St Malo Old Bird National results

The St Malo Old Bird National took place on 23rd June.
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336 Members sent 1232 birds liberated at 6.15 am in a Light Northeasterly wind

1 1A 1025.21 Sean Hughes Coalisland

2 1G 943.87 Ron Williamson Newry & District

Robert Alexander runner up in MAC and BallymenaRobert Alexander runner up in MAC and Ballymena
Robert Alexander runner up in MAC and Ballymena

3 1E 941.67 O Forde Edgarstown

4 2E 929.92 K Henderson & Son Lurgan Social

5 2G 797.95 A McAteer & Sons Ballyholland

6 3G 782.50 Donnelly Bros Newry City Invitation

Martin Grahams bronze awadd winner   "Hugh's Delight"Martin Grahams bronze awadd winner   "Hugh's Delight"
Martin Grahams bronze awadd winner "Hugh's Delight"

7 4G 781.20 Ron Williamson Newry & District

8 5G 730.21 M Conlon & Sons Banbridge

9 1B 709.43 W & L Mc Caw Ballymoney

10 3E 693.31 Larkin Bros Blackwatertown W.E.

Winner 1st open NIPA St Malo for S Hughes CoalislandWinner 1st open NIPA St Malo for S Hughes Coalisland
Winner 1st open NIPA St Malo for S Hughes Coalisland

11 4E 687.62 K Henderson & Son Lurgan Social

12 1C 685.57 A Thompson Ballyclare

13 2C 683.41 B & M Gilmore Doagh & District Hps

14 3C 671.94 Mr T Longman Ligoniel H.P.S.

Tommy Tweed with last week's Penzance winner, Anne holding bronze award winner St MaloTommy Tweed with last week's Penzance winner, Anne holding bronze award winner St Malo
Tommy Tweed with last week's Penzance winner, Anne holding bronze award winner St Malo

15 6G 666.49 Gary Hughes & Son Newry & District

16 2B 665.56 W Blair Ballymoney

17 1D 665.47 Ian Donaghy Lisburn & District

18 2D 662.86 M Russell Dromara

19 5E 662.11 R Cassells Edgarstown

20 6E 658.94 R Williamson Bondhill

21 7E 657.56 David Calvin Bondhill

22 8E 623.17 T Wilson Gilford

23 9E 616.58 Stephen Fiddes Laurelvale

24 10E 610.35 Larkin Bros Blackwatertown W.E.

25 11E 609.63 G Buckley & Son Annaghmore H.P.S

26 1F 605.76 C & L Fryers Dromara

27 12E 604.05 R Bell & Sons Edgarstown

28 4C 602.51 J Burrows Eastway

29 5C 601.01 S Beattie & Daughters Ballycarry

30 13E 597.57 J Serplus Laurelvale

31 3D 591.62 S Wilson & Son Harmony H.P.S.

32 7G 590.23 M McDonald & Sons Ballyholland

33 6C 588.87 P & M Travers Wheatfield

34 14E 586.41 B Creaney Portadown & Drumcree

35 15E 584.46 G & C Topley Laurelvale

36 16E 576.80 C Reynolds Beechpark Social

37 8G 557.01 C O’Hare & Daughter Ballyholland

38 17E 547.77 John Greenaway Bondhill

39 18E 545.54 John Greenaway Bondhill

40 9G 545.03 Ron Williamson Newry & District

41 4D 544.54 Kyle Johnston Derriaghy

42 19E 533.88 A & J Kelly Armagh

43 20E 518.28 P Campbell & Sons Armagh

44 10G 517.91 Donnelly Bros Newry City Invitation

45 21E 513.19 Dowey Bros Laurelvale

46 3B 495.70 Martin Graham Ballymena

47 22E 493.06 David Calvin Bondhill

48 11G 487.81 Mr & Mrs N S Close Drumnavaddy

49 12G 469.96 R Carson & Son Banbridge

50 23E 466.86 P Hatchell Lurgan Social

51 24E 464.20 J Robinson Edgarstown

52 13G 449.01 Ron Williamson Newry & District

53 25E 445.20 F McLaughlin Armagh

54 14G 431.56 C O’Hare & Daughter Ballyholland

55 15G 415.46 McCracken Bros Banbridge

56 2A 377.46 J McConaghie Ballymoney

57 4B 350.68 R Alexander Ballymena

58 7C 337.33 S & A Leitch Doagh & District Hps

59 3A 327.55 R Corey Coalisland

60 5B 314.11 J Connolly Ballymoney

61 26E 310.47 J Robinson Edgarstown

62 27E 307.88 G Ratcliffe Laurelvale

63 6B 304.44 D Dixon Ballymoney

64 28E 303.54 R Bothwell Beechpark Social

65 5D 303.15 R Topping & Son Lisburn & District

66 29E 302.08 J Serplus Laurelvale

67 16G 301.90 C O’Hare & Daughter Ballyholland

68 30E 293.19 R Moffett & Daughter Gilford

69 6D 284.89 S G Briggs Lisburn & District

70 4A 280.57 G Quinn Coalisland

71 7B 280.16 A C & T Tweed Rasharkin

72 31E 261.92 S & N Lester Laurelvale

“Hugh’s Delight” Wins 1st Combine For Martin Graham

The NIPA Old Bird Derby was held from Saint Malo in France on Thursday 23rd June.

Liberation took place at 06.15am in a light northeastery wind turning south westerly en route.

Last season around 140 birds made it home in the three day race, this season only 72 game birds were timed by their delighted owners. Only four birds were recorded in the Mid Antrim Combine with the best of these timed by two times National winner Martin Graham of Ballymena & District who timed his 3 year old blue chequer cock sitting 10 day eggs at 15.52pm on the second day. This was the third season in a row the cock had flown the French OB Derby have won 2nd club in 2020, 10th Section & 109th Open in 2021 and this season 1st Mid Antrim Combine, 3rd Section & 46th Open NIPA.

This year’s result wins Martin a Bronze Award for a bird twice in the Open prizes in the OB National. Dam was a gift hen from top distance flyer Hugh Boyd of Randalstown and the sire a half-brother of “Brenda Anne” on the sires side. “Brenda Anne” was the only bird in Section B and placed 7th Open for Martin in the NIPA St Malo smash of 2017. This result follows up two good results last season when Martin won 6th, 8th & 10th Section, 50th, 100th & 109th Open NIPA St Malo OB National and 12th North Section & 19th Open Kings Cup from St. Allouestre. Martin has amassed many top National & Derby position over the last number of years with the best being 1st Open INFC Sennen Cove Yearling National 2018 with “Denman”, 1st Open NIPA Skibbereen Inland National 2004 and 2nd Open NIPA OB National Lamballe in 2003.

Martin’s bird was flying 474 from St Malo and return home having been hawked on one wing. He is calling him “Hugh’s Delight” after Hugh Boyd who gifted him the mother. Well done again Martin always thereabouts.

Runner up in the Combine was another Ballymena & District fancier Robert Alexander who lives only a stone’s throw from Martin. Robert timed a 3 year old dark chequer w/f hen at 08.59am on the third morning and like Martin’s bird she also had an injury to one of her wings. This hen was sitting on a one day old chick and is bred down from McCracken Bros of Banbridge birds he’s had for a number of years. For all her efforts she wins 4th Section and 57th Open NIPA National.

Last season Robert had his best ever result when he won 30th Open in the King’s Cup race from St Allouestre. Third Combine was Danny Dixon of Dunloy with a 2 year old chequer hen timed on the third day flying 484 miles. This hen was sitting eggs 10 - 15 days and is a sister to Danny’s 3rd Section & 23rd Open Penzance Classic bird last week. Dam is a sister of Dixie Chic and sire is direct from Maurice Matthews. The only other loft to clock in the Combine was the Anne, Chris and Tommy Tweed partnership of Rasharkin. Their dark w/f hen was timed on the third evening to win the club for the second season in a row. Last season the hen was placed 5th Section & 43rd Open and this year 7th Section & 71st Open winning the partnership a Bronze Award. Dam is from Joe Murphy and contains top Scottish distance lines, the sire from Rudi Gage of Windsor Social is Fred Simpson x Robin Duddy.

Mid Antrim Combine St Malo OB Derby: Martin Graham Ballymena 495, R Alexander Ballymena 350, D Dixon 304, A ,C & T Tweed Rasharkin 280

Ozzie’s pigeon in St Malo

1st Section E & 3rd Open is Ozzie Forde, Edgarstown. Ozzie clocked at 20:14 on the night to finish 3rd Open. Ozzie clocked a 3-year-old cheq cock, on the roundabout. The cock is now affectionately named ‘Oliver’s Pride’. This is in testament to his dear friend the late Oliver Jackson, Bondhill.

The breeding of the pigeon is the very best of Oliver’s bloodlines. The Sire is a son of Oliver’s 8th Open St Malo Hen that he was gifted along with its nestmate for stock. Both turned out to be cocks but Ozzie avoided the temptation to race them. The Dam is a hen that Oliver gifted Ozzie down off his own and Paul Dunlop bloodlines. Oliver’s Pride was trained with Ron Williamson and was in every inland race as well as both Talbennys before going to the derby.

Ozzie races to a single 16ft loft with three sections. One section holds his YB team of 30 YBs, another section for his OB team and the last for his 6 pair of stock pigeons and roundabout hens. Ozzie would like to thank all the fanciers for their best wishes and congratulations.

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