Success for Clyde at national pigeon race

Clyde, who races under the name of partnership I.Rollins & Son and is a member of Hillsborough & Maze pigeon club, was delighted to see his pigeons come home in first and second place.

Some 520 members sent 4643 birds racing for £16677 pool & prize money at the event on Saturday September 15.

The birds were released at 9.30am in a west south westerly wind,the winning birds made short work of the favourable conditions and homed in around four hours.

Clyde had two birds come home together, before deciding to do a lap of honour for one of them,thus relegating it to second position, without realising at the time that his pigeons were first and second in the national, being clocked at the winning time of 13.30 & 13.31 for the 234 mile trip.

The first pigeon, and winner of the national, is named Dagmar. She achieved the velocity of 1711 ypm winning 1st Open 4643 birds,1st Section D 648 birds and collecting a cool £582.79. She was purchased earlier in the year from the Lier market in Belgium.

The second pigeon, and runner up, is named Sunday. She achieved the velocity of 1709 ypm winning 2nd Open 4643 birds,2nd Section D 648 birds and collecting £411.85. The nestmate of Sunday also achieved 50th Open,25th section from the same race.

Clyde said: “To say it was the race of a lifetime is an understatement.”

He also achieved the following results from the same race:

1st Open, 2nd Open, 40th Open, 50th Open,153rd Open,173rd Open,174th Open, 250th Open. 1st Section, 2nd Section, 19th Section, 25th Section, winning the grand total of £1137.63.

Clyde would like to thank his fellow club member Sid Grainger for all his assistance and generosity over the years, to John Hollinger for organizing the Belgium/Holland trips and thirdly to Ivan Mawhinney for training his birds during the past season.