THE RACING PIGEON 19 APRIL 2024
29
dam is a daughter of Gary’s Golden Couple hen cross to her grandson. A son of 2nd Open cock and the good direct Donckers hen. Cullybackey HPS 7/127 – Gary Gibson 1977, 1938, 1921, 1920, 1903, N & S Anderson 1883. The young bird racing season continued with the sixth race from Fermoy in County Cork. The NIPA liber- ated on Saturday 26th August at 8.15am in north westerly winds with the outcome a very tough race. Gary Gibson was best in Cullybackey on 1242. Gary timed one from his Donckers family. The sire won 1st Club, 1st Harryville Centre, 2nd Combine and 4th Section from the Fermoy 5-Bird young bird race last season and the dam was 2nd Club beaten by loft mate and 4th Combine Roscrea 1445 birds. She’s from a son of ‘Fly Mo’ the nestmate to Danny Dixon’s good 2nd Open cock and she’s a grand- daughter of the Golden Couple. Mid Antrim Combine Fermoy 50/1,205 – S Johnston & Son Ballymena 1278, D Dixon Rasharkin 1262, S Johnston & Son Ballymena 1247, D
Harryville Centre, 2nd Combine and 4th Section from the Fermoy 5-Bird young bird race last season and the dam was 2nd club beaten by loft mate and 4th Combine Roscrea 1,445 birds. She’s from a son of ‘Fly Mo’ the nestmate to Danny Dixon’s good 2nd Open cock and she’s a granddaughter of the Golden Couple. Mid Antrim Combine Dale YB Nat – G Gibson Cullybackey 1358, D Dixon Rasharkin 1356, A & C & T Tweed Rasharkin 1355, H Cubitt Rasharkin 1351, A Darragh Cullybackey 1350, D Dixon Rasharkin 1344, G Gibson Cullybackey 1339, D Dixon Rasharkin 1330, T Johnston & Son Ballymena 1327, K & K Kernohan & Sons Ballymena 1326. Cullybackey HPS – Gary Gibson 1358, Alan Darragh 1350, Gary Gibson 1339, Alan Darragh 1323, 1318, J & J Greer 1292. The NIPA continued their racing season with a comeback race from Roscrea in County Tipperary. Birds were up at 12.30pm in light winds on Saturday 2nd September. Runner up in the Combine and 6th Section, 35th Open was Cullybackey’s Gary Gibson on 1608. Gary timed one from his Sticker Donckers family. From a Van Vugt cock paired to a full sister of Danny Dixon’s 1st Open NIPA Tullamore winner 17,775 birds. Cullybackey HPS 10/180 – G Gibson 1608, 1580, A Darragh 1542, 1534, G Gibson 1527, A Darragh 1523. The NIPA were back in Fermoy in County Cork for their penultimate young bird race of the season. Birds were released on Friday 8th September at 10.40am in light easterly winds. Jimmy & Jamie Greer had their third win of the season in Cullybackey on 1515 timing a blue chequer Braspenning x Staf Van Reet hen. The sire won 1st club & 3rd Combine from Tullamore. Cullybackey HPS 7/116 – J & J Greer 1515, G Gibson 1496, A Darragh 1443, 1438, 1437, A Shiels 1434. The final young bird race of the Nipa racing season was flown on Saturday 16th September from Skibbereen in County Cork. The young bird National birds were released at 10.15am in gruelling north easterly winds and a seri- ously tough race followed with many birds spending the night on the tiles and some loft’s failing to time. Gary Gibson had the top two birds in Cullybackey on 974 & 969 and placed 10th & 12th Section and 60th, 70th & 146th Open. Gary’s first bird was a dark w/f hen, the sire is an inbred Heartbreaker cock and the dam’s from a son of the 2nd Open cock paired to Gary’s 1st Section Talbenny YB National hen. Cullybackey HPS – Gary Gibson 974, 969, Alan Darragh 933, 914, Gary Gibson 906, Alan Darragh 894. Irish National OB & YB The opening race of the Irish National Flying Club’s season was the old bird inland National flown from Skibbereen on Tuesday 30th May. Liberation was at 8.30am in easterly winds. Dunloy’s Danny Dixon was best in the Mid Antrim Combine on 1275 with a three year old blue w/f Lambrecht cock timed at 2.37pm flying 266 miles to the lofts. The
sire a brother of ‘Heartbreaker’ and the dam a daughter of ‘Quiverman’. In total Danny had four birds in the National result 6th, 11th, 33rd and 86th Open INFCN. Alan Darragh was runner up in the Combine on 1268 and 9th Open INFC with a blue w/f yearling cock. Sire is Alan’s good five times France cock and the dam won 2nd Open in the Yearling National. Laurence & Heather Robinson of Cullybackey were next best and 10th Open National on 1267 with a blue yearling hen. She was a late young bird last season and only got two races. The sire is Van Herck and was gifted to Laurence by Gary Gibson and the dam was a good racing hen that won good first’s including 1st Section Bude. She is half Van Herck from P & J Boal and half
Rasharkin 889, Martin Graham Ballymena 875, D Dixon Rasharkin 821, G Gibson Cullybackey 808, J Wright Ballymena 804, Houston Bros Randalstown 800, D Dixon Rasharkin 792, Blair & Rankin Ballymena 710, D Dixon Rasharkin 701, J McNeill & Son Randalstown 684, A Darragh Cullybackey 683, A Darragh Cullybackey 669, W Livingstone 662, C & R McIntyre Cullybackey 660. Mid Antrim Combine – INFC St Malo Friendship National – S & N Doherty Loft wins 1st Combine & 11th Open INFC National and Chris and Robin McIntyre of Cullybackey win INFC Merit Award The final old bird race of the season on the Northern Ireland calendar was the INFC St Malo Friendship National. Birds were liberated on Friday 7th July at 6am in light south westerly winds increasing to strong winds in Ireland. Best in the Mid Antrim Combine was the father and daughter partnership of Stephen and Natalie Doherty who fly their birds to Portglenone and race in the Cullybackey club. They timed their two year old chequer cock sitting 10 days on eggs at 2.56pm flying 477 miles to win 10th North Section & 11th Open INFC National. This season the cock had three races from Fermoy and then just trained with Sam Murphy and had two Balbriggans with Tommy Cairns. Their winner is direct from Aaron Murtagh of Armagh. Chris & Robin McIntyre of Cullybackey timed their four year old blue cock at 16.22pm to finish 47th North Section & 52nd Open National and win a Merit Award. This pigeon has now been in St Malo three times, 2021 with the NIPA just out of race time, 2022 1st Club Cullybackey, 2nd MA Combine & 64th Open INFC Friendship National and this season 2nd Club, 4th MA Combine, 47th North Section & 52nd Open INFC Friendship National flying 493 miles. He has also been in the Open and Section result in the last two seasons from Penzance with the NIPA and also in the Section prizes from Talbenny in 2021 and is a full brother to 5x1st Club winners for the loft. Mid Antrim Combine – St Malo Friendship National – S & N Doherty Cullybackey 1566, Henry Turkington Kells 1474, D Dixon Rasharkin 1423, C & R McIntyre Cullybackey 1393, Jimmy Rock Harryville 1358, Mr & Mrs Robinson Cullybackey 1234, Jimmy Rock Harryville 1227, D Houston & Son Broughshane & Dist 1204, J Smyth & Son Ahoghill 1099, J Smyth & Son Ahoghill 1052, J Smyth & Son Ahoghill 630, J Smyth & Son Ahoghill 473. Grand National Penzance Young Bird Race Wednesday 6th September 2023. Race Sponsored by Frazers Animal Feeds. 284 members have entered 1,950 pigeons and are competing for £15,940 in pools and prize money. The pigeons have been released at 7.45am in calm conditions wind on route light southerly. Martin Graham’s fourth National win arrived on Wednesday 6th September when he timed his blue w/f hen ‘Sammy’s Girl’ at 2.24pm to win 1st Open INFC Penzance Young Bird National vel 1452 after flying 329 miles to the fabulous lofts on the Old Cullybackey Road in Ballymena. Alan
Janssen. Chris Moore of Cullybackey also made the Open prizes finishing 31st Open on 1252. Mid Antrim Combine – INFC Skibbereen OB Inland National – D Dixon Rasharkin 1275, A Darragh Cullybackey 1268, Mr & Mrs Robinson Cullybackey 1267, D Dixon Rasharkin 1266, C Moore Cullybackey 1252, D Dixon Rasharkin 1249, D Dixon Rasharkin 1220, A Darragh Cullybackey 1197, A Darragh Cullybackey 1190, G Gibson 1174. Wednesday 14th June 2023 is another day Martin Graham of Ballymena will remember for a lifetime. After flying the 329 miles to the majestic lofts on the Old Cullybackey Road his classy blue pied hen timed in at 2.24pm to win the INFC Penzance Yearling National and emulate her sire ‘Champion Denman’ who won the same race back in 2018 when flown from Sennen Cove. This is the second time Martin won 1st Open INFC Yearling National. Mid Antrim Combine INFC Penzance Yearling National – Martin Graham Ballymena & Dist 1398, Martin Graham Ballymena & Dist 1206, Martin Graham Ballymena & Dist 1176, A Darragh Cullybackey 1083, J McNeill & Son Randalstown 1074, D Dixon Rasharkin 1067, Mr & Mrs Robinson Cullybackey 1066, J Miller Randalstown 1011, C & R McIntyre Cullybackey 910, D Dixon ‘Malconey’s Dream’ King’s Cup winner 2006 from Vannes for R & S Malcolmson of Newtownbreda HPS and grand sire of 2nd Open St Allouestre King's Cup for Tommy McClean, 72 birds in race time.
Dixon Rasharkin 1247, K & K Kernohan & Sons Ballymena 1246,S Johnston & Son Ballymena 1245, D Magill Harryville 1244, G Gibson Cullybackey 1242, Blair & Rankin Ballymena 1234, J McNeill & Son Randalstown 1231. Mid Antrim Combine Fermoy 5-Bird – K & K Kernohan & Sons Ballymena 1246, Blair & Rankin Ballymena 1231, A Barkley & Son Kells 1214, A Darragh Cullybackey 1205, A Darragh Cullybackey 1200, G Gibson Cullybackey 1191, Steele & McNeill Rasharkin 1187, Blair & Rankin Ballymena 1172, A Barkley & Son Kells 1157, J Eagleson & Sons Ballymena 1156. NIPA Dale Young Bird National Mid Antrim Combine – The NIPA Dale Young Bird National was held on Saturday 2nd September. The birds were liberated in Wales at 11am in light winds and a very good race was enjoyed by most lofts. Cullybackey fancier Gary Gibson timed the best bird in the local area at 3.51pm to top the Mid Antrim Combine and finish 3rd Section & 28th Open NIPA 2,897 birds. Gary’s winner a blue wf hen is the same bird that won Fermoy last weekend. She’s from his Donckers family. The sire won 1st Club, 1st ‘Champion Jack’ King’s Cup winner 1997 from St Nazaire for P Rock & Son of Malahide & District.
Made with FlippingBook interactive PDF creator