A round-up of the latest sales, events and awards won

Please note: To date 30/09/19 – No valid claim has been received for the following:

NIPA Section B Champion Young Bird

NIPA Section H Channel Fancier Of The Year

If you wish to claim for any of the above awards please claim before 07/10/19 – Fred Russell – NIPA Secretary

The following has been selected:

NIPA Champion Old Bird Of The Year : Blue Cock – GB18E 19052 - D & J Campbell – Eastway

NIPA Champion Young Bird Of The Year: Blue Cheq Hen – GB19X 21206 – J & D Braniff – Wheatfield

NIPA LADIES NIGHT : Anyone wishing to obtain tickets for the NIPA Ladies Night at the Templeton Hotel please contact Mr Fred Russell Tel : 02892693913. Tickets are £30 each- If you wish to stay overnight please contact the hotel as they are doing a deal at present – first come first served – Interested? If so contact The Templeton Hotel on 02894432984.

A full list of this year’s awards winners can be viewed on the NIPA website.

KEN WILKINSON & SON – ANTRIM

Ken Wilkinson, Antrim, complete clearance sale- due to health reasons (over a series of sales and online sales).

The birds will be sold off over a series of sales and the internet. The bloodlines on offer are awesome and without doubt top drawer. The third sale will include a top selection of 2019 virgin stock bred off all of the lofts top breeders, plus some youngsters purchased from many top lofts.

Sale: Thursday, 3rd October. Venue: Chimney Corner Football Club, Randalstown Road, Antrim. Birds On View: 7pm. Sale starts: 8pm.

For further updates visit www.pigeoncraic.com

HERMAN McAVOY/H & R McAVOY

Due to no intention of racing old birds Herman has decided to offer his youngsters. The birds on offer represent the best of Hermans Kees Bosua /Figo Reynaert family. These bloodlines have won numerous top awards for Herman and fanciers all over the country including two 2nd Nationals in recent seasons. The birds on offer have all been raced, with some flown the Penzance and Skibbereen Nationals in recent weeks.

Date: Saturday, 5th October. Venue: Chimney Corner Football Club, Randalstown Road, Antrim. Birds on view: 2pm. Sale starts: 3pm. All birds will be online on the Pigeon Craic Auction Site prior to the sale with the closing bid online the opening bid in the live room - www.pigeoncraic.com/auctions

PAUL SWINDELL – NEWRY

At the end of the 2018 racing Paul Swindell announced that he would be stopping distance racing due to the bird of prey problem he had around his loft. During the autumn he set about building a formidable stock loft of Stickers Donckers and Van Den Brande sprint pigeons. Unfortunately as many of you will know he was then diagnosed with Leukaemia. His initial decision was to sell all his distance birds as he would be incapable of looking after them, concentrating on a smaller team of sprinters.

However he has found that working with the sprinters severely affects his pigeon lung, so has decided that the sensible thing is to revert back to the distance birds which he can keep on open hole with little training and sell all the sprinters.

The birds he has bred in 2019 are all from top Stickers Donckers and Van Den Brande winning families. Paul initially bought out the breeding stock of Andy McAuley. To this he added sons and daughters of top winners of the Van Den Brandes and Stickers Donckers Families. He also added an Ace pigeon winner of the North Coast Classic OLR to the stock list, as well as some top rate, direct Van De Brande proven breeding stock birds.

Paul will be offering, over two sales, his entire 2019 young bird team. Anything on offer would be a superb base, or cross for any fanciers wanting super fast well bred pigeons. Included in the back breeding of many of these birds is the Magpie top breeding direct Van De Brande cock, responsible for at least three NIPA open winning birds.

Date: Saturday 12th October at 3pm. On View: 2pm. Venue: Chimney Corner Football Club, Randalstown Road, Antrim. All birds will be online on the Pigeon Craic Auction Site prior to the sale with the closing bid the opening bid in the live room.

DRUMNAVADDY INV. HPS PANEL NIGHT

Drumnavaddy HPS are holding a panel night on Friday, 1st November at 8pm. Venue: Banbridge Royal British Legion. Panel on the night will be Paul Macaloney, Scotland and Jan Polder, Holland. Chairman: Wesley Sawyers. There will be an auction of gift birds on the night plus raffle. Entry fee: £8 (includes tea etc). Interested? Contact: Geoff McMullan 07760164994 or David West 07759653317.