Delgates meeting this week

A SECTION B Delegate Meeting has been arranged for Harryville HPS on Wednesday 27 October at 8.00pm to discuss the season just past and plans for the new racing year.

Two delegates from each local club in the NIPA Sect B. Decisions made at this meeting will be raised with the NIPA.

The sale of birds and Mega System plus T3, baskets etc for the late Alfie Strawbridge will be held in the Coleraine Premier clubrooms soon, date to be confirmed. Around 18 birds in total, raced but only timed in the longer races and he scored there a number of times over the years including a recent top success from France. From Lamballe OB Nat in 2007 A Strawbridge scored 1st Club, 1st Sect A and 9th Open NIPA doing velocity 1023. Just had a note from Leslie Madden in Coleraine, he has listed all the details.

CLEARANCE SALE FOR THE LATE ALFIE STRAWBRIDGE (COLERAINE PREMIER) ON FRIDAY 29TH OCTOBER IN COLERAINE PREMIER CLUBROOMS AT 8.00PM

Alfie Strawbridge was only interested in distance racing. His best performance was 1st Section, 9th Open Lamballe. The breeding of the birds are mostly Nevin Bros (Coleraine Premier), winner of the Dinard Derby/National in NIPA and twice winner of the INFC Averages. Alfie was very sick this year but managed to race until the last young bird race. He has 2 Baskets, 1 Mega Electronic Timing System with 3 Field Antenna and also a T3 clock (serviced last year) and 2 lofts, 6'x6' and 8'x6', which can be seen at his home.

Local Show Scene

Mid Antrim show season will commence shortly, I have a list now for each club covering all six nights Monday through till Saturday. Very well done to all concerned keeping the show season up to date which will keep fanciers in touch with each other over two months still the start of the New Year. Ballymena & Dist will operate on the usual Monday night, the opening classes on 1st November are Young Cock and Young Hen Through the Wires, penning from 7.00pm. Broughshane & Dist are each Tuesday starting on 2nd November with classes for Old Cocks and Young Cocks T/W, penning from 7.15pm and all welcome. Kells & Dist are the usual Wednesday starting on 10th November with Young Cock T/W. Harryville dates are the usual Thursday starting on 4th November with classes for Old Cock & Young Cock T/W to be followed by 11th Nov Old Hen & Young Hen T/T, 18th Nov OC & YC Handled, 25th Nov OH & YH Handled, 2nd Dec OB & YB Eye-sign, 9th Dec Old & Young Pairs, 16th Dec Card Winners & Fancy. Open Show will be held in Harryville HPS Clubrooms on Saturday 4th December, more on this later. Ahoghill Flying Club will start on 5th November, classes Young Cock and Young Hen T/W to be followed by Old Cock & Old Hen T/W on 12th November. Cullybackey HPS season will commence on Saturday 30th September, classes for Young Cock & Young Hen T/W. The Annual Open Show will be held the Saturday prior to Xmas, this year 18th December. Best wishes to James Anderson who at present is in hospital, get well soon. We send a similar message to the Crumlin Old Hand Jimmy Galloway who had a recent spell in hospital and is now recovering at home. Mid Antrim fanciers were sad to learn about the passing of Davy Logan who raced in Randalstown and had a big result in recent seasons from France. Condolences to the family circle including his brother Hubert who is Ring Secretary in Cullybackey.

KELLS & DISTRICT HPS – For the first time Kells & Dist will host a Pigeon Moot/Quiz in the Dunsilly Hotel Antrim (just off the M2 Dunsilly Roundabout). A perfect venue for such an event to be held on Friday 5th November entry 10 to include Hot Buffett Meal or 5 without the meal. Due to start at 8.00pm the evening will include presentation of Kells & Dist awards. INFC President Syd Collins will chair an all star panel which will include Ronnie Johnston, Roy Irwin, Anthony McDonnell, Alan Darragh, and Peter Martin. The Annual Open Show will be held again on Boxing Day, this year on Monday 27th December.

The popular Dublin Show will be held at the Kennel Club close to the Dublin Airport on Saturday 6th November, the show birds are penned the night previous.

One of the top sales of the season in the winter of 2010 will be on behalf of the Beattie Family and the late Henry Beattie who was a pigeon legend in his lifetime. He had one of the best long distance lofts in Ireland and race records to match, one of the very few to win both the INFC Friendship Nat and the Kings Cup from France. The second sale will be in Glenavy on Saturday 30th October at 2.30pm. Auctioneer is the long time family friend Ronnie Johnston, for further details and Sale List Tel: (028) 90 483625, or Cyril Beattie Tel: (028) 38 840486.

November in Newtownbreda: Monday 1st November Tommy Lillie is a Complete Removal Sale (Newtownbreda), A slight correction to the sale for Tommy Lillie, owing to the property being sold it’s a Complete Removal Sale. If he is able to get a house that has a garden, he would like to start again. Top stock Van Reet inc 1st Club, 1st Sect & 3rd Open NIPA Penzance OB Classic, 1st Club Talbenny etc. Benzing ETS, 2 almost new lofts. Monday 8th November a selection of birds from the North Coast Classic, all birds flown Cork 240 miles. Monday 15th November Due to the health of Ned Marshall Killyleagh it has been decided the majority of the birds must be sold. More details later. The Sale advertised for A Cousins & Sons has been cancelled.

It’s early yet but with rings going to be available early in the New Year and a lot of fanciers making arrangements for early December mating, others will be looking to purchase kits of birds ready made. Many good offers are available and Joe Brown has informed me that he will take orders for Kits of 6 or 10 and payments weekly/monthly between now and delivery. Tel Joe Brown (028) 38 328293 or Mobile: 07709077266.

Ireland’s Own Pigeon Auctions have some sales arranged over the coming weeks, watch press for all the latest news or contact Homer Tel: 07538 238364. Sarsfield will host a Van Loon Spectacular for Mr & Mrs David Coward-Talbot, Danny Dalton had a top winner from stock purchased last year. From Northern Ireland we have a first time sale for Kevin Rooney & Son from Annalong and then Danny Dixon from Ballymoney, also first time. The Rooney partnership have set aside a select team of mature youngsters bred from their top lines of Linderlauf, Maria Vink and Staf Van Reet, parents purchased regardless of cost. Just recently Patrick Brown won 1st North Sect in the INFC Skibbereen bred from a SVR/Janssen pair of birds on loan.

A few fanciers have got birds of us and won, included:- Packie Brown a host of Club, Fed and Open winners; McCarton and Woodside won section this year; Billy Higgins winners of Club, Fed and Open winners of our birds; Brian McCammon of Larne bird of the year in a strong club plus other good prize-winners; Tony Cook 3rd Open Ulster Fed Skibbereen YB Derby; Francie McGloughlin Armagh won with 2 out of 3 birds and the other 1 prize-winner including 1st Open Orchard Combine; Gareth Maginn Annalong HPS a lot of winners from us; Jacky Scates Belfast winning with our birds; Simon Schofield Leeds just back racing this year and won right away, mainly all from us; Mick Gaunt Nottingham some brilliant results with our birds; Kevin Gaunt yet again some brilliant results, one bird winning 3 firsts clubs; Micky McConville winning with birds from us – Just a few lofts that come to mind.

The early dates for Sarsfield are Friday 29th October for Coward-Talbot and Monday 1st November for K Rooney & Son. D Dixon who had a record breaking race season including 1st YB Nat Penzance will be late November with a special draft of his winning bloodlines, this is another loft that has purchased stock regardless of cost. Danny races with Rasharkin & Dist but the birds go through Ballymoney HPS where he had 20 x 1sts, he was indeed the loft to beat, 9 x 1sts Mid Antrim Combine, 6 x 1st NIPA Section B, Fancier of the Year in Sect B, Meritorious Award in Sect B and Best Overall in NIPA, 2nd, 3rd, 4th & 6th Open Roscrea NIPA, 4th & 6th Open Rosscarbery OB Inland Nat NIPA, 11th Open Bude NIPA, 2nd Open Penzance NIPA, 2nd Open Penzance OB Classic NIPA, 6th Open Yearling Cock Rosscarbery NIPA, 4th Open Yearling Hen Rosscarbery NIPA, 2nd Open Talbenny YB Nat NIPA, 1st Open INFC Penzance YB Nat. All the latest news, sale list etc is listed at www.pigeonnetwork.com