Pigeon round-up by Homer

The birds were released at 7.30am and again made light work of the journey to home lofts. The best birds locally were timed by Scott & Clements of Kells the winner a three year old Blue Ch cock timed at 10.57am recording velocity 1532. For good measure the top prize-winners from last year were next best and the loft takes 1st & 2nd in the Mid Antrim Combine where just short of 3,000 birds were competing.

Young McManus & Sons had another big card in Ahoghill, race winner again with the same bird as the week previous doing velocity 1518. His Blue hen racing natural is Van De Weil. Allen McBride also had the top three in Harryville and his winner doing velocity 1515 was the winner the week previous. Bloodlines were Soontjen x Hartog, the dam won 1st Club Roscrea and 1st Club & 2nd Sect from Clonmel, this super pair, have now bred 10 x 1sts. Martin Graham with a small team competing had a top card in Ballymena, he has timed the same bird for three races a Blue Pied yearling cock racing widowhood, the best Jacobs from Gerald Delaney. This bird has won 1st, 2nd and 1st Club again, Martin Graham is the loft to beat.

N.I.P.A. Section A Clonmel

Bushmills Inv - 1st,2nd&3rd T&J McDonald 1457,1451,1450, 4th Horner&Scott 1413.

N.I.P.A. Section B Clonmel

Ballymoney Hps 30/810 - 1st D&H Stuart 1503, 2nd d Dixon 1495, 3rd J McDowell&Sons 1478, 4th A&R McAuley 1476, 5th D&H Stuart 1475, 6th d Dixon 1472, 7th J hutchinson&Son 1472, 8th D Devenny 1467, 9th J Hutchinson&Son 1460, 10th A&M Boyle 1455. D&H Stuart win their second race of the season with a two year old blue hen.

Dervock RPS 10/305 - 1st&2nd D&H Stuart 1503,1475, 3rd J Hutchinson&Son 1472, 4th D Devenney 1467, 5th J Hutchinson&Son 1460, 6th&7th A&M Boyle 1455,1446, 8th D&G McMullan 1436, 9th S Laverty 1414, 10th D&G McMullan 1410.

Rasharkin&Dist Hps - 1st&2nd Milliken&Barkley 1483,1480, 3rd Steele&McNeill 1465, 4th W Davidson 1465, 5th A C&T Tweed 1451, 6th Lucas McNeill 1447, 7th H Cubitt 1421, 8th Steele&McNeill 1399, 9th J&M Milliken 1388, 10th J&D Surgenor 1385. First & Second for Milliken & Barkley from Steele & McNeill third. Nom Milliken & Barkley. Race kindly sponsored by J F Car Sales (Ballymoney)

Ballymoney West Combine 10/253 - 1st J McDowell&Sons 1478, 2nd J Hutchinson&Son 1472, 3rd B&I Stewart 1425, 4th L Neill 1410, 5th C Henry 1410, 6th W Blair 1397, 7th R J Elliott 1363, 8th d Laverty 1337, 9th D Gage 1232, 10th A Hill 1158.

Bushmills Inv - 1st T&J McDonald 1706, 2nd K Glass 1677, 3rd,4th&5th T&J McDonald 1663,1655,1642.

Following two races from Tullamore the local birds moved on to Roscrea in Tipperary, released again at mid-day in a helping south east wind. Danny Dixon had the Card of the Day to take the top four places in the Mid Antrim Combine with almost 3,000 birds competing. He will top the Combine & Sect B for the second time this season and his early birds will be up at the top of the NIPA. His winner was a Black w/f cock a pure Lambrechts racing on widowhood, he has already topped Mid Antrim Combine the day the loft had the Top 8 and this same bird won the Ballymena Ring Nom from Fermoy. This could be another Champion in the Making. Young McManus & Sons have won all three races into Ahoghill and Stewart Bros make it two in a row in Randalstown. Reid Bros & McCloy have 1st Cullybackey (1678), McAlonan Bros 1st Ballymena & Dist (1670), H Smyth & Son have 1st Broughshane (1666), this bird was runner-up the week previous and Allen McBride has two in a row in Harryville (1661). The 2 year old Blue cock is a full brother to last weeks winner, the sire a son of Spartacus paired to a hen bred from a sister of Champion Strauss paired to son of Diamonte. They have now bred 9 x 1sts, what a fantastic winning line the very best Soontjen x Hartog. Conor Magill wins two on the trot in New Antrim (1660).

Mid Antrim Combine Roscrea 126/2,952 – D Dixon Rasharkin 1739, D Dixon 1739, D Dixon 1738, D Dixon 1723, Young McManus & Sons 1702, D Dixon 1688, Stewart Bros Randalstown 1685, Reid Bros & McCloy Cullybackey 1678, Milliken & Barkley Rasharkin 1677, McAlonan Bros Ballymena 1670, Reid Bros & McCloy 1669, Steele & McNeill Rasharkin 1668, H Smyth & Son Broughshane 1666, L McNeill Rasharkin 1662, A McBride Harryville 1661, C Magill New Antrim 1660, W McFetridge Rasharkin 1658, M Graham Ballymena 1655, A & N Young Ahoghill 1653, A Darragh Cullybackey 1649, Blair & Rankin Ballymena 1648, G Connolly Broughshane 1648, J & D Surgenor Rasharkin 1646, Young McManus & Sons 1645, G McDowell Kells 1642, Scott & Clements Kells 1641, Surgenor Bros Kells 1641, H & R McCloy Cullybackey 1641, Steele & McNeill 1640, J & M Milliken 1640.

N.I.P.A. Section B:

Ballymoney Hps 30/986 - 1st&2nd D Dixon 1739,1739, 3rd D&H Stuart 1732, 4th J McDowell&Sons 1722, 5th&6th A&R McAuley 1699,1692, 7th&8th A&M Boyle 1684,1684, 9th M Gamble 1677, 10th D&G McMullan 1674. Danny dixon leads the way in Ballymoney and is looking good for top position in Section B.

Dervock Rps 11/379 - 1st D&H Stuart 1732, 2nd&3rd A&M Boyle 1684,1684, 4th D&G McMullan 1674, 5th S Laverty 1664, 6th D Devenney 1654, 7th D&H Stuart 1644, 8th&9th J Hutchinson&Son 1597,1597, 10th W&L McCaw 1576.

Ballymoney West Combine - 1st J McDowell&Sons 1722, 2nd W Blair 1642, 3rd D Laverty 1642, 4th B&I Stewart 1636, 5th R J Ellioo 1629, 6th L Neill 1622, 7th J Hutchinson&Son 1597, 8th C Henry 1567, 9th D Gage 1496. J McDowell and sons make an impressive start to the season winning the first three races.

Rasharkin & Dist Hps 14/261 - 1st Milliken&Barkley 1677, 2nd Steele&McNeill 1668, 3rd Lucas McBeill 1662, 4th W McFetridge 1658, 5th J&D Surgenor 1646, 6th Steele&McNeill 1640, 7th J&M Milliken 1640, 8th Lucas McNeill 1623, 9th Milliken&Barkley 1587, 10th A& C Tweed 1578. Milliken&Barkley win another tight finish from Steele&McNeill, Lucas McNeill thirs. Nom Steele&McNeill. D Dixon 1739,1739,1738,1723,1688. Race kindly sponsored by J F Car Sales (Ballymoney)