BROUGHSHANE LOFT TOPS FROM PENZANCE

The two races from Talbenny and the third from Bude were all difficult and many birds failed to return to home lofts.

A decision was made to race mark on the Saturday and go for a Monday liberation which was marked down as the best day of the week. Liberation was delayed when the transporters stuck on the soft ground after a lot of earlier rain and thanks to a local farmer, and tractor, all lorries were soon lined up.

Liberation was Monday 25th June at 8.50am in Blue Skies and Sunshine right through to Wexford and up the coast to Skerries. It turned out another very difficult adventure, what a cross channel season.

John & Norman Simpson from Broughshane made it look easy with a super card, the top four in the club and the winner doing velocity 1349 also best in the OB Classic winning 1st Combine & Sect in both events.

A & N Young from Ahoghill were next best having two birds together (1347 and 1346) followed by Alan Darragh 1st Cullybackey (1323), Billy & Joe Smyth 1st Ballymena & Dist (1318) with last seasons Meritorious Award winner, Danny Dixon 1st Ballymoney (1313), and Allen McBride 1st Harryville (1305). Reid Bros & McCloy from Cullybackey won the MAC Champions League beating Stewart Bros from Randalstown in the big final race.

A number of club results with members/birds were missing for Penzance, please return, also all the results for the races from France. Ballymena & Dist will allocate rings in the clubroom on Wednesday from 7.30pm.

Mid Antrim Combine Penzance – J & N Simpson Broughshane 1349, A & N Young Ahoghill 1347, A & N Young 1346, A Darragh Cullybackey 1323, W & J Smyth Ballymena 1318, D Dixon Rasharkin 1313, A McBride Harryville 1305, Reid Bros & McCloy Cullybackey 1302, J & N Simpson 1288, J Rock Harryville 1287, M Graham Ballymena 1284, T R Alexander & Son Ballymena 1282, D Dixon 1274, S Steele Cullybackey 1270, G & A Eagleson Ballymena 1265, Russell Bros Cullybackey 1261, Reid Bros & McCloy 1252, R H Clements Harryville 1217, Houston Bros Randalstown 1215, G Price Harryville 1213, J Smyth & Son Ahoghill 1212, Houston Bros 1206, J & N Simpson 1200, A Darragh 1191, S Millar Randalstown 1189, M/M Robinson Ahoghill 1188, S Steele 1188, J & C Letters Harryville 1184, G & G Jackson Ahoghill 1183, S Steele 1182.

Mid Antrim Combine Clubs -

Ahoghill Flying Club – A & N Young 1347, 1346, J Smyth & Son 1212, M/M Robinson 1188, G & G Jackson 1183, A & N Young 1162,

Ballymena & Dist 12/73 – W & J Smyth 1318, M Graham 1284, T R Alexander & Son 1282, G & A Eagleson 1265, G Bell 1136, M Graham 1120, 1120, Blair & Rankin 1087, B O’Rawe 1119, J Harris 1062.

Broughshane – J & N Simpson 1349, 1288, 1200, 1180.

Cullybackey 9/120 – A Darragh 1323, Reid Bros & McCloy 1302, S Steele 1270, Russell Bros 1261, Reid Bros & McCloy 1252, A Darragh 1191, S Steele 1188, 1182, A Darragh 1169, J & J Greer 1160.

Harryville 13/107 – A McBride 1305, J Rock 1287, R H Clements 1217, G Price 1213, J & C Letters 1184, 1179, 1171, 1171, L Mullan 1153, R Service & Son 1149.

Kells & District 9/72 – H Boyd 1144, B Swann & Son 1139, T M Morrow 1106, H Boyd 1091, B Swann & Son 1077, A Barkley & Son 1005, 986. Sizzlers 2 Bird Club – H Boyd 1144, B Swann & Son 1077.

New Antrim Amal –

Randalstown 8/61 – Houston Bros 1215, 1206, S Millar 1189, Houston Bros 1171, Stewart Bros 1170, H Boyd 1158, Smylie Bros 1142, Stewart Bros 1078. Alan and Bobby win with a 6 year old cock racing Widowhood, they had seven home out of eight at club time. Well done.

The St Malo National was flown last Friday, birds released at 6.30am in a helping SS Westerly wind, winners made gotime but returns were few and far between. Full report next week, in the local Nat Centres, Danny Dixon was 1st Coleraine (1332), Alan Darragh 1st Cullybackey (1361) and Stewart Bros 1st Muckamore (1159).

Cullybackey done reasonably well with 17 day arrivals, Coleraine had 7 day birds and Muckamore 3. The race was won by Maurice Wilkinson from Wilton Cross in Lurgan, he timed at 14.57hrs flying 448 miles doing velocity 1455.

Cullybackey Centre St Malo 52/141 – A Darragh Cullybackey 1361, W Livingstone Ahoghill 1337, J & J Greer Cullybackey 1303, M/M Robinson Ahoghill 1302, C Moore New Antrim 1297, J Rock Harryville 1278, J Rock 1220, A Barkley & Son Kells 1117, C Moore 1154, J & N Simpson Broughshane 1147, T Picken & Son New Antrim 1107, J Smyth & Son Ahoghill 1105, A Barkley & Son 1071, D Houston & Son Broughshane 1010.

Cullybackey had 17 birds on the day, included with the above Alan Darragh 20.12hrs, A & N Young Ahoghill 20.30hrs and Billy Ramsey Harryville 23.05hrs. At clock checking on the second morning B Swann & Son Kells 5.04am, A C & T Tweed Rasharkin 5.48am, A Darragh 7.08am, B Ramsey 8.09am, George Barr Ballymena 8.45am, Harold Cubitt Rasharkin 8.53am, A & N Young 9.49am.