Long-running loft still notching success

FOR the second race of the old bird season the NIPA were back in Tullamore County Offaly, released again at Mid-day in a West NW wind. It turned out another fantastic race with good returns, an excellent start to the old bird season.
By The Newsroom
Published 19th Apr 2010, 11:32 BST
Updated 19th Apr 2010, 13:30 BST

Stewart Bros from Randalstown have top spot in the Mid Antrim Combine where just short of 3,000 birds were competing in the nine club. They timed their 2 year old Blue w/f hen at 14.12hrs recording velocity 1599 for the 120 miles.

Stewart Bros don’t hog the limelight for publicity but have been a top loft for many years.

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They are mostly interested in the distance races and last season collected a second Hall of Fame Diploma for a bird in the Kings Cup prizes on three separate occasions. A unique feature about this is that both winners are the same way bred, the first time in the history of the INFC that this has happened, the Hall of Fame awards go back to 1970.

Ian was telling me just last week that the nearest any fancier has come to winning twice with birds the same way bred was Smyth Bros from Ballymena winning two awards with birds bred from the same hen, in itself a super performance.

Allen McBride had a good card last week and improved again to take top place in Harryville HPS, he had four birds in the Top 10.

Harry Boyd had his first winner of the year in Kells & Dist (1581), on the same yard as Alistair Purvis who had 1st Broughshane & Dist. Paddy McManus had the top four arrivals in Ahoghill for the second week, another fantastic card and Connor Magill had 1st New Antrim Amalgamated (1570).

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Mid Antrim Combine Tullamore (2) 118/2,893 – Stewart Bros Randalstown 1599, A McBride Harryville 1590, H Boyd Kells 1581, A Purvis Broughshane 1581, Young McManus & Sons Ahoghill 1576, Young McManus & Sons 1572, C Magill New Antrim 1570, G McDowell Kells 1569, G McDowell 1568, H Smyth & Son Broughshane 1568, J & N Simpson Broughshane 1567, G McDowell 1566, G Price Harryville 1555, Surgenor Bros Kells 1554, Young McManus & Sons 1553, A Purvis 1553, B Herbinson Cullybackey 1551, J & N Simpson 1550, T & M Morrow Kells 1550, M Graham Ballymena 1550, Young McManus & Sons 1549, T & M Morrow 1549, S Murphy Randalstown 1548, M/M Robinson Ahoghill 1546, G Connolly Broughshane 1545, Young McManus & Sons 1545, Scott & Clements Kells 1544, Steele & McNeill Rasharkin 1544, G Connolly 1544, D Jackson & Son New Antrim 1544.

Randalstown HPS 13/339 – Stewart Bros 1599, S Murphy 1548, S Millar 1530, Stewart Bros 1525, Houston Bros 1523, S Murphy 1521, S Millar 1517, T McMillan 1514.

Harryville HPS 16/447 – A McBride 1590, G Price 1555, J Ramsey 1541, K & K Kernohan & Sons 1539, A McBride 1533, L Mullan 1531, A McBride 1529, 1527, 1525, L Mullan 1520.

Kells & District HPS 13/297 – H Boyd 1581, G McDowell 1569, 1568, 1566, Surgenor Bros 1554, T & M Morrow 1550, 1549, Scott & Clements 1544, H Boyd 1540, G McDowell 1539. Sizzlers 2 Bird Club – G McDowell 1568, H Boyd 1540. Gold Minute (17) won by George McDowell.

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Broughshane HPS 13/268 – A Purvis 1581, H Smyth & Son 1568, J & N Simpson 1567, A Purvis 1553, J & N Simpson 1550, G Connolly 1545, 1544, H Smyth & Son 1539.

Ahoghill Flying Club 14/374 – Young McManus & Sons 1576, 1572, 1553, 1549, M/M Robinson 1546, Young McManus & Sons 1545, 1528, C Young 1527, J Balmer 1514, C Young 1509.

New Antrim Amalgamated 7/150 – C Magill 1570, D Jackson & Son 1544, McFall & McManus 1518, D Jackson & Son 1497, R McFall & Son 1482, 1482, C Magill 1477, 1477.

Cullybackey HPS 17/476 – B Herbinson 1551, Reid Bros & McCloy 1523, A Darragh 1520, 1520, Reid Bros & McCloy 1513, Russell Bros 1502, 1493, H & R McCloy 1486, 1486, Des Robinson 1478.

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Ballymena & District 12/273 – M Graham 1550, J Devlin 1535, W & J Smyth 1526, M Graham 1522, W & J Smyth 1512, B O’Rawe 1509, 1508, McAlonan Bros 1504, Blair & Rankin 1499, 1494.

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

The following lofts will compete for their clubs in the Seasons Champions League which was won last season by Danny Dixon of Rasharkin.

Four lofts are nominated in the League Competition and the top winners go through to the Knock-Out stage. Thanks again to James Harris who is keeping the records.

The opening race will be flown from Tullamore on Saturday 17th April. The draw for the group stage was made by Mid Antrim Secretary George McDowell and Homer at Ballymena Pigeon Supplies on Monday evening.

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As usual we have four groups, one member of each club giving a total of nine, and the Top 4 qualify for the Knock-Out stage flown cross channel. We will update the league each week.

Ahoghill Flying Club: Young McManus & Sons, A & N Young, T & G Cotter and D Lowry & Sons. Ballymena & District HPS: W & J Smyth, M Graham, J Devlin and Blair & Rankin. Broughshane & District: J & N Simpson, D Houston & Son, H Smyth & Son and A Purvis. Cullybackey HPS: A Darragh, Russell Bros, H & R McCloy and S Steele. Harryville HPS: J Millar & Son, A McBride, R H Clements and J Rock. Kells & District HPS: Scott & Clements, H Boyd, Surgenor Bros and G McDowell. Randalstown HPS: Stewart Bros, Houston Bros, T McMillan and S Millar. Rasharkin & Dist: D Dixon, Milliken & Barkley, A C & T Tweed and L McNeill. New Antrim Amalgamated: C Magill, McFall & McManus, D Jackson and C Moore.

Group 1 – D Lowry & Son, M Graham, D Houston & Son, S Steele, J Rock, Scott & Clements, Stewart Bros, L McNeill and C Magill. Group 2 – T & G Cotter, J Devlin, H Smyth & Son, H & R McCloy, A McBride, Surgenor Bros, Houston Bros, D Dixon and D Jackson. Group 3 – Young McManus & Sons, W & J Smyth, A Purvis, Russell Bros, J Millar & Son, G McDowell, S Millar, Milliken & Barkley and McFall & McManus. Group 4 – A & N Young, Blair & Rankin, J & N Simpson, A Darragh, R H Clements, H Boyd, T McMillan and C Moore.

Positions after Week 1: Group (1) Stewart Bros 27, C Magill 21, M Graham 8, Scott & Clements 1. Group (2) A McBride 26, H Smyth & Son 18, Surgenor Bros 14. Group (3) A Purvis 24, Young McManus & Sons 23, G McDowell 20. Group (4) Harry Boyd 25, J & N Simpson 17.