INFC Update - Ronnie Johnston (Patron)

[willie reynolds]

INFC Dinner

The INFC Dinner will be held on Friday 27th November in the Stormont Hotel and for the first time since 2006 all the trophies have been won. The arrival time is 6.30 pm and the dinner will be served at 7 pm sharp. Please do not be late as we have a lot to get through. For a lot of fanciers it will be their first time at a National dinner and I am sure they will be enjoying the occasion.

INFC Charity Show

It is almost that time of the year again when the Charity Show will be held on Saturday 12th December in the Kings Hall Complex. The Dublin Show has just been held and everyone I have spoken to had nothing but praise for the venue. I was unable to go this year but last year Alice and I travelled down to the show and I was very impressed. I am sure it costs a lot of money to hire this venue but the facilities are excellent and I am sure the show committee will make sure the show stays at the Kennel Club.

Cancer is a word that scares most of us and is not only confined to adults but can also strike children. The INFC show committee this year support Childrens Cancer Research and Childrens Cancer Hospice. The main source of income for the show is always the charity auction and over the years this auction has been one of the most successful in the UK. Why is that? The reason is simple, the birds donated are class and year after year I get reports of many winners being bred from them. This year I think is going to be more of the same and those fanciers approached will surely give off their best. We hope the gifts birds will be penned before 2pm and the sale due to start at 3pm.

INFC Double International Winners

The latest double INFC National winners are Donnelly Bros of Newry who won their second National in 2009. I have covered several of these winners in previous articles. Lets start with Tommy Patterson & son Noel of Muckamore the only NIPA loft to win both YB Nationals Penzance and Skibbereen McCarron Bros & McAlinden of Lurgan who won two Yearling Nationals in successive years. Houston & McDonald of Moira who won the Friendship National twice. Henry Beattie of Laurelvale who won the Kings Cup and the Friendship National. the same two races as Goudy Bros of Muckamore won.

Geoffrey Douglas

This fancier, winner of the Kings Cup in 1980 has just enjoyed his best ever season and I will shortly have a loft report on his 2009 season.

Kings Cup

The 2009 Kings Cup race from Vannes saw all of the Open prize money and pool money won, and for the first time since 2006 all the major cups won. This has not always been the case and over the next few weeks I hope to review some of the most difficult Kings Cup races, starting with Messac 2003.

732 members sent 1,981 birds and the race winner was D&T Brennan of Hillfoot with the blue chequer cock Davy's Dad. This game pigeon was clocked mid morning on the second day and won the Kings Cup making 642ypm. The NIPA Cup was won by Peter Murgagh & Son of Ballyholland in 2nd Open on a vel of 632. McCracken Bros of Banbridge was 3rd Open with his famous mealy hen Lucy and she collected 6,029 pounds in pools and prize money. Mick O'Toole of Gorey was the South Section winner in 5th Open on 618 and he collected the Gilliland Cup.

The Ulster Fed Cup was won by John Ramsey & son of Grosvenor in 10th Open. J McAlorum of Grosvenor was to clock a yearling and win the McCloud Cup for 17th Open. At the end of the three days only 21 birds had been clocked and believe it or not Liam McCall of Wicklow clocked three birds to win 13th, 16th & 21st Open stunning performance. Liam can also be proud of his achievement as he was the first South Section member to win the Harkness Rose Bowl for Best 2-Bird average.

Liam is a very committed National flyer and again this season has had a number of top National positions, 66th Open Sennen Cove yearling National from 4,134 birds, 244th Open Vannes Kings Cup from 2,619 birds. One record that may stand for some time is that of A McDowell & son of Newtownards with three National victorys but the key point here is that all three National wins have been from France two Kings Cup and a Friendship National.