sale and dam is a Louis Thijs hen from Johnston & Mervyn Eagleson. Gary Gibson was best in Cullybackey. His winner is from a son of the superace 494 and the dam is the No1 daughter of the 'Golden Couple'. Freddie Barkley won Rasharkin with a dark pied Busschaert.
Mid Antrim Combine Benamore 24/456 - 1st M Graham Ahoghill 1381, 2nd Blair & Rankin Ballymena 1360, 3rd Blair & Rankin Ballymena 1347, 4th Blair & Rankin Ballymena 1340, 5th K & K Kernohan & Sons Ballymena 1332, 6th D Dixon Rasharkin 1331, 7th D Dixon Rasharkin 1331, 8th T Johnston & Son Ballymena 1310, 9th K & K Kernohan & Sons Ballymena 1310, 10th M Neilly Broughshane 1304, 11th D Dixon Rasharkin 1303, 12th M Graham Ahoghill 1302, 13th M Graham Ahoghill 1301, 14th M Graham Ahoghill 1301, 15th G Gibson Cullybackey 1297, 16th D Dixon Rasharkin 1294, 17th D Dixon Rasharkin 1290, 18th D Dixon Rasharkin 1289, 19th Blair & Rankin Ballymena 1289, 20th Blair & Rankin Ballymena 1289, 21st J Whyte Ahoghill 1287, 22nd K & K Kernohan & Sons Ballymena 1286, 23rd D Dixon Rasharkin 1286, 24th D Dixon Rasharkin 1285, 25th D Dixon Rasharkin 1283, 26th K & K Kernohan & Sons Ballymena, 27th D Dixon Rasharkin 1280, 28th Blair & Rankin Ballymena 1280, 29th K & K Kernohan & Sons Ballymena 1276, 30th A Darragh Cullybackey 1276.
MID ANTRIM COMBINE 2 BIRD - Benamore
1st Blair & Rankin Ballymena 1360 GB26B28618
2nd T Johnston & Son Ballymena 1310 GB26B28308.
MID ANTRIM COMBINE YOUNG BIRD POINTS (BENAMORE 28/08/26)
K & K Kernohan & Sons Ballymena 235
T Johnston & Son Ballymena 204
Blair & Rankin Ballymena 181
G Gibson Cullybackey 173.
YOUNG BIRD CLUB POINTS SHIELD (BENAMORE)
Ballymena 50, Cullybackey 38,, Ahoghill 35, Kells 32, Rasharkin 28, Broughshane 27, Randalstown 11
Mervyn Eagleson - MAC Race Secretary and MAC Press Officer.
NIPA Section B Result Benamore (2) Y/Bird 41/814 – 1 st & 2 nd Sefton Thompson, Crumlin & District 1424, 1424; 3 rd Fleming Bros, Crumlin & District 1423; 4 th A Steele, Muckamore 1384; 5 th Fleming Bros 1382; 6 th Martin Graham, Ahoghill 1381; 7 th Sefton Thompson 1364; 8 th Blair & Rankin, Ballymena & District 1360; 9 th McConville Bros, Crumlin & District 1358; 10 th Fleming Bros 1350; Fleming Bros 1348, Blair &Rankin 1347, Ryan Hope Crumli 1341m Blair & Rankin 1340, A Dteele 1338, K & K Kernohan & Sons Ballymena 1332, D Dixon Ballymoney 1331, D Dixon 331, Fleming Bros 1329, A Steele 1328.
NIPA Sect B Clubs
Ahoghill Flying Club – 5/116 1 st , 2 nd , 3 rd & 4 th Martin Graham 1381, 1302, 1301, 1301,
5 th J Whyte 1287, 6 th J Smyth & Son 1245.
Ballymoney HPS – 6/159 1 st , 2 nd , 3 rd , 4 th , 5 th & 6 th Danny Dixon 1331, 1331, 1303,
1294, 1290, 1289.
Broughshane & District – 3/50 1 st , 2 nd , 3 rd & 4 th M Neilly 1304, 1274, 1236, 1219, 5 th T
& M Morrow 1022, 6 th D Houston & Son 996.
Ballymena & District HPS – 4/55 1 st , 2 nd & 3 rd Blair & Rankin 1360, 1347, 1340, 4 th K
& K Kernohan & Sons 1332, 5 th T Johnston & Son 1310, 6 th K & K Kernohan & Sons
1310.
Cullybackey HPS – 5/135 1 st Gary Gibson 1297, 2 nd Alan Darragh 1276, 3 rd , 4 th , 5 th &
6 th Gary Gibson 1261, 1250, 1216, 1212.
Crumlin & District – 5/57 1 st & 2 nd Sefton Thompson 1424, 1424, 3 rd & 4 th Fleming Bros 1423, 1382, 5 th Sefton Thompson 1364, 6 th McConville Bros 1358. Tony’s section winner today same pigeon that won the section last week bred by the late Mick orourke and his partner Craig Baldwin from Leister.
Muckamore HPS – 5/109 1 st , 2 nd , 3 rd , 4 th & 5 th A Steele 1384, 1338, 1328, 1321, 1320,
6 th Knocker & Bill 1309.
Rasharkin & District HPS – 3/58 1 st F Barkley 1211, 2 nd Mr & Miss W & J McClean
1183, 3 rd F Barkley 1181, 4 th & 5 th Mr & Miss W & J McClean 1165, 1124, 6 th W
McFetridge 892.
✓
https://photobucket.com/share/a3219b23- ... 7827587d5f
Bertie Blair Ballymena 1st MAC Benamore (2)