McManus loft best from Cloughmartin
The young birds were back in County Tipperary for their fifth race of the season on Saturday 24th August. The new race site in Cloughmartin was being tried for the first time and is around 166 miles to the center of Ballymena. The Nipa birds were liberated at 8.30am in light west to south westerly winds and like all this season's young bird races a fast race followed. Top racing and breeding loft's of Paddy & William McManus of Ahoghill take the Mid Antrim Combine honours this week timing at 11.27am for the 164 mile fly to their Croft Loft's in Ahoghill. Their blue hen also finished 4th Section B and was sitting around 8 to 9 days on eggs, the sire a blue Frans Zwols cock, a double grandson of 'Tip Top Junior' and the dam a smokey blue Vandenbrande hen, a granddaughter of 'Diamant' The loft have their young birds in top form at present and lead the way in the Combine young bird points award and now have two Mid Antrim Combine wins for the season having won Kilbeggan on the open day of the season back in April.
Runner up in the Combine was another loft in form Jimmy Smyth & Son of Ahoghill on 1626. Jimmy timed his good blue cock bred by Mark Milliken of Rasharkin that has been placed 2nd Combine 42/1381 1st Kilbeggan beaten by loftmate, 9th Combine 51/1550 from Roscrea last weekend and 2nd Combine 46/1369 this week from Cloughmartin. Ballymena & District winners Johnston Eagleson & Sons were next best and placed 3rd Combine on 1626. Their gay cheq pied hen sitting on two chicks won the club's 2 bird and dtw and also finished 2nd Combine & 3rd Section B from 2nd Kilbeggan. Sire is from their good Van Den Bulck stock cock "Dirk" when paired to their double Combine winning hen full of Paddy & William McManus's old Van Der Wegen and Louis Thijs lines. The dam is Van den Bulck x Best Kittel of Dehon-Demonseau.
William & Paddy McManus were again 4th Combine with a red hen that won 10th Combine last week from Roscrea. Sire is from a son of 'Champion Heartbreaker' when paired to their good double section winning red hen and the dam Lambrecht, a granddaughter of 'Superman' Robin Service the Ballymena runner up was 5th Combine with a blue pied hen on 1621. The dam won 1st Mid Antrim Combine & 29th Open from the Infc Skibbereen YB National in 2021 and the Soontjen sire was on loan from clubmates Johnston Eagleson & Sons.
William McFetridge had the Rasharkin winner on 1618 and placed 6th Combine with one bred from good friend Jonny Sterritt of Portadown. This one was runner up in the club last weekend from Roscrea and 17th Combine. Jonathan Barkley & Laura Surgenor had the top six in Kells & District with the winner doing 1618 and placed 7th Combine. Their blue Lambrecht hen timed at 11.30am was bred off birds from Jonny Simpson of Broughshane. Gary Gibson had the winner in Cullybackey on 1602 with a mealy Donckers / Vandenbrande cock timed at 11.31am and Stewart Bros took the red card in Randalstown on 1588 with a blue Vandenabeele cock that was 2nd club last week and is from Peter Martin lines. Marc Neilly was best in Broughshane with a cheq hen on 1586. She was bred off birds acquired from clubmate Alistair Purvis, the sire being Lambrecht.
Mid Antrim Combine Cloughmartin 46/1369 - Young & McManus & Sons Ahoghill 1631, J Smyth & Son Ahoghill 1626, J Eagleson & Sons Ballymena 1626, Young & McManus & Sons Ahoghill 1624, R Service & Son Ballymena 1621, W McFetridge Rasharkin 1618, A Barkley & Son Kells 1618, Young & McManus & Sons Ahoghill 1607, G Gibson Cullybackey 1602, T Whyte Ahoghill 1599, H Cubitt Rasharkin 1598, T Whyte Ahoghill 1597, J Eagleson & Sons Ballymena 1595, T Whyte Ahoghill 1593, A Shiels Cullybackey 1593, A Barkley & Son Kells 1593, D Dixon Rasharkin 1591, D Dixon Rasharkin 1591, Young & McManus & Sons Ahoghill 1589, K & K Kernohan & Sons Ballymena 1588, Stewart Bros Randalstown 1588, K & K Kernohan & Sons Ballymena 1588, M Neilly Broughshane 1586, K & K Kernohan & Sons Ballymena 1584, K & K Kernohan & Sons Ballymena 1584, Blair & Rankin Ballymena 1584, G Gibson Cullybackey 1583, A Barkley & Son Kells 1583, K & K Kernohan & Sons Ballymena 1582, H Cubitt Rasharkin 1582, A Barkley & Son Kells 1579, A Barkley & Son Kells 1577, M Neilly Broughshane 1577, W & J McLean Rasharkin 1573, Young & McManus & Sons Ahoghill 1571, Blair & Rankin Ballymena 1569, W & J McLean Rasharkin 1569, S Johnston & Son Ballymena 1568, S Johnston & Son Ballymena 1568, A Barkley & Son Kells 1565.
Mid Antrim Combine YB Points -Young & McManus & Sons Ahoghill 357, G Gibson Cullybackey 177, J Smyth & Son Ahoghill 164, K & K Kernohan & Sons Ballymena 113 , Blair & Rankin Ballymena 103, J Eagleson & Sons Ballymena 94 , H Cubitt Rasharkin 90 , A Barkley & Son Kells 81 , T Whyte 60, M Neilly Broughshane 39.
Mid Antrim Combine Young Bird Knoc- Out q/f Cloughmartin. Winners in capitals
K & K KERNOHAN & SONS Ballymena & Dist 1588 v Gregg Bros Kells & Dist 1536. YOUNG & McMANUS & SONS Ahoghill 1631 v J Eagleson & Sons Ballymena & Dist 1626, J SMYTH & SON Ahoghill 1626 v J McNaughton & Son Cullybackey 1435, Blair & Rankin Ballymena & Dist 1584 v A BARKLEY & SON Kells & Dist 1618. Mervyn Eagleson PO.
NIPA Section B Cloughmartin 73/2046 – S & J Bones Muckamore 1657, 1657, R McCook Ballymoney 1643, Young McManus & Sons Ahoghill 1631, Sefton Thompson Crumlin & Dist 1627, J Smyth & Son Ahoghill 1626, Sefton Thompson 1626, J Eagleson & Sons Ballymena & Dist 1626, Young McManus & Sons 1624, S & N Maginty Mukamore 1623.
NIPA Sect B Clubs
Ahoghill Flying Club 6/247 – Young McManus & Sons 1631, J Smyth & Son 1626, Young McManus & Sons 1624, 1607, T Whyte 1599, 1597.
Ballymoney HPS 11/347 – R McCook 1643, 1609, J Hutchinson & Son 1608, R McCook 1608, D Dixon 1591, 1591.
Broughshane & District 2/60 – Marc Neilly 1586, 1577, 1558, 1548, John Getty 1512, 1487.
Ballymena & District HPS 7/235 – J Eagleson & Sons 1626, R Service & Son 1623, J Eagleson & Sons 1595, K & K Kernohan & Sons 1588, 1588, 1584. The Eagleson team have 1st 2 Bird Club and also collect the DTW.
Cullybackey HPS 13/365 – G Gibson 1602, A Shiels 1593, G Gibson 1583, A Darragh 1559, G Gibson 1537, 1537.
Crumlin & District 6/126 – Sefton Thompson 1627, 1626, Fleming Bros 1622, Sefton Thompson 1613, 1612, R & S Hope 1610.
Kells & District HPS 5/133 – A Barkley & Son 1618, 1593, 1583, 1579, 1577, 1565. Sizzlers 2 Bird Club – A Barkley & Son 1539, Gregg Bros 1536, B Swann & Son 1438.
Muckamore HPS – Knocker & Bill 1688, S & J Bones 1657, 1657, Knocker & Bill 1629, 1626, 1623. Same result again today the same hen that won last week came first this week. Over the moon, we got 1st 4th 5th 6th 15th 16th plus 14th section C & 72 open. Hunter Bill what a result.
Randalstown HPS 6/116 – Stewart Bros 1588, 1548, 529, W & W Gilbert 1506, J McNeill & Son 1503, N Percy & Son 1497.
Rasharkin &District HPS 7/154 – W McFetridge 1618, H Cubitt 1598, 1582, W & J McClean 1573, 1569, J & M Milliken 1555.
The Ahoghill winners William and Paddy McManus. William is holding 1st Mid Antrim Combine & 4th Section B from Cloughmartin.