Top St Malo result for Newry lofts

It was a hard race for all concerned and a fantastic result for Newry & District with the top three birds. Overall winner was Ron Williamson who has topped the NIPA Open more times than any other loft and what a result for S & Y Kane. Just two birds away and both home together for 2nd & 3rd Open and the Best 2 Bird Average.

NIPA Open St Malo 464/1841 – 1-1G R Williamson Newry & Dist 1119, 2-1D S & Y Kane Newry & Dist 1099, 3-2D S & Y Kane 1094, 4-1E G & C Topley Laurelvale 1093, 5-2E H Cordner Annaghmore 1078, 6-1C M Witherspoon Larne & Dist 1044, 7-2C Grattan Bros Eastway 1025, 8-3E Capper Bros Bondhill 1025, 9-4E R Williamson Bondhill 1018, 10-1A K Carolan Coalisland 1016, 11-1B A Darragh Cullybackey 1003, 12-2G S Ogle Drumnavaddy 1003, 13-3D J Waring & Son Lisburn & Dist 1001, 14-5E I McCallum Laurelvale 1001, 15-4D R Topping & Son Lisburn & Dist 992, 16-6E D Calvin Bondhill 987, 17-7E J Greenaway Bondhill 985, 18-1F G Hawthorne Titanic 980, 19-2F C & L Fryers Dromara 976, 20-2B J & M Milliken Rasharkin & Dist 965.

Best in each NIPA Section:

Sect A 43/151 – K Carolan Coalisland 1016, K Murphy Coalisland 890, K Carolan 718.

Sect B 65/217 – A Darragh Cullybackey 1003, J & M Milliken Rasharkin & Dist 965, W Livingstone Ahoghill 945.

Sect C 84/334 – M Witherspoon Larne & Dist 1044, Grattan Bros Eastway 1025, B & M Gilmore Doagh & Dist 808.

Sect D 30/148 – S & Y Kane Newry & Dist 1099, S & Y Kane 1094, J Waring & Son Lisburn & Dist 1001.

Sect E 117/573 – G & C Topley Laurelvale 1003, H Cordner Annaghmore 1078, Capper Bros Bondhill 1025.

Sect F 27/87 – G Hawthorne Titanic 980, C & L Fryers Dromara 970, J Hall & Son Harmony 917.

Sect G 42/176 – R Williamson Newry & Dist 1119, S Ogle Drumnavaddy 1003, J Brush Banbridge Social 847.

Sect H 53/139 – D Booth Mourne & Dist 591, P Ward Derry & Dist 559, B Ogilvie Maiden City 463.

Cullybackey Centre St Malo – A Darragh Cullybackey 1003, J & M Milliken Rasharkin 965. W Livingstone Ahoghill 945, A Darragh 828, W & J Smyth Ballymena 683, W Livingstone 645, A Darragh 589, J Eagleson & Sons Ballymena 516, T Shanks & Son Kells 512, A Darragh 436.

Coleraine Centre St Malo – W & L McCaw Ballymoney 756, D Dixon Ballymoney 750, D Dixon 644, A McDonnell Coleraine Premier 636, Hanson & Harpur Coleraine Premier 600.

Foyle Centre St Malo – D Booth Mourne & District 591, P Ward Derry & Dist 559, B Ogilvie Maiden City 463.

Members are reminded Race Sheets, Vaccination Sheets, ETS print outs etc. are required to be lodged with Club Secretaries two weeks prior to the Young Bird racing. The opening race is due to be flown on Saturday 16th July.

NIPA Race/Date

St Malo OB National 24/06/16 – Lib 6.15am

NIPA Sect A Clubs

Coleraine Premier HPS – A McDonald 636, Hanson & Harpur 600.

NIPA Sect H Clubs

Derry & District – P Ward 559. Winner timed at 13.50hrs on second day, first bird in Derry City.

Maiden City – B Ogilvie 463.

Mourne & District – D Booth 591. Winner timed at 11.30am second morning, 1st in Section H. Winner was Blue Ch 2012 hen, she flew four inland races this year, Talbenny and Bude and then into St Malo. She was sitting seven days with second flight half way up. She has flown Penzance twice and Truro scoring each time. Breeding is Chris Gordon x Tom Marshall, top distance.

NIPA Sect B Clubs

Ahoghill Flying Club 10/34 – W Livingstone 9.03pm on the day and another on second day. Willie has a good record out of France racing a small team. He will be pleased with the result and will be looking forward to the big France races with the INFC which he has joined this year for the first time.

Ballymena & District HPS 8/24 – W & J Smyth 8.14am second day. J Eagleson & Sons before 3.00pm second day are twice winners of the OB National. Hard race in Ballymena with birds recorded by two lofts that have been prominent all season. W & J Smyth are always around in the longer harder races and J Eagleson & Sons are having the best season since their return to the sport. They have been the lofts to beat each week.

Ballymoney HPS 13/40 – W & L McCaw 756, D Dixon 750, D Dixon 644. Well done to W and L Mc Caw who had first bird in Coleraine Centre and also win their first race of the old bird season in Ballymoney HPS.

Dervock RPS 4/14 – W & L McCaw 756.

Broughshane & District –

Cullybackey HPS 10/44 – A Darragh 1003. Timed at 8.07pm on the day to win 1st Section B & 11th Open NIPA, and a second bird at 11.00pm. Alan timed four birds all told in the first two days. His winning bird was sent driving his hen and previously had flown Talbenny and then timed from Bude. He was a late bred from two St Malo birds, his nest-mate won Penzance last season. He would be a grandson of the lofts Yearling Nat winner on one side and the Hall of Fame winning bird on the other.

Kells & District HPS 4/11 – T Shanks & Son former winners timed at 14.29hrs on the second day for velocity 512. The winner was a two year old Blue cock containing all the old Kenyon long distance bloodlines. Alan looks forward to these races each year and will be more than pleased with this result.

Rasharkin & District 7/19 – J & M Milliken 9.00pm on the day longest flying bird in the NIPA.

NIPA Sect E Clubs

Laurelvale – G & C Topley 1095, I McCallum 1001. The bird was a 2014 late bred, in 2015 she was 2nd Open NIPA out of Bude. This season she had five inland races and two channel races then sent to St Malo finishing 4th Open & 1st Sec E.

Lurgan Social – 1st K Henderson & son, 2nd B McNeice & sons, 3rd Houston & McDonald. Congrats to Chairman Kevin in a very difficult race.

Portadown & Drumcree – Hagan & Rowney 924, A McDonald 699, G Matchett & Sons 486. Two Bird - G Matchett & Sons. Cross channel Averages - A McDonald.

Old Bird Averages - A McDonald. Congratulations to all who timed in on a very tough St Malo race. Special congratulations to Martin Hagan and Philip Rowney on clocking the only bird on the day from St Malo in the club for the second year running. Top class racing and well deserved for two hard working club members.

Difficult race from St Malo

As it sometimes does the NIPA Old Bird Nat from St Malo in France turned out the most difficult of the season to date. Birds were race marked in Cullybackey on Tuesday and released as planned in St Malo at 6.15am on Friday 24th June. Favourable conditions were forecast for most of the route but there was lots of severe weather around. At the home end we had late evening sunshine and a handful of birds made it into Mid Antrim.

Borough of Ballymena – Cullybackey had most birds away among the local clubs and they recorded the best bird from St Malo with just four day arrivals in the Cullybackey Centre. Alan Darragh is no stranger to top success and has been at the top in Cullybackey for several years, his winning two year old Blue cock was timed at 8.07pm in late evening sunshine to be best in Cullybackey and 1st in the NIPA Sect B.

He recorded a second arrival after returning from the Cullybackey Centre at 11.00pm, just before the hours of darkness. Willie Livingstone from Ahoghill will be well placed having timed at 9.03pm and will be runner-up in MAC behind J & M Milliken of Rasharkin who have had a Golden Season of top success, their best ever.

North West Review

In late evening sunshine on Friday four gallant birds made it into Mid Antrim, one of those was longest recorded flyer on the day to J & M Milliken of Rasharkin & District around 9.00pm. Five birds were timed in the Coleraine Centre on the second day with the early bird to W & L McCaw of Ballymoney, clubmate Danny Dixon had two birds.

Coleraine Centre St Malo – W & L McCaw Ballymoney 756, D Dixon Ballymeney 750, D Dixon 644, A McDonnell Coleraine Premier 636, Hanson & Harpur Coleraine Premier 600.

Wee Man tastes victory from France

What can you say to the wee man and long serving club member and friend Anthony McDonnell who has done it all in the pigeon sport from winning the Kings Cup in his career and NIPA open etc.

He is one of the hardest workers in our club and puts a lot of us to shame every race week working tirelessly in the club. His only downside has to be his jokes.

He timed the winning pigeon into Coleraine Premier club from St Malo on the second morning just after 10.30am with a winning velocity of 636ypm from the consistent loft of Hanson and Harpur in second on 600ypm.

His winning pigeon was a Lambrecht flying close to 500 miles. He was actually heard saying on Tuesday night he’s kept the best to last. How can you question his ability.

Anthony, speaking for the club members I’d like to congratulate you on a great win, it must have been them lofts Leslie and myself fixed for you. Jimmy McSeveney.

Full report and results on website www.pigeonnetwork.com